I thought these socks were for me when I started them. I truly did. This pattern is the Staccato Socks pattern from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. The yarn is Bittersweet Woolery Guilty Pleasures in Crocus. This yarn is special to me. I bought it at my first (and so far only) Rhinebeck adventure in 2011. I’ve wanted to use it so many times, but each time I start something with it, it never seems just right, so it hasn’t happened. This time I decided to work on some Staccato Socks. I made the pattern twice before and loved the way it worked with a wilder sock yarn. Both of those pairs went to friends. Apparently Staccato Socks and I are not to be because this pair decided it was for my mother. The more I knit the yarn, the more firmly I came to decide it had to be for her because this shade of yellow greenery is her absolute favorite. So they shall be hers when they’re finished. Perhaps another time, Staccato Socks.
This is a hand-dyed yarn and you can see that one end of the ball is definitely a bit lighter than the other. One foot looks almost white, while the other is clearly a bright yellow. That’s not a trick of the lighting or exposure. It’s lovely either way, but a little funny when you see them develop side by side.
Do you ever have projects that seem they should just be for other people even when you didn’t start out that way? I do think these are beautiful, but my sock drawer is rich with wool and I like to share sometimes. Though sock yarn is my most coveted kind of yarn, it’s also easiest for me to impulsively give away socks because most of my friends and my mom have similarly sized feet and I definitely have an abundance of socks. I think everyone should have cozy feet come winter time.
What’s your favorite sock pattern of all time? I knit a lot of vanilla socks (all stockinette) as well as socks with simple patterns that can become rhythmic or mindless. I have the Cookie A book Knit. Sock. Love. and adore those patterns, but I’m very wedded to my method of two at a time from the toe up, so that stops me from undertaking the more complicated and artistic sock patterns sometimes. I think I’ll get over that, but I always love inspiration, so feel free to share your favorites!
Your post is quite timely. I have been enjoying the Hyperspace sock. I cast on not worrying so much about gauge because I figured it would fit my husband or myself. For the first half of the sock, I was convinced they were going to be his… but since the first sock fits me so perfectly after blocking… I guess they are for me! It’s a stranded color work sock, and the interesting pattern helps keep me motivated.
I knit Ann Budd’s Diagonal Rib socks A LOT. I think they could easily be done toe-up.
My go-to sock is still Hermione’s Everyday Socks. After knitting my first pair (for myself) I’ve knitted LOTS of them. Just this year alone, I’ve knitted 4 pairs, one for my husband, one for my sister, one for my sister-in-law, and one for my best friend. Every time I think I’m going to start a pair for myself, someone else pops into my head and on my needles!
I agree and somehow ended up with a (small) bin where projects go that *really* belong to someone else. I love to send them off to the right person at the right moment 🙂 As for socks, I always use the Susan B Anderson “How I Make My Socks” pattern . . . I have every intention of branching out, but I just love the way these fit my feet (and maybe, just maybe, I love having the pattern memorized!) Beautiful socks you have there, btw!
Isn’t it nice to have a pattern that you can cast on for anyone’s feet? I love that. I have heard of the Herminone pattern, but have yet to try it. Nice to see another recommendation for it.
Cassie taught me how to knit socks. My favorite pair are of the Herminone pattern, easily adaptable to toe up.
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omg that colour difference would bug me so much. 😀 but i’m trying to let go on such things. i was recently adding squares to a crochet blanket i started years ago, and it turns out that one of my yarns is a slightly different shade of gray than the one i used originally (either that or the original yarn faded from sitting in a sunny corner of our flat for years). i told myself that “no one will notice” and that “it does not bother me”. 😀 i’ve managed to convince myself for now 😀
I’ve made a few pairs from “Socks from the Toe Up” by Wendy Johnson and have yet to be disappointed. It also is a great resource for various ways to cast on at the toe, and I reference it often. I also really like having a printed book of patterns. As much as I love Ravelry, sometimes it’s nice to flip through a real book to get inspired.
How sweet and thoughtful you are. I tend to knit for others first, myself second. Whenever I do knit for myself, never does it cross my mind that it should be for anyone else, LOL!
Socks are always the projects that choose other owners, for me! I recently knit this pair of socks in a colorway called Koi that I was tickled to pieces with. But for some reason I cast on a strange number of stitches and they were too tight, so I stopped short on the foot and gave them to my daughter. She wears them to sleep every night and it makes my heart so happy. I just love the yarn you’re using on these socks! Gorgeous.
As usual another stunning post – Happy Christmas – I would like to award you with ‘My Favourite Blog’ award. Just head down to my site for more details https://backpainbloguk.com/2016/12/29/some-new-blog-awards-the-2016-bm-blog-awards/ – thanks Barbara