Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Lavender and Old Lace - Spring into Summer Socks

Lavender and Old Lace Socks
I finished these new ankle socks a few days ago and I absolutely love them. They have a lacy Feather and Fan or Old Shale Cuff - the name seems interchangeable but I've made a scarf and a cowl in that design in recent months so I'll stick to Feather and Fan, which describes the lovely lace design perfectly. 

The pattern comes from the aptly named Stitches of Violet Blog - and it was an adaptation in this wool as I had no plain colour sock wool.  I got the wool in Angela's Design Workshop in Lismore where our Knitting Circle meet every Tuesday evening. It's King Cole brand, Zig Zag 4-ply Sock Wool.

Cuff and Eye of Partridge Heel Flap
This is the first pair of socks I'd made in this lovely lavender and violet self-striping wool. Most of the socks I've made in the past year and a half have either been double knitting acrylic - not good as they fray at the  heel after a few week's wear - or pure wool which promptly felted as I didn't realise it wasn't machine-washable superwash wool. The most successful were made with Lidl Sock Wool, which has been terrific value and made comfy hard-wearing socks that have kept me going for over a year now. 
Showing cuff rib on left
Eye of Partridge Heel & Gusset - soft light
Cuff and Rib detail
Modelling the socks - soft lighting.
I think I'm officially a Sockaholic - I have to have a pair on the go at all times, along with any other WIP I'm  busy with. I used to use 4 DPNs (Double-Pointed Needles) but then about a year ago I learnt how to use the Magic Loop with circular needles and haven't looked back. 

Here are some links to YouTube Video Tutorials on the Magic Loop. It is the easiest method and make socks more portable than ever with no fear of losing a needle. I am to be found knitting away in the passenger seat of the car as we drive anywhere - Cork or Dublin mostly - and hubby Jan is used to it now, having a knitwit beside him getting odd looks at traffic lights! 

I would love to try these in the pattern colours, with a plain sock and a patterned cuff, heel flap and toe. It's just harder to get plain yarn than patterned or self-striping for socks, but I'll get there eventually. 

There's been great intercontinental collaboration in the world of sock-design and knitting lately as Stephanie over at Hookin', Knittin' and Livin' took my photo of the Lismore Cable designed by Cyril Cullen and adapted it to the most wonderful socks - which you can see on her blogpost here - aren't they gorgeous? I hope to make them one day, and you'll be the first to know! 

Meanwhile I hope you like my photos - they show the socks in daylight and under soft lighting taken at night - what a difference the light makes! Of course the daylight is the real deal - and they are a lovely colourway that is currently a favourite of  mine - going with my frilly scarf and my Rathcooney hat and mitts.  By the way, my Ravelry name is LismoreLady if you want to visit me there!


4 comments:

Stephanie V said...

Those socks look comfy and definitely spring-like. Isn't it odd how the light can change the colors so much? I sometimes despair of getting the colors accurate in my photos. It's always the light that makes the difference. I prefer daylight - and outdoors, if possible - to get the best color. But in the end it's personal choice as to which photo looks best.

Thanks for the kind mention...I'll get that pattern written up. I'm going to start another pair of the Lismore cable socks tonight. Like you, I need to have a sock on the needles.

Happy knitting!

SusanC said...

These are beautiful Catherine! You're so talented. I'd really love to make stuff like this. I haven't knit or crocheted anything in years and I've probably forgotten how to at this stage.

Marilyn Miller said...

I think I would be a sockaholic too if I had such beautiful ones. Very, very pretty!

Catherine said...

Thanks for the kind comments! I love them too, and they are so comfy and snug fitting without being tight! That'll be terrific to get the pattern Stephanie, I am trying to figure it out and how many stitches do you use, 60 or more? I look forward to the next pair you make!
Susan thanks you should cross the mountain one Tuesday for our knitting circle or like today we had a session in the farmers' market! Next blogpost!
Marilyn it's too easy to become a sockaholic and there's no 12 step programme to cure you! (step, socks, that's nearly funny!)
Take care girls, talk soon! Catherine xoxoxo