Sunday, May 4, 2008

Calling All Sock Lovers!

Pattern: "Primavera Socks" (free pattern on Ravelry)
Yarn: Plymouth Rockin Sox (superwash merino, bamboo and nylon)

I'm working on Kim's socks. The pattern is (and colorway) nicer than the pics show. The pattern is "springy" and "pops out" and it will fit the leg nicely. The pattern is easy to remember with increases and decreases every 6th row.

So what is your favorite sock yarn? Needles and size? Cuff down, toe up? The other day I was reading the Yarn Harlot's blog and she was trying to gather enough sock yarn to take with her for sock knitting. She said it takes her 9 hours to knit one sock. Hmmm, that sounded like a challenge to me. Wish I had asked her if she knits continental or to knit a row and show us her technique.

When I think of my favorite sock yarn I have to go with Opal though I really like the Plymouth yarn I am knitting these socks with and many other brands. Why Opal? Opal is like remembering your first kiss as a giddy teenager. It was my first sock yarn? Though not always easy to find, I like the challenge, the selection, etc.

A friend of a friend goes to Germany to visit family and returns with colorways not yet available her in the U.S. One year I received a skein for my birthday that was not yet locally available. What a nice surprise!!

Happy Knitting!

12 comments:

  1. I must queue that pattern. I like all types of sock yarn, but my favs are Vesper, Lorna's Laces, Shu Bui, Yarntini, Plucky Knitter....... I knit my scok toe up, magic loop, with an afterhtought heel. I will only knit patterns that I can adapt toe-up as well.

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  2. Hmm, I don't have a particular favorite yet. I've found several I like, and a few I will never buy again. I really buy based on the colours.

    I belive I have read that YH is a combination knitter.

    Your socks are looking wonderful.

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  3. I still love Opal the best, but pretty much have everything but that Smooshy.

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  4. My favorite sock yarn changes constantly. I'm a consistent fan of Socks That Rock, but I also adore Cherry Tree Hill (especially Sockittome), Lorna's Laces, and I'm completely in love with the Fiesta Babyboom or Boomerang or whatever it's called -- their new sock yarn. I'll take pictures when I get home from work today, provided the sun holds out that long! Toe up or top down depends on whether I have one big skein or two smaller ones (it makes no sense, but I go with it) although the two sock patterns I've invented this week are both toe up.

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  5. Nice socks! I have always (so far) knit socks top down on dpns, and I am very happy with that. I might want to try toe up one of these days, though...

    I love Opal, Koigu, Cherry Tree Hill, Trekking XXL - almost everything! There are many more I'd love to try, too.

    I'm not on Ravelry, so I can't access the pattern, but it sure looks nice! I'd say my favorite sock designer is Judy Sumner ( http://knoxsocks.com ). She is a wonderful lady, too.

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  6. I love cuff down for the most part. Despite all the crap I've been going through with it, I really like Hill Country's Instant Gratification (Merino & nylon). It's sport weight (size 4 or 5 needles) and goes oh, so much faster. And as I only wear socks in the dead of winter, heavier socks are okay!

    I like Opal, too.

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  7. Love the look of that pattern - fantastic!
    As for sock yarn, got to be Meilenweit as my all time fave, althugh Opal comes a close second.
    I knit both socks at once on 2 circ needles and I prefer from the top down so that as DH & #1son fight over them, I can stop at the right size accordingly!

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  8. I'm getting so excited :)
    When we went to Lancaster for a show one of the women in fro9nt of us was knitting 2 socks at once??on circular needles...guild is supposed to be going to Sheep to Shawl in Oct. We'll see how close it is to Houston

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  9. Primavera is my current sock pattern too. (it can also be found here: http://platzhalter.blogspot.com/2007/11/primavera-socks-free-pattern.html )

    My usual "method" is cuff down on dpn's. Magic loop isn't bad, and I haven't tried toe up yet. Didn't care for two circs.

    As for my favorite yarn - too many favorites. Opal, Lorna's Laces, Regia Silk, Tofutsies, Cherry Tree Hill . . .

    Socks are my "always OTN" project. Very portable.

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  10. I'm an unfaithful sock yarn lover lol I like a lot of them but I do keep coming back to opal :o) I use dpns and cuff down usually. I have trouble doing a good elastic bind off on a toe up sock somehow. Something I must work on I think.

    Love the sock and yarn looks lovely :o)

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  11. "must learn to knit socks, must learn to knit socks", well eventually anyway. Seems like my life is too full of other things to add one more thing to it, but I will, cos you just keep tempting me ;P.

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  12. Beautiful...
    Idsvenus, come sit beside me in the corner. We can mummble over and over...must learn to knit socks, must learn to knit socks. Perhaps if we repeat it enough it will be so. lol

    Seriously, it's on my list of things I want to do, things I want to learn. Trouble is I'm often crafting (knitting or crocheting) with lots of comotion and need something I can do without concentrating. Thats certainly not the time to learn to knit socks.

    Mummbling I will learn, Sometime; she heads to kitchen to refill coffee cup.

    Come visit
    Sandy

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