One of the knitting lists to which I belong designates those who knit socks as “darksiders.” Well, I have slid into the darkest spot of a darksider’s abode; I have broken my vow to never knit a sock on a circular needle. I did it! And the house didn’t cave in. Although I wondered for a bit when the weather turned ugly, and we were hit by hail and massive amounts of rain and a thunderstorm. My main objective is to eventually knit two socks at the same time. I’m having more and more trouble counting rows to have the two socks match exactly. And, please, no one suggest row counters or pen and paper. I lose such things as fast as I get them into my hands.

These socks were knit with SRK (Kertzer Yarns) “On Your Toes” made up of 75% Bamboo and 25% Nylon. The manufacturer’s label designates this yarn as “superfine,” but it isn’t. There are only 328 yds. (300 m) in a 100 gram (3.5 oz) ball. The recommendation is for 3.25 mm (US #3) needles. I would definitely call it a sports weight yarn. At the most, you’ll get a size 8 woman’s sock out of one ball of yarn. So if your shoe size is larger than size 8 or you want extra long legs, you would be well advised to buy two balls. The price at my LYS was US$ 13.25. The yarn is made up of three strands bamboo (one each of salmon, purplish pink and beige and a fourth, somewhat thinner, strand of nylon. As with all plant-based yarns, the individual strands of yarn don’t hold onto each other so the danger of splitting is always there.

I originally bought two balls to start a sweater with, but when I dug them out I had completely forgotten the reason for purchasing the yarn. So one skein ended up in socks and only after my daughter Angela reminded me of the purpose for the yarn, did it hit home. Oh well; the yarn would make a nice short-sleeved top, however.

The socks were knit on a 2.00 mm (US Size 0) circular needle. So, I didn’t read the label before I started. The pattern is a Harry Potter pattern called Fawkes, Dumbledore’s most faithful friend and confidant. The color of the yarn I chose definitely does not go along with the theme. The version I saved on my computer does not give the designer’s name, but has the heading of “Socktopia Excusive, July 2007. (I have since learned that the author of these patterns apparently died.)

Now that I have bored you to death, here is the picture show:

The next pair of socks is knit with Crystal Palace Maizy, 50 grams per ball, 82% corn fiber, 18% elastic nylon). Recommended needle size US #2 (2.75mm). Again, I have a complaint of the yarn splitting. The pattern is from the German site http://www.von-stroh-zu-gold.de/muster/ . The designer is Kristin Benecken. The sock was designed for a train trip and is called "Baltikum" for the three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Apparently there is a set of German knitters that go on various train trips to some agreed on destination for which a sock is designed and knit during the trip.

And finally an accidental picture; a view of one of our pine trees toward the driveway.

Knit On!