Socks #8

Another pair of socks are done. These are for the 500+ pairs of socks challenge for the Kazakhstan orphanages. The pattern is Aragorn by Janeke Maat. The pattern can be found for free on Ravelry . The cast-on was new to me. It is very, very stretchy. This may be the perfect solution for those who have trouble getting their cast-on for socks stretchy enough. It does involve a provisional cast on, kind of. The cast on starts with half the stitches needed with a different colored yarn and knitting a few rows.

The first row of the actual cast-on is knit with the regular sock yarn by knitting k1, y/o, thus doubling your stitches to the no. of stitches required for the pattern. A total of 5 rows make up this cast on. The process is well described in the pattern. (Although the author is Dutch, the pattern on Ravelry is available in English.)

And then you grab a pair of scissors and snip off the provisional cast on.

After you have picked out the bits of yarn left over, you have this cast on,

provided you didn't cut off the tail of the actual sock yarn. So be careful; otherwise you'll have to start over again.

And finally, here are photos of the completed sock:

Two more pairs of sock projects on the needles. One pair, a simple knit sock with a small cable on each side for my "faux" nephew to be knit in the car and a more complicated design by Monika Eckert of Klabauter Wolle, recipient not decided on as yet.

Knit on Merrily!