Cozy January Socks

In need of a short-term project, I pulled out my skein of O-Wool O-Wash fingering in "Devil's Pool" and browsed my Ravelry favorites for a sock pattern. At first I started Maria Naslund's gorgeous "Lingerie" pattern, but it didn't take long to realize that without ribbing at the top of the socks, they were going to be too large -- even though I was using 2.0 mm needles! I didn't want this beautiful wool to end up as a pair of socks I couldn't wear, so I regretfully ripped out a few inches of lace work and went back to the drawing board. 

I finally settled on This Handmade Life's Cozy Autumn Socks, which is actually a free pattern. It has a bit of a lace pattern, but looked simple enough to be a relaxing knit. I used 2.0 mm needles again, because Medium sized socks seem to end up a bit big for me. 

And relaxing they were! I started these while recovering from pneumonia and (consequently) spending most of my time on the couch. I worked them two-at-a-time (two sets of DPNs), and they were finished in four days. Probably a record for me for adult socks!

This wool is absolutely delightful -- it felt wonderful to knit, and it feels wonderful to wear (I'm wearing these socks right now!). I can't wait to see how it holds up, too. I've always avoided superwash yarns, because of the chemicals and the negative effect on wool's natural properties. But I have noticed that the socks I've knit in "regular" wool do felt after a while. They're all still usable, but I'm eager to see if O-Wash's more natural superwash process is the answer to my dilemma.

This was just the pick-me-up project that I needed, and considering that I only used 60g of the 100g skein, they turned out to be a little more economical than I'd anticipated. 40g is enough for a small project -- in fact, I've already cast on a little pair of stay-on baby booties, because I just don't want to stop knitting this yarn...

I used a wrap-and-turn heel instead of a heel flap. I don't really like wrap-and-turn (it's a pain to keep track of, because I haven't done it much), but I much prefer the result! Oh, and I didn't decrease the toes as much (14 st instead of the 10 called for), to accommodate my wide toe box. This is a pretty standard adjustment for me, now that I've tried a few sock patterns.

I'm feeling much more comfortable with sock knitting -- I feel like I'm understanding the basic building blocks, rather than just blindly following a pattern. And keeping my toes cozy with hand-knit goodness is a highly satisfactory sensation!



Raveled here.