Socks

Customers are always asking me if I knit my socks toe up or top down. Magic Loop? Double pointed needles? I don't normally knit socks. I can (top down on double pointed needles) but I wear shoes that won't show off my socks. And I'm in a sweater or shawl every day in the store so I need to spend my time knitting those. But I love sock yarn. The colours are amazing. I haven't met many sock yarns that I didn't like :)

There will be a new Opal sock yarn coming in March.

This collection offers a variety of choices for each and every sweet fanatic. Sweet fruit nougat, sour fruit gums or spicy black cumin, these eight breathtaking colors, there is no way you could miss a flavor.

If I was going to knit socks that self pattern I would definitely choose Opal to knit with. Their colours are amazing. And they are the original printed sock yarn. Beth has many pairs of socks knit in Opal and she throws them in the washing machine and dryer. You don't need to look after these socks.

As I was writing an email came through from Sarah at Fiberstory. She should be sending us yarn next week (Fave Sock and Gradient kits) and it should be here the second week of March.

Meadow

A 100% SUPERWASH merino, springy 2 ply with a tight twist and the look of a cabled yarn.

366m / 400 yards
100 gram skein

Sweetly

Daybreak

Winterberry (this is shown on a different yarn base but I wanted to share the awesome colour)

This pattern is called the Crosshatch Cowl (a free pattern) from The Purl Bee.

Sarah made the following modifications to the pattern to work with the gradient kits.

In order to use the gradient kit most effectively, I used the following modifications:
Cast on 372 sts with darkest color in gradient. (would obviously work starting with the lightest color, as well!
color 1: Work 5 rounds in pattern
colors 2-6: Work 6 rounds.
color 7: Work 5 rounds.
Bind off in pattern.
The cast on and bind off rows are counted as the 6th round for the lightest and darkest colors, making each band of color approximately 6 rows wide.

Sarah used an 8mm needle.

It's almost home time and I will be knitting with sock yarn tonight. Shepherd Sock from Lorna's Laces. This is a great yarn to knit with. I'm past the half way point on my 3-Color Cashmere Cowl and my goal is to be finished by the weekend. Then I'm going to pull out my half finished shawl in Fave sock so it can be hanging in the store when the yarn arrives.