My First Socks!

After knitting six gloves over Christmas (two pairs and two half-pairs), I decided the time was right for me to make my first foray into socks.

I still hate loathe and detest wrangling with a handful of double-pointed needles, so I decided to find a pattern that I could knit using just two knitting needles, like a normal person. ;P

Sox on 2 Stix, from Knitty turned out to be the solution.

Nicola had given me two balls of Louisa Harding Kimono Angora for Christmas, so that seemed perfect for making a pair of really luxurious first socks.

The pattern is begun at the heel. You work short rows to make the heel cup, knit down to the toes, work the short rows again, and then knit your way back up the instep. Then you knit your way around the ankle, until the leg of the socks is as long as you want it to be. Seam the sides, et voila! Socks!

I decided to make tiny little short socks, as they're the kind that I wear most often, and they go nicely inside my summer shoes. I had a few issues along the way, mostly with the short row shaping leaving enormous great holes in the toes and heels! It didn't seem to matter how I wrapped and turned, the holes still appeared, so I fixed this in the time-honoured fashion of darning the toes as I was sewing up the seams. I left the holes in the heels, as they actually look quite pretty, and they aren't uncomfortable to wear.

I also discovered that after I'd cast off the first sock, I couldn't get my foot inside it! I have a high instep and I tend to cast off very tight, which turned out to be a bad combination. Fortunately I was able to undo the cast off and try again, but this did leave the socks quite loose around the ankle. Next time I think I might try 1x1 ribbing for the cuff instead of 2x2, and matters would definitely be improved by using a yarn with a bit more natural stretch to it.

So far I've only worn these socks for padding around the house. Kimono Angora isn't really an appropriate sock yarn, and I know that as soon as I put these inside a pair of shoes I'll wear straight through the toes. They're amazingly soft and fluffy and comforting though, so these are definitely for those rainy weekends when you're curling up on the sofa with a weepy film and a big bar of chocolate.

I also discovered the hard way that, thankfully, Kimono Angora doesn't felt! I'd managed to scoop the socks into the machine with the rest of the laundry, and I gave a little shriek when they fell out, all wet and sorry for themselves. They had shrunk a little bit, but I put them on my feet immediately and padded around squelchily in the kitchen for a few minutes, and thank goodness they're fine.

I'd like to knit some more of these, to go with all of my summer skirts, so what I need now is some recommendations for DK weight sock yarn. I like self-patterning or variegated colours the best, but I really would prefer DK to 4-ply for this pattern.

Any suggestions?