Vacation socks

So, during my two-week holiday, and despite the 4 skeins of yarn and half a dozen patterns I had brought (plus an extra WIP, just in case), I managed to knit one, and only one, pair of socks. It's not like I was that busy; but by 8:30 p.m. every day, I could barely keep my eyes open, and since I knit mostly in the evenings, it put a serious dent into my knitting time.

I actually used one of my precious skeins of Twisted Fiber art sock yarn, in a colourway I had just received: Karma. Actually, I had received two skeins, which is why I used one, otherwise I would have never risked it. I might never be able to get another skein again, see? So I can't use a single skein in a single colour, I can only use duplicates. No, I don't need therapy, thank you, and yes, I have admitted before being very insecure about my yarn.

I used a pattern I had also just purchased: the Dolomite sock from knitspot. The last pair I knit, I combined Twisted with a Knitspot pattern, so decided to do it again, with a different type of yarn and a different pattern. Obviously, I am a bit fixated at the moment on Twisted and Knitspot. Here's the result:

The only modification was a regular heel flap and dividing equally the stitches between the foot and the heel (30 + 30) as opposed to 28 + 32. And I did a 3-needle bind-off when there were 10 stitches left on each needle (20 in all). The socks are really nice, here's a close-up of the stitch effect:

The pattern produces those lovely little zigzags across the leg -- the colour of the yarn is wrong here though, the real colour is closer to the photo below.

 

The texture is sooo soft, it's Meg's Kabam! yarn, which is 30% bamboo, 60% Merino, 10% nylon. Love it. I would probably use 2.5 mm needles next time instead of the 2.25 mm recommended. Although I got gauge, I tend to be a tight knitter (yes, I do tend to break thin wooden needles, why do you ask?) and the socks are a tiny bit tight, but they will probably stretch after a few washes.

I also went on a yarn buying frenzy, I don't know why, it must be Spring or something. Nine skeins of Twisted appeared on my doorstep yesterday, a combination of pre-ordering on the Ravelry Twisted group and a bit of buying madness when she did her regular update. I also bought some lace yarn from Yarn ahoy because she had a sale and was going away for two months. And then... I think I may have bought some sock yarn from Fearless Fibers because it was pretty; and I may have bought some lace yarn from Ball and Skein because I was getting a discount to knit up the Oh! Canada wrap, and then I wanted six skeins, but she had seven, and offered me a special price on the seventh, and why not, and so I will be receiving a lot of packages in the next little while. In addition to the various sock yarn clubs I have subscribed too (although in a moment of incredible restraint and self-denial, I have chosen not to renew two that were coming up for renewal; I still have pangs of regret, but it's OK, they sold out within a few hours and I might as well let others enjoy them, yes?).

I am eagerly awaiting the first shipment of A Year of Lace and I just received this little package from the STR March shipment (CAREFUL - spoiler):

 

It's really pretty, isn't it?

Comments

[Therese]

Ha! I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to use single skeins of gorgeous yarns! I definitely have a few that will be waiting for that elusive "perfect pattern" for them. ;-)

Your socks look great!

[anne]

oooh those dolomites look great in that yarn! i consider my twisted yarn precious too . . . and i only have two shkeins right now!

[Cynthia]

Great socks Manon! I love the colourway. Have fun with all the new yarn...I think I might be slightly jealous (I have been trying to behave myself lately lol).

[Deirdre]

Great socks! And I completely understand the need to hoard - no, treasure - skeins of yarn, especially when you know that colourways can be discontinued, or hard to find again... such pressure...