foot fête-ish

i am a sock-knitting FIEND right now. here’s my second pair, finished last night. i used the basic sock pattern jason let me copy and came up with my own pattern for the color chart.

this was my first time doing such extensive colorwork. it kept things interesting.

i’m not accustomed to mindful knitting--i used to only like projects that i could work without any concentration, not even looking at my work while i do other stuff at the same time. with something like this i can sit and half pay attention to tv or listen to music but that’s about it.

this pattern is such an improvement over the one i used before. there are a few techniques in it that i wasn’t familiar with (like the heel turn and short-row knitting) but overall it was much simpler, and it even did a way-superior job of explaining kitchener stitch. plus these look better and fit better than the other ones.

it’s a very versatile pattern, too. in worsted weight yarn it’s 40 stitches to the row, so you can evenly work repeating patterns of 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 or 20 stitches, and it’s adjustable to fit almost any adult foot size.

the back heel flap is knitted in sl 1, k 1 repeating on the public side (and purl on the private side), which yields a nice and durable, less-stretchy, thicker fabric than stockinette stitch.

handmade socks are incredible. it’s a whole new sock-wearing experience. we’re all used to the typical machine-made socks that are designed to fit a range of sizes, allowing the natural stretch of the knit fabric to conform to the size of your foot, but slipping into a pair of socks made to the exact dimensions of your own feet is just...wow. fuzzy foot hugs. it’s like wearing a super-comfy sweater on your feet.