Friday, 20 April 2018

FO Friday: Witches Brew socks

Over the Easter weekend, my son complained that none of his hand-knitted socks fitted him any more. My son is pretty knit-worthy (he is always first to tell me that his hand-knits need washing so he can wear them again), so I decided that as his feet aren't too enormous (they're about a UK 2), I would cast him on some new socks, as requested.

I was clearly feeling in a decadent mood, and decided to let my son choose what yarn he would like from my stash, so we spent a good half hour rummaging through all my sock yarn, and my son fished out these three beauties (don't worry mum, I don't need all three pairs at once. You can cast-on this yarn first...). These three skeins of yarn also happen to be three of my favourites (he has excellent taste, or maybe I've just trained him well). I did think about saying he couldn't have them as they were resevered for me, then remembered that a lot of the pleasure is in the knitting, so I would get to enjoy them that way, even if I didn't get to wear the finished socks. And I do have a lot of sock yarn.


I had planned another sock cast on for the Easter weekend, but as I already own a lot of socks that fit me, and my feet don't grow, I decided that it would make more sense to cast on the socks for my son immediately.

Rather than working out the measurements for a UK size 2 foot, it's sometimes quicker to draw round the recipient's foot (especially if you have them to hand) and use that as a template for the socks; as an added bonus apparently 6 year olds think having your feet drawn round is highly amusing. I did decline the Sharpie he handed me first - I wasn't sure he'd be amused by having a black line drawn on his actual foot...

To make this a quick and easy project, I used the Fish Lips Kiss pattern, which I have memorised. I don't follow the instructions included in the pattern about getting the foot length right as I find it makes the foot a tiny bit long, instead I measure the length of the toe once it's worked, then add an extra half inch and subtract the total from the length of the foot and start the heel at that point (clear as mud? Good).


I knitted these socks back to back over ten days, but the observant among you will notice that the yarn has pooled differently between the two socks. Somehow between the first and second socks my gauge changed slightly (one sock weighs half a gram more than the other). I have no idea why - I used the same needles throughout - and my son either hasn't noticed or isn't bothered. Variegated yarn is funny!


When I got to the end of the socks I weighed the leftovers, and there is *just* enough yarn left for me to knit some socks for me if I use a contrast yarn for the heels, toes and cuffs! I just need to decide what colour to use for the contrast...


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Witches Brew socks Ravelry project page
Pattern: Fish Lips Kiss by Sox Therapist
Yarn: 75% BLF, 25% nylon 4 ply from Felt Fusion in the colourway Witches Brew

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