8 sock patterns to cast on this Spring

Which season is your favourite? Mine is absolutely, without a doubt, Spring. I love to see the world come back to life after being dormant all Winter: spring bulbs, blossom, new leaves, and baby lambs. My wardrobe changes too: gone are darker colours, heavy jumpers, boots and layers, and I embrace dresses, brighter colours, lace and lightweight cardigans.

Do handmade socks have a place in my Spring wardrobe? Yes they do! I make all my socks from wool-blend yarns, and wool is an excellent temperature regulator, keeping my feet warm in Winter and cool when the weather warms up. I save my lace socks for Spring and Summer – the holes add a little extra ventilation and help to keep my feet at just the right temperature!

Are you looking for the perfect Spring sock project? Look no further. Here are 8 pattern suggestions from my back catalogue that would make perfect Spring socks.

Pick up any of these patterns between now and the end of May 2022, and you can get 15% off with the code SPRING (ends 11.59pm BST, Tuesday 31st May 2022, applies on both PayHip and Ravelry).

 

Three Sirens Socks

A striking pattern that really makes the most of variegated yarns. The slipped stitch cable pattern sits on top of a reverse stocking stitch background, making it stand out. I knitted the sample over an Easter weekend in a pale pastel with a little bit of sparkle.

Three Sirens Socks on Ravelry*

Three Sirens Socks on PayHip

 

Seed Head Socks

What’s my favourite part of Spring? It’s seeing those first blooms appear. The Seed Head Socks are a celebration of those blooms: as you knit them you’ll love seeing those tiny flowers growing off the central stem.

Seed Head Socks on Ravelry*

Seed Head Socks on PayHip

 

Hiding in the Bamboo

Looking for a project that’s simple enough to work on while you’re out and about? Hiding in the Bamboo is a lovely simple top-down sock pattern with a pattern that is easy to memorise, making it perfect for knitting while out of the house. The socks will also fit really well because they’re ribbed all over.

Hiding in the Bamboo on Ravelry*

Hiding in the Bamboo on PayHip

 

Effie and Bobby Socks

Want add a little playful charm to your socks? Why not add a frill? The Effie and Bobby Socks do just that! They’re simple top down socks with a frill knitted into the cuff. The Effie Socks are solid, while the Bobby Socks feature an all-over lace pattern. Perfect for summer picnics!

Effie Socks on Ravelry*

Effie Socks on PayHip

 

Bobby Socks on Ravelry*

Bobby Socks on PayHip

 

Knit Night Collection

I designed this collection to honour three of my favourite knitting friends. All three socks feature intuitive lace patterns that are perfect for out and about knitting. The bright colours make me think of Spring blooms.

Knit Night Collection on Ravelry*

Knit Night Collection on PayHip

 

Sara Elin Socks

A pop of pink is just perfect for a Spring day! The Sara Elin Socks feature a strong diagonal lace pattern that is intuitive to knit, especially once you get to the leg.

Sara Elin Socks on Ravelry*

Sara Elin Socks on PayHip

 

Amy Socks

This lace pattern creates a gorgeous ripple effect. Hard to believe it’s just decreases and yarnovers!

Amy Socks on Ravelry*

Amy Socks on PayHip

 

Lynda Socks

The socks that inspired the Knit Night Collection. Named after my friend Lynda who first encouraged me to knit socks.

Lynda Socks on Ravelry*

Lynda Socks on PayHip

Pick up any of these patterns between now and the end of May 2022, and you can get 15% off with the code SPRING (ends 11.59pm BST, Tuesday 31st May 2022, applies on both PayHip and Ravelry).

*Ravelry link. May affect people with photosensitivity. Proceed with caution.

 

Socks in five days!

After I posted on Saturday, the bank holiday weekend continued to be a bit damp. We did manage to get out at least once (to a chick hunt at the botanical garden; we walked round the whole ten hectare site, even though it rained throughout - it turns out hunting chicks is very motivational!), but otherwise entertained ourselves at home. We also ate our way through plenty of Easter eggs and had fun having an Easter egg hunt in the garden.

While I had plenty of time for knitting, I didn't quite get my socks finished by the end of the weekend (I did try to do some dressmaking too, which used up more time than I had anticipated; it always does). I finally cast them off yesterday evening, with just two tiny scraps of yarn to spare. They're a tiny bit shorter than I would usually make socks, but by under an inch and I am really pleased with them. I might even make concurrent socks again as I liked casting them off back to back. The yarn was from Cuddlebums and is really soft. Everything about these socks is a delight!

Another thing I was excited about this weekend is Bank Holiday TV. Doctor Who returned on Saturday evening, and while I haven't enjoyed the past couple of series (I didn't feel any chemistry between Clara Oswald and Peter Capaldi's Doctor) I was excited for a new series with a new assistant. And I loved it. It started with a charm that had been missing for a while, and the 'monster' genuinely had me scared (as ever with Doctor Who, it is always the monsters based on innocuous things (this time it was water) that give me shivers; the Weeping Angels are my all-time favourite). I like the new assistant, and she and the Doctor seem to gel well, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

I am a huge fan of the rebooted Robot Wars, having said that I didn't want to watch it when it stated last year (I didn't watch it as a child), then falling in love with it. The teams are so passionate about their robots and about the competition, as well as being an excellent starting point for discussions about engineering with our five year old. I had thought the final would be aired last week, but apparently the golf was more important, but the Robot Wars final did make excellent viewing while we are our Easter Sunday roast dinner (and the team I had been supporting from the start of last series won, hooray!).

The other thing I am really enjoying on TV at the minute is Top Gear. After the last, disastrous series with Chris Evans (which I gave up watching after a couple of episodes), I was a little trepidatious about the new series, but I've found it very entertaining. The new mix of presenters is friendly and fun, and the guests have been amazing (David Tennant, James McAvoy and Tamsin Greig have been highlights, especially the banter between Tamsin and Matt Le Blanc, who worked together on Episodes, which is another favourite of mine). All in all, excellent bank holiday TV!

Hope you had an excellent Easter weekend and that the return to work wasn't too much of a shock to the system.

********

There's still time to purchase my Knit Night Collection of toe up socks with 10% discount using the code KNITNIGHT and the KAL is in full swing over in my Ravelry group. It would be lovely if you could join us.

The Single-Minded Sock Knitter

This week hasn't totally gone to plan so far. After the glorious sunshine and warmth of the weekend, the past two days have been cold! I had planned to do a photoshoot for my Barley Twist cardigan yesterday, but the day started foggy, so I made other plans for the day, and once the sun did come out I couldn't quite summon up the energy to drive across town to the place I was planning to take the photos. It will happen this week, just not when planned...

I had hoped that the clock change at the weekend would have solved the sleep issue we're currently having (namely a certain two year old having an internal body clock whose alarm rings at 6.20), and yesterday it worked: we got up at 7.20 (hooray!), and it felt totally ok to go to bed a little after 10, which was perfect. And then this morning my daughter wandered through at 6.20 and suggested that it might be time to get up. I have no idea how she's managed to change her body clock at the same time as the actual clocks; I shall continue to be bleary eyed for the foreseeable future. I did cut out some new curtains for her room at the weekend. Hopefully when I have stitched and hung them I will get a little more sleep. I can hope.

Things have been going well on the knitting front though. Yesterday morning I cast on the second of my pink socks. And yesterday evening I completed the heel. Suddenly they have clicked and I am loving working on them! I fully anticipate that I will finish the second sock this evening. I will have a finished pair of socks very soon. The pattern for these still isn't complete though - it turns out the charts are more involved than I was hoping, but I will get them done by the end of the week (if you fancy test knitting them, head over to my Ravelry group and let me know in the testing thread).

Last night I went to my regular Monday night knitting night and, as ever, had a lovely evening. I also got my hands on some amazing yarn, courtesy of my friend Fay, who is an amazing knitter and indie dyer (you can find her Etsy shop here). Some of her yarn popped up on my Instagram and Facebook feeds last week and I couldn't resist! The yarn is inspired by kingfishers, and is utterly beautiful. It's a merino nylon blend, but is far too wonderful to become socks; this yarn deserves to be some sort of shawl. Watch this space.

How's your week been so far? Any tips on sleepless toddlers?

Linking up with Louisa for Keep Calm Craft On.

New designs: I Like Knitting magazine, April 2017

This week's new patterns are all about the bunnies! The April issue of I Like Knitting magazine has a section called Some Bunny Loves You, which includes several patterns featuring Bunny motifs, perfect for spring.

First up we have my Peter Rabbit Pillow and Blanket set. 

The Peter Rabbit Pillow and Blanket feature the same motif: a rabbit silhouette with a fluffy tail. Both designs are knitted using the intarsia technique on a stocking stitch background, and would make a perfect nursery set.

The designs are knitted in chunky weight yarn (Hayfield Baby Chunky and Sirdar Snowflake Chunky) so are quick to knit. The set is shown with a pink background, but could be knitted in any colour - I think the bunnies would be perfect on a purple or green background.

And secondly we have my Baby Bunnies Cardigan.

The Baby Bunnies Cardigan features a border of cabled bunnies knitted in stranded colourwork on a background of reverse stocking stitch. The cardigan is knitted in stocking stitch from the top down with a garter stitch border, raglan shoulders and buttons down the front. The pattern is written in sizes 2-10 years, to fit bust sizes 21–28 inches (52.5–70 cm).

The cardigan is knitted in Drops Merino Extra Fine, a DK weight 100% Merino yarn that comes in a huge array of colours and is excellent value.

All the patterns are available in the April 2017 edition of I Like Knitting Magazine, an e-zine that can be accessed either online or via the I Like Knitting website. Subscriptions are available from $19.97.

*This post contains affiliate links for both Love Knitting and I Like Knitting magazine. See the Policies and disclaimers page for more information.*

Want to add these patterns to your Ravelry queue or favourites? Here are the links:

Peter Rabbit Pillow
Peter Rabbit Blanket
Baby Bunnies cardigan
 

All images in this post copyright I Like Knitting magazine.