Color and Dip
February, am I right?
I really enjoy most of the aspects of winter and feel generally immune to the dreariness that can set in as part of the season, but February always seems really rough. I will admit to being glad it is behind us!
I knit some socks in February, but was unable to properly photograph them because...well, February. But, knitting through the English alphabet continues and here are C and D!
Cranberry Biscotti by Elizabeth Sullivan (Rav link) has been in my queue since it was published in 2008. That's a long time!!
The pattern uses three colors, but there are scrappy versions that use many more and look amazing. I used about 21 g of each of the three colors for the leg and foot. I used an additional 28 g for heels, toes, and cuffs. My sock is 68 stitches and about a women's US 9/10...so a little bigger.
It was a really fun knit but also the sort of pattern that is more complicated than it looks. That is, it took more brain power to memorize it than I was expecting. In fact, I messed up the color pattern just after the heel on the first sock (and then copied it on the second).
There should be a green stripe surrounding light pink, but ooops! This isn't to say the pattern is hard, and it is very much loved by many knitters. You should definitely try it out if you are interested. Just make sure to have a little patience with yourself!
My D socks are Dawn and Dusk Socks by Debbie Ford (Rav link). They are also a free pattern, but have only been in my queue for 4 years or so. :)
These are knit in my Anemones colorway and the pattern is great for stripes as it creates a fun little dip on each side of the sock. The lace pattern is very simple and easy to memorize. It's actually the same lace as By the Sea Socks, which I just finished!
In Dawn and Dusk, there is just one repeat of the lace with one rest row in between. It creates a single column and one little swirl in the stripes, like dragging a toothpick through colored icing on a plain background.
By the Sea repeats the lace pattern around the whole leg of the sock, and breaks up groups of the lace with blocks of stockinette. This creates a more wavy pattern.
It's pretty cool how the same pattern of increases and decreases can make such different fabric.
Positioning my feet to maximize the impact of the Dawn and Dusk pattern is really difficult. But, here you can see how the lace is on both sides of the sock. In addition to looking great with stripes, this pattern would make any yarn look amazing - speckles, variegates, semi-solids. It flies off the needles and doesn't take much brain power at all. Light a candle, turn on a great audio book, and knit away!
I'm on the foot of my second "E" sock and just cast on "F." There are new baby goats about to be released from the nursery to join the herd this afternoon, and the weather forecast includes a high temp of 71 this week.
February is OVER and spring approaches. Knit on, friends!