June Socks

It's such a shock to realize that June is coming to a close...I don't know what I've done with this month.  Our June socks were suppose to say "Summer" and mine do, in a round about way.  I knit this pair of socks for A4A as I just don't wear socks in the summer...summer to me means sandals and easy living.  These are knit from Norwegian sport weight yarn, they were fast and easy...just like my summer!

At first I photographed these socks flat, on sock blockers, laying on an old stump but they seemed pretty lifeless to me.

So I pulled out my tripod and shoot them on my feet, while I sat on the steps...I am not a sock model!

but I got more confident as the shoot went on and now I feel that if any of you need a sock model...give me a shout, I'll work for yarn!

Good day, sunshine

Both yarns I'm using are semisolids. In places, the orange is quite light. In places, the yellow becomes almost orange. When those places coincide, the edges of the sun motif become blurred. I was going to say this makes the motifs more subtle than I'd like, but somehow "subtle" does not seem appropriate for this particular color combination!



I've decided to go with these two yarns anyway, because I love both of them.

I'm already looking forward to making another pair, in blue, using the moon motif. And then I'm going to use that incredibly vibrant yellow and make an extraordinary pair of yellow socks.

Did you ever have to finally decide?

For June, I am making Karin Maag-Tanchak's solstice socks, as I mentioned earlier. I wanted to use her own beautiful yellow for the suns around the top, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to. Somewhere I have a skein of deep tangerine yarn that would provide the perfect foil, but it's not going to come out until I'm halfway through the second sock. I did see a skein that's perfect in a local shop -- but since I have three other choices here in my hands, I bravely resisted. Here are my choices:

The orange at the top is too red, and I wanted a more solid color. The two orange skeins at the left are too pale. That choice was easy.

Here is the chosen orange next to Karin's yellow. I'm not sure the contrast will be adequate to show off the motif.


And here is the orange with the paler yellow, which would definitely provide enough contrast:



Clearly, some swatching is in order. Tonight's plan is to wind the orange and both yellows and knit two small samples. That will settle the question. It's one week into June and defintely time to get started. I'd like to get back into the habit of finishing the socks of the month a few days early rather than one day late.

the purple socks in all their splendor

The camera finally reemerged. I have no idea where it's been, or what it does when it goes on these adventures. . .


yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Visual Purple
pattern: Brainylady's basic cabled socks

This photo clearly is intended as documentation only; I will try to get a better composition at some point, because this one is rumpled and off center and not very satisfying. The socks, however, were very satisfying indeed. I'll make this pattern again. The next pair will be red; the yarn is wound and waiting. Vacation knitting, perhaps?

May SOM Finished

You all may not know this about me but I'd much rather take photos than try to write something in a blog...it's hard for me to come up with stuff to say and creating a witty title, well that boat has sailed.

Anyhow, here are my May socks in all their splendor, made of Fleece Artist Sea Wool (70% Merino, 30% Seacell) in colorway Sorbetto.  I knit these socks toe-up, using my standard sock recipe.  The cable up the sides is the same one Elizabeth used, after I saw her socks I just wanted to do it, it's so cute...nice and round with just enough chunky-ness not to over power a pair of socks. 

I must admit, with my favorite model away in far flung lands, I had to use some ingenuity in my photography.  I set my camera on the tripod which was down very low; at feet level so to speak (so low I had to remove the center column which I'd never done before), I then set my reflector against a stone frog that volunteered to help (surprising as stone frogs can be quiet recalcitrant), I used the timer release (set on 10 seconds, which was just barely enough time), then I would push the button, run over to the rock wall and sit down and then slip off my crocs and compose my feet.  You would have laughed watching me struggle, feet modeling is not as easy as it looks!

Here comes the sun

The topic for June is summer. I have wanted to make these solstice socks, by Karin Maag-Tanchak, since the first time I saw them, way back before Ravelry (yes, my child, there was a time before Ravelry) when Karin posted the link on either KnitU or the knitlist. Of course, I'll be tweaking things a little. . . because it's the summer solstice, I'm using orange as my main color. And I'm making both socks the same, using just the sun pattern at the top. I'm still debating which of several oranges (how the heck did I come to have a choice of oranges?) to use, but the yellow for the suns is Karin's own handdyed yarn (Periwinkle Sheep is her company name). With so much stockinette, and summer travel season soon to commence, I know these will be done on time.

Note: I've put out an APB on the camera, but for now, text only.

--E.

the one-day rule

I seem to have fallen prey to the same syndrome that dogged me in college -- please, Professor, may I have a 1-day extension? Second sock is one toe from being finished. I call that close enough, and it is still officially the May sock! Picture tomorrow,* and intro to my June yarn and pattern. (The theme for June is "summer" -- plenty of room for interpretation!)

*if, that is, the camera consents to reveal itself. . .

E.