FO: grey jacquard socks

Started a measly three months ago (snark) I happily bound off for these socks last night.

Pattern: Toe Up Slip Stitch Heel by Wendy Johnson (PDF link)
Yarn: Jo-Ann Sensations Soles & More
Needles: 1-24" Knit Picks US #1 (2.25 mm), magic looped

Mods: to accommodate my shapely calves, I added calf sts along the center back, approx every inch until I increased 12 sts. The pattern offers three size options, but of course I wanted to do a size in between. This required that I calculate the gusset, heel turn and heel flap. In retrospect I should have just opted for one of the sizes in the pattern. This especially became evident when I went to knit sock #2 and "this is easy, I'm sure I'll remember" became "uhm....what exactly did I do?"

Combine that with my hubris that I surely remembered how to work the gussets and you get a decent-fitting pair of socks with mismatched gussets that took 2.5 months to knit.

Now that we're done with the negativity, there are a few things I love about these socks. The toe up heel flap, the slip stitch heel and the no picking up of sts are awesome. This method is new to me but I feel this style of heel flap must have already existed in cuff down patterns. Cuff down connoisseurs - anyone know?

New Book/eBook alert!

Hunter Hammersen, of Silk Road Socks fame, is coming out with a new book The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet - a collection of 20 patterns (half socks, half shawls, hats and mitts. The ebook should be out mid-March. And similar to her Silk Road Socks designs, these patterns are all inspired by flora - chrysanthemem, narcissus and crocus to name a few. Sign up for her mailing list to be notified when she releases any new patterns. Oh, and check out her Ruction mitts. They're coming out in March as well. I love the architectural stitch pattern on the cuff.

Lots of great options for using up sock yarn here. And if you read my last post you already know I'm on the hunt for ways to use up my sock yarn.