Only 11 months late:

These are Navdeep’s Christmas 2010 socks…he took possession of them last night on October 31, 2011. Yes, I am a little behind with the knitting, ahem, either that or I have too many projects on the go…

Pattern: David Socks – Designed by Anne Hanson of Knitspot – as always Anne’s patterns are well written and result in fantastic finished objects! – rating: 5 stars

Yarn: Gourmet Crafter Sock Yarn by Gourmet Crafter (Alexa) – Colourway: Stanley Park Lights – love the yarn base (cashmere!!) and the colours – rating: 5 stars

Ravelry Project Page

Oh! Ruby Longjohn Socks

I finally got shots of Michael’s newest socks – proudly modeled by himself by a blueberry bush in the backyard.

These socks, paired with The Woolen Rabbit Kashmir yarn in the Oh! Ruby colourway, were knit from another fantastic pattern by Anne Hanson of KnitSpot. I really think the yarn perfectly suits the pattern.

The pattern: Longjohn Sock – The pattern, as always, was clearly written and offered in multiple sizes. I first knit up the size medium on 2.75mm needles (aka size 2), then chickened out after the cuff and recast on for the size large. Unfortunately, I should have stuck with the medium, because, 5 inches into the large, I figured out the large was TOO large – Michael, size 10.5 feet, likes his socks tight.

The yarn: Kashmir: this was my first time with any Woolen Rabbit yarn and I was prepared to fall deeply in love with this merino/cashmere/nylon blend. First of all, the colour – GORGEOUS! Unfortunately for me, Michael was home when this package came in the mail and immediately claimed this skein for his next pair of socks. The downside was that the red seriously came off in my hands, in a seriously difficult to-get-off-with-multiple-washes red stain (that twisted around my right index finger). I also found the yarn far too thin for my taste when knitting socks (the fact that these socks felt like they took forever to knit probably didn’t help). Also the yarn wasn’t consistent – very thick/thin throughout and somewhat nubbly. HOWEVER, the finished pair of socks is amazingly soft and really akin to dress socks – definitely meant for special occasions!! Michael LOVES them.

Ravelry Project Page

Cast on: July 28, 2010

Finished: September 2010

Pattern rating: 5 stars

Yarn rating: 3 stars

ETA: showed Michael this post and the following conversation ensued:

Michael: “Wow, my ankles look really wide.”

Me: “What are you, a girl?”

Michael: “Not with those feet.”

les Abeilles by Anne Hanson – a mini triangle shawl

This was my first triangle shawl and I absolutely loved knitting it. I have done a number of Anne Hanson, Knitspot, patterns now and les Abeilles is definitely up to her standards – well written and so pretty.

The colour, Peony, is a big departure for me, as was the yarn; first time I tried Sunshine Yarns Sunsilk, but I love both… just not too sure it’s the right colour for my skin! I knit the mini and think it is the perfect size to compliment, not overwhelm, an outfit–and/or just right to add a little neck warmth!

This was a very quick knit and looks WAY more complicated than it actually is… the pattern is mostly comprised of knitting, purling, decreasing (ssk & k2tog) and yarn overs. No tricky stitches. I think this would be a great beginner lace project. FYI – I used stitch markers between every repeat and, after the setup rounds, had no issues with the math–this might have been overkill, but I didn’t have to rip back, not even a single row.

I believe I bungled the grafting at the end–the kichener stitch and I are not on friendly terms and this time was no exception to our mutual dislike. Oh, well, I think it is still totally pretty and a very unique construction. I will be knitting this pattern again, very soon, probably in a darker yarn.