I’m shaping
the toes of the second outré sock – so tonight’s session should see it
finished. I mean to cast on Van Gogh for Ketki and get the ribbing established
and then relegate socks, for the time being, to their old role as
travel-and-waiting-room-and-emergency comfort. On to the sailor’s hat.
I found
Gibson-Roberts’ “Simple Socks”. I have no memory of it – it must have gone
straight from Amazon box to bookshelf. I also have her “Ethnic Socks and
Stockings” which I will revisit today.
Simple
Socks is more or less an EPS-for-feet. [=Elizabeth
I am quite
taken, at the moment, with the idea of a Sock Year (or however long it takes). Part
of the point would be to deal with the sock-yarn element of the stash. Too
boring to knit? Out! I’ll buy some more Kaffe.
Those are good ideas, both, for making collections of heels without knitting entire socks, Marilyn and Tamar. But I think I want to knit entire socks.
The
difficulty is finding yarns boring enough to be worn by gents and interesting
enough to be knit by me. Does anybody know anything about the wearing qualities
of madelinetosh sock yarn? I notice that it’s 100% wool, which may be a bad
start. But that’s the wrong approach – I’ve got plenty of things to knit in the
stash and plenty of ladies who don’t mind lively socks, to knit them for.
Miscellaneous
Zite has
been rich in curiosities lately.
This one for a
knitted Mona Lisa, President Obama, and much more.
This
one for a clock that knits a scarf (really).
I do like your idea for a Sock Year to try out various heels.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried madtoshsock but malabrigo sock is hopelessly too-soft (100% wool) and only suitable for shawls. My husband's malabrigo socks barely survived two washings before he wore them through.
Man-friendly colours can be elusive, but Austermann and Online (both German brands) are worth exploring for longevity and comfort. (Softer than Opal.)
I found 100% wool quite hopeless for socks, especially male socks!
ReplyDeleteMy father, ultra conservative with a long line of Scottish forefathers, is not a fan of Opal either. I have used Regia for him - they do some nice dark solids. (The only problem is that they are very boring to knit!)
There used to be some nice semi-solids in Trekking, which knits up beautifully. Austermann step is another I have loved working with...... I don't really think the aloe used in it makes it softer, but it does feel really nice both on the hands and on the feet.
ReplyDeleteBarbara M. in NH
Dream in Color Classy has some nice semi-solids, and it seems to hold up pretty well. Nothing seems to wear like the harder twist mixed with nylon yarns, though. Not soft or fun, but sturdy.
ReplyDeleteOoops, not Classy, but Smooshy is the sock yarn.
ReplyDeleteMy all time favourite for man socks is Regia. Mary Lou, my Smooshy socks wear out quite quickly; I no longer use it for socks. I think a bit of nylon is the key to long wear.
ReplyDeleteLove the knitting clock! I entertained myself for several minutes thinking about my cat's reaction to a clock that knits.
ReplyDeleteGreat posting. I found Malabrigo sock yarn a delight to use. I knit at a tight tension for socks so that helps wearability because of the density of the fabric. A tight spun yarn also helps the durability. The idea of a supply of sock heel samples is a good one - especially for teaching - but I'd rather knit socks as well. I guess you could alternate between more conservative yarns for men's socks and fancier colorways for women. - Joe-in Wyoming
ReplyDelete