Pattern: Anna Socks by Nina Chakkour, Rowan 40
Yarn: 3 balls of Rowan 4 ply soft (didn’t use the entire third ball)
Colour: Espresso
Needles: 3,25 mm and 3,0 mm lantern moon dpns
Gauge: 28 sts and 36 rows over patt using 3,25 mm needles
Started: 9.4.06
Finished: 9.15.06
Notes:
The leg
I tried the sock on as I knit and went down a needle size an inch or two below my calf. (I knit the leg for 27 cm and then switched.) I knit the ankle and foot of the socks using smaller needles and am happy with the fit. I thought about doing some calf decreases using the HJS Studio Shaping Knee Socks tutorial – entered in all my measurements but decided not to add shaping.
The heel
The last line of Shape Heel says to break the yarn and leave stitches on a holder. I didn’t break the yarn because the next step is to knit across these stitches and then pick up along the row-edge heel stitches. I wasn’t satisfied with the way I picked up the stitches on the second sock and pulled them out. And then something happened that I was not expecting – the edge of the heel flap started to unravel. I think I experienced a moment of knitting insanity when those stitches escaped. I quickly picked them up and then continued knitting the gusset. (Maybe they came out because earlier, when I knit the heel flap, I slipped the last stitch on every row.)
I decided to wait to cast on a new project and finish these socks. (Odd because I almost always cast on a new project after finishing one sock. Guess it was enjoyable knitting. I also realized that although socks are not my favorite garment to knit, I do like knitting lace socks!) I knit these while listening to Brenda Dayne’s Cast On adventures in natural dyeing. What’s your favorite knitting podcast?