Gauge: 10 sts = 1 inch

These are the first sock-weight socks I made for myself. (My first socks for me were made from two skeins of Noro Kureyon, and I wore them as winter slippers until I could no longer repair the gaping holes.)

These socks actually began life as a cuff-down sock knitting from basic sock pattern from Folk Socks. I messed up the gauge the first time, though, and had to rip out nearly an entire sock because it was too small. Somehow, my swatch clocked in at 8 stitches to the inch, but the sock was 10 to the inch. I suspect that I might have made my swatch with 2.5mm needles and written the size down wrong, and thus cast on the actual sock with the 2.0mm needles. This may also explain why I suffered such a deep state of denial about how small the sock was until I’d turned the heel and was halfway down the instep. Since I really wanted some socks for myself, giving them to someone with smaller feet wasn’t appealling. So, I ripped.

For my second attempt, I decided to try a toe-up sock with short row toes and heels. I’d done several baby socks with short row toes and heels, and wanted to learn how to do them toe-up. I also took the opportunity to experiment with various short row heel/toe methods. I used Wendy’s instructions for both toes, but experimented with Japanese short rows for the first heel. The effect was very nice, but the dozens of safety pins required (shown in the last photo) made it more of a hassle than the effect was worth, at least for sock heels. For the second heel, I switched back to Ann Budd’s method from her “Better Than Booties Baby Socks,” and frankly I can’t tell the difference.

I wanted a ribbed leg that would still show off the jacquard pattern, so I went with a 6x2 rib that was very effective. I wanted to end them with a bit of flair, so I took another piece from the “Better Than Booties” pattern and finished off with a picot hem.

I love these socks. These are the socks that converted me to the notion that handknit socks really are awesome, and that I should make them and wear them. All the time. I’d knitted them for other people, but now I wanted to knit socks because I really, really wanted some for me to wear. :)