Yarn:

○ Using Juniper (157) for toes, heels and cuffs with Blue Tit (818) as the main colourway. Juniper doesn’t match exactly the blue in the Blue Tit - Juniper is a clearer blue compared to the dusky blue sections of Blue Tit, but I don’t think the difference will show at all once they’re knitted up.
《Weirdly, in the photos I’ve taken just before switching back to Juniper for the heel it looks as if the juniper is just a bit darker than the blue, and what looks charcoal grey to me in real life looks like a very dark blue in the photo! 》

○ Loving the Blue Tit colourway even more knitted up than in the ball - vibrant and rich. I wasn’t sure about the yellow before, but now the feet are done I can see how it lifts the other colours and at the same time the other colours stop it from being too ‘in your face’!

○ For the next pair of Blue Tit Socks I might do toes/heels/cuffs in Cardamom (351) as this is the green, and I think the yellow is butterscotch (240) and the dark charcoal is liquorice (099) (though liquorice looks closer to black…), but haven’t seen them together in person so can’t say for certain. Do wish WYS would list each coordinating shade for each country birds colourway - it’s not so bad with these, but working out which green/blue is which across Peacock, Kingfisher and Blue Lagoon is a nightmare!

○ Love WYS 4ply. Soft to work with but hardwearing - I’ve found it perfect for socks and cast on less stitches with this than with others (such as Drops Fabel) - 68 instead of 72.

Needles:

○ Have been using 2.5mm dpns despite ball band recommending 3.25mm, could probably go down to 2.25 for the foot but don’t want to have to mess about with the stitch count!

Changes for next time:

○ None yet…

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Pattern:

○ Cast on 2AAT toes on 2.5mm circs (14 st per needle, Turkish Cast on, inc 1, 3, 1, 3, all, 1, 3, all, 1, 3, all, 1, all, all, 1). Knit on to 2.5mm dpns after increases (12 more rnds for long toes) then work sections on each sock in turn.

○ 36 rnds(after long toes) before first increase, then lifted inc from within gusset at far edge. Inc every other round, 16 stitches for each gusset.

○ Fleegle heel directions. (Knit 2 past centrally placed marker, k2tog, k; then turn, slip 1 pw then purl to 2 past central marker, SSP, p; turn and repeat closing gap each time.

○ End when 2 stitches left on each side, but on the knit row immediately after decreasing to 2, slide those two straight across to the left needle, switch yarn and knit with the main yarn across the top of the heel. When you reach the last 3 stitches before the marker, switch third and second stitch to opposite needles before SSK to avoid holes. Double check stitch count after final decreases - should be 68.

○ Knit for between 50 and 60 rnds(depending on stripe pattern and colours) before switching to contrast yarn for a single round before 2x2 ribbing for 21 rnds. JSSBO.

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Changes from last time:
○ Try and work out the last gusset stitches - better on the second sock (decreased last two at back of heel instead of edges, think this would be better with four or maybe eight stitches in between)