January 1, 2026

Using the channel island cast on to create a very stretchy and beautiful picot-like edge on top of the socks. (Instructions are given in the pattern) Today I have been working on this project for longer than I intended, since it’s too tempting to start the next border and the next… The fit seems really good at this point so I’m optimistically thinking that this pair of socks will be a winter wardrobe favorite! And now, on to one of the other 12 castons for a while

January 2, 2026

3 new borders added today, and I have decided to knit the foot part in one color. Since this yarn is thicker than I usually use for socks, I’m thinking that with stranded knitting on the foot they may not fit too well in shoes, and that’s what I need them for. I have more balls of the natural colored yarn, so I’ll be using that for the foot.

January 24, 2026

Working a few rounds now and then, between all the exciting new cast ons I’m doing this month - and suddenly number one is done! It hits right under the knee, which I love, and I’m happy about the decision to make the foot in only white. I’m not super happy about the decrease method for the instep (centered at the middle/bottom of the foot) but I can live with it and now I know. I knit 36 rounds after the instep decreases were done before I started the toe decreases. I made the toe the way I know I like it, so I didn’t follow the pattern for this part. I did decreases in the sides at every other round until 18+18 sts rem. 1 round even, followed by 4 rounds with decreases on every row, 10+10 sts rem. Kitchener stitched the toe closed.

Of course, my sock blockers are too short for these stockings In order to separate the layers of fabric and get them to dry quicker I put one pair of blockers in the foot and another pair upside down in the cuff - the cuff is not being blocked, really, just getting the layers separated. That’s okay, since I don’t need to stretch or shape the cuffs anyways.