July seems to be the month when I need to kick-start my crafting bug. Last year July was Scarf Month, in which I was allowed to cast on as many projects as I wanted as long as they were scarves.
This month, I pulled out my little cheer-me-up package and started as a treat to myself, ignoring the other projects I promised I would get done.
The results were spectacular, both in terms of production and mood benefits!
This pattern is Dark Isle by Julia Mueller. The yarn is Patons Kroy FX in Clover and Patons Kroy in black. This was one of those projects that had no lag from start to finish, and I completed them in a week or so. I had to modify the pattern in a few places: to fit my foot length I added six rows to the wavy pattern of the foot (about a half an inch). Also since the yardage of this yarn is a bit short, I was worried about running out of black, so I took six rows out of the topmost pattern of the cuff, and bound off a few rows early.
This was my first stranded colorwork project. I used a knitting thimble to manage my colors. A great pattern for a first-timer - the charts were simple, the pattern itself was well-written, and the sizing was adjusted in all the right places to accommodate the firmer fabric of stranded work. I do think that the foot portion of the sock was pretty snug on my narrow feet; I would imagine many people would need four or eight stitches added to the round of the foot for a better fit.
When making striped socks, I usually put the end of round at the inseam, but this pattern calls for it at the back of the sock, meaning that the contrasting color would normally be cut and restarted after the heel. Rather than making the afterthought heel from the pattern, I decided to use my favorite short-row heel, and just to be sassy and save myself two ends to weave in, I experimented with stranding up the back of the heel as well. It was a little fiddly but very fun and satisfying!
Now I just need to wait for winter so I can wear them!
