I Am Now a Sock Knitter. . .

One thing I didn't expect out of lockdown was that it would turn me into a sock knitter.

While I've always enjoyed wearing handknit socks, particularly a lovely pair that a friend knit for me, I've always dismissed them as items that will be irritatingly prone to constant darning.

But then I won some sock yarn in an instagram contest.

Aren't these skeins gorgeous?  Katla is a new sock yarn created by Hélène Magnússon out of 99% Icelandic lambswool and 1% silk.  It feels really strong and sturdy.  I also won her new Mosi sock pattern and so while I was waiting for the yarn to arrive, I thought I would get my sock knitting skills up to scratch.

I had always admired the Konoko socks by Mary Jane Mucklestone and doing a bit of simple colourwork on the leg would help me gauge the stitch count and needle size that would work best for a good fit. I have to say, this pattern is wonderfully simple and well written, and I absolutely love the fit and feel of these socks. I used some Madeline Tosh fingering for the blue, with some remnant leftover ball for the white.  In previous pairs I've knitted, I've always done an afterthought heel, but the heel flap and gusset in this construction, I find to be much more comfortable.

It gave me the confidence and also the drive to dig out two four year old sock wips - just simple vanilla socks using self-striping yarn (Cascade Heritage Print for the first and Regia Sock Yarn for the second) - and using the same stitch counts and needles from my Konoko socks, I finished them up.

I finally get why knitters love vanilla socks. I have the recipe now ingrained in my head and I don't need a pattern any more. It's the perfect portable project for commuting (at least in the past) and for queuing (of which I anticipate a lot of in the future).  And they do feel lovely on the feet. And I suppose if I knit enough of them (no shortage of sock yarn in the stash), they can be in constant rotation without, hopefully, too many holes, too quickly although  I definitely am going to experiment with different types of yarn to gauge their durability.

As for the Mosi socks, I've started them, but they are feeling a bit tight, so I may have to go up a needle size. These should be great for hiking though.  Whenever that happens again.