Socks - January 2018

Hello there, my socks are finished! I may not have met January with a big finish but I'm claiming a January finish anyway. These are the first ones finished this year - I know that doesn't make sense, but... This pair was started way back in the summer, I wrote about them here and here previously.

These are for M (husband), though I quite like them myself - the colour blue, green, cream and grey are pleasing and soothing. Green remains a favourite colour of mine, though I often choose reds, purples and pinks. I purchased this yarn in a wool shop, which is always a bonus, as you can 'look and feel' before you buy.

If you've been following for a while, you'll see that I unpicked one of the socks as it wasn't matching its partner at all well. So it's been a learning experience in planning ahead. On the whole, I've enjoyed knitting them. Previously I've knitted on dpps and using 2 short circular needles. The 2 needles made a lot of sense at the time, as one knits the front and the other the back part with the heel. The  pattern for this is included in Debbie Macomber's fiction book 'A Good Yarn'. Her book is part of The Blossom Street series and is based loosely around a knitting shop, highly recommended.

All things considered, I prefer the short circular needle for knitting socks. You do have to use dpps for the first 2 rows, heels and toes, but it's still quick, or can be if you stick with it of course. At some point I'd like to try knitting 2 pairs at once, I can't quite visualise the process at the moment so for now I'll carry on as I have been.

The materials and pattern I used were - 4 ply Rico Superba Harmony yarn here. The pattern, I found on Winwick Mum's blog and later purchased her book. She leads you through the pattern, fully photographed with detailed instructions in 3 methods of knitting. Magic loop, short circular needle and double pointed pins. I vaguely remember starting with 3 mm needles before changing to the 2.5 mm. Her blog contains links to information, to help you. 

Have you tried knitting 2 socks at once? What colours do you like or tend to plump for? How are your craft related new year resolutions going?