Sunday, October 23, 2011

Year of Projects - Denmark Post 01


mmm ... alpaca ...
Knitting on the Road: Canada • Canal du Midi • Conwy • Dalarna  Denmark • Friday Harbor • Hiiumaa • Huron Mountain • New England • The Road to Oslo • Santa Fe • Spey Valley • Christmas in Tallinn • Traveler's Stockings • Uinta Cabin • Unst • Whitby 

With my Hiiumaa Mismatched Mates finished and blogged on Friday it was time to cast on another pair of socks. Denmark was the next pattern in the book - one of two patterns I'd skipped over to get to Hiiumaa - but I was hesitating. The pattern calls for sport weight yarn and 3.25mm needles. All my sock yarn is fingering weight and usually I knit my socks on 2mm or even 2.5mm needles.

In the end I decided to pick the thickest and loftiest of the sock yarns in my stash: this gorgeous, soft Alpaca Sox from Classic Elite Yarns. And I'm going ahead with 2.5mm needles, because, after all, there are 56 stitches around the foot so the sock won't be that small. With luck, they may turn out perfectly size for someone on my Christmas list!
Hiuumaa Mismatched Mates

So far I'm very happy with how these are knitting up. The yarn is delicious, the colour is gorgeous and the pattern is very satisfyingly elegant. What a nice little cable - just one stitch moves to the centre from each side of making a wide and flat cable - and look, those are nupps at the top of those columns of cables! Neat, huh? Once again as I knit this pattern I'm struck by the careful attention to detail from the designer, Nancy Bush. The stitches are distributed across four needles so that each needle finishes and end with a purl stitch which should hide any laddering from the dpns. And the ribbing flows beautifully into the main leg pattern. Very nice indeed.

Now remind me, why was it that I hesitated to cast on this sock?

12 comments:

* said...

Four needles....I can't figure out how you clever knitters do it!

Your stripy socks are really lovely!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

That's a very pretty little stitch pattern

Unknown said...

I remember that was on my list of to do before I stopped knitting socks. Now you are making me think I should go back to knitting socks!! Check out my blog today, I am passing something on to you.

Anonymous said...

Oh so pretty! Every week! You struck gold with that pattern book and with your yarn choices.

Christine said...

Love love love the stripey socks, and I fear I may fall hard for the current ones...
Nice job!

Dorothy said...

Alpaca socks .. mmmmm nice !
The stripey ones look great too.

Alittlebitsheepish said...

Love that purple yarn, it is gorgeous

Delusional Knitter said...

Beautiful sock. Love the mismatched ones too!!

Sandy said...

Love the purple and am anxious to see these finished. If you want to expand your Christmas list....lol, just saying I'm a size 6.5-7 shoe.

Stefanie said...

Alpaca sock yarn is so divine to touch. Your lucky toesies!
I like those mismatched socks. Lots of character.

Marie/Underground Crafter said...

I love your mismatched mates!

Kim said...

You have the loveliest yarn in your stash!
*smiles*