Year of Projects: Heelless Sleeping Socks 02

Folk Knitting in Estonia: Aino's Gloves • Anu's Christmas Gloves • Anu's Mittens • Anu's Stockings • Avo's Mittens • Ellen's Stockings • Helgi's Mittens • Hilja's Mittens • Ilmar's Socks • Juta's Stockings • Kalev's Mittens • Kristi's Mittens • Laila's Socks • Landra's Gloves • Liidia's Gloves • Liivi's Stockings • Maarja's Socks • Maimu's Mittens • Marko's Mittens • Meida's Mittens • Merike's Gloves • Rita's Stockings • Sander's Mittens • Tiit's Socks • Ulla's Gloves • Virve's Stockings

Knitting Vintage Socks: Gentleman's Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern (1887) • Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch (1889) • Gentleman's Socks with Lozenge Pattern (1895) • Bed Sock in Lemon Pattern Fancy Knit Stripe (1896) • Cycling or Golf Stockings with Fancy Cuff in Trellis Pattern (1897) • Heelless Sleeping Socks (1897) • Child's French Sock in Citron Pattern and Diaper Knitting (1898) • Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern (1899) • Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern (1899) • Gentleman's Sock for Evening Wear (1900) • Evening Stockings for a Young Lady (1900) • Fancy Silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6 Years (1900) • Gentleman's Fancy Sock (1901) • Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock with Dutch Heel (1901) • Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern (1904) • Baby's Bootikin (1905)  •  Little Child's Sock (1907)  •  Ladies Useful Stockings (1913)  •  Ladies Silk Stockings with Clocks (1914)

Seems like switching horses - switching from the book Folk Knitting in Estonia to the book Knitting Vintage Socks - was just the thing I needed to give my Year of Projects a second wind. With things so busy before Christmas, the simpler patterns from the second book are perfectly suited to my time and attention right now.

Last week I cast on Heelless Sleeping Socks for a friend who has been dropping some not-so-subtle hints that she wants these socks. And what this sock proves is that it takes all kinds. With my high arches and pointy heels, this sock doesn't fit me whatsoever. But my friend insists that heeled socks never fit her and tube socks are so much more comfortable. Well okay then. The cuff and the toe are from mystery yarn plucked from the sale bin at Wabi Sabi. Through the leg section I striped in some plain cream coloured yarn as the 50 grams of mystery yarn wasn't going to be nearly enough to complete the pair. I used Russian joins to switch yarns; the colours match so well that the joins are about invisible. It also means no ends to weave in :)

And because I simply had to see how the gorgeous blues and greens of this "Hey Paula" colourway were going to knit up, I cast on another pair of socks. The pattern is Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood pattern. Based on pictures from other Raveler's projects it looked like a pattern that would play nicely with a really busy yarn. So far, so good!  It's dangerous for me to try these sock on though - the more I knit, the more I try, the more I think I'd better just keep these for me! I'm sorry to say, I haven't even got any excuses for why I cast these on... it's not Christmas knitting, there's lots of stuff I should be doing instead, but I just can't seem to help myself. Blame the yarn!