Year of Projects 2: Lozenge Socks 2

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 this pair of Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern is knitting itself. That's one thing about knitting most of the sock on needles larger than size 0 - the work progresses very quickly. After all my mods - abbreviating the cuff pattern, omitting one cuff repeat and shortening the leg - my first finished sock weighed in at 47 grams. Phew! I'll make it with just one skein of yarn with a little bit to spare. Many Ravelers faced with the same concern shortened the cuff even further, but I'm glad I didn't. The cuff is the stretchiest part of this pattern so it needs all the cuff it can get to avoid being slouchy. And besides, I'm finding that wide rib broken up with purl rounds really attractive ... a nice contrast to the diagonals in the leg pattern!

A friend recommended that old HBO Series Deadwood, so we rented the first season yesterday on a seven day rental. Seven disks, seven days, seven dollars; that's a pretty good deal.Three episodes later and we're hooked! Fortunately this sock pattern is perfect TV knitting. In each round the pattern travels one stitch outward or inward until the diagonals cross - no reading of charts required. And now that the gusset decreases are completed on the second sock I barely need to pay attention at all. My guess is that the second sock will be finished at some point during episode six later tonight.

What's next for my Year of Projects? Maybe I'll try the Gentleman's Shooting Stockings with Fluted pattern in sock yarn scraps. Looks like the stitch pattern is strong enough and simple enough to withstand some colour variation. We'll see after an inch or two, but you never know until you try!