Sunday, August 31, 2014

Year of Projects 4: Gothic Spire 04

SOCKTOPUS :  Farmer McGregor • Om Shanti

KNIT. SOCK. LOVE. : BFF • Clandestine • Cusp • German Stockings • Gothic Spire • Hedera • In and Out • Lissajous • Marilinda • Mona • Monkey • Pointelle • Rhombus • Sake • Stalagmite • Stricken • Thelonious • Twisted Flower • Wedge


Wow, I love these socks. This Gothic Spire pattern might be my all-time favourite! The smocked stitches combine with the travelling stitches to create an almost wrought iron look. And all that knitting through the back loops has paid off - the stitches really pop.

I stand by my mods - a series of dramatic decreases at the top of the heel flap and the at the beginning of the toe section create a smoother transition from the pattern to stockinette. As you can imagine all that smocking necessitates a high primary stitch count and the fabric bunches at those transitions if you don't decrease.

There are eyelets in there too - and I think we all know how I feel about eyelets - but they seem pretty important to this pattern. I suspect that the eyelets help give the patterned areas a bit of stretch and flexibility.

With all that smocking and a high primary stitch count these socks eat up a lot of yarn. Fortunately the yarn I chose - Super Cash Sock from Studio June Yarn - is put up in 100 gram 435 yard skeins. The skein I got was 108 grams so my yardage was probably more like 470 yards. It was enough to do the large size with an extra half repeat on the foot for my size 11s. For a while it looked like it was going to be close, but thankfully it's one more game of yarn chicken played and won!

It's been crazy hectic over the last few weeks - Eat, Sleep, Work and Repeat. I didn't get much knitting done and I didn't get any blogging done, and there were a whole lot of other things not done (like laundry and cleaning the house). But work is starting to settle down and I hope to be back on my usual routine by the end of this week or the start of next week. I did get a chance to cast on my first Marilinda sock ... but that's next week's topic!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Your socks are GORGEOUS!! Hope things will settle down a bit for you.. Have a lovely week!

Barbara at Knitting | Work in Progress said...

Beautiful color, lovely stitch work.

Anonymous said...

Gothic Spire are my favourite socks of all the ones you've knit for yop years, I love them everthing about them really, glad you won the chicken race and Marilinda look like a pretty pair of socks also.

Lucy Bowen said...

Beautiful - love the colouring as well as the pattern - they look very comfy!

Stefanie said...

Eye middle lock to oohs. These spire socks are amazing. The intricacy and popping stitches make this pattern seem expert extreme. Your next sock is lovely.

Christine said...

OMG... THOSE SOCKS!!! Love love love....

Will likely cast on a pair myself this week. Thanks a lot!

Sam I Am...... said...

They turned out gorgeous! They look even prettier on your foot than on the form in last weeks picture and I liked them then.
Have a great week and I hope things settle down for you.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

They look fabulous!

cleancup said...

These are beautiful! And I congratulate you on successfully modding for a perfect fit :)

Maria said...

They look fantastic! Well done :)

Anonymous said...

well I'm late to comment and every one else has said what I'm thinking.... GREAT socks and fab colour too x

Anonymous said...

Very fancy and gorgeous in that color. Congrats on ANOTHER beautiful finish.