Sunday, November 17, 2013

OMG! I never showed off these socks! Neopolitan Socks

So, I started this pair of socks in late July 2013, when I was visiting my folks in Oregon. I shared a little picture of them in THIS POST. I am calling these Neopolitan Socks since the colors really remind me of Neopolitan Ice Cream. I finished these socks and gave them away to a friend and I never showed them to you! How did that happen!?
For these socks, I used Marilyn's 52 stitch "Simple Sock" pattern, which calls for 52 stitches per round. Marilyn is the Chief Knitting Officer (C.K.O.) at Grandma's Beads and Yarn (my local yarn shop... which I LOVE!). I used 2.75 mm needles and it makes a perfect fitting sock with Plymouth Yarn's sock yarn called "Diversity". This colorway (I had to look it up) is called "Palm Pink". Like I said, as I knit these socks, I thought of... Neopolitan Ice Cream. Nestle' Strawberry Quik mixed into milk. Raspberry Sorbet. Pink ballet slippers. Rose Milk Lotion (do you remember that lotion?) I have not seen Rose Milk Lotion in years!
This is the second time I've used Diversity yarn for socks. I used the red, white, and gray color combination called "Pizazz" awhile back for some bold striped socks. I was surprised the stripes in these socks are more random as compared to the red, white, and gray socks. 

I have a lot. A LOT. A lot, lot, LOT of other socks in progress right now. It's a sickness really. For some reason, I feel compelled to cast on a new pair on each of my sets of double pointed needles and there they sit, a bunch of socks in progress, all in varying stages of completion. Would you like to hear about them?  

 Wasabi Peas Socks: Stopped by the store called "Tuesday Morning" earlier this summer to see if they had yarn and sure enough they did. I am knitting some green/off white speckly yarn in a pattern called "Mosinette Socks". There are 60 stitches per round on size 2.50 mm needles. The texture is created by alternating five rounds of stockinette stitch and five rounds of moss stitch. Simple to memorize and fun to knit. As I knit these socks, I think of Wasabi Peas! Have you ever had that snack? If you have had Wasabi Peas, then you will probably see what I mean. You have to try Wasabi Peas by the way. They are tasty! I think I set this sock aside because I wish the heel flap would have had more rows (for a deeper heel) and I am worried about how the sock will fit... so I am not thrilled and I don't want to unknit all of the heel portion. 

 Disappearing Act: My first pair of fair isle socks. One sock done except for the afterthought heel. Started stock number 2, made a mistake, and am ignoring them... they are in a time out.

Neon Ribbed Socks: Got this Manos del Uruguay brand yarn while visiting my Mom and Dad a few months back. Souvineer (AKA: total SPLURGE $$$) yarn! Mom took me to a BEAUTIFUL knit shop in Beaverton, Oregon, called "For Yarn's Sake". The yarn line is called "Alegria" (which means "joy" in Spanish... I like that!). The colorway is called "Locura Fluo" ("locura" translates to crazy or mad but I could not figure out what "fluo" translates to... if you know, please fill me in!). I was totally overwhelmed in this store. Had nothing in particular to shop for but I was determined to buy something. I ended up with two hanks of sock yarn. I don't regret my purchases despite the fact that I already have a dresser drawer FULL of sock yarn. I just wasn't quite sure what to make with the Alegria yarn. I tried a scarf pattern I have been wanting to make but I did not care for how the yarn was pooling in that pattern. Decided to make socks... you know, socks with sock yarn. Novel concept I know. Using 2.50 mm needles and 64 stitches per round in k3, p1 ribbing. Planning to follow Susan B. Anderson's pattern called "Ribbed Socks for Bigger Feet" which is one of my favorite sock patterns. The ribbing makes the socks fit very well. 

 Cupcake Socks: More splurge yarn from "For Yarn's Sake" called Biscotte and Cie "Felix" in the colorway called "Cupcake". Love it. Knitting these socks up on 2.50 mm needles, 64 stitches per round, planning to follow Susan B. Anderson's pattern called "How I Knit My Socks". 

Watermelon Socks: Finally used the gift certificate my mom sent me for Christmas (Knit Picks... woo hoo!). I bought some Knit Picks Stroll Hand Painted Fingering yarn in a colorway I am pretty certain is called "Watermelon". When I got the yarn, the colors kind of disappointed me... but just the other day I found a really cool looking sock pattern called "Ampersand" and I had sock needles available, so you know... I just had to cast on and give the pattern and yarn a whirl. Using 2.75 mm needles for this pair. 

 Hot Tamale Socks: So I discovered I have two pairs of 3.00 mm needles so I had to cast on some socks in Bernat Sox in a colorway "Hot Tamale" (this name does not fit this yarn and you know how that bothers me... it looks like baby/nursery colors... not Hot Tamale... bit I digress). Despite my dis-satisfaction with the colorway name of this yarn, I am knitting both socks at once on two separate sets of needles... my favorit thing to do to avoid Second Sock Syndrome. Rapidly approaching heel flap on both socks, which are being knit with 52 stitches per round (Marilyn's Simple Sock Pattern again). 

 So, I know I have another pair of 2.75 mm needles sitting idle at home, plus my friend Belinda has borrowed another pair of 2.75 mm needles, and I know I have a really small pair of sock knitting needles (Size 0?) and a really big pair of sock knitting needles (Size 3?) at home in my drawer. That means I can cast on maybe 3 more pairs of socks, right? 

 OMG! What's wrong with me?

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