Entrelac Socks: No. 1 is FINALLY Complete!

Entrelac Socks

Knit from the Cuff Down

A really, really long time ago, I took an Entrelac Sock Knitting class at my local yarn shop.  I started the socks over a few times. At first I did not like the yarn combination I had chosen.  On the second go around, I realized the foot had way too many stitches in it (the sock was too big).  So I ripped out the portion after the entrelac cuff, and the project sat there lingering... FOREVER.

I resumed knitting on this sock within the past week and just finished up sock no. 1. The fit is pretty good so I am determined to cast on sock no. 2 very soon before I forget what I did.  I altered this pattern a lot. It's a pattern by Vicki England and I can't seem to find it on Ravelry. The green yarn is Knit Picks Stroll and the colorway is "Peapod" (yarn from my mom's stash... Thanks, Mom!). The colorful yarn is yarn from Western Sky Knits... leftover from another pair of socks. 

I was really trying to figure out when I took the Entrelac Sock Knitting class so I would know how long this project has been sitting around.  I looked on Ravely and figured out I took the class in February 2015.  Crazy, right?

Yesterday, while I was at the knit shop working on this sock, we had a horrendous rainstorm with lightning and thunder.  My husband texted me this photo of Sandy.  He said he had to go looking for her during the storm; she wouldn't come when he called. He found her in the bathroom hiding under the shower curtain. Poor thing!

PAIRfect Socks No. 2: Complete

PAIRfect Socks No. 2

I've been on a mission to complete partially finished projects and it sure feels good!

Here is my latest completed project. 

I don't ordinarily block my socks but my knitting in these socks got a bit wonky here and there. I think it's a problem with my tension.  I blocked these socks by soaking them in a little tepid water with a tiny bit of Eucalan, and the knitting looked much better.

I was reading a pattern recently. It's a sock pattern called Rolled City Rollers; I will make this pattern soon.  The pattern author indicated she knits her socks with five needles (the sock stitches divided on four needles and then knit with one needle) because she felt it helped her keep her tension more even; I ordinarily knit my socks with four needles (the sock stitches divided on three needles and then knit with one needle).  This was a "light bulb" sort of moment for me because I do notice, when I have a larger number of stitches on one needle when knitting socks, that is where I notice my stitches getting significantly looser.

In these socks, I used a "Strong Heel".  You can read more about the Strong Heel here:

https://www.theknittingsquirrel.com/heather-socks-featuring-the-strong-heel/

To me, the Strong Heel is just like the Fleegle Heel.  I have not studied them well enough to know the difference but they sure seem similar to me.  The only difference being that you use a Fleegle Heel when knitting socks from the toe up and you use the Strong Heel when knitting socks from the cuff down.

The Strong Heel is not ideal for this yarn.  The yarn I use is Schachenmayr Regia "Pairfect" Design Line by Arne & Carlos.  You can see, in the photo below, that the socks are designed to end with pink at the toe.  When you knit a Strong Heel, you use more yarn than with a traditional heel flap, heel turn, and gusset.  This happens because, when you knit a Strong Heel (and also a Fleegle Heel), you continue to knit the instep stitches WHILE you work the heel. When you knit a traditional heel flap/turn, gusset, the instep stitches are placed on hold (unworked) for a while.  I used up all my pink heel yarn and then had to use some of the pink yarn intended for the toe in the heel.  I made it work but it meant I had to fiddle with the yarn in spots to get the right color where I wanted it.  And the beauty of the Pairfect Design Line yarn is that you should be making two perfectly matching socks without having to work so hard at it.

I have one more pair of PAIRfect socks to make.  But I need to finish up more unfinished objects before casting on.