Harris Tweed Socks

Are we tired of socks yet? Apparently I'm not!

I finished these socks the same day I finished the Ravellenic Games socks. They were almost done and I had to put them aside for the Games. (These were the ones that felt like baler twine after the cashmere of the Ravellenic socks.)

I bought this yarn at a yarn shop in Goshen. It was the best of what I could find. After the busyness of my Hourglass socks, I wanted to try a pair where I toned down a variegated yarn with a matching solid.

I think it worked pretty well. I knit with both yarns, alternating rows. That made it kind of tricky to do short rows on the toes and heels, but since I was on double pointed needles, it was possible. (Instead of knitting across and back, I had to knit across with one and then go back to the beginning and go across with the other. Then once both yarns were at the same end, I could do it again. I just had to remember to work each row one stitch shorter than the previous.)

You can see in the picture below how there is subtle striping on the plain knit (see the sole on the right), and how the colours got mixed up by the pattern on the left.

I think this is one of my best marriages of yarn to pattern. It's very pleasing to look at.

Unlike the Ravellenic socks I just posted about on Sunday, I did my own thing with these socks while plugging in the pattern (which I didn't bother to download, but just picked up from the picture). I tried something different with the heel after having trouble with some socks being too tight across the top when I used the short row heel. I think I had heard/read the idea before, but Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel also inspired me to try it.

I did the first half of the short row heel, and then knit eight rows all the way around the sock. (You can see the funny looking band in the middle of the heel.) Then I did the second half of the short row heel. It worked pretty well, but not as well as the heel on my Ravellenic socks that I will trying on future socks.

I added some fullness on the leg at the centre back. It's not the prettiest gusset, but I just added stitches in pattern as I went. By the time I increased enough stitches, it was time to do the ribbing.

I would have went a little further on the ribbing, but I had to watch the yarn. I ended with two little balls each no bigger than a large marble. (Why are you giving me that look? I didn't run out...)


Project Stats
Started: 17 Jun '12
Finished: 11 Aug '12
Pattern: Harris Tweed Socks by Ali Green (free)
Materials: Shibui Knits Sock, 1 skein each Honey (1395) and Brown (3001) ($18.80)