Once upon a time, I ran across Emily (@fiberaddictionem) on Instagram. She was calling for sample knitters and paying in my favorite currency, yarn. I’d already fallen in love with her Freak Like Me colorway, so I jumped at the chance. She sent me the yarn and pattern, Froggin’. The cuff was gorgeous, but then I realized this pattern didn’t show off the yarn as well as it could. So, between the two of us, we concocted a plan. She sent me Don’t Piss off the Redhead which worked with the pattern in a pleasing fashion and I kept the Freak Like Me yarn for another day.

I generally work on one “plain” sock and one complicated sock at a given time. Soon, Freak Like Me was up to bat. Through trial and several errors, this is the pattern I ended up with*
CO 64
k1tbl, p1 ribbing for 1.25 inches for cuff.

1 row of: k1, right cable cross (not twisted), p1 around

k3, p1 ribbing for the rest of the leg until you’re 1 inch above the heel.

Fish Lips Kiss Heel (over half + 4 sts Thank you, @gemkhull on instagram)

After finishing the heel, I went back to p1, k3 ribbing over the top half of the foot and stockinette on the bottom half of the foot until it was time for toe decreases (starting on the center of the bottom of the foot)

decrease round-
knit til 3 before first marker(where top of foot begins), k2tog, k1
k1, ssk, knit til 3 before next marker, k2tog, k1
k1, ssk

non-decrease round-
knit

alternate decrease and non-decrease rounds for 4 rows.
decrease round for 8 rows.
Graft 16 sts.

*This is not so much a pattern as it is me noting where I ended my experiment. Use at your own risk.

To be continued…

As you may or may not have noticed, I’ve been a slack blogger lately. So, inspired by Kate White (via her book “I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know”) and Rachel Herron (via her newsletter), I got up early this morning to blog my Sty Head Tarn socks.

As it turns out, writing in a quiet house with the moon and stars shining outside and me all snuggled in a sweatshirt, PJ pants and cozy socks is fitting. When I agreed to test knit for Louise Tilbrook, I did so because she’s terribly nice to work with and because I have a cable addiction. Then, I went stash diving for yarn and came up empty handed. The pattern isn’t so complicated that I wanted a semi-solid but wasn’t really suited to a variegated. So, I shrugged and reached for a hank of Casbah, knowing that at least the socks would feel like heaven on my feet. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with these. I normally knit lace and cables in bright jewel tones, but these soothing greens and blues and lazily swooping cables delivered socks that could give chicken soup a run for it’s money.

Pattern: Sty Head Tarn by Louise Tilbrook
Needles: probably 2.25mm wooden DPN’s (my go to needles for when I’m just enjoying the knitting)
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Casbah Sock
Colorway: Peridot

Ps. I looked up what Sty Head Tarn is and it’s a mountain lake in the English Lake District near the top of Sty Head pass. Sounds as soothing as my new socks.

Lately, I’ve taken to welcoming new babies into my realm with socks. I was getting far too behind with blankies and socks really do feel more like Aunt Katie. In this case, Mom-to-be picked out some yarn and asked if I could knit something for Baby Girl.

I agreed and began to hunt for a hat pattern. They were considering naming her Penelope at the time and I ran across this hat and this one for a little Penelope. I took it as a sign and cast on.

Pattern: Kid at Any Age by Jenette Cross (free)
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Serena
Colorway: Sunrise
Needles: 2.5mm 8″ addi DPN’s

Note: You’re going to want to be careful with ladders on this hat. I used 8″ addi DPN’s and the weight of the needles caused some fairly significant laddering. (a better knitter would have noticed this sooner, but it happens to be best of us.) Luckily, the yarn allowed me to block most of it out. I was VERY lucky! or maybe the universe was smiling on her since she’s turned out to be one smiley little lady.

Pattern: Planum by Clare Devine
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Serena
Colorway: Sunrise
Needles: hmm. maybe 2.25mm circs?

Here she is thinking about her next pair of socks.