My friend, Bonnie, recommended the Leyburn socks for variegated yarn. She’s knit these twice and been perfectly happy with them. As I’m typing this, I went to look at her projects and have just this minute realized that she knit both pairs top down rather than toe up as the pattern calls for. I bet she even mentioned that to me at some point…

Anywho, I knit a toe up Leyburn and it was gorgeous! but far too tight across the top of my foot. I took a deep breath and ripped out the entire sock. I located the Crystalline pattern which had the added benefit of a nice little cable up each side. and waited a year.

I then knit a Crystalline sock and it too was tight in the same elfing spot. I tossed that aside and started a third sock and made sure the heel flap was going to be tall enough to feel comfortable….by actually reading the pattern which called for a 34 row heel flap instead of the 30 row heel flap I’d done. I knit a 36 row heel flap just for good measure and was pleased with the fit. Back to sock 2. Made that flap 36 rows and finished the pair. All’s well that ends well. Except, the thing about variegated yarn is that it’s variegated. What I ended up with is a sock that I LOVE and her slightly less attractive step sister. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a reason I knit so many semi-solid socks.

Pattern: Crystalline Socks by Cailyn Meyer
Mods: Crossed cables on rows 1 and 5 so I didn’t have to track an 8 row pattern and a 12 row chart.
All left crosses on one sock and all right crosses on the other.
I had 20 sts remaining after the heel turn on both socks, so I did one extra decrease after knitting across the heel the last time.
Toe Decreases: (Repeat round 1 & 2) 6 times and then decrease every row.


Needles: 2.5mm Signature Needle Arts for the Legs
2.25mm Signature Needle Arts for the Heels-Toes

Yarn: MadelineTosh Tosh Sock

Colorway: Spectrum

Because I cannot be bothered to do anything the easy way, I decided to try a pair of scrappy Inlay socks. I knew there was a solid chance that I wasn’t going to love them, but what if I do? I had to find out. I’m no good at wondering “What if?”. Just over one chart repeat in, I realized the half of me that thought this wasn’t going to end well was spot on. This pattern is too pretty not to use solid yarn.

So, I ruthlessly frogged and began the hunt for my next victim pattern. I considered the Dalekanium pattern after admiring Bonnie’s pair. I enjoy the look of this pattern with stripes, but it’s toe up which doesn’t jive with my scrappy vision. I looked at some cuff down slip stitch patterns, but they just don’t have the same lines. So, I started brainstorming other cuff down patterns I’m familiar with and thought of the Lycaena virgaureae Socks I gifted and decided I need a pair of my own. These may be just what the Dr. ordered. Only time will tell!

Last night, I pulled out my trusty 2.25mm Signature Needle Arts DPN’s and cast on for a new pair of Hunter Hammersen socks. Then, I made peace with the fact that the chart is 34 stitches wide and a truly smart knitter would be magic looping. So, I switched my shiny green DPN’s for addi circulars, only to realize that the stiletto tips had been terribly handy given all the lovely twisted stitches. So, today Lisa and I headed to an LYS to hunt down some addi sock rockets.

Now, I’ve knit more than a few socks. The majority of these have been Hunter Hammersen patterns. For most of her patterns to fit my foot, I check the gauge and end up knitting with 2.25mm needles. The yarn shop had 2.0mm needles and 2.5’s. The owner kindly ordered my preferred size.

Here’s the conversation in the car on the way back from the shop:

Lisa: So, 2.25mm. How did you discover that was THE size for sock needles? trial and error?

Me: I don’t use 2.0mm because wooden needles that small break too frequently, Signature Needle Arts doesn’t make 2.0mm DPN’s, and sometimes they give me hand cramps.
2.5mm needles do not give me a fabric as dense as I like.

Lisa: I just wonder if .25mm could matter that much?

Me: Well, Elizabeth Zimmermann knit a sock on four different sized needles to prove that it could be done and needle size doesn’t really matter. But, I think we both know I’m not Elizabeth Zimmermann.

She did not disagree.