In honor of all those lucky souls cavorting at Sock Summit this weekend, proof I do still knit socks :)
Pomatomus by Cookie A
Koigu Painter's Palette Merino, p338
US 1, 2.25mm dpns
Started: January 2009 (!?)
Finished: July 2009
Even after all this time, my all time favorite pattern (excluding PGR's basic toe up recipe) remains Pomatomus. I think this is my fifth or sixth time knitting it and I still can't get enough. Looks good in color blocks, in variegated, in handspun... and now in koigu.
Seriously, I've been hoarding Koigu for years and I don't know why I don't knit with it more often. Maie Landra (eta:) and Rhichard/Koigu Boy are magicians with color harmonies and non-pooling colors that set any design off. I don't think any design would look bad in this incredible orange, but Pomatomus just sings in it.
I do have a few favorite patterns in Sock Innovation bookmarked with yarn all picked out... but overcoming Pomatomus' tower is going to be tough :)
Koigu does make everything easier though, new to me things...
Looks like a simple stockinette sock, eh?
Basic Shaped Arch Socks by Marlowe Crawford
Koigu Painter's Palette Merino, p7140D
US 2, 9" KA circular
Started and finished July 2009
Marlowe's written a fun, fitted pattern from the top down in her Shaped Arch socks. They also work as advertised; the shaping is not just a design detail but truly hugs the arch of the foot for a nice snug fit when wearing that doesn't bag or shift after a few hours of wear. I do love the lines of it though, and how the instep shift echoes the simple wedge toe decreases.
I also love how yarn movement looks in these, and moreso in the perfect purple koigu...
I forgot how much I like to pick up and twist the stitches of a heel flap, and how I like to imagine a pattern in another yarn even before the current one's finished (can you imagine how a self striping yarn would move on the foot in a fun way in this pattern)? I'm cheating a bit... I've already started another shaped arch pair in some Dyeabolical Yarns handspun merino and they do look super awesome :)
Further awesome and further new...
knitting the heel flap on 9" circular
I used a 9" KA circular needle to knit these instead of my default dpns. I have magic looped, knit on two circs, but always return to my double pointed needles for socks. They just *feel* like you're knitting circularly, celebrating the spiral... not the back and forth, turn and turn back of circular knitting. I do love circs for some sock things, colorwork is nice with only two angles to manipulate floats over instead of three or four, but otherwise I'm a socks on dpns girl.
All that said, these are pretty cool! They take some getting used to-- I made myself stick to using them even though I wanted to quit during the first few inches. The needles are SUPER short, 2", and since I usually use the inside of my palm to manipulate needles (dpns and circs) it meant I had to learn to use my fingertips to knit. These KA needle tips are very light though, and pivot within the cable joins, so learning was not too difficult. I did need to pay attention and not push the working needle down so hard and so often, I ended up with a sore spot on my left pointer finger after several hours of eyesfree knitting at the fleece judging.
That is really the plus tho-- I already can easily knit without looking at my hands, but always have to at least unconsciously glance downwards when switching to a new dpn or circular needle. With these you're continually knitting in that spiral, no need to look down at ALL. I was also able to do all of the knitting (minus the toe) on these-- including knit the heel flap and pick up and twist sts from its edge. I did have to use some stitch markers to mark where the dpns would be, but for me that's not a big deal :)
So much so I decided it's time to restock my knitting stitch marker etsy store as well.
smooth lava rock stone knitting stitch markers by zeromarkers
I've got over sixty sets to list (!!) -- so all orders from my shop of two or more marker sets will ship for free *worldwide* thru the month of August!
A Verb for Keeping Warm also has zero stitch markers (and copies of the Shaped Arch sock pattern) for sale at their Sock Summit booth this weekend (booth #503). Happy sock knitting everyone!
Pomatomus by Cookie A
Koigu Painter's Palette Merino, p338
US 1, 2.25mm dpns
Started: January 2009 (!?)
Finished: July 2009
Even after all this time, my all time favorite pattern (excluding PGR's basic toe up recipe) remains Pomatomus. I think this is my fifth or sixth time knitting it and I still can't get enough. Looks good in color blocks, in variegated, in handspun... and now in koigu.
Seriously, I've been hoarding Koigu for years and I don't know why I don't knit with it more often. Maie Landra (eta:) and Rhichard/Koigu Boy are magicians with color harmonies and non-pooling colors that set any design off. I don't think any design would look bad in this incredible orange, but Pomatomus just sings in it.
I do have a few favorite patterns in Sock Innovation bookmarked with yarn all picked out... but overcoming Pomatomus' tower is going to be tough :)
Koigu does make everything easier though, new to me things...
Looks like a simple stockinette sock, eh?
Basic Shaped Arch Socks by Marlowe Crawford
Koigu Painter's Palette Merino, p7140D
US 2, 9" KA circular
Started and finished July 2009
Marlowe's written a fun, fitted pattern from the top down in her Shaped Arch socks. They also work as advertised; the shaping is not just a design detail but truly hugs the arch of the foot for a nice snug fit when wearing that doesn't bag or shift after a few hours of wear. I do love the lines of it though, and how the instep shift echoes the simple wedge toe decreases.
I also love how yarn movement looks in these, and moreso in the perfect purple koigu...
I forgot how much I like to pick up and twist the stitches of a heel flap, and how I like to imagine a pattern in another yarn even before the current one's finished (can you imagine how a self striping yarn would move on the foot in a fun way in this pattern)? I'm cheating a bit... I've already started another shaped arch pair in some Dyeabolical Yarns handspun merino and they do look super awesome :)
Further awesome and further new...
knitting the heel flap on 9" circular
I used a 9" KA circular needle to knit these instead of my default dpns. I have magic looped, knit on two circs, but always return to my double pointed needles for socks. They just *feel* like you're knitting circularly, celebrating the spiral... not the back and forth, turn and turn back of circular knitting. I do love circs for some sock things, colorwork is nice with only two angles to manipulate floats over instead of three or four, but otherwise I'm a socks on dpns girl.
All that said, these are pretty cool! They take some getting used to-- I made myself stick to using them even though I wanted to quit during the first few inches. The needles are SUPER short, 2", and since I usually use the inside of my palm to manipulate needles (dpns and circs) it meant I had to learn to use my fingertips to knit. These KA needle tips are very light though, and pivot within the cable joins, so learning was not too difficult. I did need to pay attention and not push the working needle down so hard and so often, I ended up with a sore spot on my left pointer finger after several hours of eyesfree knitting at the fleece judging.
That is really the plus tho-- I already can easily knit without looking at my hands, but always have to at least unconsciously glance downwards when switching to a new dpn or circular needle. With these you're continually knitting in that spiral, no need to look down at ALL. I was also able to do all of the knitting (minus the toe) on these-- including knit the heel flap and pick up and twist sts from its edge. I did have to use some stitch markers to mark where the dpns would be, but for me that's not a big deal :)
So much so I decided it's time to restock my knitting stitch marker etsy store as well.
smooth lava rock stone knitting stitch markers by zeromarkers
I've got over sixty sets to list (!!) -- so all orders from my shop of two or more marker sets will ship for free *worldwide* thru the month of August!
A Verb for Keeping Warm also has zero stitch markers (and copies of the Shaped Arch sock pattern) for sale at their Sock Summit booth this weekend (booth #503). Happy sock knitting everyone!
13 comments:
Sweet. I love the way those Pomotamus socks look; maybe I'll have to try them again. And those Shaped Arches are fantastic! I passed on the pattern last weekend, but you've convinced me. But I've already packed all the Koigu! They'll have to wait till after the move, I guess...
I love the color of the pomatomus socks!
I used p338 for a pair of baby pants a while back. I love that color of orange. Hmm. Baby has outgrown the pants. Maybe a frogging is in order to reclaim the yarn!
You are so right. The orange Koigu does the pattern serious justice. And I love the idea of the arch shaped sock. Thanks, it's getting queued up.
I love those Shaped Arch Socks. I think I'm knitting with the same color of Koigu right now.
Nice to see your variations on the yarn for the Pomatoms. And the shaped sock looks really interesting! I'm knitting my first Pomatomus (toe-up variation) and just finished the first sock. I'm calling it "I'm not at Sock Summit Sock."
Fabulous colour, that orange!
I have been following your blog a little while now, and it seems only right to let you know that I love reading your blog.
/Julia
I love Pomatomus, too. Love, love, love the color you chose! Shaped Arches are pretty nifty. I've never tried socks on anything but dpns. May have to try something different sometime, just to say I did. :)
I love Pomatomus, too. Love, love, love the color you chose! Shaped Arches are pretty nifty. I've never tried socks on anything but dpns. May have to try something different sometime, just to say I did. :)
How wonderful, thank you. It brings me great joy when a knitter such as yourself enjoys my dye lots so much. I too quite like Cookie A's designs and what you have done with my dye lots it truly wonderful. Meeting Cookie A earlier was great as she has such a warm personality. I created P338 several years ago as a request from my son's teacher. It has been very popular with it's bright colours. Maie created the original P714 more than nine years ago and it has been used in a number of published garments. For the last eight years I have been doing the majority of the stipple dying and creating which has brought me great pleasure. Take a look at my blog and see some of the new stipples. www.thehappydyer.blogspot.com In the next while I shall be creating a couple of other new stipples so keep checking back.
Thanks again for the positive feedback,
Rhichard Devrieze (aka Koigu Boy)
ooh, those socks. All those socks. And the orange P ones -- divine!
I just found your blog not so long ago, and I have to say I'm enjoying it thoroughly!
awesome orange Pomos! I have to get some koigu sometime and try it out!
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