My Pixel Rise socks are finally finished! They've been a long time coming. I loved this pattern when it first came out last summer, and I cast on the socks around the end of August. I quickly finished the first sock...quickly because they are incredibly addictive to knit, and also because I wanted to have one done to enter in the knit-along giveaway. :) Then I got several inches into the second sock before I had to put it aside to knit other things: craft fair inventory, Christmas gifts, etc.
Last week I picked the sock back up and had it finished in no time. This is only my second real colorwork project (my first is here), but this pattern is incredibly easy. And like I said, addicting. It's like knitting with self-striping yarn: you keep telling yourself, just one more stripe.
The pattern is written toe-up, and I knit my socks cuff down. So I basically just flipped the chart, and I used this as an opportunity to try out the Smooth Operator Socks pattern. I used the toe decreases and the afterthought heel from that pattern. This was my first afterthought heel! It was generally easier than I expected, and oddly satisfying, but I had some trouble getting mine to fit properly. I had to decrease quicker because the heel was turning out too long. I thought I noted all of my changes but apparently not, because after waiting months to knit the second heel, it's somehow a few rows longer and therefore a bit loose. But it's not enough of an issue for me to take out the heel and start over! (More detailed notes on my project page, linked below.)
I used a combination of leftovers from other projects and a few new Gnome Acres mini skeins. (I sometimes buy one of their grab bags to use in my sock scrap blanket.) I didn't really plan out my colors as I added them, other than not to put similar colors too close. But maybe I should have planned a little better. I love how the colors look on the leg, but I really wish I'd replaced the yellow in the foot with something more subtle.
Ravelry project page.
These are so pretty and colorful! Love them!
ReplyDeleteSo colorful that they're tacky, ha! Thanks. :)
DeleteI'm still knitting my very first sock, but I choose toe up. I like it! What makes you only do top down?
ReplyDeleteI'm a creature of habit and get stuck in my ways. :) So far I've only knit one pair of toe up socks. I actually did like it, even though because I've knitted so many cuff down socks that way still makes more sense to my brain. The main problem I had was that I didn't know exactly how long the gusset and heel were going to be, so I didn't know exactly how long to knit the foot, and those socks turned out too long. (I actually have them set aside to frog and reknit.) So I definitely can see myself knitting some toe up socks in the future, after I get the measurements down.
DeleteThese are super cute! Would you try again the Smooth Operator afterthought heel?
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely plan on using that heel again! For my next pair of striped socks, for sure. I usually knit 68 st. socks, but because of the colorwork, I used the 72 st. size of the Pixel Rise pattern. So I also had to use the 72 st. option of the heel, and I think it was just a little too big.
DeleteSocks should be washed by hand; in any case, on the off chance that you can't set aside some an ideal opportunity to do this, wash them on delicate cycle and utilize cold water rather than hot to keep up the texture. funky socks India
ReplyDelete