Uptown Girl

Title: Uptown Boot Socks, Interweave Knits Winter 2003
Author: Jennifer L. Appleby
Yarn: Phildar Preface colour 35 (Etang), 2 balls
Fibre Content: 70% wool, 30% nylon
Gauge: 33 sts/4 inches (fingering)

Notes

I look forward to the day when my sock drawer is full of handknit wool and cotton socks, without a store-bought pair in sight. I bought this issue of Interweave Knits especially for this lovely cabled sock pattern. Maybe I'll make another pair in a shade of green similar to that pictured in the magazine (when I'm buying yarn again.)

Successes

• Cables: I just love the subtle diagonal texture that this cable pattern produces.
• Colour: I chose this yarn from the stash because I thought the blue was light enough to show the cables, and it does. The denimy shade goes great with jeans.
• Length: I made these boot socks into ankle socks, because I don't like tall socks. I hate having anything tight around my calves, so I tend to slouch long socks around the ankles. I'm happy with the length of these, although for my next pair I may make them full length, to wear in my boots (duh!). I really like the proportion of the ribbing to the cabled pattern in the full length version.

Revisions

• Tubular Cast-on: I used a tubular cast-on for the ribbed cuffs, but I don't think I would do so again. I realized that I prefer the cuffs to have a sharp flat edge, rather than the rounded, slightly bulgy edge of tubular cast-on. Next time I'll be back to my trusty long-tail.
• Gauge: These socks are knit at a looser gauge than I like for sock yarn. It works for the cabled sections, which pull in a bit, but on the bottom of the foot and at the toe, the stitches are too big for my liking. After a few wearings, the toe is getting quite stretched, and I can see my big toenail through the fabric. Next time I would switch to smaller needles for the toe, and omit the decreases across the instep.
Posted by Alison at 09:22 AM