Staggered Moss Stitch Sock

Having made some vanilla socks and also Hermione's Everyday Sock I have decided to have a go at making my very own sock design. I'm fairly sure that this design has been made before as it is simply based on the Moss Stitch but as I couldn't find any readily available patterns to work from I have made my own. I will be publishing a pattern for the socks so watch this space!

Materials

Knitting Needles

I have used my brand new tiny needles which are the Addi 20cm 2.5mm circular needles and they are a delight to knit with. I found that with my larger needles I have to use the Magic Loop method which can sometimes interrupt the flow of knitting as I have to adjust my needle position each time. When doing Magic Loop with socks you'll find that you are generally working with 30-50 stitches (depending on leg/foot size) on each needle and you'll soon be adjusting that needle just as you are getting into a rhythm. However, with these tiny needles there's no need to make those adjustments and those stitches sit perfectly when working in the round.

The only issue I had when working on the socks was that when it came to picking up stitches for the gusset and working the final decreases for the toe was that they were a tad too small for the job. I was able to do both of these sections without having to switch to DPNs momentarily with a bit of dexterity but for those who maybe suffer from joint pain/problems or who are naturally not that dexterous I would recommend a couple of DPNs so assist you in those areas.

Yarn

I popped into my hidden yarn stash and dug out this wonderful skein by Debbie Bliss. The dye lot I used was in the Rialto Luxury Sock 4 ply yarn and it is so soft to wear. I was expecting this yarn to be too delicate to make socks with however it is stronger that it looks as it has a good weave with the individual strands. I have worn these socks a couple of times now and they are a delight to have in the Spring as they let my feet breath when it gets warm.

With this particular yarn type you can put it in the washing machine as it has 25% nylon mix so it will withstand the stress, however I hand-wash all my socks as a precaution anyway. I use a local supermarket detergent for all my hand-washes but I can highly recommend using this Lambland Woolwash for any delicate pieces you may have.