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.

Hermione's Everyday Socks

I had calling to cast on another pair of socks today so I had a good look through my Ravelry library and yarn stash and found this great pattern called Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder. 

I've made plain old vanilla socks a few times now and I've got these down to a fine art but this time I wanted a challenge. This pattern has got a wonderful knit and purl combination that's nice and easy to remember and run through without a lot of thought which is perfect for me as I often knit while doing something else like watching TV or talking with friends. I'll also be doing a different type of heel flap that I've never done before which is an adapted Eye of Partridge Heel so I'm excited about trying something new!

The cuff and start of leg pattern you can see in the photo only took me a couple of hours to do. I do a lot of my knitting while I'm either waiting somewhere (like picking up the other half or at the doctors office) and I had quite a bit of down time hence the great progress I made.

Cuff and start of leg pattern

The needles that I'm using are my KnitPro 3mm Symfonie interchangeable circular needles. I love these knitting needles as they are very smooth and the join itself is not noticeable as long as you have a good cable too.

The yarn that I am using Sirdar (Hayfield) Bonus DK 100g in Orchid Pink and is one of my yarns I found hidden in my stash. I acquired this yarn in Christmas 2016 when a certain Secret Santa gifted me this along with a bunch of mini skeins. The yarn is a little rough to knit with so I'm hoping that it will soften up after blocking but I'm also OK if it doesn't because it will last even longer. I'm thinking of doing the toe in a contrasting color but I haven't yet made any decisions around that yet (stay tuned for more).

Adapted Partridge Heel Flap

As you can see in the photo above I have been able to easily complete the heel flap and I'm about to set up the heel turn. The heel turn is an adapted version of the partridge heel flap and turn and I found it very easy and fun to get done. As I was only working on one side of the sock in flat knitting the heel was done very quickly and I was able to whip up the gusset and go on to do the toe decreases.

Completed first sock

Sock number one is shown above in all of its unblocked glory. I fancied a contrasting color in the toe so I have used some spare Merino 2ply wool. Even though the Merino is 2ply and the Orchid Pink is 3ply for me there is no real difference (at least that my toes can tell) in gauge and it fits absolutely fine.

Now on to sock two!

Where Can I Learn To Knit?

I have issued a new article called Learn How To Knit which covers off all the basic with knitting to get you going on a number of simple projects. If socks are a bit to ambitious for you then have a look at the article and see my super easy beginner scarf pattern.