Rainbow Socks

Yesterday I neglected to include one project in my successful knitting project gallery for the fall. I omitted M.M.'s rainbow socks because they were not a Christmas present, but I am rather proud of them. She chose the yarn (it can't be pretty if it's not rainbow). Believe it or not, the colors are fairly accurate in this photo. They're a little loose because I picked up too many stitches in the gussets in a frantic attempt to avoid the dreaded Gusset Hole Syndrome, and I did not decrease them fast enough.

Because of this, and because they are pretty thick, shoes don't really fit over them, though her snow boots do. Not that we've had any snow. Or frost. Or, really, even chilliness. In fact, it's been so warm the socks have been pretty much useless so far, but at least they're pretty and well constructed. See the cables? They're the Father and Son Socks from the fall issue of Interweave Knits, which is the same pattern as I used for the two pairs I made as presents. For M.M.'s rainbow socks, I did not use the yarn called for (Reynold's Whiskey) and instead used something I can't remember (I think it started with an A?), but something thicker. I made the smallest size, and ended up with socks approximately the size of M.M.'s foot.


I'm back at work on the Shetland Lace Rib Socks from Stitches of Violet, which I'd laid aside in the present frenzy. I finished the first one on my birthday, and despite having tried the thing on several times to test for length while knitting the foot, as soon as I finished the thing, there was somehow a dropped stitch and a run in the leg.



It was not there while I was knitting, it really wasn't! It was demoralizing. But I put aside thoughts of perfectionism, got out my crochet hook, and fixed it as best I could. It looks fine, I guess.



Anyway, I'm making slow progress on the second one.

Meanwhile, there are millions of projects swimming around in my head, vying to be next on the needles. I got a toe-up sock pattern and yarn for Christmas, so those are coming up (haven't done toe-up before). I have some nice worsted yarn with which to make mittens and maybe a hat for M.M. I'd really like to do a fancy, delicate lacy shawl thing, but I haven't gotten as far as choosing a pattern or yarn or anything, you know, concrete.

And here's just some cuteness: