fo: wellie socks for two

These two are finally finished--I didn't want to wear mine until Jason's socks were done, so now that the last sock's finally been bound off..

pattern : Irish Wellington Socks by Aileen Cahill

yarn : Garnstudio DROPS Big Fabel in Forest

needle : US 6[4 mm]

size : 9.5

Jason was kind enough to be the photographer for this pair! I think he's done an excellent job. :] I felt it only fitting that I model these socks around the village; it was Highley's mood and color scheme that inspired my choice of colorway for this project. Even on dark or overcast days, the leaves practically glow green--not the most familiar sight to someone born and raised in arid and red socal.

These socks are perfectly warm and comfortable. I'm excited to have this at hand(..foot) later this year, when I'm a little chilly back home. It'll remind me of my taste of real cold in England just a few months ago. Just having a lovingly made project to remember my wonderful time exploring with Jason is enough of a reason to love hand knitting.

While shooting, Jason experimented with sequential mode. I had a little fun in Photoshop with the resulting photos--

I asked Jason to stand on this ancient and interestingly textured wooden floor as a contrast. The idea is to fill his clothes drawers with comfy socks to wear on this unforgiving flooring. I believe he's well armed now.

The knitting wasn't actually as excruciating as I expected! I think the worsted weight yarn and plain stockinette body contributed greatly to that. I worked the ribbed cuffs with the elastic thread, but am not yet sure if they will really make a difference when worn over time. There's a small amount of the thread left over, so I'll try sewing them in the next dark sock project instead of knitting it beside the wool to see if the technique makes much difference. The only change I made from the original pattern was working the leg in 4.0mm instead of 4.5mm needles.

pattern : Irish Wellington Socks by Aileen Cahill

yarn : Garnstudio DROPS Big Fabel in Black

needle : US 6[4 mm], US 7 [4.5mm]

size : 10.5

The idea is to keep the socks snug around his ankles, so they don't sag down as he walks and sleeps. I like when socks bunch up above my feet, but him? Not so much. He comments on its comfort and softness of the yarn, and hasn't stopped wearing it around the house. I haven't seen many holes wearing in (yet), so I have confidence in the strength of this sock yarn. Thanks for your recommendations! With this finished project I've cemented my knowledge of his shoe size and sock-type preference. This will mean handmade socks arriving at his door more frequently than before. :]

Some other bloggers have been kicking ass on the sock-knitting front—

Kaiya of Winterlime Knits is currently working on a beautiful plant-life inspired pair right now too. Susan's sock drawer is growing big and strong as ever, and shared a pattern for Men's vanilla socks. And Kathy uncovered a gorgeous stitch pattern that's perfect for the variegated sock yarn you've got patiently waiting in your stash.