My Own Personal Sock Club 2009

I am going to put together my own personal sock club. I am not sure who started it but I know a few favourite bloggers are playing along.

The idea is that you select twelve different sock yarns and you bag or wrap them up and each month you choose one at random and knit it up.


Today, being the last day of January, I am starting a bit late. I will start tomorrow in February and try and catch up by finishing an adult pair and starting a kid sized pair.

I have included some socks that I have already started, but because this is my own personal sock club, there are no rules, and I can do what I want. Also, because I am a geek I have set up a spreadsheet so I know what pattern goes with what yarn.

Dyeing My Own

I have just tried dyeing yarn using this tutorial. I was a little worried that it wouldn't work well and I would be left with some yarn that I cannot use. Then I gave myself a talking to, telling myself that it is only yarn and Noo won't care what colour her socks are.

I started with a ball of Paton Patonyle in a creamy white colour. I wrapped the yarn around the back of my dining room chair to make a skein, tied it in six places and soaked it. I made a fairly concentrated mix of pink food colouring and white vinegar.

I applied the dye to a small part of the skein, then diluted the dye a little with filtered water and applied it some more, and continued in this fashion. I had some help from two little three year old hands, and ended up with pink food colouring all over the floor. She did enjoy herself a lot, and it wasn't anything that a little gumption couldn't remove.

I popped it in the microwave and nuked it for a while and when it cooled, soaked it in some cool water with a little wool wash. I was really surprised that the water in the bowl stayed clear. I thought some of the dye would come out of the yarn.

Pink Lemonade

I am so happy with how it worked out. I love how the colours blend well together and I am hopeful that it will knit into a pair of beautiful socks for Noo.

I had some time on my hands while the two littlies slept and tried my hand at some other colours.

Cool as a Cucumber

Sunkist

Marina

Flame

I think I can see an addiction coming. It was so much fun and I have a head full of ideas that I am keen to try out. I may even graduate to other dyes. I need to find a good supplier of undyed yarns.

Socks!!

I have three pairs of socks on the needles at the moment. I am working on a pair for Noo in Merino Bambino. They are a 2 x 1 rib and I am working them toe up, two at a time on my new 2.5mm circulars. She loves them and is constantly asking to try them on. I am really happy with how they are working out.

On the needles for me are some Sydney Socks. The Sydneys are kicking my butt at the moment. I am doing them on dpns because the pattern asks you to borrow a stitch from the next needle on half of the rows in the repeat and that just wouldn't be possible with circulars. I was having a lot of problems restarting the pattern after turning the heel and working the heel flap. I think I have it back on track now. They are working up really well, and I am loving the yarn. It is a beautiful colour with some subtle variations in the colour.


I am also working on the Pablo Blue Socks toe up. This has to be my favourite way to construct socks. I haven't finished a pair yet so I don't know about the bind off at the top, but I am loving the fact that I can try them on along the way. The Pablo Sock pattern is great. It is a really easy pattern to memorise and I haven't had to tink back too much, so I am pretty happy.


There has also been some sock yarn dyeing. More on that later when the yarn is dry and I can decided if it was a success or not.