A hat and four socks

So I liked the first one so much that I made another one, this hat also for a baby and not for my high school art project. But here it is. You can read more about it in the gallery.

And after the knee socks, I wanted to knit something just as simple and satisfying, but perhaps not so…long. I found this superwash wool in a department store in Basel (Pfauen) and I LOVE it. The best thing about it aside from price (less than $5/skein) was that it came with matching reinforcement wool. You can’t see it here, but I used it on the toes.

After those socks, I’ve finished two more socks, but they don’t make a pair. This cable and rib sock is based on a Nancy Bush pattern published in Interweave a couple years ago, and the second one is coming along. I knit these from the toe up to get the most out of the yarn, at the request of the recipient, and while I enjoy knitting as-tall-as-possible socks, I did not enjoy knitting both on the same needle. They finally separated after the heel so that I could finish faster. I don’t suffer from Second Sock Syndrome so much, and knitting both at the same time seemed to take an eternity~

And the socks that I’ve most enjoyed knitting lately are for Amber’s husband, who will be wearing them with a kilt to Amber’s mom’s wedding - Nancy Bush’s Highland Schottische Kilt Hose from Folk Socks. Through these, I discovered the solution to my falling-down-knee-socks problem: knit a really tight cuff. This sounds obvious, but I just didn’t realize. I cast on 96 stitches for my cuff, whereas her ribbed cuff is only 68 stitches. BIG difference.

I did finish one sock and the next is cast on, but these photos are from the weekend.

Front and back.

Detail of fold-over cuff.

Detail of the ribbed part that holds the sock up!