Socks with a Surprise
Posted by limedragon | Filed under knitting, socks
The project I worked feverishly on for most of last week? A new pair of socks!
(Yes, these are newish shoes, too. They are Skechers Best Girl Clout in the black/gray flannel fabric. Alas, it looks like this color is sold out, and only brown is left.)
The socks are quite plain, aren’t they? I used 6×2 rib for the cuffs, and the heels and insteps are nothing but simple stockinette in a humble cream color.
The surprise? Okay, okay! Here you go!
I built the socks around the Bohus Blue Shimmer cuffs from my class last month. I wanted the bands around my ankles rather than at the tops, to allow for peeks and glimpses of the lovely patterning below my jeans or pant hems.
I didn’t start the cuffs originally with the plan of converting them into socks, but once I started thinking about what to do with them, I knew I wanted some! I frogged what I had started in class and started a new set with a provisional cast-on, so I could work the socks downwards and upwards as needed.
Once I had finished both cuffs (so much fun!), I got the white Dale Baby Ull I had in stash to see if it would work with the Blue Shimmer colors. While the combination would have worked just fine, I felt that the sharp white was just a bit too bright of a contrast to the blue shades and fuzzy angora. So, I checked at 3 Kittens to see if they had the off-white in stock, and they did! I think the softer white complements the Bohus patterning very well. Here’s a picture comparing the two shades. Which one would you have picked? :)
I’m tempted to get more wrist cuff kits so I can make other, similar socks. If I ever do that, I would probably shorten the plain borders by half and use stockinette instead of garter stitch.
Pattern: “Blue Shimmer Cuffs into Socks” original design by Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunn, adapted by Solveig Gustaffson, and made into socks by yours truly Size: Women’s 9; 64 st cuffs Yarn: Blue Shimmer cuff kit with SOLsilke Bohus Yarn and Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull, 0020 Cream, most of 2 skeins Needles: Susan Bates Silvalume US 0 (2 mm) and Crystal Palace US 1 & 1.5 (2.25-2.5 mm) DPNs Started: February 5, 2009 Completed: February 14, 2009 (Ravel this project!)
Tags: angora, blue shimmer, bohus, dale-of-norway, natural, rib, socks, wool
February 18th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Wow – they are gorgeous! What a great application of the wrist cuff!
February 18th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Wow!
February 18th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Oooh, ooooh, oooh, oooh! I absolutely LOVE those socks Harriet!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Those are fabulous! What a clever knitter you are! (And I concur on the softer white color choice.)
February 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Very cute! I love the idea of the patterned cuff peeking out. The shoes are a good choice too!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Totally had me with the shoes. Then you bowled me over with the stunningly gorgeous socks. I’m typeless (computer speak for speechless!)
February 18th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Wow, those are gorgeous!! I love the look of colourwork and texture together. Brilliant!!
February 18th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
They are lovely, and I like your choice of off-white.
February 18th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Beautiful socks! What a great idea!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
what a gorgeous surprise! and those shoes are so cute. :)
February 19th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Very cool. Great colour choices! :) Do you have any trouble putting them on – what’s the stretchiness like?
February 19th, 2009 at 11:18 am
OK! Those are stunning!
February 19th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
What fun! A lovely pattern!
February 20th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I nominated you for the Kreative Blogger award too!
February 20th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Wow – they are amazing!!
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
These are lovely. If I had seen these before I knit my wristlets, I would have made them into socks. These are the nicest example I’ve seen.
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
What fun, and what a cosy knit! You’ll cherish these socks for many years to come. :)
Did you see Julie’s/ Woolyjoolie (Rav name) mitten modification to this pattern? It’s pretty cool.
My cuffs from Susanna’s class are just that– but they’re great to wear, and I just love them.