9.12.2018

plain ol’ socks

paintbox yarns fair isle :: storybook colorway

regia 4-fadig :: color 07200



We are finished with the second full week of school and I am happy to report that things are going pretty well. One thing that has helped tremendously is giving ourselves plenty of time to get ready in the morning by waking up a little earlier. My husband is an early bird who wakes up at 5am every morning to meditate, do yoga exercises and go kayaking before he has to start work. Me? I’m definitely a night owl and find early mornings quite painful. But not having to rush before getting the kid to school is a good thing for both him and me so I’m willing to wake up with the early birds, at least on school days. An added perk is having some extra time to relax and knit before seeing the kid off. My project of choice for early mornings is plain ol’ socks since they can be knit even while half asleep. It has taken a couple of years but I have finally come up with a recipe that fits great and is fun & relaxing to knit.

For my plain ol’ socks, I cast on 56 stitches with 2.5mm needles using the German Twisted/Old Norwegian cast on or 64 stitches using 2.25mm....it depends on the yarn. I like a pretty tight gauge for my socks, about 9 stitches per inch. Then I knit 2x2 rib for 20 rows. I knit the cuff + leg for about 5.5 to 6 inches before starting the Fish Lips Kiss heel which is my absolute favorite heel as far as fit goes. Also love how quick & easy it is to knit. I knit the foot for about 7.5 inches before starting the toe. My favorite new toe is similar to the umbrella toe by Kay Jones which can be found in her Drippity Drop Socks pattern except that I forgo the Kitchener stitches at the very end and just fasten off the few remaining stitches. Much simpler and neater for me and the resulting fit is perfect for my toes. And that’s all there is to it! Here’s an action shot:



Are you an early bird or night owl? What is your favorite easy knitting project?

4 comments:

  1. Your socks are both perfect! I'm definitely a night owl, lol. I have been working on waking up a few minutes earlier each day since the beginning of the summer. So glad, that I stuck with this change because it has really helped with my insomnia and I'm sleeping so much better!

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  2. Your socks are never plain, girlfriend. They always make me smile.
    Yeah, waking up early is hard. I get up 6:30 to 6:40 am. I wake up the kids at 7. The teenager sometimes has cereal in the morning. The youngest doesn't have breakfast. I make myself an egg Mc Muffin to eat. I find that give me better fuel for my later workout.

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  3. Love your socks - so colorful. I have the fish lips pattern but have never tried it...I need to do that.

    I'm definitely an early riser and early to bed. I wish I could say that I meditate and do yoga then like your husband, but all I do is sip coffee and wake up. On a good day I can put a few rows in on whatever socks I'm working on at the moment.

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  4. Oh dear lord, I am a night owl. I try REALLY hard to fake being a morning person. I'm just now learning to be civil. I feel like one of those animals that people must approach slowly with their hand extended for a quick smell, preferably that hand will have coffee in it.

    My people are morning people. I'm like an alien in my own household, though now that my son has reached peak teenager, his known traits are no longer known to me.

    I love the socks. They are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your specs. When I feel ready to try something new, I'll give that heel a go. Right now, I'm struggling with knitting for other people's legs/feet. specifically men with size 11.

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