What's New?

Here's what I've been working on lately:

First, is my Red Rock Road Socks. This is my own design. Not my first design, but the first that I've decided to have test knit and hope to make available for sale soon! This whole process has been really cool, I must say.

I love to learn new things, so it's been cool to get the pattern all together, create the chart, then find people to test it. I went looking around on Ravelry not only to look for testers for my own sock, but initially because I thought it would be really cool to actually test patterns for other people. I found Free Pattern Testers and  The Testing Pool.

A put my info and some pics out there and now have several people who were willing to test my pattern. I was a little nervous to put myself out there, but mostly it's been fun, and even a bit flattering :) It's definitely hard work too. But what's really neat is getting people's input and suggestions, because I've looked this pattern over a hundred times, so there are things that I miss when I'm checking it over. It's really nice to have fresh eyes looking it over and knitting it up. And one of the coolest things is to see "my socks" knit up in different colors!

Okay, I know I sound like a newbie, but I'm enjoying the ride!

 

I just recently got Cat Bordhi's latest book New Pathways for Sock Knitters from the library. I think I'm going to have to buy this one! It's awesome!

Here's the Little Sky Socks I knit for practice...
As you may be able to see, the sock on the right is a bit smaller than the one on the left. This is the magic of gauge...or something like that! Both socks were knit on the same size needles, but... on the first sock, on the left,  I was knitting looser and not paying so much attention to gauge. I think I also knit an extra set of increase rows in the front there. On the second sock I knit tighter and got gauge, and didn't so an extra set of increases. So, if I want to gift these, there's a third Little Sky Sock in my future!

And now, I'm working on Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks, also from Cat Bordhi, with the same kind of "sky architecture" for the arch increases. This is in Blue Moon Socks that Rock, colorway "Fire On the Mountain" on size US 2 and US 1's.

Comments

[Julie]

I love the socks you designed! I can't wait until they're up for sale; I'll definitely be buying that one.

I'm going to go check out those Ravelry groups; I haven't test knit anything in a while and I really do enjoy doing it once in a while.