{FO} Princess Bubblegum Socks
I haven't finished anything in a while, so I am pretty excited. I started this pair on June 20th and I finished the first sock rather quickly. Then I promptly lost my bag with the project and forgot about them until a few weeks ago. I ended up finding the project bag hanging up in my back room when I was frantically cleaning my studio for a retreat visit. The second sock came together equally fast once the project was recovered.
I truly loved with this colorway! I'm not hugely a pink girl, but I'm really drawn to the soft earthy pink base of this colorway. The pops of color in the speckles are always so fun to come to while I’m knitting, they keep the yarn so interesting when you're plugging away. This particular colorway features scarlet, chartreuse and turquoise speckles which stand alone and meld together to create an unexpected rainbow.
To cast on my toe up socks, I use Judy’s Magic Cast On method. I start with 14 sts on each side and then increase every other row on the second stitch in and the second to last stitch. I use a k1fb from my increase method.
I always use 60 sts on my socks for the best fit for my foot. However, I used a different needle this time after getting a new set of size 1 Knitter’s Pride Nova Platina’s (my favorite needles), but my gauge wasn't the same as my set of needles. Next time I'll cast on 64 with this brand/style needle. Otherwise, I LOVE my Platina’s because they are so smooth and pointy- but that's a tale for another blog post.
As for the heel, I use a short row method that I completely made up. Basically I knit short rows until 12 stitches remain and then I go back and forth picking up the wraps until I have a heel. I've never done a short row heel from a pattern so I can't really compare it to anything else available. I like the method because it gets the heel done quick and easy without having any additional finishing. I hate finishing. Also, I like how the yarn pools similarly with speckled yarn, though be aware you will get different pooling with a short row heel in a variegated yarn. For that, I recommend an afterthought heel (my second favorite).
And finally, for the cuff of my sock, I do a 2x2 ribbing. I prefer my socks to go right to the base of my calf, so I just want a decorative rib, not really a stretchy ribbing.
I’m not sure that this is my favorite method of knitting socks…for me sock knitting is a constant evolution of techniques. I like to play around and switch thing up the moment I hit mastery level on a particular technique. I’m also not crazy about patterns for socks, though I have about a million patterns saved. Socks are the one project I don’t have to think too much about and can drag along with me easily for all my adventures with the kids.
So there you have it, my Princess Bubblegum socks! I won’t be wearing these any time soon since they will have to remain a sample for a bit, but I’ll be enjoying them for a long time!
If you would like to knit yourself a pair of Princess Bubblegum Socks using my Signature Sock Yarn base, you can find it here: https://www.ontheround.com/collections/signature-sock/products/signature-sock-yarn-princess-bubblegum
