June 2024 Sock Club

Hey there! While I have been staying on track with my 2024 Solo Sock Club, I have not been the greatest at writing my posts about it. We are only a brief 3 weeks into June, and I am finally revealing the socks and pattern for my June bag. The yarn for June did not have a label when I rescued it from its deep stash prison. Generally, I feel rather confident that I can sleuth it out, as I tend to know where I shopped and then can poke around on Ravelry and explore which yarns have how many plies and match up fiber content with what I have in hand. Unfortuantely, this one will remain a mystery yarn, because I simply couldn't sort it out. It's quite lovely, though...

Once again, I dove right in to knitting the socks before taking a photo of the yarn in the hank. I believe this is a wool blend, and I think it also contains silk. It is smooth with a bit of shine. It is somewhat dense, and not bouncy or stretchy at all. The colors are shades of a dusky purple and gray. It looks amazing. I just knew a yarn this fancy needed a pattern to match.

The pattern I chose is one that has been in my Ravelry queue since December 26, 2012. That's over 11 years! Finally, Cecilia has been paroled from the pattern purgatory that is my Ravelry queue. Chalk it up to another perk of the self-curated sock club.

I am happily underway on the Celcilia socks, even though I am posting quite late in the month. Be sure to come back to see what they look like once they're finished.

May Solo Sock Club Reveal

Ah, I finally got to knit my Hedwig socks. This one was a vanilla sock pattern, as I didn't want it to look too busy with the speckles. Let's be honest, shall we? These gray and golden brown speckles deserve all the glory.

The Lilt sock yarn base from Black Trillium Fibre Studio was an absolute delight to knit. The 85% superwash merino and 15% mulberry silk not only was pleasant to handle, but it also resulted in gorgeous stitches.

For a yarn dyed with neutral colors in a speckle pattern, I have to say that I think this dye job is impressive. There's a depth to the finished yarn that I find enchanting. If you're also smitten with it, you're in luck - both the base and the colorway are available from Black Trillium Fibre Studio. You can find it here.

Behold my finished socks!

Leave a comment if you would like me to share my vanilla sock pattern!

May Sock Club

I was super excited to see what was inside the May 2024 Solo Sock Club bag. I loved this yarn when I first received it, and it may have been the first skein I reached for when curating my 2024 Solo Sock Club. Extra special bonus for this month - this company is still in business, and you can get your hands on this very same skein of yarn today. The yarn for May is from Black Trillium Fibers Lilt Sock yarn in the Hedwig colorway.

Yet again, I have paired this with a vanilla sock pattern so that the speckles would show well. I'm not entirely sure that this was necessary, but I do enjoy a good knit that I can work on without referring to a pattern, and this one fits the bill. Leave a comment if you would like me to write up a pattern for my vanilla socks. There were 6 bags out of 12 assigned to be vanilla sock patterns, so there are only 2 more remaining for 2024; there are 5 remaining patterns for which I will work from a pattern and will share a link for each respective one.

I am thoroughly enjoying the Lilt sock yarn base. It makes a delightful fabric. The fiber content is 85% superwash merino wool and 15% mulberry silk. This would also make a great yarn for any next-to-skin projects, such as scarves or shawls. Stay tuned to see my finished socks!

April Solo Sock Reveal

Another month in the books! I did complete my April socks. As a reminder, the yarn was Fiber Addiction's Delusional base in the Runner #5 colorway. Here is the finished product:

These were knit using my vanilla socks pattern. Leave a comment below if you would like me to write up and share the pattern. Stick with me on the sock club. Half of the sock patterns are vanilla socks. I have my husband choose the bags at random, and I know we have been rather vanilla-sock-pattern heavy so far this year, but that just means that things will get more exciting as we continue. I will have some great patterns to share and amazing socks to show off.

As you may notice from the photo for the April socks, it appears that the skein of Delusional was a bit bright-green-heavy at the beginning of the skein. The legs of the two socks look considerably different. Given that they are "Zombie socks," I think it works well. I'm not sure you could expect zombies to putrefy at the same rate as one another. I'm going to chalk this up to creative license and label it as charming. I have cracked into the May yarn and started those socks...stay tuned, and I will have an update in a few days showing you the amazing yarn and what socks I have planned. Cheers!

April Solo Sock Club Yarn and Pattern

I can't believe it's April already! We had quite a mild winter here in Maine. Would you believe that we have received more snow in the first 3 weeks of spring than we did the entire 13 weeks of winter? It's true. Also, if you recall from the maple sap post, I stated that come springtime, there is always one last snowstorm (or two) that can't read the room and wait until next year. This season sure has my back on that statement.

In any case, a new month equals a new sock knitting project. As per usual, I asked my husband to choose a bag at random for me. The yarn is Fiber Addiction's Delusional base in the Runner #5 colorway. This is a blend of 80% superwash merino, 15% nylon and 5% Stellina. The colorway, Runner #5, is a nod to the content of the Zombies, Run app, which is similar to a Couch-to-5k program. There is audio content that tells a story. The listener is assigned the positon of Runner #5 in a post-apocalyptic world, where runners are sent out to deliver messages, collect supplies, etc, in support of the compound where they shelter. Some of the episodes have zombies chasing you...it's a pretty fun twist on a training program.

So there it is - this is a zombie yarn. I did pair this yarn with a vanilla sock pattern, as I didn't want it to look too busy. To be frank, I could use a nice easy sock pattern that I can sail through quickly, and this pairing is sure to deliver. I have tried to look up the vendor to see if the yarn is still available, but that does not seem to be the case. Remember, this is some deeeeeeeep stash yarn I have selected for this monthly club. I am thrilled that it is finally getting its time to shine after having been held captive in a tote in the basement for nigh on a decade; however, one drawback is that I may be tempting you with fun and fabulous yarn that you may not be able to obtain. My apologies on that end.

Of course, I am still me, so I finished the March socks and cast on the April socks within about 15 minutes of binding off. I did not first get a photo of the yarn in its beautiful hank before I caked it up. Someday. Just not today. I am a work in progress, much like these socks. Check back to see what they look like when finished.

March Sock Club

Well, March has come to an end, and I took my sock of the month right to the bitter end. I finished them up on Saturday night, March 30th.

This project was a two-at-a-time toe-up version. I wanted to get to use every last bit of that lovely gradient dye job. I am horribly slow at knitting two-at-a-time socks. Adding insult to injury, because I wanted to use all the color, these are darn-near knee-high socks. I typically knit about 6 inches of height onto my socks and then have oodles leftover from a skein. Knitting every last bit of this yarn meant a sock project that felt to me like it was taking forever.

The pattern that I used for these was Laxo Socks, by designer Laura Nelkin. It uses a clever stitch that doesn't require use of a cable needle. One less thing to lose track of, I say! Although it felt as though I would never complete these, one benefit of knitting two-at-a-time socks is when one is done, both are done - no second sock syndrome! I do have to admit that it was very gratifying to finish these up at the same time. 

I do love the color gradient on these, and it wouldn't have seemed as balanced without the darker shades at each end of the socks. I also found the cable pattern to be very lovely. 

Despite my impatience and my slow knitting skills, I would classify this as an enjoyable combination of pattern and yarn. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that this brand of yarn is still available. This was a deep dive in the stash from about a decade ago, and it was produced by an indie dyer who it appears is no longer in business. My apologies for not having a link to share to find the yarn, but I am sure there are similar offerings out there, and perhaps you could find your next favorite indie dyer. Please comment if you have a favorite or a recommendation for a gradient sock yarn.

It took me all of 3 minutes after completing these to open up the next bag in my Solo Sock Club series, skein it up and cast on. I even forgot (AGAIN) to take pictures of the yarn in the hank before I wound it up. One day I will exhibit some temperance and self control and remember to snap some pics before impulsively casting on a new pair of socks. 

I have a post coming soon showing off the April Solo Sock Club yarn and pattern, so stay tuned!!

Quick March Sock Update

We are coming up on the middle of March, and I have an update on my Solo Sock Club. I am working on the Laxo Socks, which are a toe-up pattern, and I am working them two at a time. While this does give me the opportunity to use up every last bit of color in this gradient-dyed sock yarn, I must confess that two-at-a-time socks seem to take FOREVER for me. On the bright side, when you are done with one, you are done with both, but....it feels like a slog to me.

Here is where I stand with March's project:

Generally, I consider when the heel is turned on a sock that I am about halfway through. These ones may not be quite so far along, as I usually do have a significant amount of yarn leftover when my socks are finished, but in this case, I will continue knitting in pattern until I run out of yarn. I also tried them on at one point and didn't think there was enough length for my toes to be comfortable, so I ripped it back to the gusset increases and added about another 3/4 inch in length. Overall, I feel just about on target with these. I am ~about~ halfway done with the socks and also ~about~ halfway through the month of March. I'll continue to try to get about 30 mintues a day in on sock knitting before moving on to other projects. I am loving the way the gradient is working up on these. Next up is starting the mock cable portion of the pattern, and that's when the pattern really starts to shine. Stay tuned!

March Solo Sock Club Yarn and Pattern

I am really excited about March's draw for the Solo Sock Club. I was SO excited that I cast on and knit for quite a while before it occurred to me to take a picture of the yarn to post on the blog. Facepalm.

This is how the yarn looked before I lost control and cast on. The bottom set is closest to these colors.

The yarn is Bashful Gradient Dyed Cupcakes, which was previously sold under Bashful Bags and Fibers. I followed a link to their etsy page, but it doesn't appear that they still have any active listings. If you really want to get your hands on some, you might get lucky and find a stashed set on ravelry with which someone would be willing to part.

For this yarn, I really want to use up every little bit of that scrumptious color. I've opted for a toe-up pattern, Laxo Socks.

Using a toe-up pattern means that I can keep knitting until all the yarn is used up, ensuring I get all of that lovely color worked into my project. I can't wait to see how these ones turn out. Since I already have a head-start on March, I will likely have these finished well before the month ends.

February Solo Sock Club

It turns out February kept me quite busy at my day job. Since only about 2 people read this blog, day job won out over blog posts. I did, however, finish my February socks a while back. The yarn I pulled for February was a self-striping yarn in an American flag pattern.

The yarn is from Artistic Yarn by Abi. Truth be told, this one has been in stash for a loooooooong time. I don't think she sells this pattern any longer; she may have changed her business name since I bought this yarn. That's one of the features of the Solo Sock Club, though - I get to use up amazing yarns that have been languishing in storage so long that I forgot I even owned them. Because this is a self-striping yarn, I opted for a vanilla pattern to let the colors shine on this pair. I am very pleased that this yarn was pulled early in the year...recall that I didn't label the bags and I'm choosing them at random. I'm glad I will have the flag socks ready to go for Memorial Day and the 4th of July. I mean, I won't hesitate to wear them any time of year, but it's nice to have themed socks available when a holiday rolls around. Stay tuned to see the March sock club yarn and pattern.

February Solo Sock Club Yarn and Pattern

It's March! I know what you're thinking, but I didn't skip February in the sock club. I simply didn't post about it (I know). The January socks turned out great. Here's the yarn for the February socks:

Due to the self-striping nature of the sock yarn, these will be knit up in a vanilla sock pattern so that it doesn't look too busy with all the color changes. Stay tuned to see the finished socks!

January Solo Sock Club

I'm still enjoying the self-curated Solo Sock Club, inspired by the Yarn Harlot. I made good progress. Here are my finished January socks:

The yarn is one I dyed myself, I called the colorway Caramel Apple from World on a String Designs. The base is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon. I dyed it in a way that would prevent color pooling around the heel area. This used a vanilla sock pattern. January is in the books; I'll post about February soon.