Happy Valentine’s Day!

On February 1st I started a pair of socks for the month. I want to increase the number of hand-knit socks in my drawer, so after my Revenge socks went so quickly in January, I decided to start a pair of socks each month and see how it goes. Most of these projects will be part of the 12 in 2011 challenge, but likely I’ll make a pair or two for my Dad too.

My February socks are the Cranberry Biscotti patten by Elizabeth Sullivan. I used the slip-stitch stripe pattern but knit the socks toe-up using my usual formula (64 sts around, short row toes and heels 10 sts on each side). I bought the yarn for this project, Elann Sock It to Me 4 Ply in Rose Wine, Coffee Bean, and Cream last March shortly after finding the pattern on Ravelry. I’m calling these my Neapolitan Socks because they remind me of ice cream.

Once I started I couldn’t stop knitting these socks. It was total potato chip knitting, to borrow a phrase from theKnitmore Girls. The stripe sequences are fairly quick and the change in colours adds such impact that I just couldn’t wait to add more, even on the second sock. It took me about two full pattern repeats to memorize the stripe sequence. I finished the first sock after about 5 days so I decided to try to complete them to wear for Valentine’s Day. I made it, weaving in the ends yesterday evening.

Because I knit these toe-up I had the stripe sequence shift on the side of each sock, it doesn’t look as nice where the row changes so I made these the inside of the socks by working the heels on the opposite set of stitches. In other words I started one heel half a round before the other.

I used about 3/4 of a ball of the Rose Wine colour and less than half of the Cream and Coffee Bean. I ‘m thinking I will buy another plain coloured sock yarn and make another pair with the rest of the Cream and Coffee Bean.