The Summer gift knits are complete. I present to you my step-mother-in-law, J's, Liebchen* Socks.
Pattern: Baby Cable Rib from "Sensational Knitted Socks"
Yarn: Wollmeise Superwash Sockwool, Granataphel colorway
Needles: 2.5mm Addi circ, magic loop
Heel: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock
Size: Women's Large, 80 stitiches
I'm really pleased with how these turned out, and my only wish is that I had sock blockers and sunshine to really show them off.
The Construction
Most of the stitch patterns in "Sensational Knitted Socks", particularly the 4-stitch ones, are super easy to memorize. The Baby Cable Rib is only a very slight variation on 2x2 ribbing, so as long as you remember to do something a little bit different every four rows, you're golden. The problem for me is that I'm really slow at ribbing, so these felt like they took forever. Or it might have been the 80 stitch circumference. Yow!
But the real highlight is the heel. I mentioned before that I was going to go easy on myself and do a short-row heel. Of course that didn't mean that I was happy with the heels I'd used so far. On a whim, I took a look at the heel Wendy uses.
And joy of joys, Wendy's heel does not create holes in the short rows! Look!!!
You still wrap and turn, but you slip the first stitch after the turn. Somehow this plugs up the holes. I love it. I wish I'd gotten around to checking out her pattern before.
The Yarn
I've done my fair share of drooling over the Wollmeise yarn, so I'm going to refrain from gushing. However, I really can't say enough good things about it. The base yarn is 100% wool, but it's not fuzzy. So the stitch definition is incredible. And while the skein isn't snuggly, the knitted fabric is very smooth and squishy. It's not at all itchy, but it feels sturdy. I think these will wear very well.
Then there's the color. The yarn is so well dyed, no little spots of white poking out. I'm also ecstatic at how even the colorway knit up. It's definitely a variegated yarn, but there's zero pooling anywhere on either sock. The hue is rich and saturated, definitely eye catching. Hopefully J really meant red when she said she wanted red socks.
I need to give these puppies a wash and pick out all the dog and cat hairs that found their way into the fabric. If the sun pokes through the clouds before I mail them off this week, I'll try to get some better photos. I feel like I'm just not doing them justice. You might have to order some Wollmeise to see the magic for yourself.
* By they way, I do not call my step-mother-in-law "liebchen." It'd be like calling her "darling," and I don't have to tell you how weird that would be. The socks, in Baby Cable Rib, are my little darlings. I'm a bit sad to send them on their way, but I'm sure they'll have a happy home in Australia. Besides, they're way too big for me.