A March mystery - WIP Wednesday

I am rather a fan of the concept of a mystery sock pattern. You get a clue a week and at the end of clues you have a finished sock, it’s fun. It’s particularly good because in theory you can complete each clue as it comes out and then have the rest of the week to knit other things before another clue is published. My last two mystery socks I’ve not been so diligent about finishing clues as soon as they’re published but with the March Mock on Sock Knitters Anonymous I am hopeful that I will stick to the knitting schedule.

Knowing this was a lace sock and feeling a need for more lace socks in my collection (intentional holes in socks may seem a bit silly but I think they look so pretty that I overlook the madness) I prepared ahead. At the weekend I went stash diving and came out with what I decided was the perfect yarn.



To the sensible eye this may not look the perfect yarn for a lace pattern, the colours may obscure the pattern somewhat so why did I think it was perfect? The colourway is called “Spring Fling”. What could be more perfect for spring mystery socks? Such a perfect name for such a delightful colourway. It makes me think of the park I frequented as a little girl which bursts into colour every spring with purple crocuses, for me this yarn is the purple of those crocuses against the green grass, just wonderful. Of course I’ve made it clear in the past I have a great fondness for green but purple comes pretty high up my list as well, particularly combined with green. I had a poke through my stash and I have quite a few yarns which combine these colours and that makes me feel terribly excited.

I love, love, love Laughing Yaffle yarn by the way, the colours are always fabulous and the pair of socks I’ve knit from it (the rest lurks in my stash filled with beautiful, colourful potential) have worn really well. If you haven’t before you should totally click the link and check out her shop.

I weighed my skein before winding so I knew when to stop winding my first ball and start a second. I know it should be 100g but I do like to double check so my two balls are exactly the same weight and therefore length.



I then set about winding it. Oh how I long for a ball winder and swift to speed this process up, even just a swift would do so I don’t have to rest it over my knees or enlist the help of Mr NM or my mother.



When I was done I had two balls of yarn ready so I’d be able to knit both socks at the same time and hopefully avoid the dreaded second sock syndrome. I don’t even bother attempting centre pull balls, I’ve tried in the past and ended in a dreadful tangle so go for the traditional ball which is fine for me, I don’t mind it bobbing around when I’m knitting as I don’t have any pets or small children who might decide it’s a play thing.



This morning I had this, yes, this morning! I took a photo before work and it was almost fully light outside if a little overcast. I will admit I attempted to brighten up the picture with some picture editing software (and have put the contrast up a bit too much, oh dear) but still, it was light in the morning so I am a happy monkey.



The ribbing is a little wonky but never mind, that will even out when it has had a wash. I’m already loving the pattern and there are some pretty examples in the group of people who have completed the first clue so I’m excited about what this sock could become.

If you read Mimi’s blog (and you should) she has put up details about the second annual knitting and crochet blog week. I read some blogs that were participating last year but didn’t join in myself. I am going to have a go this year and am all ready thinking about things to write and looking forward to it. I hope lots of people join in and have fun with this, particularly with day 5.



Just for your information I may or may not be suffering from a case of not just startitis but a particularly aggressive strain of sock-startitis. I have the overwhelming urge to cast on ALL THE SOCKS with no clear sign of when or if this will pass. Symptoms have included obsessively going through my sock yarn stash, considering buying more dpns to allow for an increased number of SIPs and bookmarking just about every page in Knit.Sock.Love. Protect yourself for I fear it’s highly contagious and an be contracted by looking through beautiful sock projects on Ravelry, sock yarn fumes and indeed ownership of Knit.Sock.Love. Membership of the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry doesn't help. You have been warned.