Tag Archives: hand knit socks

You Win Some, You Lose Some.

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And sometimes you end up with mismatched socks.

If my Ravelry page is correct, I started these socks in January, but I think I probably started them earlier- probably over Christmas.

I finished one right away, then did the toe of the second one…. then…. nothing.  I stashed these socks away  “just in case,” then promptly forgot about them.  So, when I was packing for my trip, I decided to bring them along.  After all, a sock-in-progress fits in my purse, so they’re great for traveling.   The pattern was super simple (just stockinette with a single row of purls around the toe and ribbed cuff), so they wouldn’t take away from looking out the window.  And they were almost done, so they’d go pretty fast!  Win-win-win.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThey turned out pretty cute!  Nothing fancy, but they’re a pretty color, and they look ok.

Except if you try to measure them against each other.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOne sock is fully a half-inch shorter than the other one.  I swear I measured- I even counted rows!  But, something must have happened to change my gauge between when I started these socks six months ago and when I finished them last week.  Blergh.

I don’t think I’ll try to re-knit them, or rip them out… they’re not fancy enough for me to really be bothered, and they aren’t going to be a gift.  I think I’ll try blocking them out, and hopefully that’ll fix the problem.  After all, blocking hides a multitude of sins.

Have you ever ended up with significantly different socks? What did you do?

With a Bow on Top

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It seems like everyone I know is having a birthday this month.  (Except for me.  Wah wah.)  And a rash of birthdays means one thing for knitters like me and you; lots of gift knitting.  My go-to knit gift for anyone over the age of 15 is a pair of hand-knit socks.  They’re (relatively) quick, small enough that you don’t have to spend your entire food budget on the yarn, and totally customizable.   And, of course, they’re fun to make, and always well-received.

Now, you could just wrap up your socks in wrapping paper, or stuff them in a gift bag, but where’s the DIY spirit in that?

My favorite way to package hand knit socks is in one of those little half-pint berry containers that you get from the grocery store.  Have you ever realized that they’re the perfect size to fit a pair of socks*.  These are made from recycled paper, but you can find plastic ones, too, sometimes.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI roll up a pair of socks, and put them in the berry container, and take a little bit of pretty contrasting ribbon or yarn and tie a nice bow.  It’s that easy to make a perfect little gift charming enough that even Martha Stewart would approve.

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*They would fit a pair of mittens, a hat, washcloth or other small accessory well, too.  I just have a thing for socks.