Spot Check Socks

First month of my Self Imposed Sock Club is almost complete and so is my first sock...Spot Check.  Love the end result even if the sock turned out a bit more green than I would have preferred.  I was afraid that may happen since the greens in the variegated yarn looked to be very similar in color to the greens found in my skein of Jitterbug.  It was somewhat difficult to know how close these colors would be until I was actual knitting in pattern.  Sometimes the patterning didn't show much contrast between the two yarns very well...and sometimes that was due to me picking up the wrong skein as I knit.   Oops.  I ended up loving the overall effect of the socks though...perfect pairing of pattern and yarn.

The pattern did have a couple of errors...at least that's what I'm calling it since I duplicated the same issue on sock 2.  Overall it was a simple pattern to remember and produced a stunning sock.  I did not make any modifications to the pattern and the fit is excellent.

Details:

Spot Check Socks

Pattern:  Spot Check Sock by Beth Parrott found in Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J. Sulcoski.

Yarn:  Colinette Jitterbug's Velvet Leaves, Fingering / 4 ply, 100% Merino, 318 yards / 110 gram.  I used 63 grams/184 yards of yarn.  Unplanned Peacock's Superwash Merino Fingering , 4 ply, 100% Wool, 490 yards / 100 grams in Whippoorwill.  I used only 17 grams/83 yards of yarn so I still have more than enough for another pair of socks.

       Needles:  Knit Picks Harmony, US 2 and Lantern Moon Rosewood DPN, US 1

       Gauge:  17 stitches and 22 rows= 2"

Side detail

Don't you just love the little details...check out the green line down the side of the sock.  It started at the gusset and continued all the way down the sock until the decreases for the toe.  So cool!

The pattern I chose for February will be Herringbone Rib Socks by Kristi Schueler also out of  Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn.   The yarn I selected for this pattern will be be either Austermann Step which is one of my oldest stashed yarns or possibly Trekking Pro Natura.  This one had been gifted to my Mom for Christmas a few years ago, but when she became ill and could no longer knit she returned it to me.  One problem with the Trekking is that she evidently used some of the skein so I'm concerned about running out before completing the sock.

I'm still leaning towards the Trekking though to honor Mom.  February happens to be both her birth month (Feb . 4th) and the month in which she passed one year ago on February 21, 2010.