September Lendrum Socks

Well how about that...a pair of socks completed before the end of the month.  Proves once again that if knitting occurs then one can produce a finished item.  This pattern has been in the queue for sometime.  I first found it on the Yarn Harlot's blog a few years back, but since I did not knit socks "toe up" at the time I filed it away.   Thrilled that I remembered these when I was searching for a September sock pattern.  The Harlot was right when she said that this pattern always seems to knit up fast.  I finished the pair 5 days early.  It has been somewhat surprising given the fact that by evening my hands have been achy from sanding and refinishing kitchen cabinets.  That's a whole other story...maybe I should document that project.
 
As a reward I cast on for a cardigan...Acer.  I figured I could knit a bit on the cardi rather than cast on more socks because to be honest I wanted to knit with bigger needles...achy hands and wrists like bigger needles!   The yarn traveled across the country with the knitting bag it deserves to be out in the fresh air.  It's Springvale DK from Three Irish Sisters in a lovely neutral shade of grayish brown called driftwood.  It's knitting up rather nicely.

Enough about that this is supposed to be about my September socks.  The Leyburns knit up pretty darn quick just like the Yarn Harlot said.  A very interesting pattern that would be perfect for most any yarn.  I used a solid color, but I think that it would work extremely well with a variegated yarn.  The yarn manipulation definitely would break up any pooling and the patterning would still be visible.  I certainly can see knitting this one again with a wildly patterned yarn.  The pattern looks complicated, but it was very easy to remember and execute. 

Details:

Pattern:  Leyburn by Mintyfresh;

Yarn:  2 skeins of Shibui Socks; Fingering / 4 ply; 100% Merino; 191 yards / 50 gram.  I used most of both skeins with 10 grams leftover from each one.

Needles:  2 US 1.5 24" circulars

Gauge:  7 stitches per inch

Modifications:  I used a Turkish cast on for the toes...casting on 20 stitches and increasing upwards according to the pattern although I stopped increasing at 68 stitches because it fits my narrow foot much better..

Rather than a traditional short row heel I did my favorite- Fleegle heel.  Reading through a few pattern notes on Ravelry I noticed that others had complained that the sock was difficult to get over the heel.  I decided to go ahead and add a few extra stitches in the heel area as called for in the pattern.   I had no problem getting socks on and off.   I don't know if it was the Fleegle heel or the few extra stitches, but the heel fits nicely.  No sagging or slouchiness in the ankles.

I finished off the sock using my favorite Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.  Not sure if the modifications made any difference or not, but these socks do fit very nicely.