twistedloops

April was underappreciated pattern month for the Ravelry Sock Knitter’s Anonymous (SKA) group knitalong.  To qualify as underappreciated, there had to be no more than 15 projects on Ravelry.  Before the month started, I did some research, and found that the Dresser Scarf Socks pattern in my queue qualified for the challenge.

Luckily for me, the knitalong began at midnight eastern time on April 1.  Since I’m here on the west coast, I logged into Ravelry, created my project, and cast on my socks.

The socks are an interesting constuction.  The length of the legs are knit flat and then grafted to form the back seam of the sock.  Then, stitches are picked up around the edges and the rest of the sock is knit in the round.  This construction has one flaw.  The sock has a tendency to want to bunch and sag down over the seam that is crated from picking up the stitches.  It doesn’t seem to matter what I try, it just does.

Overall, I like them and am glad I made them.

Pattern: Dresser Scarf Socks
Designer: Priscilla Gibson-Roberts
Source: Interweave Knits, Spring 2003
Yarn: Elann Esprit (100 yards/ 50g)
Quantity: 2 (200 yards/100g)
Color: Charcoal
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Started: April 1, 2009
Completed: April 12, 2009

Pattern modifications:

• I knit additional rows in the round before starting the heel.
• Replaced short row heel with the German Heel (37 stitches) from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks.
• Replaced short row toe with the French Toe (54 stitches) from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks, reduced to 9 stitches.

Yarn oveview:

• I’ve knit with Cascade Fixation before, and this yarn is very similar (identical?).  Some people can’t stand the yarn, but I don’t mind it.  I like having a cotton sock to be able to wear in the warmer weather.
• This is the second elann.com house yarn that I’ve purchased in a shade of gray that appears with very strong blue overtones.  I’m not sure that I would call this color charcoal.