Pattern: Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock
Yarn: Zenitude Raye Self Striping Sock Yarn, in If You Think You Can, You Can!
Needles: 2.75mm (US 2) 9 inch circulars. The only way I enjoy knitting socks is on the tiny circs. Have you guys ever tried the small circulars before? They aren’t for everyone, but they are worth trying. I love them.
Notes:  This was my first time using a self striping yarn, and I loved this yarn- the colours were beautiful. I loved the gold and turquoise, it was the kind of colourway that made knitting a super simple sock so very enjoyable. Except for the toe pocket…. now, you guys know I’m not a big sock knitter, and I’ll tell you why- I have wide toes. Not freakish hobbit feet (well, a little hobbit-esque, not that you can tell since I’m wearing socks and they are containing my weird feet in all these photos). But most toe pockets are just not made for us wide-toed people, and I find that it just doesn’t work for me. It’s not really obvious in the photos due to the magic of aggressive wet blocking- it hides a world of knit woes. There’s nothing wrong with the pattern, but I feel like I need to do some research on other types of toe pockets that will better fit my wide toes. Since the great moth devastation of 2013, all my hand knit socks are gone, so it’s time to rebuild.
This series of photos is the beginning of Guy and I working on trying to take really good indoor photos. It’s dark by the time I leave the office, which only leaves weekends for photos. And as much as I love my home, there are no big windows letting in loads of natural light, which poses it’s own set of challenges. I think it’s worth persevering even though it feels a lot more staged, because it’s nice to have a photo shoot where I’m basically just lounging around in bed rather than bundled up for the deep freeze sort of winter that we’ve been having here lately. Even if it did mean I had to shave my legs for the photos (hey, it’s winter- I get lazy). A normal FO photo shoot would be us running around outside for ten minutes snapping as many as possible and then sorting out the good, the bad, and the ugly once we can see them on a laptop.
Oh, and you guys remember the cardigan I’m wearing, right? I still love it. Probably as much as I’ll still be loving these socks a couple years from now, too.
the socks are beautiful, and the photos are too! I’m going to need to train my fiancé in taking good photos, the only way I can think of improving the pictures on my blog eek. the socks really are beautiful and the self striping yarn has worked wonders. I’ve never tried tiny circular needles, I will have to look them up though! jenny xx
Those socks are gorgeous! Congrats on the FO and on starting to rebuild your handknit sock drawer.
I have tried knitting socks on the tiny circs, but they were not for me – I liked the idea, but found they hurt my hands after a few rounds. (If you want mine, I’d be happy to pass it along – I think I have a 2.5mm size) I have found my tried & true sock knitting technique is metal dpns, lately.
Love the socks! I have not tried the tiny needles – I’ve only ventured into sock knitting recently, and I completed my first 3 socks (one pair is still unfinished) with the magic loop. The magic loop is truly magic for me, it allowed me to finally start knitting socks and hats, after being afraid of attempting them for the last four years. (Jeez, self, get a grip… knitting should not be fearful!) 🙂
I love the photos, your house (at least the bedroom) looks adorable! I always feel the low interior light can give photos a vintage look that I just love – these photos included!
Very nice socks! For the toe, I recommend the ’round tow’. You start on in the centre of the sole.
*Knit 5, k2tog* repeat this for 1 row
Knit 5 rows
*Knit 4, k2 tog* repeat this for 1 row
Knit 4 rows
*Knit 3, k2tog* repeat this for 1 row
Knit 3 rows
*Knit 2, k2tog* repeat this for 1 row
Knit 2 row
*Knit 1, k2tog* repeat this for 1 row
Knit 1 row
*K2tog* repeat this for 1 row
Pull thread through stitches that are left and weave in.
Good luck!
Beautiful socks, and the pictures came out amazing! The Knitmore Girls vanilla socks are my favorite vanilla sock, but I usually magic loop them. To be honest, I didn’t know they made circulars that small!
Your pretty socks encourage me to just try knitting a pair, already! I even have a full set of mini circs (the only way I’ll knit sweater sleeves now). I hear you on the woes of indoor-light photography. I’ve found that taking extra time to set my white balance and exposure compensation makes a world of difference, but would much rather still have some natural light to work with in the evening. Excellent job on both the socks and the photos!
Try asymmetrical toes! (so you’ll have a left and right sock) 60-stitch toe-up: cast on 24 stitches, do double increases at the beginning and middle of every row until you have 48 stitches (so that’s four stitches every row). Then continue doing the double increases at only the beginning OR middle of the row until you have all your stitches, on every other row. You’ll have a steeply angled toe box that gently angles to your little toe. Very comfy.
I also have wide toes! I’ve had a lot of success with toe-up patterns because I can make the toe to fit and then decrease on my way to the heel. Now I’m looking forward to trying Barbara’s suggestion of the round toe
I love the indoor shots! I also love I am not the only person who doesn’t shave often in the winter. I mean, who fucking cares, right? Any how, the socks are gorgeous. All mine are starting to wear out, so it’s time for me to restock as well. I like doing them toe up, as then I can eke out every last bit of yarn and try on as I go. Keep up the good work!
Hi Julie –
I just started knitting socks. So far I’ve finished 3. Not 3 pair but 3 individual sock. lol (but I have bought plenty of sock yarn!!!) I have a wide foot overall so I decided to use a toe up pattern this way I can try it on as I go and adjust accordingly. I combined 2 free patterns I found on ravelry.
Oh – I really didn’t like working in the dpn’s because every time I got to the end of one I would have to “inspect” (look at and admire) my work – so I ordered 11″ (I told you w-i-d-e foot) size 2 circular and love it. I just keep on knitting and it goes quick. I tried the 9″ but the stitches were too cramped and on the 11″ the needle part is a little longer thereby being more comfortable to hold than the 9″.
Keep on knitting!!!
Lol! I love how authentic you are Julie. Don’t we all have hairy legs to keep warm in the winter? (Well, ok, it is laziness on my part too) But we all do our best to hide the fact!
The socks turned out very well. I love the indoor pics too.
Oh my goodness these look fantastic! They look so sleek and clean-lined. I’ll definitely have to try this for my first sock pattern.
I have the Penguin postcards, too. Love them. 🙂
Love the colors of those stripes.
I hear you on taking better pictures inside. We don’t get much daylight in Wisconsin this time of year, either, but I still want decent photos!
These are great pictures, and you look lovely. Great socks! I don’t have the wide toes problem, I have the ‘always slightly too big’ problem, which might be due to my blocking. Have you tried toe-up socks? Maybe they are easier to tweak.
That sock yarn is really pretty! I knit a lot of socks and I always use two short circulars, the most comfortable (and portable) way I’ve found to knit socks, mittens and hats.
Great socks!! After seeing your WIP photos of them, I may have invested in some 9″ circs to try socks using that method. I have the yarn and needles, just need to cast on!!
Lovely. Enjoy them. 🙂
I had to laugh about the shaving your legs comment. I started taking a zumba class and I was just grumbling about how I now have to keep my legs shaved. LOL.
We had this toe-shape discussion at work a while ago. Simply put, the way to shape the toes on cuff-down socks are endless…just modify the way you decrease! You could decrease steeper on one side than the other on every other row, every 3rd, 4th….in addition to all the other toe-shaping techniques 🙂
Regarding the legs – try an epilator. They don’t seem to be as popular in North America as at home, but they have several advantages over shaving and waxing (for me): The hair grows back naturally, not prickly, and dark like after shaving and it doesn’t cost you anything after the first investment for the purchase. It hurts a bit the first time, just like waxing, but you get used to it. It doesn’t phase me at all anymore.
🙂
I use an epilator on my legs. I love it. Yes, at first there is some stinging pain but now I find it massaging and relaxing! On my underarms – a little more sensitive but sometimes I find it ticklish.
Might I recommend the book: Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith. The reason I bought the book is that I have Sasquatch feet–HUGE. Well, maybe not hairy like a Sasquatch. 🙂 She gives instructions for all shapes of toes (including wide toes) and shapes of heels and even sizes and shapes of ankles. I have long (size 11) feet that are wide, a pointy toe area with a narrow heel and with her workbook pages, I’ve been able to put together a sock that actually fits my huge and malformed feet. I love the socks and the indoor shoot result looks great.
I’m working on my first (real) pair of socks, right now. I avoided it for a long time but have declared 2015 the year I knit an actual pair of socks.
Great shots, too. My tiny old house really lacks light and I struggle in the winter to get any decent photos. It’s a good thing I mostly knit small things….. as they can be photographed on a window sill. In fact, the one and only window sill that actually gets good light.
I LOVE the leg shaving comment! Every morning in the shower I contemplate shaving my legs, but alas, with this cold it is not happening. 🙂
Beautiful socks. I am in love with the colors – a good self-striping yarn makes knitting socks such a pleasure. And I think you have done a great job with your indoor photos. I am running into exactly the same problem – get home too late for sunlight + no great window areas to pose in. It makes it difficult, to say the least, but this you’ve done an adorable job. And I love your snowflake comforter. 😉
The socks look lovely – but mostly this post reminded me of your amazing sweater mod project! LOVE that sweater 🙂
Indoor photos came out great Julie! I hear you about the light. I am doing project 365 this year and I feel like I have a 30 minute window on some days or it is just too cold outside. You are better than me with shaving – I just crop out the leg if I forgot to shave 😉 Cool print above your bed.
Your new socks are beauts! As are these photographs. I’m particularly partial to the ceramic squirrel I see there on your headboard <3.
I also love your modified cardigan. It was so fun to click over and see those shots of you pregnant with Lila!
Beautiful socks! I’ve been unsuccessful in my sock knitting attempts but not giving up. Love that cardigan too!
Love the socks! I love knitting socks and I’m okay with short dp needles but I think I’d love a small circular – where do you find them? Smallest circular I’ve ever seen is 16″
Great socks! I’m now tempted to try out tiny needles to see if I like knitting them that way any more. And thanks for the link back to the upcycled cardi post! Somehow I’d missed that one and it is seriously AWESOME! Nice work, as always lady! 😉
I’m so glad you mentioned the tiny circulars! I haven’t tried them before, but I just finished my first pair of socks and suspect that I would have enjoyed it much more if I was using one of the little needles. I’ve been thinking about picking up a few sets and now it’s confirmed. Do you have a favorite brand?
I’ve been reluctant to take photos of my finished socks because I think my feet are weird too. I feel like they’re soooo wide, horrid Flintstone feet, and doubt I’ll take a single pic I consider blog worthy. We’ll see… For what it’s worth, your photos are lovely and I don’t see anything wide, weird, or hobbit-like about your feet. The socks are beautiful and that yarn is just killer.
I have one tiny pair of small diameter circs, but I never use them, because I tried once and found them hideously uncomfortable. Dpns all the way.
As for your toe problem, I would think that simply not feeling obliged to stick too closely to however the pattern designer figures your toes ought to be should solve the problem. You say there’s nothing wrong with the pattern, and I’m sure there isn’t, except that it assumes certain things about your dimensions that are evidently not true, as all patterns do. Me, I have kind of the reverse problem — absurdly long toes — and the first few pairs I knitted didn’t really fit right, because I was starting the toe decreases where the pattern told me I should, which was not working. So now, instead of starting my decreases around the base of my toes, I don’t start them until the sock reaches close to the end of my baby toe. If you also started yours a little later, maybe, and did fewer decrease rows, so instead of being left with, say, 10 stitches to graft, you’d have 14, or however many seems wide enough, shouldn’t that work?
I love this photoshoot–it’s fun to see a little snippet of your home 🙂 9 inch circs are my favorites for socks too! Have you tried them for sleeves? I highly recommend it! Hiya hiya sharps are especially nice with their extra pointy tip
I agree about those Hiya Hiya sharps – very nice!
Ohh, I remember this cardigan! You had a photo shoot in it just before you welcomed your daughter. As for me, I haven’t made a single pair of socks in my life 🙂 I guess I belong to a very rare non-sock knitter breed. Yours are lovely!
I’d recommend the book Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. Lots of different heels and toes in there.
I tried a 9 inch circular once; it made my hands tired! I’ll try again.
Your pictures look great!
Hi Julie. I have just found by accident the picture of elephant in the same combination of colours. It made me smile and reminded me of your Circus stripes socks. They are so bright. Very original and perfect colours for cold and dull time.if you wish to see the elephant here is the link
https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/125053847/elephant-chevron-modern-cross-stitch?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
Love the colours in this sock! And the photos look fabulous, as usual. I recognised the cardigan – it is awesome when something crafted is well loved and enjoyed for a long time! I’m not familiar with wide toes, but perhaps if your socks are tailored to have less decreases and a ‘left and right’ sock (more decreases on the small toes sides and less on the big toe sides) it will fit better? Just a thought. These socks look really cozy and pretty nonetheless. I am curious what the ‘tiny circs’ you referred to.. Are they the ones with the shorter needles and short cable?
Beautiful socks, the striped colours are the perfect combination. I’ve never tried tiny circs, although I am oh so curious about them. Your bedroom is beautiful by the way, I love how it’s decorated.
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The socks are beautiful..I just love the colors. Funny you should mention the moth problem of 2013 , The same problem has devastated all of my hand made socks..and I also will have to make new ones[ as I love them so].
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