Vilai socks

I caved and decided to join the August Sock Innovation Knitalong. Did I tell you, I love, love, love this book. Yeah, big deal, so what's new. Well, I have a new project.

First, the yarn:

I know I purchased it at Ally Pally last year and I know it's from Fyberspates. I'm guessing it is Blue Faced Leceister but I wonder if there is something else in there too as it is really shiny.

Look at all the different colours! It is mostly blue and purple but then every so often some greeny-brown sneaks in. Having wound it and started knitting with it, I'm so much more in love with it than when I bought it. It was a bit of a guilt purchase - I really wanted to buy from Jeni as I knew her yarn is high quality and pretty ethical and I'd just bought loads of Koigu and didn't really like any of the colours at Jeni's stall but oh, I'm so glad I went with the guilt/impulse/need to spend.

Hello toes!

The two shots show the beginnings of the two different patterns - a lace lattice section and a cable section with columns of twisted knit stitches. Given that with the Rick socks, I did the gauge and calculations thing and ended ripping out the sock three times, I just cast on knit the pattern. So far so good as it fits over my (wide) feet.

I love knitting socks on 5 dpns but have had several breakages when trying socks on so here I reveal my cunning secret weapon for making socks that fit: a cable needle of the same size.

OK, not exactly earth shattering, especially for anyone who magic loops anyway, but a definite must-have for dpn-ers. I used to slip the whole sock to scrap yarn, try it on, then spend ages fiddling hundreds of tiny stitches back onto the needles. Now, is simples! When I fancy trying them on, I work the next round on the circular needle, try them on and admire, then work the next round back onto the dpns. Exaclty zero wasted time and lots of sock trying on action. I love it when a plan comes together.

Ooh look, is that a pink, mythical, horse like creature on the horizon?