Rushing Rivulet Socks

I was in a random little sock yarn club for a few months, a few years ago, where I got surprise skeins of yarn in the mail. I wasn't in love with this one when I got it, and it sat on my shelf for a long long time before I wound it up and tried using it for something. It didn't work in that pattern and I set it back on the shelf for another year or so. A little while ago, I decided to purge some of my yarn and this one topped the list. I picked it up to put it on the purge pile, and started looking at the beautiful colours, and stroking the soft texture, and decided to give it one more chance.


I finished these socks a few days ago, and have been wearing them happily. It was a pretty simple pattern, in Cat Bordhi's usual toe-up style. The stitch used was easy and quick -- two out of three rows were stockingette, which makes it trip along at a good pace, and the yarnovers in the third rows help to break up the stripes in the yarn, a bit, to make it a bit more random. I like this pattern for multicoloured yarns, and may use it again.

In this design (using the Riverbed architecture) the increases for the sock gusset all come from the bottom of the sole, which makes the fabric bias across the arch of the foot. They hug up against my foot in a very comfy way, but it doesn't really feel much different from an ordinary sock without that bias. I also added a few more rows to the heel flap, since I have a high instep, which also helps them to fit well.


The yarn itself is soft and cozy, too. My only complaint is that, through the course of knitting the two socks, there were about a dozen spots where one ply was broken and a new ply joined, which leaves lots of fuzzy little ends sticking out. I could have cut that piece out of the yarn each time and woven in ends, but then I really would have been swearing each time I came across a new one.

Overall a quick and comfortable sock that kept me occupied until the yarn for some of my new projects arrived. Stay tuned!

The New UFOs

I've had a handful of finished objects (aka FOs) recently, but don't believe for a minute that my total number of projects-on-the-go has decreased. I am nothing if not easily distracted, and I've cast on for another little project or two as the others came off the needles.

I finished my twisted cable socks, which left me with no socks on the needles. Shocking, you must agree. Although I am expecting a skein of yarn from Cookie A's sock club any day now, I knew that I wouldn't be able to wait patiently -- not when I have another quick and simple sock to knit up in the meantime.


I started another of Cat Bordhi's inventions, using her Riverbed architecture, which increases for the gusset along the bottom of the foot, causing the stitches to hug the arch of the foot along the bias. The photo shows the toe of the first sock, a few days ago. I am finished the first and almost to that point on the second sock, so you can tell it's a quickie.


I also finally cast on for my stranded alpaca mittens, when the temperature dropped again. I got past the first thumb gusset, but that's when I put them down to rededicate myself to the twisted-stitch socks. Now I have to rededicate myself to the stranded mittens.

So I'm back to having four (or five or so) UnFinished Objects to keep me busy. Ain't life grand?