3KCBWDAY1- Colorful Journey Through the World of Socks

Edited to add:
I am going to do something at the beginning of each of this week's post. I will be listing 5 random new blogs I found via google and the tags for the day! Here are 5 random blogs from today's theme:

Kate's Twirl

Frog Soup

Sudden Expression

Judith goes USA

Create Bella Create

Yes, I am participating in Knit and Crochet Blog Week 2012. I hope I can make it all the way to the end, as my class stress load is getting a bit intense. Also, if my grammar and spelling is a bit off this week, it's because I chopped open my finger in print today and have to leave it bandaged all week. Alas the life of an art major. :(

Anyways, the theme for today was to discuss color, and after reading several of my followed blogs this morning I realized that we all have a color we like to use, but when it comes to socks we let loose; it doesn't really matter if the color goes well with us because it's just socks! I myself am the same, and with that being said, I am going to take you guys through my history of sock knitting (which is actually close to where my knitting history starts!) and the colors I picked for each pair.

Although my ex-boyfriend is primarily to blame for getting me back into knitting, I think it's learning to knit socks that really made me interested in knitting and the things I could do with it. The first pair I ever knit was these:

This was a pair I knit in a class on how to knit socks. The yarn is Dream in Color, and although you cannot see it here, the reason I picked this yarn was the subtle use of navy, brown and teal to create a very pretty fabric. As it was my first pair, they were done worsted and are a bit big, but perfect for bedtime in the winters. I just wanted to say that if I had never taken this class I don't think I would be as an accomplished knitter as I am today, for before socks I only knew scarves and had never stepped foot in a yarn shop. Safe to say it changed my life.

The next pair is one I can't even wear, as the heals are off enough to the point where my feet hurt when I wear them .  I wish I could though, because I love the color of Mini Mochi -- I'm really attracted to purples, greens and blues, and the stripes in this were just something I couldn't resist --  that I picked out, as well as the pattern, which is one I made using my Socks ala Carte book. They were also my first non-worsted pair of socks. I have yet to knit short row heels since this incident, it just scares me to think about spending that much time and getting a pair that I can't wear!

My first wearable pair of fingering socks came in the form of Sunday Swing, and pattern that is spectacular and is completely covered up by the color vargations in this yarn. The yarn is Farmhouse, Fannie's Finger Weight, in Surf. I remember when I bought this yarn -- at the time it was the most expensive yarn I had ever purchased but I just could not resist. The color way was gorgeous and so much fun! I still have half of it left, so maybe I will make another pair with a more fitting pattern someday.

Where do you go after you master one-at-a-time fingering weight socks on dpn's? Well two-at-a-time on one long circular of course! I took a class last summer at Wildflower and learned  how to knit 2aat socks, which is where this pair came from. I had not intended to buy new yarn for this project because I had some other in my stash, but I just could not resist (again!) the colors of the Berocco Sox.  The oranges and reds and browns meshed so well together and the it was color I had yet to make socks with, so why not? In general, I love this pair to death.

Up to this point I had been focusing on cuff down socks, toe up just sounds scary and complicated, something I didn't want to get into. But this previous Christmas break I caved: I really wanted to be able to try on my socks as I went! And that leads to this pair, done in Zitron Trekking 6ply. I bought this yarn over a year ago on clearance because I wanted more worsted weight socks. It was the only color they had, so it's not like I picked it for a specific reason or anything. But after I knitted up the socks, I realized what a gem I had. The colors remind me of fire and they go so well together! The orange and yellow especially meld well. This is definitely one of my favorite pairs to wear!

That brings me to my most recent completed pair, done in scraps of Berocco Vintage that I had previously used in other projects. They were done toe-up and in creating these socks I learned how and where to increase as you go up the leg, for these are knee highs! It's funny how each yarn was intended for a different project, yet when put together they all look great!

My most current sock project is a pair of 2-at-a-time cuff downs in a really pretty orange. When I got this yarn I was really excited because it was such a pretty summer/spring color and a nice change from the blues and purples I am used to. The pattern I picked also works well with this yarn.

And here is all my stash sock yarn, waiting to become socks.I can't wait to knit with each and every one of them.

I am really glad I got to share my sock stories with you today, whether you are an old friend or a new reader. I love sharing my knitting adventures. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, I have some pretty cool ideas if I can pull them off!

~Lisa

P.S. --> I'm obsessed with cats and don't live with mine (they are back home) so I can't always get pictures. I may start posting funny cat pics at the end of my posts if that is ok with you guys :D

(Today photo courtesy of: official ultimate LOL cat thread )