Wednesday's WIPs and FOs

I finished the Minced Pie Mayhem socks for my daughter. This is from an Alice Yu pattern, and I really enjoyed working on these. They took me longer than I expected because practically every other stitch on every other row is cabled, and because I kept getting distracted by other projects. Alice Yu has some really great, innovative sock patterns. I think I'm putting her up there with my favorite designers Cookie A and Cat Bordhi.

The construction of these socks was a bit different. The gusset and heel flap were knit along with the top of the sock. Traditionally you put the top on hold while going back on the flap, turn the heel, then pick up stitches for the gusset. If you look close in the picture (sorry, I didn't think to take a close up), you can see the gusset triangle goes up the ankle onto the leg instead of running along the foot. I'm anxious to see how well this construction fits my daughter.

 

I've gotten down to the heel on the second pair of socks in my bag. I'm adapting the Simple Skype pattern (originally by Adrienne Ku) in order to try Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato heel. The Sweet Tomato heel is a short row heel (no heel flap or gusset), but done in gradual wedges. It seems to be a heel that you either totally love, or totally hate. I've got two wedges on the heel done and the sock seems to fit. I don't think I'm going to do the recommended third wedge. I did cast on a lot of stitches for this sock (72 instead of my usual 60ish) in order to get the skype pattern to work out. Even though the yarn (Premier Yarns Serenity Sock) is on the thin side and I'm using size 1 needles, the socks are going to be a little large. I think this pair is going to go to my mom when I'm done with them.

I've been looking through my cabinets at the UFOs (unfinished objects), trying to decide what to work on next. I need to grab one of those old projects to finish up before I get the urge to dig through my yarn stash to start a new project. I'm making a list of PhDs (projects half done), IQs (Immediate Queue, or projects that I haven't started yet but that I have the yarn and/or a deadline), and Q'nA (Queued in Anticipation - projects that have caught my attention and that I would like to do). You can find this list on the Fiber Ewe page at the top right of the blog. And yes, the French Press Slippers are STILL on the PhD listing. Sigh.