Rainbow Socks Collection

I have really enjoyed knitting this collection of socks and as I have created them they have all raised interesting issues.

As the Rainbow Sock Collection series has progressed I’ve thought about different heels, toes and cuffs that I like. Some were styles that I have knit many many times, others were ones which had made it onto my To Try list. This seemed like the perfect time to try all of them.

There were some elements of the sock design that I also considered. How the sock looked when it was finished was important to me. I wanted all the elements, from the cuff, to the heel and finally the toe to look in the finished sock as though they belonged together. Balance. Elegance.[Read More]

As days sat relaxing on the beach with a book become a distant memory, we arrive at the last of the Rainbow Sock Collection’s patterns, the Violet Rainbow Socks. The series began by asking the question ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘ and finishes with the last post Conclusions – Rainbow Sock Collection.

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I’m nearing the end of the Rainbow Socks Collection Series. Indigo Rainbow Socks are the seventh post in the series which began in the early summer with a search for the answer to my question ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘.

So far it has been an interesting journey. I’ve really enjoyed trying the different cuffs, heels and toes. I’d love to know which ones you have knit.

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The Blue Rainbow Socks are the sixth post in the Rainbow Socks Collection Series which started with the question ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘.

Design Choices

I used a lovely Regia Hand Dye Effect sock yarn in shades of blue for the Blue Rainbow Socks.

These socks have a knit 1 purl 1 rib for the cuff, a wrap and turn short row heel and finish with a pretty star toe. I did a bit of reading on wrap and turn short row heels before I started. I wanted what the best way would be to give my heel the roominess it required and keep the sock the sock comfortable. I tried using a different percentage of the total stitches for knitting the heel. On a plain sock like this it has been successful. Not sure how it would work if you were adding pattern from the leg running down the top of the foot.

The star toe was really easy to knit and has a lovely look. It involved no grafting at the end so is a very easy toe to do.[Read More]

The Green Rainbow Socks are the fifth post in the Rainbow Socks Collection Series which started with ‘What is the Perfect basic Sock Pattern’.

The inspiration for this series came to me soon after I’d noticed how scruffy my hand knit socks were looking. I needed new hand knit socks to replenish the drawer. Like most sock knitters I have a particular sock pattern in my head, that I knit frequently, but I began wondering if another heel/toe combination would fit my foot more snugly.

The Green Rainbow socks have an eye of partridge heel flap which is turned, followed by gusset shaping, a paired decrease toe and the cuff is a knit 1 purl 1 rib.

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The Yellow Rainbow Socks are the fourth post in the Rainbow Sock Collection Series that began with ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?’

During early summer when I discovered I needed some new hand knit socks I thought of just casting on for a new pair using one of the basic patterns that I knit regularly. But then I began thinking about which of the socks I have made that felt most comfortable when I was wearing them. This lead to a scribbled out table in my journal in which I started writing different heel and toe combinations. When I had reached 7 I decided on a rainbow theme. What can I say, I really love a nice colour theme!

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The Red Rainbow Socks is the second post in the Rainbow Sock Collection Series. It follows the first post ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘.

The Rainbow Sock Collection Series came about after  my search during the summer for the perfect basic sock pattern. I wanted a sock that fitted my foot snugly and was comfortable to wear.

I chose Lang Jawoll Magic in Red Stripes and knew that I wanted the self striping yarn to repeat evenly from cuff to toe so that there was no break in the pattern when the heel was being knit.

It was also important to me that the finished sock would look elegant.

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Have you ever wondered what is the most comfortable basic hand knit sock?

I have.

It is a question that has often caught my imagination as I pondered it. I suspect the answer to this question may be different for each of us. Okay, I know for some of you, this may sound obsessive. But honestly, sock knitting is a little addictive to those of us who have caught the sock knitting bug.

I offer no excuses. I love knitting socks. I’ve knit socks for my family as Christmas presents as well as knitting socks for myself. I’ve been knitting socks for a long time.[Read More]