Handspun Socks

Falkland Top - Orchid
Originally uploaded by Project Pictures

My November Sock Knitters Anonymous entry started way back this summer with an impulse purchase of Falkland wool so pretty I couldn't resist the colors. Falkland wool is from a location (the Falkland islands) rather than a particular breed, so there can be a lot of variation. This batch is sturdy, but still soft. According to The Falkland Islands Government web page, "Sheep breeds are predominantly Polwarth and Corriedale."

I enjoyed spinning this wool up into what I thought would be fingering weight yarn, skeined and finished it, and put it on a safe shelf to admire until I could find a project for it. Of course, my inexperience was showing a bit. The yarn is not one consistent weight. A good portion of it is sport weight (or possibly heavier) and some is very fine fingering.

It still knits up nicely!

I only had around 300 yards, and I was concerned about having enough for socks. So I found some coordinating yarn for the toes and heels. It took a couple of tries. I think I started these socks four or five times trying to find the right gauge for the irregular weight of yarn and finding the right stitch-count for my feet. But it did pay off.

I knit "Classy Slip-Up Socks" by Betsy Lee McCarthy from "Knit Socks!". This was actually the first book of sock-patterns I purchased, and it's still a solid resource. I do like to sub in parts from Cat Bordhi's books, and of course I couldn't just leave the pattern alone. Rather than knit top-down with an uncertain amount of yarn, I switched the pattern to toe-up. I subbed in Cat Bordhi's reinforced heel, and also knit both the toe and the heel in a coordinating yarn. I also pulled my favorite trick and wrapped the to-be-slipped stitches twice when working the previous row. My sock is stretchy and comfortable!

The wool seemed a bit rough to touch and when working it, but after just one wearing the bottom has fulled up nicely into a very soft fabric. The colors striped in a surprisingly similar fashion considering I had spun the roving up without a plan or a clue.

For my first handspun socks, these are a complete win!!