Duckies

And not the kind that say "quack, quack".

I've been itching to make a pair of socks for months. But with all the gift knitting, I wouldn't let myself cast on for them until after all the Christmas knits were in the mail and on their way.

I finished them yesterday and immediately put them on and wore them all day!

Pattern: Duckies by Samantha Hayes

Yarn: Three Irish Girls Kells Sport Merino in colorway Sedona (this was part of my November yarn club shipment)

Modifications: The pattern calls for 10 pattern repeats on the leg before starting the heel. I prefer my socks to be a little bit shorter, so I did 7 pattern repeats instead. This was my first time knitting with Kells Sport, and there will definitely be more Kells in my future. It's sport weight, so a bit heavier, but still thin enough to fit comfortably in my Danskos. 

I love the combination of purples and browns. 

The lace pattern was really easily memorized and I barely needed the pattern at all for the second sock. 

One of my knitting goals for 2011 is to knit one pair of socks per month. I'm going to cheat and count these as January's socks since it will probably take me all month to finish the sweater for Seth's Dad.

I also have one more skein of handspun yarn for the shop update tomorrow (11am Pacific Time)

Touch of Gold Merino/Silk (80/20) spun from Two if by Hand roving (Stringtown Grocery colorway)

The merino/silk spins up beautifully and has a gorgeous shine to it that was really hard to capture on the camera.

I started a fairly big custom spinning job (12 ounces) last night, and I can't wait to see what it looks like all plied up. The roving is gorgeous light blue, white, and grey. The color changes are really subtle, but absolutely beautiful. 

Well...the goal today is to make some headway on the sweater for Seth's dad, so I better get to it!

Love,

liz