It’s been a time for illness in the GiW household recently. I’m still recovering and poor OH has had a painful foot. He hasn’t been able to walk on it properly for about a week. I thought some handknitted socks might help to cheer him (and his foot) up.

I asked OH to choose some yarn from my stash and he picked Kaffe Fassett for Regia in ‘Landscape Storm’. I’m knitting the socks toe up using two 2.25mm circular needles (as before) with a 64 stitch round (either I have chunky feet or OH has slim feet, as our foot circumference measures the same) at a gauge of 8 sts per 1″.

Sock #1 in progress

I HATED doing the short row toe (and heel) for my first pair of toe up socks. I’ve used the Turkish Cast-On this time (I found these instructions really helpful) which is much easier.

I enjoy sock knitting, especially making plain socks with self-striping yarn. I find it relaxing to add tiny stitch after tiny stitch and watch the sock grow.

However, I don’t wear trousers now, so I can’t enjoy my handknitted socks with jeans and Converse any more. I’ve seen people on Ravelry modelling socks with a skirt and either Mary-Janes or heeled shoes but frankly I am (a) too old and (b) not cute enough to get away with that look. Nowadays, my socks tend to be confined to wearing around the flat, poor things.

So, it’s a pleasure to make socks for someone who (I hope) will love them and wear them out and about. As I knit, I think about keeping the recipient’s toes cosy and brightening their sock drawer with handknitted goodness.