Progress

Well, we're off. So far, just about what I expected. The yarn is even and predictable, tightly enough plied to not split and and similar to Trekking HandArt, but with that extra ply.



I"m also going to use this for a test knit for a Hunter Hammersen sock. Zen Yarn Garden is a Canadian yarnie who has a great line of semi-solids.



This is the Harmony Semi-Solid yarn for July 2010 - Garnet. It's redder than it looks in the photo and will knit will for lace socks. Progress will be posted on Ravelry and also in this blog.

August Sock Yarn

The August yarn for the review is Zitron Trekking's HandArt Flamme - in Sansibar.



This yarn is made in Germany by the same people who bring you Trekking and Trekking HandArt. The difference in the Flamme is a ply of (mostly) white that gives the yarn a ragg appearance.

I've always had good luck with Trekking, whether in the skein or in the ball, and I anticipate this one won't be much difference.

Why is this so late? Alex Klein's minotaurs. I volunteered to test-knit them, and so I conscientiously worked away to make them a reality. This is a very different way of knitting socks (or any piece of flat fabric for that matter) and all I can say is that without the stitch markers these would have been an unholy mess.

This is the leg of the sock after knitting but before seaming:



And this is the seamed leg.

July Sock Yarn Review

Both socks done (actually they've been done for a while).



The base yarn for the Claudia is Louet Gems. I don't think I have ever knit a yarn with a Gems base that I have not liked. In this case, the dying is very well done. The colours are saturated and are consistent throughout the skein. No knots, no slubs. The knit fabric is firm. My gauge is a little tighter than what she states on her website, but I like firm socks.

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Fingering
Composition: 100% superwash merino
Pattern: Toffee Sock
Needles: 2.25 mm
Gauge: 8 sts per inch

There is a website: www.claudiaco.com - but it's not a retail mailorder site. She gives a list of bricks and mortar shops and on-line shops. I bought mine at Monterey Yarns in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I did a google search and there are many more than she lists for sources.

Claudia Hand Painted

So here's my progress - first sock finished - not that I should be surprised, given that it's a very simple sock and this is a very nice yarn to knit. The tight twist keeps the stitches even and means the stitches don't split when knitting quickly.



The colour is nicely saturated and even throughout the skein. The repeats are short, so there is no striping and no noticeable pooling, even around the gusset - not that I mind pooling, but I know some do.

No knots. I like that.

July Sock Yarn Review

This month' sock yarn was decided some time ago, but given the workload of early July, (I hate summer sometimes), this is it.

Claudia's Handpainted - on a Louet Gems base. I know already I'll like this yarn, because I like Louet Gems. It's a tight twist and holds up well for socks, gives good stitch definition and stands up to the manipulation required for cables or any other intricate stitch.

I'll need to add the photos later, because I'm working on my husband's Mac and haven't the faintest idea how to re-open Firefox so I can get to my photos without getting away from this post.

I'm the person who loves the Mac commercials and can't stand the machines.

June Sock Yarn Review - and Happy Canada Day

Finished. Finally. Not that it is so difficult a sock to do, but June can really be the silly month. Thank goodness for sleeping in on Canada Day.

Here's a photo of the finished sock.



The colourway is Franklin's Panopticon, one of the Color Commentary series honouring knitwear designers. This colourway grew on me as I knit it - I confess to not having been thrilled about it in the skein.

The yarn lived up to Lorna's reputation - smooth and consistent. There were no knots. The yarn is a little finer than I like, but the sock feels dense enough to wear well. I could go down a needle size, but I don't think it would be necessary.

One thing I was amazed at was how good the yardage was. Now, I confess this sock is five rounds shorter than my usual plain sock, but check this out: this is the second sock and I had just started the toe decreases.



That's pretty good value.

Stats:

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock
Composition: 80% superwash merino, 20% nylon, put up in 50 g skeins
Needles: 2.25 mm
Pattern: Butterscotch Sock

Koigu. I love Koigu

Here are my Waterfall Cable Socks. This is a design I first worked out three summers ago when I was first knitting socks. I don't even remember where I got the stitch pattern (probably Vogue Knitting), but when I first knit it, it looked to me to be water tumbling over rocks - hence the name.

The yarn is the wonderful Koigu KPPPM, colour 703 - a pale purple with flecks of both purple and the occasional orange.



I like this yarn. I really like this yarn. It has a great hand, feels good on the feet, and so far (knock wood), wears really well. I like the way the yarn is dyed - almost too much colour for a cabled design, but not quite. If I have a complaint (and it's a small one), it's that the skeins are small and I wasn't sure I'd have enough yarn for a cabled pattern, even for my short feet. (I did - crisis averted.)

My only other complaint - and it's really not a complaint, it's an observation - why is it so hard to find this yarn in Canada? It's Canadian yarn!! I have nothing against buying from Americans, but why should I?