K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid! Those are words that are close to my heart. I like things simple. So when the DH requested a pair of hand knitted socks in tan or brown, I bought some simple yarn and chose a simple pattern. I cast on 80 stitches and started working cuff down in 2 x 2 ribbing. This makes a sock leg that is nice and stretchy and that stays up. It’s also totally mindless without being totally boring, not that a sock can ever be boring. Well, hardly ever, anyway. So the Simple Ribbed Socks in Knit Picks Stroll in Cork are well under way. Sock #1 has reached heel flap stage.
Simple Ribbed Sock
But I am not a monogamous knitter by any stretch of the imagination. Among the other projects I have OTN is another pair of socks. I call these socks Gold Iris Socks because I’m embellishing them with size 8/0 round glass seed beads in a color called gold iris. The yarn, Plymouth Happy Feet in a color that knits up to resemble camo (YUCK!), really needed something to prettify it, and these beads are just the ticket. Unfortunately, I cannot capture all the color and sparkle the beads contain with my limited (and by limited I mean non-existent) photography skills. This is about the best I can do,
so you will just have to take my word for it that these beads are gorgeous and add a touch of beauty to some rather drab yarn.
The Gold Iris Socks are knitted toe-up,
Gold Iris Sock with beaded cuff
which you probably already figured out from looking at the picture. The guiding pattern is the “Mix-and-Match Rib Sock Recipe” from Chrissy Gardiner’s book, Toe Up! I started with Judy’s Magic Cast On, worked a shaped “round” toe à la Gardiner’s book, then started doing the cable rib. But I am working the cable by knitting into the second stitch, knitting into the first stitch, then dropping the stitches off the left-hand needle. This is much quicker than using a cable needle and gives a very nice looking cable. When I reached the leg, I started adding beads. I threaded a bunch of beads onto the yarn and I have been placing them on alternate cable columns in place of the cable according to this chart:
Blank square = knit
– = purl
● = place bead
// // = work cable
The bead placement mimics the cable twist and makes the socks much more interesting.
I have grown to enjoy working with beads and have several beaded projects on the drawing board. Some of them involve lace! So stay tuned for more beaded splendor.
All Kinds Of Knitting 