Direwolf Socks No. 2

Here they are, the reworking of my previous Direwolf Socks, and also probably the product of half-term and too much time watching the Winter Olympics. But I am delighted that I have finally managed to knit a pair of socks for my son.

These socks have been very much improvised. The following notes may only make sense to sock-knitters. I started knitting the top leg section flat, as this seemed the easiest way to incorporate the direwolf motif. Once again I used a chart from Direwolf Mittens by Carly Hill. Much happier with this part of the sock, as I have the wolves facing forward and properly on the side. So for this top part of the sock there is a seam at the back of the leg. 

The plan was to continue knitting the heel flat, and then when I got to the foot to knit in the round. But by the time I got that far, I realised that I was possibly going to run out of the grey wool. So I decided to knit the sole in navy blue and top of the foot in grey, which I hoped would mean I would be able to eek out the grey wool. To do this I had to continue knitting flat. To be extra careful that I had enough wool, I stopped knitting sock 1, and decided to knit sock 2 to the same stage, so I could more accurately see how much wool I had left. Then there was the trip to the kitchen to weigh the grey wool, and divide it between each sock! Again I was running out of wool, which is why the feet had to have stripes of blue on the top of the foot, to conserve the small amounts of grey that I had left. So the foot section is also knitted flat, and there is a seam on one side of the foot, where the navy and grey meet. Alas, I was still running out of wool, so you will see I then had to make my stripes of blue wider, and strangely although this was only to conserve the wool, it is my favourite part of the socks. 

So perhaps there is a reason why most socks are knitted in the round. I am a little worried that the seams will mean the socks are not quite as structurally strong, or comfortable as a sock with no seams, but we will see. What I thought was good about the method I used is that the seams are not on the sole of the sock. 

I am thinking I may have another go at a pair of socks knitted flat, but this time accurately write down what I did. I am sure there must be people who want to knit socks, but just don't like knitting in the round, doublepoints or magic loop?

I think I mentioned that my son, although being dyslexic, so liked Game of Thrones, that he has read the books in the series. He even persuaded me to read the first volume, and although I enjoyed it, the second one is sitting on my bedside table. He has just read The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov, and I have begun the first volume. Is there inspiration for a pair of socks there!

But before that my daughter has said that she would like a pair of socks. She would like them to be colourful striped, ... but she would like the stripes to be vertical. Aaargh .... 

Just a reminder that we are getting through February but there is still time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party. Click on the photo below or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Direwolf Socks (learning by my mistakes)

There is only one member of my family now that I have not knitted socks for - my son. So I decided to give this a go, as part of my Christmas car knitting. I like to have some knitting to do on our travels at this time of year. 

He really likes "Game of Thrones", and it would be nice to knit him something related to that. There is a pattern on ravelry for a Game of Thrones blanket, and although I have thought about making that for him, it would probably mean I would have to devote a year to it and nothing else...

But I found a really nice pattern for some Direwolf Mittens by Carly Hill, but he is not really a mitten-type of person. (He is a bit like his Dad, who seems to think that real men don't need gloves, however cold!) So I thought I would use the direwolf motif from this pattern, but on a fairly standard sock pattern.  I used Favourite Socks by Voolenvine.

Mistake Number One. I pretty soon worked out that I could not just knit the direwolf motif, as I was knitting in the round. But that was a problem I could overcome, and so I decided I would have to also include the background pattern to get the wool to go the whole way round. (The only other way I suppose would be to find a sock pattern that is knitted flat, with a seam. Does such a thing exist?) I decided to have a patterned section, and knit the rest of the sock plain, but with an alternative colour for the ribbing, heel, and toe.

Mistake Number Two - Just don't try knitting from a chart in the car. I tried all sort of techniques: pinning the chart to the dashboard. But the car movement and my eyesight just made it impossible, so I had to be satisfied with just doing the plain sections on the road. I hasten to say that I am a passenger, not driving.

Blocking on my homemade cardboard feet

So all seemed fine. I thought if I knitted the largest size of sock it would all work out. Mistake Number Three. The first sock was nearly done, and I thought I would get my son to do a try on, to make sure it was the right foot length. But my poor son was a bit like an ugly sister trying to get into the glass slipper. Because of my patterned section, it was just too tight to fit him. 

Good news! - They fit me (Miss Cinderella) perfectly. 

Mistake Number Four. The next thing I realised was that although I had planned to have the direwolves facing in different directions, I had placed their faces fairly near the front of the socks. I think it would have been better to have put them slightly further to the sides, but too late for that now ....

I am still determined to make him some Direwolf socks. (He tells me that grey and white would be more House of Stark.) I think perhaps the best way is to incorporate the motif into a seamed sock. A seam on the foot might be uncomfortable though, but I wondered if I could knit the foot section in the round, and the leg bit flat with a seam. I would welcome any advice. Have you knitted any socks with a motif on the leg, or a flat-knitted seamed sock? Does anyone know of any patterns with the foot in-the-round and the leg seamed?

There are still plenty of days left in January to join my new monthly Ginx Yarn Linx party and share your woolly projects. There is a link to it in at the top of the righthand column.