After almost three months of knitting Christmas gifts, I finally got a chance to cast on a project for myself. As much as I love making gifts for friends and family, I miss knitting without a deadline!
With the weather finally starting to cool down, my feet are screaming for a new pair of super warm socks. On my last trip to the craft store, I picked up some worsted weight wool in variegated shades of gray, black and white. As soon as I saw the color was called “Cloudy,” I was sold. How wonderful to make cloudy socks with a chance of thunderstorms!
To make my cloudy socks, I pulled out my brand new KB Sock Loom 2. This is a regular gauge loom that can handle heavier yarns like worsted weight wool, (my original KB Sock Loom could only handle sock, fingering, or lightweight yarns). When I saw KB created a loom to make chunky socks, I was ecstatic! I tried making thicker socks on my original sock loom and they did not turn out that great. Between zero elasticity and a less than stellar fit, those socks sit at the bottom of my drawer!
The directions that came with the Sock Loom 2 left much to be desired in clarity when it came to calculating the number of pegs needed for correct sizing. So, I went on the hunt for a pattern/instruction book. What I found was Authentic Knitting Board Sock Loom Projects by Isela Phelps and I couldn’t be happier. She offers patterns for both sock looms, plus detailed instructions and charts that take the mystery out of calculating peg counts.
For my first foray on the Sock Loom 2, I opted for a simple stockinette stitch with a 2×2 ribbed cuff. It’s aways best to start simple when trying something new! Overall, my first chunky sock turned out great. Thanks to Isela Phelps’ size/peg count chart, my sock is a perfect fit.
Even though, these are my cloudy socks, I can’t help but think they kind of look like a zebra, too!
The nice thing about a thicker gauge is that it knits up very quickly! Instead of 70 rounds for the leg, I only needed to do 40. It felt like a vacation! This awesome sock only took a few hours to knit and I’ve already casted on to make it’s mate.
Thicker gauge, thicker sock!
I will definitely be making a few more pairs of chunky socks before winter is in full swing.
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What’s your favorite thing this week?
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c.b.w. 2014
C.B. Wentworth 
Oh wow…what a cool tool, cb!! Now I think I know what to get for my knit loving sister for Christmas! Thank you!
My favorite thing today…the flock of juvenile red-winged blackbirds busy underneath the pine tree in our backyard! They’re such fun to watch…pecking-walking-pecking-pulling worms from the freshly dampened snow sprinkled earth…sigh. 🙂
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Your sister will love it! 🙂
I foresee a gorgeous tanka from you thanks to your luck at birdwatching!
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Yes, I think she will, too and you were right, cb – the note here wound up being the muses jumping point for my tanka! Thank you!
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