Year of the Sock: May

May 28, 2016 by JO 2 Comments

Pattern: Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon

Yarn: Paton’s Kroy Sock Yarn in Tangerine

Special pattern features:

Toe-up method
Afterthought heel
Stitch for foot: cable and openwork on the top of the foot, single crochet remaining stitches
Stitch for leg: the cables continue in the leg with additional cables and ribs added, evenly spaced around

This sock, and the month of May in general, were really rough going. No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to go right.

I was so enthusiastic about this sock when I began. The pattern, Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon, is really cool. The openwork center panel of stitches creates little bows up the top of the foot. Cables on either side of this look like jaunty ribbons. The combination makes for a fun sock project. It was surprisingly fast to do. I was zooming along, having the time of my life, when it suddenly dawned on me that I wouldn’t have enough yarn to finish. I was heartbroken. I had been so exciting about crocheting these socks that I completely overlooked the yardage requirements.

You might remember, I started Year of the Sock so that I could keep myself motivated to put to use a rather large stash of sock yarn. The yarn I used for this month’s pair of socks is at least four years old! It’s not surprising that Paton’s has discontinued it. That meant I wouldn’t be able to just go out and get more yarn. I’d have to put on my thinking cap and get resourceful.

I decided just to make do. I frogged the ankle I had finished on one sock and used it to crochet the ankle on the other. There was just enough to single crochet an edge at the top, which I did around a length of elastic in the hope that this will keep the anklet from slipping. So far I think it worked.

I crocheted the afterthought heel in some white yarn I had on hand.

I really feel like I didn’t do this pattern justice, so I plan to try it again next month. Although I think a solid color would be more appropriate for this pattern, all the sock yarn in my stash is variegated. Maybe I should use this sock yarn from Cozy Rabbit Farm. It’s more tonal, so it might show off the ribbons and bows better than the one I tried this month.

I’m excited that this month is coming to a close. Good riddance! And I’m equally pumped about starting June’s pair of socks. Perhaps June will be my month. That’s life. You just gotta pull up your socks and get back in the game.