Soft shoe shuffle

Socks for Mr C's 9th birthday

When one of my aunt's was asked to be a godmother for the first time she wanted to know what her ongoing duties would be. "New shoes every birthday", was the canny parents' response.

I can't come at shoes for Mr C. this year, but my 9 tomorrow nephew and godson can have new socks. These are specially constructed, slipping about on the tiles socks - we're just not telling his mother that.

The pattern is Melissa Deutsch Scott's Bushwalkers from Yarn issue 3.

I knitted the smallest size on 3mm needles rather than 3.75mm for a denser, hopefully more longer wearing fabric and also because Mr C. is only 9, and the smallest women's size still looked a bit big. Also didn't use a contrast yarn like the originals, because this colourway was so gorgeous it really didn't need the lift. The pattern features a garter stitch heel flap for cushioning and a star shaped toe.

The yarn is a Happy Spider special dye job in colourway "Camouflage". The 8ply was part of a huge lot of yarn donated by Margit before she left Canberra. Much of it went for felting, but some of it was soft enough for garments. This yarn has responded to a tight gauge very well.

Having succumbed to a bout of startitis, I also used up 17g of scrap sock yarn (Moda Vera Adore, colour tangerine) to make these little sweeties. Based on Jenny Occleshaw’s Little Roll Top Sock from an old copy of Creative Knitting. Unfortunately CK didn’t publish heel and gusset details and Ms Occleshaw's promised amendments never showed up, so I’ve improvised them. Also went down from a 2.75 to a 2.5mm needle to make them a little smaller.

Tiger, tiger socks

Not to be outdone, Mum continues with the bedsock output. Still using up the Jet, the solid colour is the original Jet colour, the variegated is the camel colour overdyed by Spidey.

The colours are not true but they are bright and cheery.