repeat heel chart 10x so that the flap is long enough to pick up 20 sts
after completing heel turn, knit across 22 sts
knit the gusset before the instep
knit instep chart 2 1/2 times and stopped toe early so that it’s shorter and wider

For the first time ever, Daniel has requested a pair of socks. He chose the yarn and asked for some footies. I pulled up the only footie pattern written for men, and cast on. No one else has knit this and I did find a few pattern errors but they were quite easy to fix and once I’ve finished the first I”ll write to the designer about them. I’m about halfway down the foot of the first footie. He may get a second pair for Christmas if he likes them since I think these will use less than half of the skein.

I finally quit being lazy and finished up my Pisqu socks. I’d been avoiding cutting and pasting the charts in the larger format but finally opted to go with the old small chart that was ready to go. Once I started knitting the second sock was finished in no time. I’d only had the foot left to do. These will be very toasty when winter comes!

This year, Tricia and I both received Amazon gift certificates from a mystery Sock Madness member as a thank you for co-hosting the group. I took the opportunity to get some cookbooks that have been on my wishlist for quite some time. We really enjoyed the French Cooking at Home and Everyday Indian cooking shows and made several recipes from them when they aired. It’s much more convenient to have the books and there are even more delicious recipes in them. Crust and crumb has long been on my wishlist as well and I can’t wait to try some of those lovely bread recipes!

Here is yet another reveal. One of our Sock Madness members is infamous for posting the llama llama duck song err, rather frequently, in fact, at the slightest provocation. Several of us secretly prepared llama llama duck socks to throw her a virtual sock shower. For weeks we hinted that “Something Wicked This Way Comes” and on the final day of competition we revealed our socks, much to her surprise.

The final pattern of Sock Madness was released yesterday and these are pictures of my test knit. I’ll be finishing my pair much more slowly than our grand champion.

Finally I can reveal another test knit for Sock Madness. This is a fun illusion knit sock, Let Me Count the Ways. It has a very interesting construction and it did take awhile before things finally went “click” in my head. The designer added a very helpful illustration on the construction so I think it’s much easier to understand now. The other difficulty I had was in getting gauge. The illusion is much easier to see if you’re knitting at a very tight gauge. My first attempt didn’t use fine enough yarn and I ended up frogging, choosing a thinner yarn and going down to 00 needles. Eek those are tiny needles!

Last week I finished up the mate to my second test knit for Sock Madness. This pattern is a yarn eater but it will make for some very cozy socks for next winter as they are thick and very cushy. There are a few mistakes here and there but if they are not right up next to your face they pretty much disappear into the fabric of the sock. The pattern will “go public” sometime in June so look out for it! (And now it’ll be several weeks before I can show the other two test knits as those will appear in rounds 6 and 7, these were for round 2)

One of the things I’ve been so busy with is test knitting for Sock Madness. This was the round one pattern (we’re already in the midst of round 2). The top foot has the right ribbing and the bottom foot is goofed but both of them are a repeat too short in the leg. Darn! It’s a great pattern and a fun knit. I used the yarn leftover from Roses are Red, way back in 2008! If you knit, watch for the pattern release in June.