More Socks

I started a new pair of socks, using a CookieA June sock club pattern.  She always gives 2 patterns in every shipment (every other month), as does Janel Laidman.  I find that one colorwork sock pattern every other month is about all that I can manage.  The CookieA socks are always an easier one, and then one with a bit more detail in it, I usually save the detailed one for the sock club yarn.   So, I bought this yarn on my trip, and am making these for Judy.  It is the Jubilee pattern, and I wish that I had read the comments by others before starting these, but I was working on them on our car trip back, and only opened my computer up to check the pattern.  The yarn is Plymouth Sockotta:

Judy picked this yarn at a new store in Grosse Pointe, MI.  It is called the Knotted Needle, and focuses on knitting and needlepoint, although I felt that the knitting took second stage.  Most of the yarns there were not anything that I would really want, a lot of the same old stuff that you can find in virtually every yarn shop (Cascade, Debbie Bliss, Noro).  There is a local store that also combines the 2 crafts also, and I find it a bit confusing, as there does not seem to be a lot of overlap, and they seem to end up short shifting something.  I did find this skein of hand dyed yarn from Abstract Fiber, a yarn that I have not seen or tried before, it is much finer than some of the other yarns, and I like that quality.  The color is Matisse Harvest.  Hard to resist anything Matisse, it will be interesting to see how it knits up.

Here are my Jubilee socks in progress, almost complete with sock #1.  The yarn is okay, would probably not make my “must buy again” list.  It was much cheaper though at just $12.50 for a 400+ yard skein.  The suggestion on Ravelry was to knit the YO stitches through the back loop, and the fabric is pulled in tighter.  I wish that I had seen that comment, as even though I am making the size M, they are very stretchy.

And more photos from our mini vacation.  Any ideas yet?