Which means I’ve finished the Bust out of Your Box Socks Challenge!

Pattern: Hedera Socks from Knitty Spring 06
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Cotton
Needles: 2.5 mm bamboo dpns until the end of the fourth lace repeat, 2 mm for the rest
Comments: This is a very tidily written pattern, and the yarn, though splitty, is the nicest cotton yarn I’ve used. An interesting new take on the heel flap placed the slip stitch part on the purl side.

Though I found the lace repeat in these socks managable and I love these socks, I’m still not a convert to lace knitting. They seemed to take forever to knit, and while that might have something to do with knitting several other projects at the same time I know it was partly due to the lace.

Overall, the idea behind my little sock challenge was to try new methods of sock shaping, from patterns written by others, instead of just churning out my own safe pattern over and over. It definitely succeeded. I want to try other sideways methods, knit more patterns from Vintage socks as well as Favourite Socks. On the flip side, I’ll think twice before trying a Vogue pattern again! The Panda Cotton was worth making myself mail order to find out what it was like. Not only can I see myself knitting more warm weather socks, but I may actually be able to knit my Mum socks with this.

As for the title for my challenge to knit sock yarn for anything but socks for me, I’ve settled on ‘Sockless Summer’. What am I going to cast on for first? Er… socks for the beau. I did say I could knit socks for others! But I’m also planning to start another project. Either adding the band to the Glamour Vest or the cashmere yarn to make Chocolate Gloves.

But first I need to warp up the loom and whip up some tea towels.