I finished the first pair! To recap, the yarn is a three ply hand spun ‘illegal’ (mix of Z and S spun yarns, plied S) yarn that my mum and I made from fiber bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. I actually knitted a swatch! The gauge I got was 8 stitches per inch (Mommy got 9), as it’s a bit heavier of a sock yarn. In order to have the yarn tightly plied enough, we had to overplay this yarn, so it is far from balanced and really likes twisting up on itself. Because of that my swatch is less of a rectangle… the yarn is also fairly scratchy, and my pointer finger on my left hand, where I hold and tension the yarn, didn’t really like this yarn.
Mum’s swatch doesn’t lean as much as mine, most likely because she had a much wider border at the sides. She also did a seed stitch border, while I used a garter border. Mine is also fuzzier, and we’re not sure if that’s a difference in the yarn, or if that’s because I am a much looser knitter than my mom.
Amy’s swatch-stockinette with garter border
Mum’s swatch-stockinette with seed stitch border
I made the socks with fewer stitches than normal, but otherwise these were fairly straightforward socks. The ribbing in the cuff prevents the fabric from skewing in the same way that the swatch did, so I continued the ribbing down the foot. I also used a spiral toe instead of my standard toe, because I was worried that the standard toe would try to rotate, and so I went with a toe decrease where a rotation wouldn’t matter.
The socks aren’t soft enough to wear next to my face, but I don’t notice them as being scratchy when they’re on my feet. Mum is really happy with them!