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Here’s my first pair for the SSoS Challenge!

I have named them Jitterbugging at Dusk. They’re the On Your Toes socks from Interweave Knits Summer 2007, done in Colinette Jitterbug (’Dusk’ colourway) on 2.5 Addi circulars. I was amazed at how few stitches I needed with this yarn; normally I cast on 64 or 66 stitches for a 2.5mm needle, but I easily went down to 56 sts for these socks. It helps that the pattern is decently stretchy, of course. I modified the pattern to use Wendy Johnson’s gusset heel. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that I got a decently long cuff, despite the short yardage on Jitterbug. Would knit again

(Jitterbug reminds me very much of Socks that Rock Mediumweight - same kind of weight, texture, roundness of strand, twist and springiness).

I am now hard at work on two pairs, one in Lorna’s Laces and one in Stone Barn Fibers. I hope to get pics of these up soon!

Yes, the blog looks different. In my lameness, I tried stuffing around with my theme and somehow buggered up the sidebar so that the entire thing wouldn’t display, and I couldn’t get it back again. This is because I am lame at CSS and HTML. So this is a temporary blog till I work out a theme I like enough to stick to it, or until I manage to inveigle Emily into making it all pretty for me

Anyway, I am ready for the Southern Summer of Socks, which begins tomorrow! I cast off the Tofutsies socks this afternoon and have spent some time winding skeins into yarn-cakes and reading pattern books for inspiration. I took a photo of the sock yarn stash tonight, as proof of what I’m up against:

It shall decrease substantially over the summer! I’ve also added a new rule; if I purchase a new kind of sock yarn while the challenge is on, that yarn becomes part of the challenge. I think I’ll ease myself into it - I’ll be casting on in the morning on the train, so I’ll do something nice and easy like a plain toe-up in Colinette Jitterbug. The train is murder for casting on

After much thought (much! seriously!) I have come to a conclusion about my personal challenge for the SSoS. Rather than challenge myself to do a particular type of pattern or learn a new technique, I am challenging myself to knit at least one pair from every “flavour” of sock yarn in my stash.

That means that I have to knit one pair of socks using each of the following yarns:

• Dream in Color Smooshy
• Wollmeise Sockenwolle
• Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock
• Colinette Jitterbug
• Opal
• Trekking XXL
• Trekking Pro Natura
• Socks that Rock
• The Knittery merino cashmere
• The Knittery merino
• ‘Avalon’ by WhiteWillow (indie dyer)
• Yarnivorous (indie dyer)
• Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome
• Schaefer Anne

That should both keep me busy AND use up the stash The last in particular will be interesting because the only skein of Anne I have is kind of ugly. I ordered a skein of ‘Ingrid Bergman’ because it looked so pretty in the picture - mid-pink, soft pinky-lilac, soft peach and subtle tan-green. When I got it, it was dominated by BRIGHT, bright neon pink and an orange which would be nice if not paired with this pink. I was very disappointed. I may yet order another skein just so I can fulfil my challenge.

In the meantime, I have two-thirds of a sock to finish this weekend so I can start afresh on Monday. Needles, here I come!