I finished the first of my New England socks for the KOTR KAL yesterday!

I changed a few things from the book — I prefer short socks, so only did 2 diamond repeats on the leg, not 4, and the lace ribbing on the back goes to just before starting the heel flap. For the toe, instead of waiting til 9 stitches per needle to decrease every row I started at 11 stitches. I used size 1 needles instead of 0 to ‘size’ the sock up (I wear size 9.5 shoes, much bigger than the sock on size 0s at gauge was supposed to be). I used Nature’s Palette merino fingering/sock yarn in light teal.

I learned a lot with this sock — a different way to turn the heel, how to pick up dropped stitches in a lace pattern (to a certain degree — at least my confidence is improving), how to drop stitches purposefully in a lace pattern to go back and fix mistakes, a few tips on picking up the stitches for the gusset, etc. I feel I could look at another sock pattern and be able to change the heel or toe, for example, if I didn’t like the one specified in the pattern.

This is also the first time I’ve worked on one project, and nothing else, for over three weeks. Having said that, before I start sock two, I’m knitting up a scarf (as a surprise present). I’m doing a modified Irish Hiking scarf, with only 2 cables instead of three, with Hand Painted Yarn’s (of Malabrigo fame) 6 ply bulky Merino on size 10 needles. This is such a fast, easy knit in comparison to the sock. I should be able to finish this in a couple days of here and there knitting.

Note: I’m not a slow knitter — when I actually sit and knit I can get a lot done. It’s just that (gasps of horror) I simply don’t knit every day. Sometimes not for a couple days in a row. Sometimes I only do a few rows. Sometimes, like this weekend, I’ll finish four or five inches of sock just to get it done.