So I've released my first pattern, Squadron Socks. Knit from Georgian Bay Fibre Co.'s Kilcoursie Fingering, this pattern is a great for guys, the pattern is engaging for the knitter but subtle for the wearing.
I did a post over on the Georgian Bay Fibre Co. blog about the story behind the socks, and I'm sharing it here for you. I would suggest you follow Carla, she is a great knitter and dyer and takes much better photos than I do.
But I didn't want you to miss out the story behind my first published design
This all started out so innocently, I just wanted to knit my brother-in-law, Jim, a pair of Birthday Socks. For those who read my blog, you know that I don’t do Christmas Knitting, but for a few close family members I make Birthday Socks.
So Jim’s birthday is at the end of January, however it was the middle of the month and I was home for a visit and I hadn’t started Jim’s socks yet. I was in a bit of a rut and I hadn’t found a pattern I loved, most of the pattern’s designed for men can be a smidge dull for the knitter.
However, right at the end of the weekend as I was about to head out, something incredible came out of Carla’s dyepots. It was golden yellow, rusty orange and just beautiful. It was the first skein of the colorway we now know as Franklin Island Lichen.
Well the skein was yelling at me to take it home and knit it into socks for Jim. Before I knew it I was diving into my Barbara Walker stitch dictionary and coming up with the pattern.
My blurry iPhone photos don't do this pattern, or the yarn justice, (and it doesn't help that my feet are much smaller than Jim's)
I was inspired by the pennants that are flown on many of the boats out on Georgian Bay. The most decorative of which can usually be found on the member boats of the Sail & Power Squadron. The group, who encourage safe boating, are quite active in the Parry Sound region.
With the shifting k4/p4 patterning, this sock is engaging to knit and easily memorized, but subtle for both men and women who don’t want flashy socks. This pattern works best with tonal colorways as the textured fabric can get swallowed up by a more multicolored skein.
So happy belated birthday Jim, with your socks finally photographed and the pattern released, you can finally wear them, two months later.