Shell Cottage Socks

This was my first experience knitting one of Helen Stewart’s patterns from this year’s Handmade Sock Society!  And it was so much fun! I can’t tell you how exciting it was to cast on a pattern that I knew other knitters were enjoying at the same time.  I chose my yarn carefully and these Shell Cottage Socks turned out great!

The Pattern

This pattern was super easy to knit, though it looks complicated.  The knotted look of the pattern makes it look so much more difficult than it really is.  The pattern was gratifying in that it provided much more stimulation than vanilla socks, which you just knit continuously. 

Though I know Helen Stewart can walk me through a heel flap and gusset, I still turned to my trusted tutorial by Charlene Schurch (Sensational Knitted Socks) to make sure I didn’t make any  mistakes. And these socks fit great!

The Yarn

I decided to use a skein of Pineapple Yarn for these socks.  Given the description of shells and beaches, I thought this yarn was the perfect choice.  The red, green, and black speckles – along with the neutral, slightly pink base – made me think of shells on the beach.  And there was a bit of gold stellina in this yarn, giving it just a bit of shimmer when you look closely at it.

This yarn was a lot of fun to knit with.  Speckles are not for everyone but I love them!  I love it when a new color pops up on the needles!  It’s the little things in life, you know?

Details

Pattern: Shell Cottage Socks by Helen Stewart

Yarn: Pineapple Yarn Gold Nani Twist

Colorway: End of the Day #10

Needles: US 1.5 dpn (2.5mm)

Made for: me!

Time to Completion: 7 weeks

This pair of socks took me a bit longer than expected due to having a vacation in the midst of knitting them.  But they were so much fun. And they fit great!  

Even though I’ve now knit several pairs – 10 now! – of socks, I still like to do a gauge swatch.  Some sock yarns are just a bit finer than others. Must Stash, for example, requires me to knit with a smaller needle than most.  This Pineapple Yarn allowed me to go up a needle (half) size, which was nice. I hate fearing that I’m going to break my wooden needles!

If you’re looking for a fun sock pattern to knit, I highly recommend this one!