Socks, socks, sock

Actually, FOUR pairs.  I haven't cast on anything other than socks since finishing my stripey sweater and I realised I hadn't posted a picture of the finished socks I knitted for DD2, so here they are:

She only wanted ankle socks and they weigh 44g, so I only needed one 50g ball.

She then asked for another pair, so I knitted these:

These are WYS yarn and I think the colour's Pink Flamingo in the Cocktails range of colours.  Ankle socks again, but these were about 6 rounds longer than the previous pair, but still used less than 50g of yarn.

I'm now being badgered to knit a third pair for her and I'm pretty sure she knows exactly how many pairs I've knitted for her sister and will demand the same number for herself!

I have knitted some new socks for myself.  This pair were started at the beginning of December and finished at the end of February and were a pair I knitted "as and when" at knitting group when I had nothing else I could knit on whilst chatting, or when waiting for DD2's school transport to arrive.  The yarn's Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Rainbow.  64sts round, on 2.25mm needles, the way the colours of the yarn stacked up have given the socks a much less bright look than I thought I'd get.

I also got some interesting pooling once I started increasing for the gusset, but that's usual for this yarn and has happened with every sock I've knitted with it.

I got some interesting pooling on the heel flap as well:

The last pair is from some handspun 3ply yarn I made from some Cheviot fibre.  Cheviot is down type of fleece and is supposed to be hard-wearing and have non-felting properties.  I dyed the fibre at home with food colouring, using white vinegar to 'set' the colours in the fibre.  The yarn came out like this:

and these are the socks:

Quite subtle really and a bit like moss and lichen on the stone wall.  These were knitted on 2mm needles and the fabric's quite dense and the socks aren't particularly soft to the touch, but I wore them to work last weekend and they were very comfortable to wear.

I'm still trying to decide what 'big' project to knit next (probably a sweater) but in the meantime, I've got another pair of socks on the needles for me and DD2 is breathing down my neck, telling me to get on with them so I can knit her another pair!