Knit Pom Squad Sneaker Sock

The #ScrappyHappyPals KAL party train just keeps on rolling!  All aboard?!  Next stop Summer Lee Designs' Pom Squad Sneaker Socks!

These sporty little ankle socks were such a joy to knit!

I used some leftover Fiber and Hue yarn.  The ball band has long since left the building but it feels like 80% SWM/20% nylon and it was definitely an OOAK hand dyed colorway that's probably no longer available (or possibly available upon request).  I used 0's and the knit the smallest size of the pattern.

Perhaps I just subconsciously knit a pair of socks to match my toenail polish or bed comforter...

I love the simple and practical design of these socks. 

I barely had enough yarn left to make my pom poms but luckily I had a ball of Madeline Tosh Sock Edison Bulb rollin' around to compensate.  

These are the smallest and cutest little pom poms I've ever made!  I already cast on the faded version this morning and although I won't be able to finish every pair by the end of this month (today), I'll probably be finished with my final 2 pairs at some point in early Sept.

While I was in a pom pom making mood, I decided to spiff up this vintage Chicago Bulls hat that my friend in MN sent me.  Someone actually removed the original pom pom and left a nasty hole in the top of the hat (why???).

Problem solved!  I'm actually a Knicks fan but I can't resist vintage Jordan Bulls gear!

Faded Frills Knit Socks

 About a week ago I finished knitting a pair of All The Frills socks, the 2nd pair of socks I completed in the Scrappy Happy Pals KAL.  I enjoyed knitting that pattern so much that I went ahead and knit the Faded Frills pattern, as my 3rd pair of socks in the KAL.  It is the exact same pattern as All The Frills but with 4 different yarns/color changes faded into the socks by alternating Color A/Color B, Color B/Color C, Color C/Color D in the following sequence:

A B A B AA B A B A BB A

I bought this Koigu Kpppm 100% SWM Puppy Kisses Webs exclusive a couple years ago.  I was always planning on using it to knit sock but never actually got around to fading until now.  

These are the 4 different sock minis that I used from the set.  They are the 3 hanks on the very right of the box and the 5th hank to the left of the 4th bluish hank (going right to left).  I was already familiar with this yarn because I'm actually crocheting a cardigan for Xena in a different colorway of the same type of yarn.  I love the variegation and how it feels to both crochet and knit with.

Tonight my dinner prep even matched my socks!

The faded colors on these socks remind me of sunrise to sunset.

I am truly mesmerized by all of the different colors!  I used size 0 needles as usual and I had just removed these socks from my feet before taking the photo so the bottom one looks bigger than the top for some reason but they are actually the same size.

Fading is so much fun! 

I have a bunch of faded patterns on my to do list that I am anxious to get started on as soon as I finish all of my X-Mas knitting.  I also plan to fade an upcoming pair of the shorty sport socks in my current KAL.

In case ya'll have been wondering what to wear with your white sandals.

Just blending in with my natural surroundings!

My hair is getting long but I'm (finally) getting it cut this weekend.

And now for something completely different!

All The Frills Knit Socks

This is my 2nd completed round of socks in the Scrappy Happy Pals KAL.  

I was hoping to finish them sooner but Matt's schedule is constantly changing on an unpredictable daily basis.  Sometimes he works at the office, sometimes he works from home, sometimes he works late and sometimes it's too hard for him to concentrate on WFH if Xena is around so I have to drop everything and take her outside for an extended period of time.  First World problems, yeah, I know.  

Anyway, the All The Frills pattern makes the sweetest little socks!

I used leftover Wooly Wonka Fibers yarn from the Flatiron Shawl I knit a couple years ago.  The ball band has since gone missing so I have no idea what the colorway is but it's really beautiful lilac colored yarn and I hope the photos I took outside in the bright sunshine reflect its lusciousness.  

I love how the frilly cuff is created by casting on double the regular stitch count and then decreased and secured with extra tight stitches.  

The rest of the pattern is just like the Basic B pattern and at this point I practically have it memorized.

As usual I knit the smallest size of the pattern with size 0 needles and I didn't block my socks before taking photos.

I especially like the idea of these frilly ankle socks because I have a lot of ankle boots.

The highlight of this summery afternoon was binding off my 2nd sock in the shade while Xena played in her pool.

Scrappy Happy Pals KAL

A few weeks ago, I joined my first virtual KAL organized by Rachel Alpine and Summer Lee.  With all of the X-Mas knitting currently on my needles, I decided to mix in a sextet of selfish, scrappy socks.

I was assigned 3 knit-pals to exchange mail with containing 35 yds of fingering weight yarn and a letter about myself.  I also volunteered to send 4 additional shipments of yarn to participants who otherwise couldn't afford to participate in the KAL.

It felt great to share some of my stash along with some happy mail!

Unfortunately, by the time the pattern was released and the KAL had begun, I had only received 2 of the 3 letters from my knit-pals.  The 3rd letter still hasn't arrived and what's the lamest is that the sender is located in Salinas and we both mailed our letters to each other weeks ago!  

So I decided to just go ahead and knit a pair of socks with my own stash.  Of course, Xena was more than happy to help me rummage through my yarn.  Of the six different sock patterns included in the release, I wanted to knit the Basic B pattern first but I wasn't sure if I would have enough of the yarn from my knit-pals for the stripes.  Well, it turns out I probably would have since the amount of stripes on the socks that I knit for myself have 1/2 as many stripes as the socks featured in the photo of the pattern.

My tiny foot size is no secret at this point but when it comes to instant gratification, shorty socks are where it's at. 

A crazy toddler + Matt WFH = perpetual interruptions, drama and chaos and it still only took me less than a day to knit each sock.

I didn't and don't block socks for myself so my jog might be slightly more obvious than some might desire but guess what?  It's on the sole of my sock so no one will even see it!

The fingering yarn scraps I used were from the following awesome indie dyers: 

KindredRed - Oh snap! (100% SWM)

Wonderland Yarns - Queen of Hearts (80% SWM/10% cashmere/10% nylon

Knitted Wit - Oregon Sky (100% SWM)

I couldn't resist using my matching ruler that I've had since elementary school to demonstrate just how short my shorty socks are.  

So, I still have 5 more patterns to knit until the KAL ends in Sept and I can't wait to cast on my next pair!