Knitting for little footsies

Pattern: "it's a guy thing" by Caroline Hegwer

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in colorway Kale

Needles: US 2

Size: 5-6 inch circumference

Ever growing footsies need socks, right? So, I brought out my big box of yarn and went through the fingering sock weight section, pulling out a few left over skeins from previous finished sock projects or from the multitude of little leftovers my mother gave me. I set to work immediately and hey, voilà! A new pair of socks for L's little footsies.

This was actually the first time I knit socks from a pattern that had a design on it. I learned to make socks as a teenager while sitting on the couch next to my mother. She would walk me through it, telling me what to do for each section, which I would do, and then she would tell me what to do for the next. No patterns, just a kind of recipe. When I moved away from home, I would refer to sock recipes like "How I Make My Socks" by Susan B. Anderson to keep me on track, but mainly remembering my knitting sessions with Maman. And since "it's a guy thing" is my mother's sock pattern, I new it would almost feel like we were knitting together again. (Ah, I miss vacation when I get to go see her!)


I really enjoyed certain details that gave the sock a crisp and clean finish, such as the garter stitch edge on the heel flap, which made for a very clean edge after picking up stitches. An improved edge from my previous socks! I'll definitely be using garter stitch on the edge of the heel flap again. I also really liked how easy it was for me to make the different sections shorter or longer to fit my boy. I'm looking forward to making this for myself and my husband.

I chose this leftover Madelinetosh subtly variegated sock yarn, which I thought would bring out the beauty of the texture of the sock. I had used this yarn to make myself a pair of socks last year, but unfortunately those socks are looking rather ragged. I suppose he'll grow out of them before they have time to look ragged though. I had 39 grams and each sock used about 15 - so, I still have a bit left, which I'll have to find a way to use.

I've already made another pair with a leftover skein from my mother. If my memory serves me right, I seem to remember her saying it was Koigu, but I could be wrong. Only 31 grams of yarn here, so it was rick-rack!