Sock Blanks Are Way Cool

Amy socks 1
Originally uploaded by sapoague

I just finished knitting this pair of socks for my daughter, and they were way too much fun. The wool yarn came as a sock blank from KnitPicks. The yarn is 2 strands of wool knitted together in a rectangle that is meant to be painted with acid dyes, steamed, and then raveled into 2 separate balls of yarn that match exactly in color.

This is the perfect method for doing space dyes that have loooooooong color repeats. I used ProChem One shot dyes, so I didn't have to mess with any vinegar when mixing the colors. I followed the KnitPicks very helpful tutorial for soaking, painting, steaming and rinsing. My variation is in using the crockpot for steaming the plastic-wrapped painted bundle.

I knitted the socks on size 2 needles (size 1 probably would have been a better choice, but oh well), and I had yarn left over on each ball. So I could have knitted the cuff longer (I did 6").

They were a big hit with my daughter, and I definitely will be doing this again!