Lovely and Intricate

I’m just completely and utterly enjoying knitting this sock:

I mean, just look at it. Isn’t it lovely? The pattern is Baroque, by Janice Kang. It’s available for free from the Fall 2008 issue of Knitty Magazine (Ravelry link). It has a small double cable up each side of the leg, and a weaving and twisting pattern of 1×1 twisted rib on the front and back.

I love the way the intricate pattern is forming up, and I love the way this sock yarn shows the pattern, without being too flat. The yarn is a one-off hand-dyed yarn from Holiday Yarns that I bought last fall in Rhinebeck. The yarn has a nice firm twist that resists splitting, and it is soft and easy to work with. I suspect it will wear well, too. I’m using 2.25 mm needles.

When I started, I was using a cable needle to do all of the cables and twisted cables, because that is what I’m used to. However, I’ve switched to doing without the cable needle, and it’s now going faster and is easier as well. It just took a little bit to get used to. The pattern includes instructions for both methods.

This isn’t exactly simple travel knitting, but it isn’t as hard as it looks, either. It just takes a little bit of attention to what you are doing, and a good place-marker for the chart.

If you aren’t familiar yet with Knitty Magazine, I highly recommend you check it out. Along with great patterns by talented designers, you will find informative articles on knitting and spinning, a forum to connect with other knitters, and Toronto-based editor Amy Singer’s blog.