Colour Choices blog has moved to The Knitting Squirrel

I want to thank everyone who has followed Colour Choices Blog.

I have enjoyed writing this blog.

Over the last few months though, I have been planning and creating a new blog.

I've moved my projects and posts to my new website The Knitting Squirrel which is why you haven't seen any new blog posts on Colour Choices for a while.

I would like to introduce you to:

The Knitting Squirrel

Some of the posts will be familiar (as I wanted to retain the better posts), but I have many new projects, posts and ideas both on the needles and in draft form. 

I look forward to you visiting The Knitting Squirrel.  

Thank you for visiting and following Colour Choices.

Best wishes

Nicolette Kernohan

Norwegian Star Hat...

While browsing the patterns for fairisle hats on Ravelry.com I came across this set of hats, knitted in stranded knitting with multicolour Kauni effect yarn.  The pattern is designed by Ruth Sorensen and this pattern is from the Knit a Hat ebooklet.   I would definitely recommend this pattern.

I do have a couple of balls of Kauni yarn in my stash but there wasn't enough contrast between the colours for them to work well together so I chose to use one of my Noro Silk Garden sock yarns in shades of plum, mauve and olive green for the Norwegian stars contrasted with a dark plum/purple Trekking sock yarn for the dark main colour.

The pattern asked for 3mm and 3.25mm needles but I used 3.75mm needles instead as I have a tendency of knitting quite tightly when doing stranded colourwork in the round.  

Next time I think I would knit a narrower ribbed edging probably using the tubular cast on method for a neat edge.  I loved knitting this pattern and found the shaping for the crown to be rather cleverly worked within the stars.  But I find when I am wearing the hat that the crown goes to a slightly too "pixie" pointy finish for me.  I prefer my hats to be slightly more rounded at the crown.    I have only worn the hat a couple of times so far.  But DH thinks it looks nice on me.

I have some of this lovely yarn combination left over and I am trying to decide whether to design a cowl or fingerless mittens that would look lovely with the hat.  I think I will probaby opt for the mittens.

Pocketful of Posies...

This beautiful colourway Pocketful of Posies, is a hand dyed sock yarn from one of my favourite websites - Flamboyance Yarns.  The colours are subtle and muted...

I finished the Pocketful of Posies socks just before Christmas.  I love the way this yarn knitted up.  So beautiful the way the colours swirl around the sock.

I took a few photographs of the skein in daylight before I wound it into balls ready for knitting.

I have started knitting a pair of socks.  These two photographs were taken at night and it always interests me how different hues can look with different light sources...

It is a lovely sock yarn to knit with from one of my favourite ranges Splendour - 80% Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Nylon, and 10% Cashmere in a sock/4 ply weight...  The knitted fabric feels wonderfully soft to the touch and is a dream to work with.

Stormlit...

Now and again, a yarn arrives, and I just cannot wait to photograph it, I immediately whip out my yarn winder and have it turned into balls immediately...  Stormlit was one of these yarns...  Again, this is from Flamboyance Yarns...  I just love how she works with colour...

Stormlit is from her Hero range and is 100% Superwash British Falkland Merino Wool.  It is a high twist 4 ply sock wool and is wonderful to work with...

The richness and depth of hue in this yarn is amazing and the deep shades just seem to glow as the socks are knitted...  

I love how Stormlit looked when they were finished.  I finished knitting them just before Christmas.  They are comfortable and warm.  I have worn and washed these socks many times now and the colour is staying very true.

Flower Power Socks...

Flower Power is a beautiful 4 ply sock wool that I bought from The Knitting Goddess recently.

Hand dyed in colourway Flower Power.  Beautiful rich colours of pinks, magenta, greens, turquoise and mauve.  Gorgeous colours.

The 4 ply sock yarn is very soft and silky to the touch.  50% superwash merino and 50% tencel yarn (100g/333m).  I haven't knit with tencel before but my sister says it is very comfortable for socks.

The skein looked beautiful when it arrived

The yarn knits with a spiral pattern emerging so I decided that I would knit these with an afterthought heel.  I am deciding which to use at the moment.

I know that I will use the round toe for these socks as I like wearing them so much.  I did read about a round toe for the heel but I don't think it would be comfortable if the last 8 stitches were gathered but I think it would be more comfortable to kitchener stitch the last stitches.  Thinking about this at the moment.

The royal blue line is the waste wool that I have put in to show where the afterthought heel will be worked.

I finished these socks a few months ago and never actually photographed them at that time.  So I thought I'd photograph them now.  They have been worn and washed many times.  The yarn has, I think stood up well to general wear.  The after thought heels are comfortable although I do prefer wearing socks with a traditional heel flap.  But these socks were quick and easy to knit.

As I would have expected, the colour has faded a little, over time with washing.  But I think, if anything, they are even prettier than they were when they were first made.  I rather like the colours as they have softened.

Basic Sock Pattern 1

This is one of my basic sock knitting patterns, it has a heel flap and turned heel, gusset and a round toe.  Very comfortable to wear.  I find that it works well with a plain yarn, or a self striping yarn.

Materials:

100 g of 4 ply sock yarn

2.75mm set of 5 double pointed needles (dpn's)

3.25mm double pointed needle for casting on

tapestry needle

Abbreviations:  

k - knit;  p - purl;  ssk - slip, slip, knit;  p2tog - purl 2 sts together;  sl 1 - slip 1 stitch;  st - stitch; 

Cuff and Leg

Cast on 60 sts using the 3.25mm needle.  (I always use a larger needle to cast on).

On the first row using 2.75mm needles, divide over 4 needles, 15 sts on each.  Join into a circle, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Work 14 rounds of k1, p1 rib.

K 42 rounds (or as long as you want your sock to be).

Heel Flap

Preparation - place the sts from needles 1 and 2 onto one needle (30 sts) then, 

Row 1:  k2, (sl 1, p1, across to last two sts), k2, turn

Row 2:  k, turn

Rep these two rows a total of 16 times (32 rows)

Turn Heel:

Row 1:  p17, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 2:  sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn

Row 3:  sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 4:  sl 1, k7, ssk, k1, turn

Row 5:  sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 6:  sl 1, k9, ssk, k1, turn

Row 7:  sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 8:  sl 1, k11, ssk, k1, turn

Row 9:  sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 10:  sl 1, k13, ssk, k1, turn

Row 11:  sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 12:  k16, ssk, k1  (18 sts)

Instep:

Pick up and knit 17 sts along side of heel flap, k30 sts across the top of the sock (needles 2 and 3), pick up  and knit 17 sts along side of heel flap, then k9 across sole (bottom of sock).  

(Needle 1:  26 sts, Needle 2:  15 sts, Needle 3:  15 sts, Needle 4:  26 sts)

K 2 rounds (starting and ending at the centre bottom of sock).  On the first round k into back of each of the 17 picked up and knitted sts as this creates a twist in the st and stops any little gaps forming).

Gusset Decreases:

Round 1:  k to 3 sts before end of needle 1, k2tog, k 1, k30 sts across needles 2 & 3, k1, ssk, k to end of needle 4.

Round 2:  k

Rep these rounds until there are 15 sts on each needle.

Foot:

(For UK size 5 or 6, European size 38 or 39)

Work 42 rounds.

Round Toe:  Evenly spread decreases during the decrease round.

Round 1:  k4, (k2tog, k5) 8 times.

K 2 rounds

Round 4:  k4, (k2tog, k4) 8 times.

K 2 rounds

Round 7:  k4, (k2tog, k3) 8 times.

K 2 rounds

Round 10:  (k2, k2tog) 9 times

K 2 rounds

Round 13:  (k1, k2tog) 9 times

K 1 round

Round 15:  k2tog to end (9 sts)

Finishing:

Cut yarn, leaving a 12" (30 cm) tail.  Thread the tail onto the tapestry needle and draw it through the remaining sts.  Tighten and fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Heather Socks...

This gorgeous sock yarn is hand dyed in the Heather colourway by The Knitting Goddess...  I really like the shades of purple and the mint and sage green.  These colours work well together.

It is very soft to the touch.  a 4ply sock yarn in 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.  (100g/425m).

I bought this from a lady who was selling part of her personal sock wool collection on Ravelry.  

I knit this pair of socks at the same time on two sets of dpn's.  It is my favourite sock pattern.  I find all the elements very comfortable to wear.  A basic ribbed cuff, followed by 40 rounds of stocking stitch, then turning the heel, working the gusset and...

Finishing with a round toe.  I find that this style of toe with even decreases every third round is very comfortable to wear.

I am really looking forward to wearing these socks as they feel so very soft to the touch.  I opted for the plain pattern because the yarn has such a rich colour palette and fine stripes I felt that patterning would be lost.

I love using bamboo dpn's.  I used to get severe pain in my wrists and thumb joints when I was doing a lot of knitting and I find that using the bamboo needles really helps to stop this happening.

I finished knitting these socks surprisingly quickly.  Decided I just couldn't wait to start wearing them, then of course, I bought a great pair of Birkenstock sandals for the summer weather (yep, the first day I wore them, the rain pelted down on me and I really wished I was wearing shoes and cosy hand knit socks).  

But I do think that it will be nice to have a few new pairs of socks for the autumn.