Grey socks, post 1

I keep reading about Me-Made-May on people's blogs (especially since I'm currently reading So, Zo... What do you know? who actually started Me-made-May.  (The idea is to encourage people to not just keep their handmade clothing items for 'best', but to incorporate them into everyday. Or at least every day in May!

My current me-made wardrobe consists of lots of knitted hats & gloves/mittens & scarves. 3 pairs of socks, 1 twinset & 1 summer dress. So I'd be hard-pressed to do a full 31 days with that. 

My goal is to start with the basics - I wear knickers every day, so think that's a good place to start. & wear socks most days even in the summer (because trainers without socks are not nice for my feet, but trainers are great for running & for walking the dog).

I can make socks (obviously, or I wouldn't have 3 pairs already) & decided that I wasn't going to buy any more socks for myself when I'd found out how to make them. 

I started with Winwick Mum's Sockalong (easy sock for beginners)  for pair number 1, then modded that with a different heel for number 2. 

As you can see, they're not perfect, & are showing wear & tear with darning done previously & more needing to be done. (Which is why they're downstairs, unlike socks 1,which are nicely folded in the drawer upstairs.) The 3rd pair are knee high winter socks, & do fit my muscly calves well (I should hope so, since it took me 5 attempts to get them to fit me!). But. I'd not really got enough yarn to continue their stripes to make them longer, & they really aren't long enough to stay up unless I'm styling them like leg warmers with trousers tucked into them.

So I'm now working on socks number 4, Grey socks four me. 

Yes, there are 6 double pointed needles and a crochet hook there. I'm trying to avoid having to darn these, at least so soon, so am using slipped heel stitch on the toes, sole & heel; and ribbing the top of the foot ready for the ribbing that goes all up the leg.  The ribbing worked on the 3rd pair, I started with 4:3 rib (4 knit stitches, 3 purl, repeat...) then added another stitch to the purl sections as my leg got wider. Then another to the knit sections, and eventually another to the purl sections, so I was working 5:5 rib; then worked 1:1 rib to give a closer rib cuff to the socks. 

I knew that Winwick Mum made reinforced socks so read what she'd said & noted that she said not to pull too tight on the slipped heel stitch. So... I'm using 3mm dpns for the slipped heel stitch (the light brown bamboo needles in the photo) & 2.5mm dpns for the rib, & will change to using them for the whole sock once it's all in rib.  Oh, & using a 2.5mm crochet hook for undoing the previously mis-knitted stitches for the bit where I realised I'd done slipped heel stitch where I should have done rib...