Web-Letter, Issue 155 – Striped Alpaca Sox When it comes to socks, I’m a bit of a utilitarian—I prefer simple stockinette stitch socks. Although I do admire the many sock patterns available in lace, cables, and beyond, I just can’t bring myself to slip such intricate (and sometimes bumpy) work into a shoe. This week’s pattern, a striped sock pattern from Kim Haesemeyer, has my number with smooth stockinette stitches worked in stripes of varying widths to make both the knitting and the finished object interesting. Read on to learn more about Kim’s pattern and the hand dyed Alpaca Sox yarn she chose.
The Story: Stripes are one of my favorite ways to add some zing to my knitting. They can be bold, skinny, wide—so many combinations that can change a project in a flash with minimal effort. When Wendy Johnson from www.wendyknits.net had a video tutorial of corrugated ribbing without changing colors every two stitches, I was in awe. The two separate colors only need to be twisted at the beginning of each round. The contrast color only is worked one round (while the main color stitches are slipped) and the main color only is worked the second round (while the contrast color stitches are slipped). Consequently, two rounds of knitting are required for all stitches to be worked. Alpaca Sox is a supremely soft blend of alpaca and merino wool with nylon for strength. Truly a treat for your hands and feet. Happy knitting! --Kim Haesemeyer (designer) Designer's blog: www.bigskyyarnsandcrafts.com The Yarn: Alpaca Sox 60% alpaca, 20% merino, 20% nylon Alpaca Sox is a yarn lover's dream come true. Not only is the yarn a pleasure to work with but the wide range of colors available is also a treat. There are 13 kettle dyes, 14 solids, and 23 handpainted colors. The softly shaded kettle dyes used in this week’s Striped Socks pattern are hand-dyed in small batches, making every skein unique. Because of the uniqueness of this yarn, working in stripes will help disguise varietions from one skein to another of the same color. Alpaca Sox kettle dyes provide color interest with a slight, easy shifting of color that doesn’t hide or compete with stitch patterns. The blend of alpaca, merino and nylon in Alpaca Sox creates an exquisite yarn that is not only luxurious but also comfortable and warm. Alpaca provides warmth and softness, merino wool adds elasticity and cushion, and a little nylon adds strength and durability. Alpaca Sox is a 2-ply yarn twisted just enough to be durable, but relaxed enough that the soft alpaca fibers can expand a little and show their halo. This yarn is perfect for not only socks, but also works well for scarves and other accessories.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Alpaca Sox Striped Socks pattern. (file size: 504 KB) If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pattern above, try these: page 1, page 2, page 3
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	Alpaca Sox Leg Warmers Pattern available in Web-Letter Issue #29.
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