Red Sox for a Yankee?

Is it appropriate for a Yankee fan to wear red socks?  It is when the fan is only five years old and red is his favorite color!  I came across this great blog:  Knit Purl Hunter.  Not only does she have this nice blog, chock full of helpful videos, but she also does monthly knit alongs.  More on that later.  Anyway, in the course of checking out the site, I came across this great pattern for socks in her shop.

They're called "Juxtaposition".  I really liked them and thought they could be perfect for my little sock lover.  They're knit out of Knit Picks Stroll in "Scarlet".

I have to confess that I don't usually buy sock patterns since I have SO many books on socks.  Not only that, if you do a search on Ravelry, you can find a great variety of free ones.  That said, every once and awhile a pattern (like this) comes along and I crumble.

Since all the socks I knit are for boys, I shun the pretty lace and girly patterns.  These have great texture, don't you think?

The socks are actually knit from a chart, but it's really easy to follow.  I did have to modify it slightly for small feet.  I cast on 48 stitches and where the pattern calls for a yarn over, I picked up a stitch instead.  (Must keep them manly, you know. No holes!)  Also after I knit the first sock, I decided that the leg needed to be a little longer, so I frogged it and began again with a k2, p2 ribbing for 12 rows.  I also did my usual round toe.

If I knit them again, and I think I definitely will, I'll make the foot longer.  Sadly, these seem to fit his younger brother a little better.  That's okay though, I still have another skein of red yarn.  Marty's a Yankee fan too (we hope) but I don't think he'll mind wearing them either. 

So back to the knit alongs I mentioned earlier.  Last month, she did this very pretty feather and fan sock.  The patterns are broken down into parts and each week she does one part.  She has lots of helpful videos for support.  You just have to be careful not to miss a week, because at the end of the month, the pattern is gone and then you have to buy it if you want it.  This month is another sock.  You should definitely check it out if only for her videos.

While I'm on the subject of socks, I wanted to show you these neat sock blockers I got for Christmas.  They were a set of seven with sizes ranging from infants to men's large.  They're made out of clear plexiglass and the sizes are etched right onto each blocker.

If you've priced sock blockers you know they can be expensive.  These average out to be about $5.70 a pair.  That's a pretty good deal, I think.  You can check them out on her Etsy store here.  She's very nice, and no, I'm not related to her!