Posh Sock Challenge - Tuesday's Socks

We haven't even done the draw yet for Monday's socks but I was itching to cast on and use the beautiful Sylvia 4ply in "Darling Clementine" that was kindly sold to me by a fellow knitter after I put out a plea for some orange for my rainbow sock plan.  Posh Sylvia 4ply is a luscious combination of merino & silk which gives the yarn a gorgeous sheen and the colours change subtly in the light. "Darling Clementine" is a semi-solid orange that has gentle, almost unnoticeable colour changes from hot lava to an orange with a hint of red, nearly blood orange.

After my adventures with Monday's sock and the non-stretchy bamboo blend yarn, I decided to be a lot more considerate of the pattern and yarn marriage for Tuesday's socks.

I examined my Sylvia yarn, squeezing the skein and pulling a strand taught to see of it had much elasticity and whether it sprang back to the same length once released. I could feel that it was much more springy than the bamboo blend yarn, probably helped by the merino content. From my shawl making experiences however, I know that silk, once blocked, tends to hold it's shape well i.e. it doesn't spring back too easily into its pre-blocked shape. This is not a desirable quality for socks! So, to be on the safe side, I have decided to knit socks which feature ribbing as the basis of the pattern.

I have chosen Cookie A's "Milo" socks. They do have some cabling that winds its way horizontally across the sock but I'm hoping this isn't going to negate the stretch too much.

I'd forgotten that Sylvia, although beautiful, is a bit of a madam. She gets easily tangled into stubborn knots. I spent a good hour untangling one section of the skein. The halo of fibre around the yarn can felt  and create a kind of noose that encircles and constricts two or more strands. You have to locate the noose, identify the top and bottom of the strands involved and gently pull them apart, snapping the noose.  I can't tell you how many frustrating hours I spent trying to un-knot non existent knots before discovering it wasn't even a knot causing the problems!!

I have knitted about 2 inches of the leg and so far I am loving everything, the knitting, the pattern, the yarn and the colour of these socks...and they are moving along a lot more quickly than Monday's socks :-)
I am changing the X O X cabling down the back because that is the only bit of the pattern I don't like.

Milo is from the book, Sock Innovation: Knitting Techniques and Patterns for One-of-a Kind Socks