More Dan Socks!

Dan now has a third pair of hand knit socks!

They are a simple stockinette sock so I was able to really whip them out pretty quickly - one week from cast on to bind off. I also used a new heel that is fantastic - Fish Lips Kiss heel which gives a way to figure sizing based on a cardboard foot template you create. It's pretty fantastic. And the heel is awesome. So yeah, if you knit socks, check out that heel. The pattern is a dollar but it is well worth it. I'm now itching to make cardboard foot templates of everyone ever. Because you never know when I'll need to make them socks!

Also, these socks mark the beginning of a year-long Ravelry challenge I am attempting: 12 Socks in 2014. Yes, that's a pair a month. I have plenty of socks that I want to make and I need loads more than the just five pair I currently have, so hopefully this challenge will help me in filling up my sock drawer. It's already helped Dan!

I have time before the February sock challenge so I've started work on a knitted doily to go on top of my knitting bowl as a kitty repellant.

I'm not too far into it but I only started last night.

I'm also using this lace project as a chance to try out the Knitter's Pride Karbonz DPNs. They are carbon fiber with metal tips and they make also interchangeables with the same stuff so I wanted to give them a little test. But I'll be honest, I'm not loving them. First off, I'm using a 2mm needle. How can something so small be so dull at the tip? But I'm having trouble doing something as simple as knitting through the back loop so yeah, super-blunt!

Also, the metal tips (which I assume are there for either added pointiness (which doesn't work) or to make them less breakable) create a join that my stitches catch on. I'm used to joins being a potential problem on circs but DPNs? Bah! Who thought that was a good plan?

I was really looking for some HiyaHiya needles for this project but the yarn store I went to only had these in the right size so decided it was an opportunity to try carbon fiber. But yuck. I am not a fan. I'm only on round 15 of a potential 90 (depending on the size I make the doily) and these needles already make me grumpy. HiyaHiya has spoiled me so. I think there are other pure carbon fiber DPNs (no metal tips) made by other manufacturers and those could be interesting because I do like the texture of the carbon fiber and how it feels in my hand, but the tips of the Knitter's Pride version just kill it for me.

Oh well, hopefully the lace won't take too terribly long and I'll work on some fun socks next month.