Knitting: New Socks & Mittens

My second pair of socks are finished and I'm quite pleased with them:
They fit very well and are not snug around the ankle like the first pair. When I started I thought I would never learn to do ribbing correctly but now I've finished this pair of socks and have it down pat.
If you look closer you might see one of my newbie "I've never seen anyone knit before" mistakes. I was twisting all of of my knit stitches, which made my first pair of socks extra snug and the toes all twisted. A kind and talented glass beadmaker friend let me know they were twisted and now my socks are soft and stretchy.
I had already done all of the cuff/leg and the heel when I found out so I dutifully twisted all the stitches for the cuff of the second sock to match.

My next project is a pair of matching mittens. This was my first attempt at striping (I made up the pattern as I went along) and it turned out mostly fine. You can see one of my mistakes easily in this picture though, hopefully I won't make that one again.


I also made this french press cover for my sweetie for our anniversary. I made up the pattern as I went along and it turned out well. I originally planned to have it fasten under the handle but in the end decided that any fastener would be too fiddly for morning coffee.

Enjoy!

I knitted Socks!

I know, I know usually I make beads. What happens when your hobby becomes your business? You find a new hobby to add to the mix. And so I picked socks.

I did make an ill-fitting (too short) hat first, that was sort of a mobius strip for a time, so the road to socks was not without its bumps. I found this pattern online. It was fairly easy to follow and the photos are great. I had a little trouble with the ribbing. First I searched on Ravelry, then I found this video on Youtube and that made all the difference. I wasn't fully switching my yarn to the front and back so my rib stitch was a crazy cross-hatch of madness.

Admittedly, these socks are a little small for me. The foot length is perfect, but the girth is snug, apparently my feet are chubby as well as long. I haven't been able to figure out why my knitting spirals like that. If anyone knows, please tell me. I taught myself so perhaps I knit in a weird way.

I've already started on my next pair:As of this posting I've just finished turning the heel, my favorite part.