Bumblebees

They're done. These are the Bumblebee Socks knit in Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn. My first pair of toe-up socks. I had to make quite a few adjustments to help the socks fit the recipient. I should know in about a week whether it worked. I used a smaller needle for about an inch and a half at the ankles, since this person has narrow ankles, and I worked in an extra 8 stitches toward the top, because the recipient let me know that handknit socks tend to fall down around the ankles, and I think that could be because her socks aren't big enough at the top.

As I was knitting, the fabric was nice and flat, and I worked hard to keep the held yarn long enough in back, but it's clear from the sock on the left that as the work relaxed the fabric really puckered. This was new to me, and I attribute it to the yarn's being superwash--it was able to slip as it relaxed. However, when I blocked the socks they kept their shape perfectly well.


My major concern with the pattern is the colorwork around the heel, which really restricts the elasticity of the socks. They should be a perfect fit, but will require some attention getting the sock to slide over the heel. Other than that, this is a really fun pattern to work. The stripes in the bees take advantage of the variegated yarn, so that was easy to achieve.