I’ve made a number of iterations of this pattern, “Braided Cable Socks,” that comes in a small book of sock patterns that I picked up in a craft store.

The socks call for superfine yarn, 2 skeins at 230 yards per skein. Previously, I have made them with a fine cotton yarn. I’ve liked the results. Surprisingly, these socks don’t sag even though they contain no elastic. After making and wearing a few pair, I’ve become convinced that hand-knitted socks are the gold standard in luxury.

The one minor problem with this pattern is that the socks tend to develop a slight gap in the middle of sole of the foot, where we are doing stocking stitch shared across two needles. In the past, I have dealt with this by varying the number of stitches on each needle.

This time, though, I wanted to use a wool yarn to make this pattern. I had bought a hank of superwash merino wool, hand-dyed, from someone I know socially, via her etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahLizFiberArts . (When I went back to the shop, intending to post a review of the yarn accompanied by one of these pictures, it appears that she no longer sells yarn. Anyway.)

The hank I purchased, with a color pattern she had named Frozen, was less than 300 yards long. I feared that it would only furnish enough to make one sock, so I shortened the ankle part of the socks from 6″ to 3.5″. I also substituted some light grey yarn from my stash for the toe. My reasoning was that, even if I ran out of Frozen yarn partway down the second sock, at least they would look similar when I had shoes on.

Now, I’m into the heel flap of the second sock, and the ball of Frozen still has not run out. Either because it’s merino wool or because it’s slightly heavier than superfine, Frozen has been more forgiving than the cotton yarn I usually knit with. The sole-of-the-foot gap did not show up, and the stitches even out better and are stretchier than with cotton.

Here’s one more close-up of the yarn ball, taken for the review that never happened. The yarn came in a hank, so I had to unwind it and roll it into a ball before I could begin.

After knitting the Indian blanket, these socks seem to be knitting up incredibly fast.

Which reminds me of a story. One my students, using a vocabulary word, described his grandmother as “adept.” I asked what she was adept at, thinking knitting or else pies. Turns out, she’s a ninja.