lostpurl

Mata Hari socks from Steph at http://craftoholic.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_craftoholic_archive.html
The pattern is both simple and elegant. Email Steph for the pattern. You need to have knit socks before as the pattern is just for the spiral pattern, you supply the ribbing, heel and toe.
Worked with Opal prototype in a deep denim blue. From http://stores.ebay.com/Astrids-Dutch-Obsessions
I wish I could get more, but it was limited availability. The scan is way to light.
Size US 1 (2.50mm) Addi needles on 60 stitches.
I thought this might be too tight for me, but the yo give a lot of stretch. There is just enough counting to keep it interesting, but enough plain rounds to coast on. An enjoyable knit Posted by Picasa

Done and done. The pattern was a dream to work. The yarn super soft. The color is too intense in this picture. It is an icy blue. The yarn a superwash merino is really too soft and stretchy for socks, at least in this pattern. I think I will save the rest of superwash for scarves and such. Even though the socks are machine washed and dried, the socks began to spread quickly as I walked around in them. They didn't wrinkle under foot, but they were much larger after an hour on the foot. Still I like them and will wear them. I am beginning to think that while you can makes socks from any yarn you wish, when you use non sock yarn the results may not be as planned. The socks I started using the Little Leaf pattern are being worked in non sock fingering weight yarn. The yarn is lovely but is much too stretchy for the pattern. I think I will frog this and try the pattern is a regular sock yarn. Live and learn troops. I have just charted the Yukon Leaves pattern. I find it easier to work from a chart. I am now the proud owner of some knitting symbol fonts. So in future my charts should look more normal.

Lace socks using Silva Hardings Little Leaf pattern, http://www.siviaharding.com/leaf.html
. The yarn is JoJoLand on Ebay http://stores.ebay.com/JOJOLAND-ONLINE color # 7-Y-29 fingering weight on size 2.50mm. The yarn is really lovely the colors go from soft pink to soft yellow, blue and pale green. The pattern is easy to master, only 4 rows long, 8 stitches wide. Some of us need extra help, as you will note the stitch markers. I really don't like frogging lace, so I would rather deal with many stitch markers. I think I can take them off now that the pattern is semi memorized.

Notice how nicely the star toe decrease finishes off the last leaves. The whole sock pattern is so well thought out. This is the first time I used the star toe decrease, it won't be the last. I have just turned the heel on the second sock, I expect to have these puppys on my feet in the very near future. Usually I don't like to do a pattern more then once. But I think I will probably do this again, maybe fall colors or red for a nifty pair of holiday socks. Ok not that warm on a freezing day, but pretty counts for something too.
I followed the pattern as written, except for cutting the yarn for the gusset pickups. I have done this with self patterning yarns to keep the flow of the pattern on the sock the same. This yarn is so soft and fine, I didn't want to risk, having a weak spot at the heel. What I did was start the heel turn on the wrong side. When I finished the heel turn I was on the knit side and just continued to the gusset pickup. But you could just knit an extra row, if you start the heel turn on the knit side. Either way works. I also think the 2.75mm needle is a bit large for this yarn. It works well in the leg and foot, but the whole gusset pick up and decrease area are a bit thin looking to me. I didn't want to go down a needle size with this pattern as I was afraid the lace would come out to stretched looking. On the second sock I am working now I have gone down to a 2.50mm for the heel turn/gusset area. We shall see how that works out. I don't loose sleep over how it looks, as it will be inside my shoe.As long as there are no holes I am a happy girl. And I doubt even I will ever be looking at the side of my foot. Not with all those beautiful leaves.
 

The garter stitch heel flap. I have just picked up the gusset stitches. This is the first time I have done a heel flap with a garter stitch border. I like the way it looks so far. As usual for me, I have a different number of stitches on each side of the sock. But will work them off in due time so they are all even again. I just pick up enough stitches so to have a good firm edge with no holes or spaces. The heel flap is a bit shorter then my usual heel flap. This is because the yarn is very stretchy and so is the lace pattern. Unlike the picture in Interweave Knits, I don't care for my socks all scrunched up around my ankles. If you look you can see the first row I did after picking up the gusset stitches is purl. This seemed to snug up the gusset stitches even more. A great pattern. 

The pattern is from Winter 2005 Interweave Knits. I redid the chart. For one thing, IK seems to think we all have super vision. For another I dislike starting rounds with purl stitches. Working with two circs I start each round with the leaf pattern and end with the three purls that form the division between the leaves. The only place this could be a problem is one round starts with a YO. I would rather that then all the rounds starting with two purl stitches.
My charts don't look like professional charts. In row one you have 10 knit stitches. I just put in a K and in the next box 10. No need to count boxes. I also changed the SSK to SL1K1passo. To my eyes it made a nicer line then the SSK.
IW beef. We have a whole page photo of the socks, well mostly of the models legs. Very cute. And a second smaller photo, but not clear shot of the heel. From the pattern it seems the heel will have a garter stitch border. If I hadn't done this sort of heel before I might be a bit confused. The directions for picking up the gusset stitches, I will have to read over a third time.
I tend to ignore heel and toe instructions and knit what I KNOW works with my feet. The toe seems to be a star toe, which I think I will probably do.
Yarn is from Elann, Filatura Di Crosa Diwa a fingering weight Merino that is super washable. Yippie. It is super soft and stretchy. I don't think I will reinforce the heel. I will go down a needle size for the heel and foot portion. And do the slipped stitch for the whole heel turn. I usually do slip stitch on the heel portion until after all the gusset stitches are worked. This makes a nice cushy and hard wearing heel.