So, I was planning on delving into the pictures from Norway today but changed my mind seeing as I was just finishing the toe on these and weaving in the ends after midnight last night, barely into the first hour or so of October 1st when it occured to me that it's THAT time of year again: Socktoberfest! Please feel free to join in as much or as little as you'd like. It's a nice, low-key knitalong that always inspires me to work my way through a few skeins of the sock yarn stash. Flickr group here. Ravellers here.
The stocks: "Strømper fra Flesberg" (modified) from Bunad Strømper og Luer, the booklet published by Rauma Ullvarefabrikk I was on the search for back in May and ended up buying a copy of from Nordic Fiber Arts that they just happened to have on hand, but not for sale on their website as it hasn't been translated from Norwegian. Of course, then I saw this booklet for sale at several places throughout Norway.
I don't know how the bunad police would feel about my modifications, the first of which is the fact that these are a men's stocking pattern, second, I didn't use the called for yarn, third, they aren't the proper color (off-white), and last, I substituted my usual short row heel and likely not the exact toe decreases called for. These were knit from just under 150 grams of fingering weight wool/nylon dyed with Goldenrod flowers in an iron pot. To compensate for the men's sizing, they were knit on size 0 double pointed needles. They have a few flaws but I'm not telling where and I dare you to find them.
So, there I was in Norway last month when I came to a part of the pattern I just couldn't understand. I know, it's pretty silly, seeing as I was surrounded by my mom, aunts, and cousins who could have helped me with the pattern (and with no immediate access to online knitting translations and instructions), but it was late at night after everyone else was asleep, so rather than waiting until morning to get help, I just winged the decreases and skipped the star motif that is supposed to be at the ankle.
Looking at the pictures now I'm seeing a splotch of darker color in the ribbing at the top of one of the stockings and realize that it wasn't in the dyeing but is from when I spilled coffee on it on the way home from Wyoming last weekend. Hoping that'll come out in the wash.
Seeing these makes me think it just might be worth a drive up the road tomorrow to see if there are any straggler Goldenrod flowers still blooming for another batch in the dyepot.
Oh, and I also did knit up yet another Rosebud Cardigan (Number 18?!)during our trip to Norway for my cousin's 3 month old son there, using the same yarn as these socks, only dyed a similar, slightly lighter green color with golden yarrow from our garden. Only, I forgot to take a picture of it! She joked that I came all that way and then gave a gift "Made in Norway". : )
