My Pixel Rise socks are finally finished! They've been a long time coming. I loved this pattern when it first came out last summer, and I cast on the socks around the end of August. I quickly finished the first sock...quickly because they are incredibly addictive to knit, and also because I wanted to have one done to enter in the knit-along giveaway. :) Then I got several inches into the second sock before I had to put it aside to knit other things: craft fair inventory, Christmas gifts, etc.
Last week I picked the sock back up and had it finished in no time. This is only my second real colorwork project (my first is here), but this pattern is incredibly easy. And like I said, addicting. It's like knitting with self-striping yarn: you keep telling yourself, just one more stripe.
The pattern is written toe-up, and I knit my socks cuff down. So I basically just flipped the chart, and I used this as an opportunity to try out the Smooth Operator Socks pattern. I used the toe decreases and the afterthought heel from that pattern. This was my first afterthought heel! It was generally easier than I expected, and oddly satisfying, but I had some trouble getting mine to fit properly. I had to decrease quicker because the heel was turning out too long. I thought I noted all of my changes but apparently not, because after waiting months to knit the second heel, it's somehow a few rows longer and therefore a bit loose. But it's not enough of an issue for me to take out the heel and start over! (More detailed notes on my project page, linked below.)
I used a combination of leftovers from other projects and a few new Gnome Acres mini skeins. (I sometimes buy one of their grab bags to use in my sock scrap blanket.) I didn't really plan out my colors as I added them, other than not to put similar colors too close. But maybe I should have planned a little better. I love how the colors look on the leg, but I really wish I'd replaced the yellow in the foot with something more subtle.
Ravelry project page.