Half-Off the Needles: A Nice Ribbed Sock

I don't think this project should be called "A Nice Ribbed Sock." It was not very nice to me! The finished result is quite lovely, but OH MAN was it a beast to conquer!

Let me be clear: the pattern here is not terrible. It was a little finicky once I got through the gusset and had to purl the first stitch on needle 2. For some reason, my DPNs and I just were not getting along to do this. I wish I had only knit the ribbing down the ankle and then done a vanilla pattern across the top of the foot. Live and learn, though, I suppose. Now I just need to muster up the courage to make the second one.

Finally! A Finished Sock!

It didn't help that these socks are a gift and the recipient has a much bigger foot than I. I feel like I flew through my first pair of socks. I'm now completely thankful I have smaller feet, even though that also means I never get to trade shoes with my friends, who are all in the size-9 range. But the extra inch or so of knitting on the foot of this sock was a real struggle for me. Once I have finished and gifted these, I'll share the color photos. But I'm trying to keep it a secret in case the lucky lady stumbles upon this blog, especially since I might not be giving these until Christmas.
Now, I had totally intended these to be a birthday gift but I did not plan accordingly for that. So I've pushed them back to Christmas, even though that's a long way away. I definitely need a break from knitting on them. In fact, I didn't even bring this yarn or these needles with me on my spring break trip. (I'm determined to finish that Hiraeth this week before I start anything else!).

So, Glenna C's pattern "A Nice Ribbed Sock" is a great pattern. It's very well-written and easy to follow. I used size US 1.5 DPNs (2.5 mm) and Knit Pick Stroll Tonal in Pansy. Stroll Tonal is a superwash wool (75% Merino, 25% nylon) that gives you 462 yards in 100 gram hanks. I've been knitting with it a lot because it's super soft and is pretty affordable! It's even better when you can snag it on sale.

I really enjoyed how the colors ended up pooling together! I can't wait until I can share it in color!

I think I need to work on my gauge/knowing what my gauge is because I counted rows and discovered I was knitting a bit tight (like an extra 10 rows in 4 inches). I tried to accommodate by knitting a bit longer before the toe decrease and somehow, magically, my toe ended up being 2" anyway, even though my row count was off. I'm going to just cross my fingers that these socks turn out okay (especially since they're a gift!), and of course offer to re-do them if they're too big.

I really love knitting on DPNs but I'm planning to snag a long circular needle so that I can try magic loop for the second one. What are your favorite tips or tricks for making socks?