Pattern Testing the Orchard Spice Socks

It is a huge honour to be asked to test someone’s pattern. It’s actually how I started my pattern testing career. Most of the time since then though, I’ve applied to test a pattern. It was a thrill though to get a message from Manda of Little Bitty Delights asking if I’d test one of her upcoming sock patterns! For no real reason aside from the tentative release date, I chose the Orchard Spice Socks.

Since I had started my “yarn fast” this meant I needed to find something I already had…which despite the size of my stash, wasn’t quite that easy. So I crossed my fingers that the last yarn I had bought, a Disney Club from Yarn Ink, would fit the bill, and it did! The only problem was I needed a contrasting skein. Thanks to the generosity of friends I was presented with numerous options, including this perfect one that has speckles in the same colour as some of the speckles in the Yarn Ink skein.

These socks are part of Manda’s Orchard Spice Collection featuring a bit of lace work, and bobbles. I’d never done bobbles before, and I did have a small learning curve with them (see my tips below).

Bobbles weren’t the only new thing to me in this pattern, it was also my first time doing an afterthought heel. I often think that I don’t like doing heels and it takes extra effort to actually start my typical heel flap and gusset. But then it’s over and you move on to the foot. So the idea of finishing everything else then doing the heel wasn’t entirely appealing to me. Of course you could get around this by only going a little ways past the heel, and then doing the heel so that when you finish the toe you are truly finished.

The afterthought heel is easy enough to do, and possibly one of the most enjoyable heels to actually knit, even if doesn’t have a heel flap, it does beat a gusset. I’m undecided currently how I feel the fit compares to the heel flap and gusset though.

My favourite feature of this sock though, and it seems like a weird thing to be the favourite, is the ribbed detail on either side of the bobble & lace centre section. It mimics the ribbing on the cuff, and it’s a little different than your typical ribbing, which I like.

Tips for making bobbles:

• In the KFBs that start the bobble off, pull your right needle a bit after each part to loosen the stitch so you’ll be able to get that last back stitch in without too much trouble
• When passing the slipped stitches over, do them at the same time. It saves you time, and I found it made the bobble stand out a little better
• Most importantly: when continuing on, and when you do the row below, make sure the bobble stays on the right side of your work. It feels a little easier to get your needle into the next stitch if you let the bobble move around, but I had a hard time getting it back on the right side of my work when I did that!