#Winter Haven KAL -pattern Buddy - socks for baby of six months

Like last year I decided to take part in the January Knit Along with the Winwick Mum blog. I really enjoyed the KAL last year and it was great to feel you are part of something. And of course I made a new pair of socks. 

They were somewhat imperfect ( well very if you look at what they should have turned out like!) but have since become a favourite of mine and I really should now get round to knitting a second pair of them now I have some "proper sock yarn" rather than just stashed yarn. Still I have been very happy that despite I used doubled lace weight mohair and have worn them loads, one year later they are getting a bit thin but are still wearable and warm and so far have no holes in them. That is really unexpected though I suspect proper sock yarn may wear even better.

OK so this year's KAL I chose to use for the baby sock pattern "Buddy" which is designed by Winwick Mum for the West Yorkshire Spinners and is free in their website. Buddy came out at Christmas 2022 - or for Christmas anyway. Its on the  website if you wanted this pattern.  It actually got released in September so you could knit some Christmas socks. Me though, I want to use this pattern to knit some oddments of sock yarn up for a baby of 6 months. So I am knitting the 6 months size of this patttern. 

The one criteria for the Winter Haven KAL is you must either use a Winwick Mum yarn or a Winwick Mum pattern (or ideally both) to take part. I actually already had an order in for some Winwick Mum yarn and originally thought I would use that but these socks are so tiny - being for a six month old - and I have loads of small amounts left over from my other socks so in the end I went with using some Lang sock yarn instead but using Buddy so I am using a Winwick Mum designed pattern. I will I think probably make more of these anyway now I know they worked out and so can use the Winwick Mum yarn later when I have first made some full sized adult socks from it.

Unfortunately, I then had some issues with familly going in and out of hospital for the first two weeks of the KAL so ended up starting at the end of week 2 so not ideal but then there is no reason why you have to keep up with these kind of knit alongs so no worries and I want to knit these anyway. I started when I finally got time to do so.

So by the time I began this sock we were already half way through the 4 week long KAL.

 

I had a few problems understanding what to do with the turnover top cuff but I got it sorted. Not sure to be honest I have done this properly but it has worked so that will do. I just need to remember how I did this for sock number two. 

I have literally just cast that one on but bearing inmind I only began the first sock a week ago and its now completed and even sewn up I am now confident I can finish this second sock in a week or so. Also I unpicked the leg part below the cuff of the first sock 4 times before figuring out how to make that work so this second sock will hopefully be faster.

So this yarn is Lang and its left over from my lovely socks made a while ago. 

Now interestingly I have knitted a few pairs since then and all but one pair ( and that pair was still sock yarn) have been the same kind of yarn and the same needle sizes and stitch count yet my tension has changed quite a bit. Its now far more tighter and more regular than that first pair made in sock yarn and the socks fit better too. That pair were a bit too big. Weird but I must have just become a better knitter!

Anyway here is my baby sock - I have yet to knit number two sock. 

Its much better than bootees. I did knit bootees a while ago but in the 0-3 months size and to be honest I hate them. They are very fiddly to knit and they are just not right. Bootees have that under foot seam.These are "proper socks" and I think much better and at 6 months of course the baby I have knitted these for will be moving around so will be far more comfortable with no seam at the bottom of his foot. Unfortunately because the mother does not want her baby on social media ( totally understand that myself!) I can't to get any photos of this little sock on the baby (or only on the foot anyway) and he is not yet big enough to wear these so you will have to take my word for it these are for a 6 month old child. They are far too big on the tiny foot shown here but he will grow of course.This is the baby feet they will need to fit but he is actually in a smaller size right now.

I am certainly quite happy with this sock and will make a few more pairs from my odd bits of yarn. I decided to make the 6 month size to allow for me maybe taking a while to knit these but they knit quite fast probably due to their small size. You get the idea of how they will look though.

Hopefully I should get sock two done quite fast but that will I think depend on my familly. Hopefully for now at least the hospital visits are over.

Have you done much crafting so far in 2023? 

Or any other things you feel have been an achievement? 

I am feeling good right now that I will actually maybe achieve some good crafting projects this coming year.

Take care and have a great weekend

Bracken.