HRYC

If i'm being honest, I wrote this pattern two whole years ago. Oops! 

Sockettes is a riff on the Super Simple Sock pattern - except shorter. Skipping the leg makes for great warm weather socks, and also much faster knitting. Use up your scraps and go crazy with stripes like I did, or stick to a single fun colour. 

Yarn: Knitsch Sock 4ply (or other sock-appropriate 4ply yarn)

I used 28g per sock, and my feet are a size EU40. So you'll need 50g - 60g of yarn depending on the size of your feet. 

Needles: 2.50mm 80cm circular or double pointed needles

Gauge: 30 sts x 44 rows = 10cm

Sizes: Small (medium, large, X-large)

Abbreviations:

CO - cast on
K – knit
p – purl
ssk – slip, slip, knit
k2tog – knit two stitches together
p2tog – purl two stitches together
sl – slip the stitch from the left hand needle to the right needle without knitting

Pattern:

CO 60 (64, 68, 72) stitches
Set up row: k2, p2, repeat until end
next row: k2, p2, repeat until end. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round. Split the number or stitches evenly across 2 needles (the magic loop using the circular needle) or 4 needles (if using double pointed needles).

Next round: k2, p2, repeat until end
repeat rib pattern until cuff measures 2.5cm

Heel flap:
This section is worked flat over 30 (32, 34, 36) stiches. The other half of the stitches are held on the cable of your circular needle or on two dpns and are not knit at all until the heel section is completed. You will be turning your work as this part is knit flat rather than in the round.

Next row starting from marker:

*sl1, k1, repeat from * 14 (15, 16, 17) more times. 30 (32, 34, 36) stitches have been worked.

Next row: turn work, *sl1, p to end

Next row: sl1, k2, *sl1, k1, repeat from * to end

Next row: sl1, p to end

Repeat these four rows 6 (7, 8, 9) more times, or until heel flap is length required. End on a purl row.

Heel turn:
The heel turn is the bit that gets most people unstuck. As long as you follow the instructions word for word, and don’t worry about the stitches you aren’t knitting, it’ll make sense in the end.

Row 1: (right side of work) sl1, k16 (18, 18, 20), ssk, k1, turn work
row 2: (wrong side of work) sl1, p5 (7, 5, 7), p2tog, p1, turn
row 3: sl1, k to 1 st before gap, ssk (1 st from each side of gap), k1, turn work
row 4: sl1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog (1 st from each side of gap), p1, turn

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches have been worked. 18 (20, 20, 22) sts remain. Finish by knitting across these sts on the right side row.

Gusset:
In this section the stitches along the side of the heel flap are picked up and knit, the top of the foot is now knit, the stitches down the other side of the heel flap are picked up and knit, and the sole of the foot is also worked.

Next row: Pick up and knit 14 (15, 17, 19) stitches along the heel flap, knit 30 (32, 34, 36) across the top of the foot, pick up and knit 14 (15, 17, 19) stitches along the heel flap, k9 (10, 10, 11), place new beginning of round marker.

Row 1: 23 (25, 27, 30) sts, k2tog, k30 (32, 34, 36), ssk, k to end of round
Row 2: knit all sts

Repeat these two rows, knitting 1 less stitch before each k2tog on each repeat of row 1.
Continue until 60 (64, 68, 72) stitches remain.

Knit in the round until the foot section reaches where your toes start (what I fondly refer to as ‘toe cleavage’).

Toe decreases:
Making a space for your toes!

Row 1: k12 (13, 14, 15), k2tog, k1, place marker, k1, ssk, k24 (26, 28. 30) k2tog, k1, place marker, k1, ssk, k to end
Row 2: knit
Row 3: k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, knit to end.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 four more times.

Repeat row 3 until 30 (32, 34, 36) stitches remain. The beginning of round marker should be in the centre of the sole stitches. Break yarn and seam live stitches together using kitchener stitch.

If you like, you can wash and block your socks by laying them flat to dry. I’m usually much too impatient for this and put them on immediately.

Hip hip hooray for new colour ways in two lovely lovely yarns! So lovely, in fact, we're almost out of a couple already. 

Sparrow sees Fundi, Maize, Moon, Venice and Penny added for some nice deep moodiness: 

And Piper has some depth added to the range with Lone Oak, Coldspring, Laredo, Austin and Pampa joining the club.

Need some pattern ideas? 

Sparrow: 

Strathcona by Jane Richmond

Saco Stripes by Pam Allen (this is on my list to make)

Linum Tee by Bristol Ivy

Piper:

Love and Lemons by Melanie Berg

Eddy by Elizabeth Doherty

Fleurette Cowl by Sarah Solomon (on my list, too!)

Happy knitting! xx

The month has whizzed by and suddenly we find ourselves on the cusp of shifting everything from Petone in to the Grand Arcade store. 

We can't possibly close the door without a bit of a celebration, so we'd love to have you join us for a last hoorah! 

Join us for treats, discounts, and help farewell the space we have enjoyed so much over the last 4 and a half years. We'd absolutely love to see you!

TL; DR*: We're shifting Petone into town!

There are times when I can't quite believe how far Holland Road Yarn Co has come. It started off as a daydream, a wishful thought of having a local yarn store I actually wanted to shop at, and has grown to encompass Knitsch Yarns, 2 bricks and mortar stores and a busy online shop. 

Two years ago, as I signed the lease for the town shop, I thought to myself 'let's see how this goes.' 

Mulling things over back when the Grand Arcade was a big empty space, waiting to be filled with yarn.

And wow, has it gone. The Grand Arcade store is busy busy busy and it is so wonderful. We see how convenient it is for those who work in town and having all the extra space means we don't feel quite so crammed in. There are plenty of things I don't like about the space - the lack of natural light, for one thing. It just isn't quite so lovely as the wooden floors and high ceilings in Petone.

As time has gone by, one thing has become quite clear: the convenience of town wins out over the loveliness of the Petone store. Now, as happens in business, we've had to take stock and look at what works best, change some things, shuffle, adjust, and make sure everything balances.

It took a long time come to the decision, and I really didn't want to. If we don't shuffle and adjust, then we risk staying in the same mindset for too long and don't move forward.

Sadly, we are going to say farewell to the Petone store.

Holland Road Yarn Co is going to be around for the long run. We want to continue providing you, our wonderful customers, with the most beautiful yarns we can find. So we shall, except in just one single brick and mortar store, in the Grand Arcade. 

Things i'm looking forward to:

• Having all our stock in one place! Which means faster online order shipping, and greater options if you need a decent quantity of yarn
• Freeing up some funds in our budget so we can order more and expand our range of lovely stuff 
• Rearranging the town space so it works better
• Not having to shift stock between stores all the time
• Freeing Kate up on Saturdays so we can have more weekend crochet classes
• Having Claire join us in the town shop 
• Seeing what Craft Central are going to do with the Petone space - they're going to take over and run a pop-up shop in the lead up to Christmas!

Things i'm super sad about:

• Losing our wonderful Saturday Sit & Knit sessions from Petone (we will hold these in town, and i'm working to see if we can organise a Hutt-based meet-up as well)
• Knowing the move will be super inconvenient for some of our lovely regulars who have supported us from the beginning
• Saying goodbye to the space that started it all, that has been like a second home to me over the last 4.5 years. 

As of today we have one month left in Petone. Our last day will be the 11th of October, before we close the doors and hand the keys to the excellent women behind Craft Central who will take over and delight you with a pop-up shop of handmade goodness. More on that to come. 

For now, thank you. From the very bottom of my heart: Holland Road Yarn Co wouldn't be what it is today without you. I honestly can't wait to see what this next change will bring and see what you continue to create and share with us. 

We'll keep you posted over the next month with more about the upcoming pop-up shop, and our plans for a farewell to Petone party. 

xx Tash (and Claire, Kate, Jen & Sonja)

*TL; DR - too long; didn't read. 

During August we've welcomed Doe Arnot's beautiful yarns on to the indie shelf. I've always been inspired by how much Doe manages to accomplish - and what a beautiful weaver and spinner she is. I caught up with Doe to talk a bit more about what motivates her.

When you aren't busy dyeing what else do you do?

I look after my husband’s Osteopathic Practice 4 days a week and I work in The Oamaru Textile Emporium every Sunday.

I also weave, handspin and crochet. I actually spin nearly every day for at least an hour in the evening if I can. I love to go out and select my fleeces off the back of the animals and process completely from raw fleece to yarn. I custom spin yarns for individuals and small companies.

What is your number one favourite part of being an indie dyer?

Hearing how people react when my husband tells them I’m busy ‘dyeing in the shed’.  

My favourite part is still being inspired and learning from the craft after more than 30 years of doing it. I enjoy both natural dyes and synthetic dyes. Natural dyeing is challenging and takes a lot more patience but it is how I first got into dyeing by using plants from my garden and it has a very different colour range to synthetic dyes.

How did you get into spinning and weaving? Are you a process or a product crafter?

I worked as an art therapist in a very large hospital in the UK and discovered some unused weaving looms in the Occupational Therapy department. So I taught myself the basics and was offered a spinning wheel by another member of the staff. I became particularly hooked on spinning as it was a relaxing thing to do in the evening after work when I was too tired to think. I’ve dyed fabric and yarns to knit with since I was a teenager.

I think I’m a mixture of both, once the project is near completion I’m already planning the next thing. I can let the finished item move on to its next life quite often with somebody else.

We all have colour tendencies - what's yours? Do you find this comes through in your dyeing?

I adore blue and in particular indigo. It is difficult to capture the colour with synthetic dyes but real indigo blue from the plant has many nuances and subtleties and I never tire of the colour. Plus you have to work at it and be patient and the indigo goddess then blesses you with a colour.

Blue features heavily in both my work and my clothes.

If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

It’s probably a bit of a cliché but I love Scotland. Particularly the Highlands and Islands.  My husband’s family live in Argyll and I have spent many summers and autumns there.  His family has a holiday park looking across the sounds to Jura and we came close to moving permanently to the Isle of Mull. In the end New Zealand won and we came here instead. No midges to bite you but equally stunning scenery.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

I love tweed, both the fabric and yarn. I like that you have to get up close to view the complexities of colour and tone. So I dye my yarn and fibres blending with different colours mixed together. Whilst I enjoy working with yarns in bright saturated colours from other dyers I seem incapable of not muteing and mixing the shades I dye. I like soft changes in value and yarns that have pinpoints of different colours in them that merge together from a distance.

I also love overdyeing natural animal colours such as moorits, greys and browns.

Yarns that inspire me are Jamieson’s of Shetland, Alice Starmore and Brooklyn Tweed.

If I could afford it I would commission a mill to produce my own tweed yarn line from NZ grown fleeces in colours dyed in the fleece and blended that reflect the colours of New Zealand.

To celebrate my Tweed love and my pleasure in having my yarns feature on the indie shelf for August there are a very limited number of my handspun heathered yarn packs in the Holland Road Yarns Wellington shop this month.