I’ve gotten a couple of comments about my sock blockers and thought I would show what one looks like without the sock.

Not too exciting except for the price, which was virtually nil. I’ve seen plastic and wooden blockers at the local knitting stores but thought the prices ($25 – $30) were too steep. The Knitting Zone has some photos of how to make them with plastic coated hangers.

Just as Mary from The Knitting Zone commented on her web site, blockers work great for drying and taking pictures otherwise there’s really no need to block socks.

Donna, the ball of yarn in the photo is what I had left after making the Crossing Cables socks for a size 7.5 US shoe. It’s probably not enough to make baby socks but big enough that I won’t donate it to my cat’s yarn ball collection.

The leg is about the same length as the foot, 9 inches from the tip of the heel. While the pattern calls for a 3mm needle for a woman’s sock and 3.5mm for the leg of a man’s sock, I used a size 2.5mm needle for the foot and 2.75mm for the leg. If I had it to do over again I would have use the 2.75mm needles for the whole sock. Just for reference, I tested my tension in stockenette while using the 2.75mm needles and found I was getting 7 stitches per inch. So, while I loved using Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn, it might not be the right choice for this pattern unless you can make some adjustments or you don’t mind loose tension. I tried using 3mm needles but the tension was too loose for my tastes. Perhaps the MC’s Weaver’s Wool Quarters would work better, if you need larger socks.