First up, the Mirabella Socks are done, in late December (but just haven't blogged it). Here they are:

And from the side:

Pattern: Mirabella Socks by MJ at yummy yarn
Yarn: About 1.5 balls of Elle Pure Wool 8-ply from Lincraft
Needles: Brittany Birch 3.25mm (US 3) — love these needles!

These are the first pair of socks that I've ever knitted, and I really really love it. (Thank you MJ for sharing the pattern!) I think it will get a lot of wear when the weather gets cooler.

Some thoughts and notes about these socks:

- It's quite a fast knit, and not at all as complicated as it looks.
- I love how it fits me perfectly, nice and cosy. I wonder if it's just beginners luck?
- I had to adjust the pattern a bit, as my yarn is thicker than the prescribed yarn. I didn't do the honeycomb cables pattern on the sides as they wouldn't fit.
- I made these socks a bit shorter than prescribed. Mine are only up to about 2 inches above the ankle, because that's the way I like my socks.
- I knitted the cuff with the same size needles as for the rest of the sock, as I didn't have any smaller needles than the 3.25mm. Need to get some! I did try to knit the cuffs tighter though. As a result the cuffs are still a bit loose than I expected, but not so loose that they drop down to my ankles. But I still like it, as these socks are intended to my cosy home socks.
- When I showed the sock to the hubby, his comment was, "Hey there are holes in your sock!" Sigh.

Some thoughts on sock knitting in general:

- Socks really are the perfect portable project — It's very easy to take the project in and out of the knitting bag, for whenever that spare time comes up.
- Can be picked up and put away without much twiddling — very handy when I need to look after a toddler at the same time.
- Fast knit — A sock can be finished in just a few days, an almost-instant gratification.
- Can be quite addictive — I can see why some knitters can't stop knitting socks.
- I chose a toe-up socks as my first socks, because I just like the way they look, and because I'm not a fan of doing kitchener… I am keen to try out other sock knitting techniques (cuff down or toe up) though. I've ordered a copy of Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, so there will certainly be more sock knitting for me in the future!

Update: Just adding a bit more spec — Because of the thicker yarn used, these socks are 46 sts in the round.

I LOVE this sock, it fits me perfectly. It's perfect for wearing at home on chilly evenings. I love the lace pattern, very pretty. I also like how it's toe-up, because I was worried I might run out of yarn (although now it looks like I have more than enough).

The toe part took me really long to work out. The pattern gives instruction for toe construction using short rows with YOs, but I just couldn't get it right. I had to rip like five or six times. So then I followed Wendy's instruction for short row toe with the 'wrap and turn' method. That worked a lot better for me, and after the toe it was just a breeze.

I didn't knit this exactly as written in the pattern, because I'm using an 8-ply (DK weight) yarn, which is thicker than the prescribed yarn. So I had to forego the honeycomb pattern on the sides, which I thought was a shame. But in the end it still looks quite good I reckon.