A Fancy Gentleman

Nothing says I love you like a pair of wool socks on a 90 degree day.


Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by my crush, Nancy Bush
Yarn & Needles: Brooks Farm Acero, Everwood colorway
3.0mm needle (US 2.5)
Pattern Mods: I skipped the calf shaping called for in the pattern, and cast on 72 stitches and knit straight from there. The pattern is sufficiently stretchy and fits over Mr S's calves just fine.

Acero is a a new offering from Brooks Farm, the site of my most intemperate purchase at MDSW. I was attracted to the muted, masculine colors of the yarn, and the fact that it was clearly a sport weight sock yarn (Mr S's size 13s only gets sport weight socks). I was also intrigued by the unique fiber content (wool/silk/viscose) and knew that Mr S would love the silky texture and the look of the rustic, manly sock.

I found knitting with the yarn to be a bit splitty on my super-sharp needles, but I got used to it, and the final object is truly worth it. I've read bloggers elsewhere who say that the yarn isn't stretchy enough for socks, but that isn't my experience here. Perhaps I stumbled upon a great combination of pattern and gauge; I'd avoid simple stockinette for sure. I am also curious about how the sock will wear over time. I imagine that the silk and viscose content strengthen the yarn, and there is no evidence of fuzzing on these socks at all.

Mr S gave these socks his seal of approval, and declared them his best-fitting, most comfortable socks yet. The downside of knitting sport weight socks is that is can be hard to fit them into shoes, but these socks fit snugly on his feet and don't feel quite as thick as some of the other socks I have made for him. I have another skein in a more solid acorn brown that was intended for a scarf for him, but perhaps he needs another pair of socks!