Rain boot socks

Not that there's been all that much need for them this year, but I've continued knitting some heavier socks. These, of course, go quicker than the usual fingering weight. They also help make my boots, which are too loose in the ankle and foot, fit better. The ones below are in Briggs & Little Tuffy, which I like for the mottled and not-too-saturated colors. They are rather short, as the bobbles take up a lot of yarn, but one skein was enough (they were knit toe-up).

The sock shape is the Riverbed master pattern from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters, and the bobble stitch pattern is from Lesley Stanfield's New Knitting Stitch Library. The Riverbed's a very versatile pattern in that all sorts of stitch patterns can be applied to the top of the foot. It needs no grafting or picking up of stitches, things I like to avoid. Stanfield's book is very useful and nicely organized as well; all the stitch patterns are charted, which I think makes them much simpler to mirror and to use on anything knit in the round.

I hope I'll get back to some more sewing soon, but knitting projects are good when I don't have a solid block of time to really think things through.

Some of my favorite sock yarns, and two new to me

I ordered several sock yarns recently. Here is a representative sample:

My goal was to make thick socks to wear with rain boots, and thereby also replace some old L.L. Bean ragg socks that have seen better days. So most of these are heavier than the usual sock weight. (Links below are to Ravelry.)

• Tuffy and Durasport are two different weights of wool/nylon blend from Briggs & Little. I find they are very durable, if a bit scratchy. The main thing that's happened to my Tuffy and Durasport socks over time is the color may fade off the heels and sole, and the stitches may felt together in those areas, along with some non-problematic pilling.
• Perfect is a DK weight wool/nylon from Sandnes Garn. The colors are not as heathered as in Tuffy or Durasport, the texture is smoother, and the weight is between the two. It does seem to pill a little more. I find it's the perfect weight for the patterns in Anna Zilboorg's sock book. (They do also make a nice lighter weight yarn with similar content, Sisu, which I've used and which behaves similarly. But that weight doesn't seem nearly as difficult to find in other brands.)
• I have yet to try Superba Cotton Stretch and confusingly, this company seems to have reused the name for at least two different formulations of the yarn. I was hoping to get the one with both wool and cotton content, but the type I got ended up having no wool.
• Likewise, I have not tried the Aire Valley Aran. I'm not sure this is specifically meant as a sock yarn, but it is 75/25 wool/nylon.

All of these came from Wool-Tyme in Ontario, by the way. I'd liked to have been able to get at least some thicker sock yarns locally, but haven't found any at all, not with nylon content anyway. I have had good experiences with Wool-Tyme.

A few lighter sock yarns I also like:

• Patons Kroy Socks is a little thicker than some sock yarns, is reasonably priced, and I haven't had my Kroy socks develop holes over the past several years.
• The various Regia sock yarns. They come in lots of different colors and space-dyes and again, I haven't had problems. Here is just one set of colorways.
• Applelaine Apple Pie is a thinner handpaint, similar to what seems to be the most popular local sock yarn style in BC. 

I've also tried Lana Grossa Meilenweit, as it was very easy to find in Germany. I've had those socks rather quickly develop holes, though, so I'm a bit wary of using my remaining skeins.