Cantaloupe socks
Yes, I do still knit! This crazy color of Koigu (P216) arrived in my recent order and just kept calling my name . . . the bright bright oranges and hint of pink feel just perfect for this season. I knew that it was so bright that it could only be a small accessory, and considered doing a shawlette, but the more I flipped through my dog-eared stitch books the more I kept imagining the stitches and color as a sock. So I started swatching, and just hours later I have the above, which is half of the first foot!
I don't usually knit, much less design, toe-up socks, but for this stitch pattern I didn't like the way it looked "upside down" (ie knit from the leg to the foot) so I knew I had to go for a toe-up sock. I started with Judy's magic cast on and then increased to the right count, keeping the toe and the foot of the sock in stockinette while working the lace on the top of the foot. Once I start turning the heel, the stitch pattern will start morphing into a more complicated version of the lace you see above, and the leg will end with the "second half" of this stitch pattern. It's hard to explain in words but I should be able to show it to you in just a few days. I always forget how fast socks work up and then it's a pleasant surprise when I discover that again!
Depending on how the leg looks I may work a second pair of these up in a semi-solid pair of knee-highs . . .
