Over the last few weeks (with the sudden surge in my designing mojo created by no day job!), I’ve been working on updating my older patterns and getting them into the current layout. Along the way I’ve realized that this necessitates knitting new samples, as the old ones are gone or stored in the UK somewhere (in other words: totally inaccessible).

First up on the table was my oldest self published pattern, Turkish Walrus.

I designed these in 2008 (!!!), wrote up the pattern, published it as a freebie and didn’t really look at it again. When I went back to update it, I was a bit stunned at how far my pattern writing has come since then (thank you tech editing!) So I ordered some yarn (Cascade 220 Sport) to knit a new sample, worked through the pattern (correcting all the errors), and spent the last week rewriting the pattern and putting it in the proper layout so it looks nice.

*New Turkish Walrus samples and handspun for long version hanging to dry*

While I was working on this, I got inspired to spin some yarn to knit another version - this one will be two colors only (one variegated handspun yarn, one commercial yarn) and longer with a ribbed cuff. Since these socks are worked toe-up, it’s an easy change to add one some length to the leg, but i’m also going to include spinning details and get the final pattern tech edited by someone other than me. So when that version is added, Turkish Walrus will switch from being a free pattern to a pay-for pattern.

All this will hopefully happen over the next month, so if you like the look of these and want to try them out before it goes behind a paywall, download now!

Porpoise Fur