Sockupied - Totem Socks

(I'm just going to sneak back in and pretend I haven't neglected the blog lately)

The new issue of Sockupied came out recently, I had a pattern published in it which I'll tell you about later in the week, today I want to tell you about another pattern in this issue: Totem by Jennifer Crowley. These are lovely unisex socks with an interesting slipped stitch pattern.

The yarn used in the sample is Three Irish Girls Adorn, I love this yarn, it's soft and bouncy but strong - perfect for socks and the colours are lovely.

Jennifer answered some questions about her design and inspiration:
How did you come up with the stitch pattern?

I like playing around with a skill once I learn it. After I learned about slipped stitches and the lateral braid, I was playing around with swatches and worked until I had an idea that worked. Totem was the result - a pattern that looks good in both a highly variegated yarn and a semi-solid yarn.

Where there difficulties you encountered as you worked on the pattern?

I had a tight deadline for this pattern that left me making a sock a week. It's been some of the most speed knitting I'd done at this point, as I also was holding down a much busier work schedule than I am now. I was literally knitting every time my butt was in a chair, and it was very close to the wire. I wanted things to be perfect, which meant I had to rip out a few times to make sure things were right. As a result, this pair of socks really drove home the fact that I need to do my knitting with good posture and stretch before and after. I'd been knitting so much that my hands and back were a mess.

 As for the actual pattern, it was a joy to work. Enough of a pattern to memorize without being boring. 

How do you come up for names for your pattern?

Croudsourcing. By the time I'm done with a pattern I'm so close to it that I have no ability to come up with a good name. Luckily, I have a lot of creative people in my life that help me out. While I was working on the pattern I constantly thought of it as the butterfly socks - but I didn't think it was a good name because it's fairly gendered, and these socks were meant for men and women. My fiance mentioned my butterflies looked like eagles to him, like on a totem pole. Hence, Totem.

What is inspiring you right now? Do you have pictures, patterns or motifs?

I've got cats and vegetables on the brain lately, as I'm working on a bunch of patterns that have to do with both. If you want to see what's on my mind at the very moment check out my pinterest board, my knitting, crochet, brainstorming for submissions, or nature patterns. I use pinterest a lot, because I'm a very visual organizer. I'm always looking at nature patterns and naturally occurring sequences. Squids are also on my brain, for a possible mitten pattern.

Quick, you're some yarn! What are you? Why?

3 ply DK wool, nylon and mohair blend. I'm in the mood for some warm and durable and thick socks - it was cold this morning on my bikeride!

You can find Jennifer's blog here.