"Olive" (I luv) Handknit Socks

And now, just in time for spring... may I present my SOCKTOBERFEST project!

Can I fool ya and claim that I finished these puppies just in time for St. Paddy's? (I really don't want to confess that I've had them done since January and only now went to JoAnn's to get the elastic thread needed to finish.)

Yarn: Sunshine Yarns, Black Olive Stripe, 1 skein, received from Kari in the Yarn Aboard exchange. (I saw that she just posted new yarn so if you're in the market, rush right over there.)

Pattern: Frankensocks using the Magic Cast-on for toe-up, short-row heels, improvised increases for those "shapely" calves, 2x2 ribbing at the top, all done two at a time on one long needle, a la Magic Loop.

Needles: Sz. 1 bamboo, one very long circular

Dates: Started in October of '06 and finally wearable in March of '07. Pathetic, I know.

Notes: I had a few goals for these socks and overall, I'm pleased with them. I wanted to use every yard of the yarn and see how high they'd go. They ended up hitting at a rather unflattering location, i.e. the widest part of my calf, so I don't see these being knee socks to show off with cute skirts or anything. (And can any grown-up really pull off that look? I suppose so, but I don't think this grown-up could pull it off. Calves are much too much shapely to go there.) I did hope they'd be tall enough to wear with my trusty winter boots but they missed by an inch or two. Didn't care enough at the end to add some solid yarn and make them higher. I like the fit with the increases, but these definitely needed the elastic thread and even then, I'm not sure they'd stay up if worn on an all-day walking adventure.

I'm not entirely sold on the process of doing two socks at a time using Magic Loop. Yes, it worked and was overall pretty easy, but I did have to stop and detangle every few rows. It did prevent SSS which might have made these an even longer UFO, but note to self, I think the next time I'll use my trusty drug dealer scale and divide the skein to do toe-ups. An additional note for all you OCDers out there, when you work from both the outside and inside of the skein, the striping sequence is different. I personally couldn't care less, but it's been fun noticing who was bothered by this as I was knitting. (Ash, I saw you twitching over Thanksgiving over the thought of mismatched socks.)

The yarn is superwash and it came with the warning to wash separately the first time, although there was no bleeding when I wet blocked them. They have a very slight halo from all the detangling and if you're super sensitive, they may be a touch too "wooly" for you. Think Trekking rather than Koigu. I think they're going to be nice, warm socks for these spring days when you never know what the sky's going to throw at you.

I may have missed wearing these socks on a Socktoberfest outing for wiener schnitzel and weis beer but I'll make up for it with corned beef and Guiness!