Death, Sockmadness and Sisters

I am dead.

Spalc’s socks of death reached my doorstep more than a week ago. Despite heroic measures, I could not be saved. They struck me down and though slain, I had warm cushy feet.

Made from Regia 4 Ply, they fit perfectly – and I do love the color. Perfect for jeans and Birkentstocks. I tell my sister in Chicago this is a fashionable way to wear hand knit socks and she scoffs and mumbles something about me living on the Island for far too long. Frankly, I think she’s secretly jealous she can’t get away with wearing jammies to the post office and would love to live here.

Sockwars was really fun. I had a great time doing it and was happy to make it to the final 15. Can’t wait for Sockwars VI! Hats off to Casualknitter for organizing and running such a great event.

Once I was done with dying, I went on to Sock Madness Forever! Yet another knitting competition, it began March 10 with a sideways sock, appropriately named Simple Side to Side Socks by Deborah Swift.

It was an easy knit, and fun doing socks in a new way. The first tube I knit turned out to be way too small, so I redid it using a total of 44 rows and a larger needle. I used June Studios Super Cash and I love the yarn – soft and cushy. The socks, however, I’m not wild about as I’m not a huge fan of variegated and the sideways pattern makes them look particularly wild. But, it’s good to try new things. Still, I think I’ll gift these.

Speaking of which, one thing I did learn is how stodgy I can be in my ways when it comes to learning new techniques. In Sock Madness, it is required that you not only not alter any pattern, but also use the cast ons and offs that the patterns call for. This one called for a tubular cast off. At first I was all “Fer crying out loud, I already know eleventy ways to cast off, why do I have to learn another???” Ten minutes later, I was all “0oOOh how cool!”

It took me about 10 days to finish them as I was a bit uninspired and the first round of Sock Madness gives you a good two weeks. In the meantime, I cast on another pair of Monkeys using Handmaiden Swiss Mountain Sea Sock in the Cezanne Colorway. I once told my other sister, the pragmatic one, that I was planning on knitting socks for everyone in the family. She looked at me blankly and said “Why?”

When I saw her at lunch last, I whipped out the sock in progress and showed it to her. She kept squishing and petting it and saying “Oh my GAWD!”

That’s why. This yarn is perfect for spring socks and it’s got to be fondled to be believed. It’s 51% silk, 29% Superwash Merino, and 2o% Seacell – and machine washable. The colors are fantastic.

So far, only one sock done. I’m thinking I need to go down a needle size to give it a little more resiliency. Monkeys can be quite stretchy and I want to make sure they stay up after a few washings. But pretty, huh?

I’ll end up frogging this one and reknitting it with 2.5 mm needles. Once done, I may give them to my sensible sister for whom the awesomeness of hand knit socks was a mystery til she held one in her hand.