You ever have those projects that seem to go on and on? You know the projects that you start in September and finish in May? Meet my purgatory socks.
These are Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt. Seemed like every blog I visited had a beautiful picture of these socks. My slightly tweaked version is made from Knit Picks Stroll in Forest Heather.
As we all know I started knitting socks so I could make them to fit my ever so unique feet. I know that no matter how much I love a pattern, I will not be able to wear socks made with 75 or less stitches. My standard sock I usually 80 stitches around. That means that I have to tweak the crap out of patterns at times or know when to walk away from a pattern. In this case I added a pattern repeat, so instead of four vertical columns of the pattern I had an uneven five. I work my heel flap over half of the stitches so this created a weird pattern adjustment to keep two columns centered going down the top of the foot. I centered them and added an even number of stitches on both sides with the plan to create a purl column down both sides of the foot.
I tried to figure out how to do it in pattern but my brain refused to accept that it was anything more than theoretically possible. It does that sometimes and in this case I think it was right.
By the toe of the first sock I decided trying to make the pattern's toe work with all the extra stitches was also beyond my wits. I used my tried and true standard toe. I think it is a wedge toe, or not I don't know I just know that it works for me and go with it.
The primary reason these socks were not knit quicker was their time in knitting purgatory. They were pushed aside for faster, easier, 'I don't need to follow a pattern' knits. A sad but true tale in my knitting world.
OK so I finally finished them and am wearing them proudly for the first time today. I put on shoes this morning and D asks me if I'm really wearing this, together.
Since when has he been the fashion police? This is the man that wished they made GrAnimals for adults so he could match tiger to tiger in the morning and be out the door. (Transitioning from wearing a uniform in the Navy was very difficult for him.) Now he is questioning me? Dude I am so far behind on fashion that I'm wearing non skinny jeans. (I believe that unless you can be called skinny in your own right you should not wear skinny anything.)
No really he knows we don't allow the fashion police anywhere near us. He knew that my pant leg would keep my secret safe. Unless I lifted it to show off new socks, which you know I did. Sigh I think I am a lost cause.
Oh, look I was outside taking pictures of my new socks and decided to take some pictures without wool in them.
Did you know that bleeding heart flowers thrive when planted near pine trees? Neither did I, although I have not verified my source so I may be wrong.
Look at the new growth on this bush. I do so love the color green!
His Royal Highness Gus decided to take a small constitutional while I was out. He gets out because I know he will listen and come back to me or the house if he is frightened. With Jack all bets are off. Unless you bet he will RUN!
So have you had any run ins with the fashion police lately?