Presenting... sockpal socks!

For real, people, thanks for all your support and comments through this project. I'd say that result (so far) has been worth every little bit of pain and frustration! I say "so far" because, even though I am pleased as punch with my most recent pair of socks, I still haven't gotten the final approval from the socks' intended wearer. They go in the mail tomorrow... only time will tell! (Today was the in-the-mail date but I was carpooling to work today, so no car for lunchtime mail runs, and then we had to stay late so no mailrun then either. C'est la vie.)

Yikes! I hope it's not creepy that I've been trying these socks on, even though they're not for me. I should probably also admit that I ate a lot of the raw batter for the coffee-pear bread I baked last night, and that when driving I don't always yield to pedestrians. Now that you know all my sins, let's get on with it.

Q: What are the specifications of the socks in question?

A: Koigu Premium Painter's Palette Merino
2 skeins (50g, 175 yds/160 m) minus THREE little grams (about ten yards?)
Colorcode P323, Dyelot 101
Pattern = Pomatomus
[I will SO be knitting this pattern again]



Q: What else is in the box?

A: A bar of Chocolove Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Almonds, one of my favorites and possibly to be loved also by my sockpal. The leftover yarn, in case of mending. A note on some handmade paper that Heather gave me. A guide to the Biltmore Estate mansion.

Q: A guide to the what?

A: The Biltmore Estate mansion. You see, I struggled very much finding the "right" sock yarn for my sockpal, whose color tastes correspond with mine... which means all the stash sockyarn that she would like was already set aside for my own nefarious sock-purposes. I was convinced I could fine something suitable in time... and then several weeks passed and I then realized that yarn shops HATE sock knitters and HATE stocking sock yarn. While on vacation I happened upon Yarn Paradise in Asheville, North Carolina, in scenic little Biltmore Village just down the road from my lodgings. I found a sweet, sweet cache of Koigu and chose a pair of skeins for my sockpal, completely unsure of their correctness. Later that afternoon (after a fabulous meal at Rosetta's Kitchen) I toured Biltmore Estate, the largest privately-owned estate in the U.S. (You may have heard of the family.... er, Vanderbilt?) It was a crisp, sunny day and I was taking my time enjoying the rich furnishings and decoration of the house. My favorite room was the observatory, a two-story room situated so that a person therein could take in the vast expanse of mountain scenery that surrounds the vast estate. After a few minutes spent in the room gazing out the windows, I noticed that the color scheme of the room, rich chocolate brown and lush dark teal, was nearly identical to the sockpal skeins I bought just hours earlier. Perhaps I was desperate for confirmation that THESE yarns would be the ones to please my pal, but nevertheless I took this as a sign. It was Agent Scarlet, in the Observatory, with the Koigu. All the clues added up!

Q: So then the socks just basically hung out around your house, waiting to be knit?

A: Not at all! I always had one with me, since my knitting time is pretty limited right now. In addition to its far-flung travel across the beautiful state of North Carolina, this pair of socks attended a few special events as well: The Specialty Coffee Association of America 2006 Conference and Exhibition in Charlotte, Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in Raleigh, World Beer Festival also in Raleigh, and many a trivia night at City Beverage in Durham. Naturally, the socks attracted attention wherever they went, mostly because people at these venues have apparently never before seen a sock being knit by hand. The final frantic knitting was done at the shooting for the "It's Carrboro!" video but I was too shy to knit while the cameras were rolling.



What a ride!! But I can't wait to knit this pattern again, because it goes quickly once the knitter gets "the hang" of the chart. Wheeee! And variegated yarns do so nicely with this one... it's hard to make out any spirally-flashy-pooly spots on these socks because of the strong vertical lines created by the twisted 1x1 rib. The Koigu really loosened up after a wash-n-block but the socks are still form-fitting because of the pattern stitch. So NICE! The pattern, as written, makes a really tall sock, and I wonder if I might get a cute pair of knee-highs if I just added a repeat or two. Lots of love for Pomatomus. Lots of love for Koigu. And I get to spend time with my other projects again, FINALLY!