socktime!

[I have to mention that I am listening to a random shuffle on my iTunes (yes I use iTunes because I'm too lazy to do anything else) and it has hit me with a long string of 1990s joy... I can't tell you how happy it makes me. It's like I'm turning 20 all over again!]

Above you see a wee photo of my mom's Christmas socks. The color of the actual wool is more like seafoam green, and since it's Koigu, there are very subtle variations in shade but not enough to interfere with the lace pattern. "But what pattern is that?" you ask. I understand if you don't recognize it, because it is the Merino Lace Socks from an old issue of Interweave Knits, and it was tucked in the back half with a single poor photo of the finished product. (Remember when they went through their "fuzzy photo" phase a few seasons back? When the only thing in focus was a random two-inch bit somewhere on the knitted garment but otherwise it was all blurry and "arty." Very, um, unhelpful.) I overlooked the pattern myself a million times until I sat down with all of my back issues looking for a different sock pattern, but once I found this I thought, "I would like to try these but I don't know if I would actually wear socks this lacy." Perfect GIFT SOCKS! One of the things I like about this pattern is that the large centered lace panel continues down the heel flap, which will be a pretty detail that my mommy can flaunt when she wears her socks with sandals. C'mon, we all do it, even if it's just to go fetch the paper from the end of the driveway. (But does anyone subscribe to the local newspaper anymore?) I expect the lace will flatten out and look better once I submit the socks to a healthy blocking.

I am loving these socks: their are three different lace patterns at work, but all are easy to memorize and their row-repeats are in harmony, so if I am "working" on one lace pattern I can figure out easily if I will be "working" on the others, or simply knitting straight across. If these socks were in a color that is more "me" then I might actually have a problem giving them up.

In more sock news, I got a tip from a helpful, gorgeous reader about Lolly's Socktoberfest. Yes, folks, we're sockin' it up again this year, and I am already signed up to participate! Once I finish my mum's socks, I'll take a sock rest and finish up all my non-sock projects in preparation for total sock overload to begin on October first. Sign yourselves up! I hope to try a few new sock tricks, probably involving new heel turns and unusual cast-ons and all the types of things that make sock-knitters giddy with anticipation of completed goods.

Non-sock projects include the Veste Everest from IK (again I say that I seem to use them as my only pattern source, quite coincidentally) using Green Mountain Spinnery's 2-ply alpaca/wool blend that I bought at MDSW, and the Lotus Blossom Tank using some recycled Pakucho cotton. <-- I finished that one last night, and just have to weave in a few ends. It fits so well! I love it to DEATH! I hope the weather gets warmer for a just a few more weeks so I can get some wear out of it before packing it away for the winter. I hope I can get some good photos of those two soon. The vest won't take much longer, since I'm more than halfway through it, and once I get my next Netflix DVD of A Bit of Fry and Laurie I will have hours of uninterrupted knitting time in front of the TV.

There is another project, the scarf I am making for the International Scarf Exchange. Regard my heart-stopping, startling post about the scarf's beginning here.