About socks

I think that socks are my favourite thing to knit. I never get tired of them, and hardly ever suffer from second sock syndrome (or SSS). I love how portable a sock-in-progress is and I take one with me almost everywhere just in case I end up with time to knit a needle or two. I am currently working on my 45th pair of socks, which makes the half-finished sock in this picture my 90th sock, and I think that's pretty amazing, actually.

These socks are turning out to be rather fun to knit. I really like how the pattern is coming out, I love the picot cuff at the top, and the shades of pink in this yarn (Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in Summer Blooms) are really pretty.

I knit most of my socks from the top down because that way I can work them without having to refer to a pattern, and I can vary them by playing with the patterning that I use on the leg and instep. My standard heel is the traditional one with a heel flap and gussets, and I have a standard toe I use as well.

When I need some socks to work on that require hardly any thought at all I use a self-patterning yarn, and a knit 3 purl 1 rib pattern and they just about knit themselves without much input from my brain, which is good on-the-go or I'm-too-tired-to-think-after-a-busy-day-at-school knitting.

These socks are for Joe in California, and they follow the above recipe. They're a men's size 11 so there was quite a bit of knitting involved, but I really enjoyed this yarn with its changing greens (Fortissima Socka Mexiko Color - I don't think you can get this colourway anymore) and so they didn't really get tedious.

I have had a sock list for some time of people I meant to knit socks for, and I've pretty much caught up on the list. I'm always on the lookout for worthy recipients... I think that Dave may be due for a new pair to add to his rotation - he hasn't had any in a while, and I also have some sock yarn I want to knit up for myself...