Socks. no, no really

Neighbour's Fixation socks

If you know me, you know I don't usually knit socks. I know how. I'm just not that into it in large measure because I'm just not into socks.

Seriously, more often than not, my feet are nekkid and I like it that way. If they aren't naked, they are covered with very utilitarian store bought socks that work and play well with athletic shoes.

You can tell it is Winter in San Diego when I'm wearing socks indoors. I won't turn on the heat but I will wear long sleeves, long pants and socks.

Socks for Martha, Carol & Carol -- just chilling

So why socks? I have friends who do not share my nekkid feet preferences. A certain subset of those friends are friends I have known for a very, very, long time and recently reconnected with.

Two of the friends were in town in 2012 to do the Rock N Roll marathon and in the days following their visit, on a chance visit to Tuesday Morning, that store had sock yarn not only called Marathon but also in a colourway named for the city one of those long time friends calls home.

Socks suddenly seemed a reasonable project. Blissfully, none of us have big foot syndrome but fitting socks from a distance is a bit of a challenge.

Quite the pair don't you think?

Unless you're a fussy footed type, dedicated sock knitter or someone who lurks in sock knitting forums (I won't tell and I won't judge) you probably have no idea what a challenge fitting socks can be and how many different types of heels, toes and techniques are involved.

For the most part, my store bought socks rarely fit well but I've never been bothered enough to take to the needles but I wasn't about to subject my friends' feet to such indignity.


When a perfect pattern search proved as pointless as expected, I went with a sampling plan that took a sampling of toe up cast on techniques (use a circular needle or scream a lot), a ribbing from here with a guesstimate of length from there and a stretchy bind off from some place else.

Then just to be safe. I enlisted the aide of a neighbour with the same shoe size but very, very different feet indeed.

Mine still unfinished and MIA

The test socks fit neighbour's fussy (allergic to wool) feet, visiting Martha's feet and mine so I finished the three originally planned pair and the thank you pair for neighbour.

I started to give into the sock knitting siren and began a pair for me with some leftover black and red Fixation.  The photo was taken in mid-September.  Before that finished sock and the sock in progress went on their own walkabout/MIA  I knit several more inches and was ready to the turn the heel.   With a bit of luck they'll turn up before my sock wearing season is over.