Two, Two Pairs of Red Socks

Throwing a Fourth of July barbecue and hanging out with friends is prime knitting time. (Okay, playing in the pool, not so much.) But I did finish the Manly Red Socks.


I keep having this insane desire to cackle like the Count from Sesame Street, and count, 'One, one pair of red socks! Two, two Christmas gifts complete!' Probably I'm still really underslept.

As I was knitting up to the ankle, I was noticing that the relatively plain fabric had almost no give to it. So I increased a few stitches at the bottom of the foot, and included those with the heel stitches when I worked the short-row heel. Result, the socks do not stretch or pull at the point where the last heel stitches rejoin the leg. I'll have to remember that trick.

And the slight pattern up the side gave me something other than rows to count for length matching purposes (I hate counting rows), and provides a bit of decoration to relieve the plainness. Not that plainness is a big issue, since these socks are destined to disappear into boots, never to be seen again, but you get the drift.


And now, to knit something that's not red!

This Time For Sure

The basket weave socks having made a token stab at asserting their independence (a phrase I like better than admitting my brain was out to lunch on the second one), they gave me no further trouble.

Finished! One pair red wool socks. And my first official Christmas present complete and in the bag.


Now you'd think I'd be tired of solid red wool, and I am a bit. But these knit up quickly, and the heavy yarn makes them easy to work in all kinds of light. So instead of taking a break, I cast on for the second pair (I bought enough yarn for two pair).

These don't have a particular pattern name, but I've been thinking of them as 'Manly Red Socks' for the understated pattern up the sides. (I basically just made this up as I knit, said, 'huh, that looks okay' and kept going.)


All the same, I think two pairs is going to be enough. If I have the time to knit more red wool socks before the holidays (for my brother-in-law, they're his absolute favorite) I'm thinking of the new Huntington sock yarn from Valley Yarns. They've got a nice solid red at a reasonable price. And it's a sock yarn, not a worsted. Now, the Cascade yarn will probably keep your feet toasty even after the rest of you has frozen solid in the blizzard, but that is just a wee bit of overkill for say, June.