Saturday, January 23, 2010

Second Sock Syndrome SOLVED

Most of my friends know I suffer from this malady.  They have seen me enthusiastically knitting a sock, only to see me enthusiastically knitting another sock, rather than the mate to one.  When Anne came back from her PA trip with buttons for many of us at Knit Knite, she handed me this one.


Granted I have some excuse.  For 3 years I was busily designing socks for Sock Hop.  I would barely get one done and off to Bonnie, who edited and tested the patterns, before I needed to start on the next one or some other project.  I have a lot of single samples and a lot of left over yarn.

I have completed pairs.  Really.  I did a pair of the Snowy Evergreen Socks for me.  I have done 3 pairs for myveryownsister (who wears them with pride and love) and several for Jim (who loves hand knitted socks and takes incredible care of them). AAMOF he is currently spinning some yak/merino/bbfl for me to knit him his next pair.  These two are on my permanent do one pair a year list, not like my son, who barely acknowledged the set I made for his birthday last year. Of course he does not know that a pair of socks has as many stitches in it as a sweater so is a large undertaking but...... He is no longer on the list.

So... I was on the Schoolhouse Press site ordering the new version of EZ' baby surprise jacket when I saw the Arch-shaped Stocking pattern and just had to have it.  It's a Meg interpretation of a pair of stockings her mother made for her but never wrote out.  When I received the pattern my knitting ADD kicked in I immediately fell in love.  There are 7 versions in it.  I almost did the fair isle aran one first but when I went looking through my stash my eye caught on the Aurora Borealis bag holding needles, pattern, sample sock and yarn.  I love that colorway.  I love cushy soft yarn.  So I decided to make the 'plainer version' toward the back of the booklet.

The design is so clever with the arch shaping and nice heel flap.  Really simple to follow even though it looks intimidating.  I was so obsessed enthused this sock was completed in two days while happily listening to part of Lois Bujold's Vorkosigan series.



Then of course, the other projects in situ plus the leg warmers I am still designing started calling to me.  However I just could not resist so put the sock on.  It did not want to come off.  I went around with one store bought sock and one hand knit sock for a day.  Bet you can guess which foot felt best.

Next I went to frog the Aurora Borealis sample making ready to do another of this EZ/Meg delight some day.   Then I had an epiphany.

I put the Aurora Sock on my left foot and wha la...



If that is not a color-matched pair, nothing is.
Same yarn, same colorway. OK different pattern, but hey, its a wearable pair and I am wearing them right now.
So for all you knitters out there suffering from this same syndrome I say,
"Knit single socks to your heart's content with no guilt.  SSS made null.'

And a special edition of this colorway is being dyed in soft lovely angora/merino in celebration.

3 comments:

rebecca jc said...

That's an inspired solution to the single sock syndrome. I really like it. I keep two or three pairs of socks going at once. After I get one sock done of each I go back and start the second ones. I don't get quite so bored that way.

LDSVenus said...

I love your snowy evergreen socks!! As a non sock knitter at this point, you have tempted me ;P. When I get my income tax back, guess I will be buying a sock pattern. You are such an enabler!! :P

Benita said...

Well, that's one way to get around SSS. :)

I guess I'm an odd-ball. I love the challenge of making identical mates for my socks, I have no problem knitting the second of a pair. The first is easy, the second taunts with tongue stuck out to get it to match the first one.