Knitting to Convert the Skeptic

Project: Simple Man Socks - basic stockinette pattern
Yarn: Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite
Needle: size 1 dpns
Started: 7/14/2008
Finsished: 8/19/2008

Well! These socks are finally done. You may have read an earlier post here about the size problem. How I knit the first sock really big because I used size 2 needles (which is what the manufacturer called for). But a little research on Ravelry revealed some concerns about the drapey quality of this yarn and its tendency to felt. Several Ravelers recommended knitting at a tighter gauge. So I ended up taking that advice, which of course meant having to re-knit the first sock.

I wasn't thrilled. Sock knitting is my subway diversion. Each sock takes roughly one week's worth of commuting, especially in an easy stockinette version like this. Well, by reknitting I was into week 3 and then week 4 (thank you, MTA, your trains are more crowded than ever!) So this project dragged on far longer than I wanted.

But in the end, they are great. They fit and they will be worn. This is very warm and lightweight yarn -- the alpaca makes it just a bit hairy, which I like. I reckon they will be worn on the coldest days. Do we ever get really cold days anymore? Seems like they come fewer and fewer with every passing year.

We used our stoop for the photo shoot on Saturday morning. That stoop sure gets lots of use as the backdrop to our lives! It was a tremendous, glorious morning. Perfect for some sock modeling.

Knitters already know that handknit socks are truly one of life's greatest pleasures. There is simply nothing better than that snug wooly feeling wrapped around one's foot. I extolled on these virtues for weeks but DH didn't believe me. He thought I was just being a nutty knitter. Till he tried these on. Now I think he's a convert. He may ask for all his socks to be hand knit. Umm...not gonna happen. But a few choice selections won't hurt.

I just hope this princely feeling doesn't go to his head.