Two Whole Socks -- A Goal Accomplished!

After years of trying, crying and ripping out, I have finally completed two socks!  How satisfying!

I must thank Christie for the kick in the pants -- that is her hand-written recipe.  She has knit socks for every member of my family (plus those cute little sweaters still hanging on our fireplace mantle!)  and they all love them, so I thought I would try to knit another pair for everyone.  But don't hold your breath.

Christie's little sweaters:

Yarn:  KnitPicks Stroll Handpainted, County Fair
Needles:  dpn's, size 2
Pattern:  Christie's
Time:  (This is always Clay's big question -- How long does it take to make these?  I will just tell you this -- if I sold these, and charged even minimum wage for my time, you couldn't afford them!)  I am going to guess that each sock took me about 10-12 hours.  Of course, those hours were scattered over several months.

Cute little toes:

Cute little heels (look, they make a rainbow!  Yes, finishing these has made me rather giddy!)

Not-so-cute little cuffs.  I goofed.  Sock #1 (on the left) had a tidy little k3, p1 ribbing, but when I cast on and started Sock #2, I wasn't thinking, and did a k2, p2, and didn't realize it until I was halfway down the leg.  Boo.

What I have learned:  1) Measure.  While I thought I was making these for me (since I knew they would have a few mistakes), Clay thought I was making them for him.  (Really?  Do these look like Clay colors?)  He tried the first sock on, and said, "Great work, but it could be a little longer in the foot."  (First clue he thought they were for him.)  "Would you wear these?"  "Sure," he said.  (Second clue.)  So, I made the second sock longer, then ripped out the toe of sock #1 and knit in 10 more rows.  But I never did measure his foot, as I should have.  He hasn't tried these on yet, but crossing my fingers they fit!  (I still will be surprised if he ever wears them out of the house -- these might be at-home wear, like his kilt!)

2) Knit both socks at the same time.  I think if I knit one cuff, then the other, then one leg, then the other, etc.,etc., etc., I would have a better chance of them looking just the same.

3)  The most important lesson I learned is that I want to knit more socks.  I have two more skeins of the Stroll in my yarn bin, plus I am wondering if the yarn Clay brought me from India might make good socks?  (Did you read his blog post about wandering through alleys trying to find yarn for me?  That is love.)
While I didn't get that endorphin rush that many sock knitters seem to have, they were an enjoyable, easy-to-carry-around project that I know the recipients will appreciate -- hand-knit socks are like a loving hug on your feet.  Sappy, but true.

Peace.