Bang, bang (A Sock Wars 3 post-mortem)

Last week I participated in my first Sock Wars. Wow, what a blur! I'm not a terribly fast knitter, so I didn't hope to win. I only hoped for some fun and perhaps to finish one pair of socks to make a kill. I bought a crazy color for my weapon. The Supreme Commander mentioned that the pattern was inspired by the comic book BANG! POW! bubbles, and so when I saw this, I couldn't help myself!



That first weekend that the pattern was released was nuts for me. It was my birthday weekend, and Mother's day. I didn't even get to cast on until Sunday evening. Monday I found out that my assassin had mailed my socks. Already.

At first I was disappointed when I learned of her great skill and speed. I didn't have lofty goals for this war, only to extinguish one soul.

I only just managed to turn the heel on my first sock before death arrived on my door. Wow. What a fine and beautiful pair of socks I died by.



I watched some of the drama unfold on the Ravelry boards. It's like a train wreck over there. Or maybe a lynch mob. Either way, I stayed uninvolved. What a mess. I hope the Supreme Commander knows that many more people had fun.

Even though it was a little sad to be eliminated so quickly, I got the most beautiful socks I've seen in this battle and made some friends in the process!

Fabulous new socks

I love my new Nutkin socks. I finished them last week and they fit perfectly! I'm sure it was largely luck, but they're the first pair that haven't been slightly too big. They're a little twisty around the leg but that doesn't really bother me. Neither does the pooling. It means I made it myself!



So my entry for the Sockdown challenge for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry was complete in the nick of time. Speaking of which, I decided last night not to enter for April. I was planning to do a Jeanie Townsend pattern, but although I liked several of them, the ones I liked were similar to patterns that I've knit before. And with a completed pair number of 3, that simply isn't an option. I'm leaving on Friday, with loads of knitting time in the airport to be had, so I CO the Campfire socks. The pattern is super simple and I've seen a sock knit up in my chosen yarn (in fact, the reason I bought the yarn). The only issue I noticed, after getting a good start accomplished last night, is that the combined yardage of the two 50g skeins is 237 yards! This makes my size 9 foot nervous. I thought about frogging and start over with the pattern toe up, but the toe-up instructions are for two circs or magic loop. It would be my first toe up pair and I don't have circs, plus the instructions are not as "gentle" as the original ones. If I end up without enough to finish a sock with one skein I'll frog then. I love the yarn and the pattern, if I have to start over it won't be terrible.

Me-socks!

Simple Trekking Socks
Originally uploaded by gwendrr

Last night I finished the first socks I've made for myself. It's about time, really. As proud as I was of the previous two pair that I gifted, I've worried that they might not be as nice as they look because I've yet to wear a pair that I've made. My inexperience might make a less-than-I'd-hoped-for gift. But at least I think the friends I've given them to appreciate the work that I did for them more than anything else.

I think they came out great, but my next pair for me will be a little prettier. So here they are. I'm wearing them tomorrow!

Fruit-striped socks

Fruity & delicious
Originally uploaded by gwendrr

I've finally finished them, my first pair of socks. I've been wanting to give sock knitting another try for a while and here's the result.

I made these for a friend whose birthday is Halloween. Things have been a little rough with our friendship over the past year, and knitting these socks for her has helped me accept the fact that we will likely never be the friends we were again. And that's OK. Luckily she is not such a picky girl, and will likely love them even with their little flaws. Hopefully they fit, she has little feet!