Toasty Toes

Socks used to be at the top of my gift-giving list, but I cannot remember the last pair of socks I made, at least, not without consulting my project page on Ravelry.  (It has been over two years, despite having a pair on the needles since January 2013.)

I don't know if it is a combination of age (poor eyesight) and small needles that seem to have put me off them or having knit too many pairs.

In any event, every time there is a chill in the air, the husband dutifully pulls his hand-knit socks out and dons them, especially, if he is hanging out watching football.  He does not wear them to work because he says they are too warm, but he has worn them to fly fish in the winter!

These are his favorite pair:

The yarn is Berroco Sox color 1433 and the pattern is a simple rib. My notes show I cast on 72 stitches. They were made in the summer of 2008.  

I made him another pair in the winter of 2012-2013.

Yarn: S. R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4 Ply with Aloe Vera in ON 223815. Again, they were knit in a simple rib pattern.

I have not seen him wear this second pair of socks, but knowing my husband, he won't break them out until the first ones are no longer serviceable. Bless him.

Flush with the success of finishing one of my Christmas sweaters and, at least, half-way through with the second, I thought it might be nice, if I could squeeze out a pair of socks for my love.

After a few minutes going through the sock yarn left in my stash, I was convinced I would have to buy more yarn. I did not have any self-striping, hard-wearing fingering weight yarn appropriate for a manly man.  That is when I remembered, a couple or more years ago, I made a committed effort to destash all but the yarn I deeply, truly loved.  The Opal, Regia, Lang, and Trekking sock yarn did not make the cut, and off the went... While nice and hard-working, they just could not compete with the colors and softness of MadelineTosh, Wollmeise, Vice, and Sweet Georgia.

As I planned my strategy on acquiring yet more yarn, my eyes drifted across my desk where a hank of Zwerger Garn Opal Handpainted Indigo fingering weight yarn sat. I had pulled it out, thinking it might make a nice warp for weaving.

A quick glance at Ravelry shows several nice looking pairs of socks have come from this yarn and colorway.

I totally borrowed the above photo from this lovely knitter from Germany. 

Minus the cables, I think the color is certainly appropriate for a pair of man's socks, no?

Well then, let me just add this to the list of gifts to be completed in the next 24 days!