Nancy had it all right when she wrote Knitting on the Road, socks are the perfect knit for travel. I took along two unfinished socks when Kris and I left Maryland on Friday - a few hours of driving and I now have three finished socks: one completed pair, and another finished anklet. Is it the the seemingly endless stretch of highway that spurs the knitting? or the hours of sing-along and knit-along with the CD player? Either way, finished socks are finished socks…

Stripey Silk Garden Lite Socks
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Lite, colorway 2015 (2 skeins)
Source: Yarns on First, Napa, California
Needles: Size US 4 / 3.5mm DPNs
Pattern: Basic sport weight stockinette, ribbed cuff

I am just pleased as punch that the stripes actually matched up! I did a little manipulating to make this work, but sometimes Noro can be a craps shoot. Thankfully it worked out for me this time! The only difference is that the first skein had slightly shorter color repeats, so there is a small pink stripe on the top of the left sock, and the toe is fading into the yellow color. I am happy that it matched up around the heel and the gusset. That is the hardest part to ensure.

The yarn is typical Noro, which means you either love it or hate it. There is a lot of “vegetable matter” in the yarn, just like Silk Garden and Kuryeon, but if that doesn’t bother you, it is great yarn. There is no arguing with the amazing colors of Noro, and the striping fades into the next band so beautifully. The yarn is not itchy on the foot, and with wear and a nice soak, I am sure they will be even softer. The larger gauge makes them a little tricky to wear with some shoes - but they will be a nice fit for boots, sneakers, and house slippers. I will be wearing these a lot this winter.

…more of my trip to North Carolina tomorrow…

Project Spectrum may be over for now, but that doesn’t mean the fun with color has to stop… I have been particularly drawn to the bright and colorful sock yarns in my stash, and I have been wasting no time getting these same yarns on the needles.

Green Macaw anklets

At first, I was a little shocked at just how bright these socks were knitting up. The yarn is the beautiful Woolarina Handpaint that I purchased at last year’s Crafty Bastards fair. I loved the deep azure and emerald green. Once I got the yarn wound and started on the needles, I began to wonder if it was a little too garish - of course, what I was forgetting is that you can get away with garish socks much easier than any other garment or accessory. Additionally, like the name implies, I think they look like a green macaw parrot. That reminds me of the Amazon, and in turn, that makes me happy. (We did see quite a few macaws while in the Peruvian Amazon, and they are quite noisy birds with their squawking…)

Silk Garden Lite Socks

I could not ignore the siren song of Noro. When I bought this yarn in Napa, California last November, I planned to try my some Silk Garden Lite socks. Noro is not a common sock yarn, but I thought they would be warm and cute with the color changes. When I saw Good To Be Girl’s Silk Garden Socks last winter, it solidified the deal. Hers turned out so well, and I am hoping these do too. I am loving the colors, and there seems to be enough yarn in this ball for some pretty tall socks too. The colorway is #2015, and I am using US 4 (3.5mm) needles.

Socktoberfest can be about finishing up your single socks, working on holiday knitting, challenging yourself with a new technique or pattern or even about finding new ways to wear the socks you have already made. This year, I felt that my Socktoberfest would be based on the simplest of terms: ENJOY KNITTING SOCKS. (Terhi seemed to have the same feelings…) I have cast on for several pairs, all simple and plain patterns, and I don’t feel a shred of guilt over it. I am loving the colors, the yarns, and the process. I am loving every minute of it!

How is your Socktoberfest progressing?