Geektastic Thursday: The Proof is in the Socks

I finished the first of the Bitchin' Socks last night.  And then, rather than cast on the second, I went to my WIP shelf and grabbed the project bag with my Anywhere But Rio socks (I know I have an entire piece of furniture devoted to my WIPs. We'll discuss that later).  According to Ravelry I started these back in April but then I put them aside because I was torn as to how to do the heel.

As I sat working on them I realized, as if I could have forgotten, just how much my knitting and my geekiness are intertwined.  Both of these socks are themed for strong female characters.  And not just strong female characters, but ones connected to British sci-fi and fantasy media.  Both Molly Weasley and Amy Pond are stellar examples of why I connect so strongly to geek culture.  They're both *spoiler alert* amazing mothers.  They both protect their own.  And they both have powerful personalities that make them a force in their own right, separate from any of the male characters to which they play supporting roles.

My fondness for these two can probably also be attributed to my age.  I grew up reading about Molly Weasley the mother and am now close in age to Amy Pond, time traveler.  But it also says something about the current state of geek culture.  There is a market for strong female characters, and at least some people are realizing this.  I take the label of "feminist" gladly, and feel fully supported by the geek culture.  We are open to people of all sorts, because the world is made up of all sorts -- there is even room for strong, passionate mothers.

Some, when they first meet me, may be surprised to learn I am a geek.  But they really need only check out my knitting.  The proof is in the socks.