FO: Bitchin' Socks

Two FO Fridays in a row!  Do not expect to see this kind of productivity from me again for quite some time.  This week I finished my Bitchin' Socks, also known as the Georgia On My Mind pattern by Leslie Thompson.  But I knew before I even wound the yarn that these would be my Bitchin' Socks.

This is the first pair of socks that I have knit since the tragic loss of my Nutkins last month, and so I desperately needed them to be a success.  And boy do these socks not disappoint.  The yarn is Gnome Acres' Molly Weasley in her superwash merino/nylon base.  It is sturdy, vibrant, and makes for excellent stitch definition.

This stitch panel may be the reason I now am obsessed with all of Gnome Acres colorways.

Leslie's pattern was a dream to knit.  I made them a tad shorter than called for with the intention of hitting my perfect inch-over-ankle cuff that I love for work, but I decided to try the Eye of Partridge heel rather than my standard short-row.  This resulted in a taller sock for reasons that were obvious after I finished the first heel.

If it was not for the fact that I absolutely hate knitting the gusset I would probably sub in this heel construction more often.  The look of the bright colors in this stitch pattern made me super happy.  I would find myself stopping after a few rows just to look at the way the verigation was working up.

Sadly it has been far too hot here for wool socks.  Normally I wear them despite the heat, but with our average temperature up over 100 before you account for the humidity even I am opting for shoes sans socks.  I'm really looking forward to trying these out as soon as I can.  I just got a new work shirt that is bright orange and would match them perfectly.

For more FOs, please go check out the gang over at Tami's Amis!

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.

Nothing Much Has Changed -- In Knitting

How is it already Wednesday again?  I feel like all that I do is stand around and say "Wow. This wedding is coming up really soon! I need to get stuff done!"  But I do not actually accomplish anything (she says, glancing nervously at the boxes of invitations, poised to strike).  And then to procrastinate I knit.  But as you can see, there has not been much practice made here either.

I'm still knitting along on my Bitchin' Socks out of Gnome Acres sock yarn in the Molly Weasley colorway (hence the name).  I love the way the color is working up in the seed stitch panel.  Because of the way the yarn is dyed, every row has been different, which has been a lot of fun to watch.  Last night I finished the foot and got the first few rows of the toe done during the Pretty Little Liars season premier.  I probably could have accomplished more, but there was yelling and flailing and Toby in a towel.

I am also finally making progress on the Umbre Lovre now that I don't have Kaleidoscope to distract me.  But it is deceptive progress because though I am starting the patterned section at the top, the fact that humans generally have arms means that you have to split the front and back partway through.  So it feels like no progress at all because I know I'll just have to go back and knit up the other half.

So there you have it.  I'm still trying to use knitting to procrastinate and it is still not working.  The black hole of knitting may yet eat my soul if I don't feel any progress soon.

On the bright side, you can find more WIPs over on Tami's Amis, and I'm sure someone there has made progress of which they are proud.

So Far, Destined

Sometimes I find something I want to knit and it absolutely has to be this specific pattern and that specific yarn.  Forget the fact that the pattern has not come out yet.  It has to be this way and there's no convincing me otherwise.  Often this means that yarn is completely wrong for the pattern.  It doesn't have enough yardage, the verigation pools in unappealing ways, the pattern is complete chaos, etc.

Georgia on My Mind by Leslie Thompson in Gnome Acres Merino Nylon Fingering, Molly Weasley -- can you tell it is raining today?

So far that does not seem to be the case.  But then I've only been working on these socks for a day.  There's still plenty of time for user error.

For sunnier WIPS, check out Tami's Amis.