My membership in the Single Sock Liberation Sisterhood has been short-lived, but I have a really good excuse. My sister needed new socks.
A student in an ecology masters program, she is about to go to Montana and Yellowstone, and she mentioned that needed to pack lots of extra socks to avoid foot funguses (fungi?) as she plotted geographical maps and collected samples with wet feet crammed inside her hiking boots. My sister cannot have fungal feet, and as a sock knitter, there is something I can do about it!
Only a sock knitter would consider trench foot a reason to buy new sock yarn, but I have been intrigued by TOFUtsies, the new-ish sock yarn from Southwest Trading Company, since its release, and thanks to my dear sister, my most fervent knitting enabler, who provided me with the perfect reason to buy it, I snapped up a skein at Rosie's and cast on right away.Some longtime readers might remember that not only does my sister enthusiastically request the handknits, she is pleased to contribute posts to the blog to provide a muggle's perspective on the wearing of the handknitted item. This is one non-knitter totally willing to photograph her socks for my ongoing Tricot-in-Situ series, and is happy to provide fodder for Summer of Socks, too. My sister truly deserves a drawerful of handknit socks.
Pattern: Madder Ribbed Socks by Nancy Bush from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn& Needles: TOFUtsies, colorway 787, 2.25 mm KnitPicks Options needles
Notes: Because I am a total idiot, I knit this pattern totally incorrectly, but didn't even realize it until I began the second sock and thought the pattern seemed a lot easier that the first time. I went ahead and knit the second sock wrong too, but it looks fine.
I have heard lots of differing opinions about the yarn, but I have to say, I like it. I like it so much that I bought a second skein this week for myself. It is a touch splitty, but the super-pointy KnitPicks needles were the perfect tool for minimizing the split. It has a truly silky feel, and the short sections of color made for mostly pool-less sock knitting. I cannot speak to the wearability of these socks, but the nylon content should provide a hard-wearing pair of socks, and I anticipate that these socks will wear similarly to Regia or Opal.My sister has promised to photograph her socks in Yellowstone this year. Now, if only we can get her to pick up the needles...
19 comments:
Lovely socks, and it's even lovelier that your family is so supportive of you, and you of them.
The silkiest socks I have ever felt on my feet, and beautiful to boot (pun intended?). I will faithfully report back to XRK readers with a Big Sky Country, geyser, canyon, mountain, mammal-chocked Tricot-en-Situ report later this summer. Trench foot - nay! My sis, she rocks the socks.
I love the socks -- very pretty! I look forward to the report later in the summer.
A tip of the toes to your TOFUtsie socks! Very cute.
Hopefully they'll save your sister from gangrene, flesh eating diseases, and any other foot fungi lurking in the wilds of Montana. Because trench foot? Ewwww.
Beautiful! It's so nice to knit for someone who loves handknits. Can't wait to see photos of the socks out in the wild!
Sis rocks! Socks rock! Except for the dangerous foot environment, the summer trip sounds extraordinary!
I adore my sisters, but neither wants handknit stuff from me (boohoo), so props to your sister!! And perhaps I have to get some Tofutsies too...you know....just for research sake, of course.
The socks look great - I think unless you had mentioned that you had the pattern wrong, it wouldn't have even occurred to me, they look so nice.
Your sister's trip sounds so cool. I'm glad to know she will report back on the blog.
You are very sweest to look at for your sister by helping her to protect her feet. And your sister is very sweet to take pictures of her socks in action while away. Nice socks, by the way!
If all of us "total idiots" could have something come out so right, we'd be lucky! LOL!
Nice socks. Trench foot beware!
Those are fantastic! I love the colors and totally would not have noticed any errors in the pattern. I haven't yet tried Tofutsies yet but am intrigued!
Your sister? Fabulous! Now there's a muggle that really gets it and goes up and beyond. Love it!
Lucky sister! You are so good, too.
They look perfect and the colors are very cool. I wish I could knit for my sisters...
Perfect! Stylish AND anti-fungal? What sister could ask for more? :)
You are such a good sister! I've heard just what you said about the Tofutsie yarn... Will sis wear socks with her Keens? The are so NOT hippy. Even though we are all wearing them! With the closed toe, would she even consider them sandals? she'd get plenty of ventilation too!
My brother-in-law is a hydrology professor at Montana State... perhaps they'll meet? I'll tell him she's the one with the dry feet.
Stewart
Pretty socks and it sounds like your sister does deserve a drawer full of handknit socks.
avoiding fungus -- that is a new reason for obsessed sock knitter to knit!
Nothin' like a good trench foot-free foot! Your sister must feel so lucky to be anti-fungal. And I LOVE your photo shoot!
What a great gift for your sister -- and the perfect yarn for it. I love that handknit socks are, among other wonderful things, guardians of foot health.
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