Love/hate relationship with socks

I really want to like making socks. I look at all the beautiful sock patterns and yarns out there and I want them all. I have a pair of socks I made myself that I love to wear. I want to give socks as gifts. But so many times I get to the heel flap and set the sock down for months. Why? I know how to do the flap and turn a heel. I don't even have problems picking up the gusset stitches.

It might have something to do with how long it takes me to make a pair of socks on size 1 or 2 needles. But, if I work on a sock faithfully, I can get it done in a reasonable amount of time.

Oh well, enough lamenting. It's time to get serious about socks. One way I figured I would push myself to make socks was to join the Sock of the Month 4 KAL. (Click on the button in my sidebar for more info.) I joined the SAM3KAL late and only finished two of the four pairs I was supposed to make. I had made up my mind that I wasn't going to join the next round but I decided to look at the final socks that people had made. And I immediately signed up for the 4th round.

Of course, now I had to get a pair of socks made. I was working on a pair while in New Hampshire that are made from Moda Dea "Sassy Stripes" on size US 3 double points. I worked on that sock for the whole week and almost finished it. Unfortunately, I hated working with the 100% acrylic yarn. I had to switch from Crystal Palace bamboo needles to metal needles to finish the foot. Here is a picture of it just before I finished the toe decreases.



It looks nice but believe me, it was torture! Then I tried grafting the toe late at night and it looks terrible. Oh, I think it's salvageable but I left it in disgust. I dread making the second sock.

Now it's getting toward the end of August and I didn't have socks done for the KAL. I know I can't get a pair of socks made on size 1 or 2 needles with sock weight yarn in time. I'm just not fast enough. Then I remembered that to be eligible for this KAL, they don't have to be adult socks. Baby or child size socks will do. Plus Afghans for Afghans is asking for warm wool socks for kids from ages 7 - 14.

Ta da! A pair of warm wool socks made in Patons Classic Wool on size US 5 needles. It's the "Good Earth" colorway.



I cast on 40 stitches to make the child's medium size but accidently made the foot 6" long instead of 5" long. Since they are for charity, I'm sure they will fit someone. I started the socks on August 21st and finished them on the 27th. The second sock was started in the car on a trip to Rochester to Ariane. 2 1/2 hours to get there, knitting on them for most of the day, and then the 2 1/2 hour trip home knitting in the dark. I was on the foot by the time we were coming home so I didn't need to see what I was knitting. As so I have my August socks completed for the KAL with a few days to spare!

I dug out two more skeins of the Patons Classic Wool in varigated colors and started another pair yesterday. These are in the "RoseWood" colorway. The socks need to be sent to A4A by September 12th. If I finish up two more pairs, I'll have my September socks done for the KAL, too.