Oh, so that was the point

What's that on my feet?

Why, it's a pair of handknit socks! And I knit them!

My sock issues are over, and with a vengence.

See, like many people I used to think, what's the point of knitting socks? You can buy them at the store for about $1 a pair. It's so much work on something so little.

Well, that was the point. It's simple, but not so simple as to make you want to dig your eye out with a spoon. At the same time, it's complicated, nearly as complicated as a sweater, but little, portable.

And they fit really really well. Like a glove....or...a sock. Truly, until you have worn a pair of handknit socks, you have no idea. Storebought socks are usually about half an inch too long on me. Then you have to figure out what to do with that extra squishiness. Do you mush it up at the front and have your toes squiggling around in it? Or do you pull it all the way back so the heel is actually riding up somewhere around the ankle? Well, no more, I tell you. No more. These fit exactly to my foot.

This are in the lovely German sock yarn Opal, which I bought in Nurnburg this summer. It was on sale for 9 euros, and I think I only used about half a skein. I might manage another pair. The striping seems pretty consistent, though the two socks aren't exactly identical. If I had been obsessive about it, I suppose I could have made them match. But that's just silly. I'm glad I finally have a pair of socks that works.

And this joy has inspired me to keep knitting socks. Seriously, I was excited to cast on the second one. It went faster than the first. No second sock syndrome for me.

I'm going to repaire the gigantic pair. I'll only have to rip back the gusset, and I can redo that in a day. I even started the second sock of that pair, so I could have another pair of lovely German sock yarn socks quite soon. That is, if I didn't have too much to do before I left for Japan.

Oh, did I mention I was going to Japan? I leave Wednesday and I'll be back in two weeks. We'll see if there's any blogging to be done. There will certainly be knitting. Possibly socks.

In summary:

Yarn: Opal sock yarns in color 1437 (it seems to be based on some art piece) (75% wool, 25% polyamid)

Pattern: Basic template from the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules!

Needles: Size 1 dpn (surprisingly fun, except for minor breakage issues)

Cost: 9 euros made one pair, possibly two

Total time: This pair - about a week

Victory over socks in general - about a year