Socks!

It's summer so it must be time to knit socks! I look forward to this every year, which is quite strange, because I knit socks all year long.  I can't wait though for the Summer of Socks group to get active. The Sock Knitters Anonymous group starts talking about all the socks they have started over the year(s) that they are going to finish in August, and the 26 Pair Plunge (or 52 pairs if you're that ambitious) starts fresh on July 1st.  I participate in all of them!  This year I was excited.  I had a plan, and with this plan I was going to finish 10 pairs of socks by the end of August.  That's right, 10!

These are all my socks-in-progress, aka SiP's, on August 2,

plus this one which was hiding in plain view on the table beside my knitting chair when I gathered up all my SiP's for their glamour shot for the SKA Clear Your Needles Challenge....

The biggest rule for that challenge is that whatever you finish in August had to be started June 30th or earlier if you want it to count.  This challenge is truly to finish up those lingering projects so that you have lots of available needles for September 1st which is the beginning of the SKA challenge schedule.  As you can see, I had 4 single socks and 7 first socks in progress.  I was going to knit like the wind, every day, and knit more socks than my friend Christine, and who knows how many other people.

That was my plan.  I forgot to factor in one very important factor though...... radiation fatigue.  I'm not complaining though because I have nothing to complain about.  Sure I was "done" by 3pm just about every day, but it was no where near the deep-in-your-bones, mind-numbing, soul-sucking fatigue of chemo.  I just was "done" and couldn't always focus on following a pattern, and wouldn't you know it but almost all of my SiP's were projects that had charts that needed to be followed every row.  Perhaps that's why they got set aside in the first place?  Hmmm...  I'll have to think about that for next August.

I do have 3 pairs of socks finished though since July 1st.

These are Sail Away by Cookie A, knit in Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in the color Out at Sea.  This was the yarn and one of the patterns from the June Sock Club Kit.  I started them June 13th and finished them July 17th.  I would like to make these again using yo's instead of m1's.  Some people in the club did that and the socks have a nice open look to them.  Same but different if you know what I mean.

This next pair is Zigzagular by Susie White, knit in Socks That Rock light weight in the color Walking on the Wild Tide.  I would love to make these again.  It was an easy to memorize pattern and looks great with variegated yarn. I started them July 13 and finished them August 5th.

This pair is Tree People by Heidi Nick, knit in Hazel Knits Artisan sock in the color By the Seashore.  This was a mystery knit along and I learned a new heel technique, the fledge heel.  I'm curious to see how I like wearing this heel and how it holds up!  I started these May 20 and finished them August 20.  Lots of charts for these socks!  The designer used color as well as symbols for her charts though and I liked that!  She is hosting another MKAL in September and I think I will join in as I liked these socks so much.

I'm still chugging along on my SiP's and hope to finish another pair or two by the end of the month.  I've also been distracted by a Miss Winkle Shawlette and a new sweater for fall.  I'll show them to you soon!