Not-by-hand knit socks

Since I started knitting socks I've been wearing the same uniform every winter:  a black or grey long-sleeved T, a tunic dress of some kind over black leggings, and boots with (you guessed it) handknit socks in them.  That looks pretty ageless but in the shoulder seasons I substitute a pair of Mary Jane shoes for the boots and that, my friends, is a little choppier.  As in, I could pull it off if I were 10 or 20 years younger but right now? starting to get iffy.

So this year, as the weather is turning, I am thinking about Longer Socks for the days when iffy is not a good plan.  My theory: lengthening the line of pattern on my leg instead of chopping if off mid-calf is a more polished solution, assuming you can consider a tunic over leggings to be polished. 

I did think about knitting kneesocks, I'm not gonna lie.  And I may actually do it, but if I was gonna start now I would have my first pair of kneesocks ready to go around May 2013, so I got myself to a local discount department store instead.

What I had in mind: plain wool socks in black.

What I found and bought: not that.

and then

because I couldn't choose.

Some of these socks are 'over the knee', which is fashion talk for 'OWIE'.  It is not comfortable having ribbing that tight clamped over your knees and I don't care if they're going to stay up, I don't want them to stay up if they hurt that much.  I will be folding those babies over.

And some of these socks - I'm looking at you patterned guys - make my legs resemble tree trunks, which is not the look I was going for even though I have always had pretty skinny legs and spent many an hour in my youth staring at my calves and willing them to amount to something.  In my current mode I am saying Not so much, mr. storebought socks.

Amazingly, a few hours after starting to say this I noticed Emily had published something new to her blog, and it was about... seriously, knee length socks you can buy.  Good knee length socks, in solid colours, in alpaca.  (In England, with all the shipping and duty charges that involves, but still).  And they are dreamy.

Thankfully even without ordering socks from England, which may yet happen, all is not lost.  There are two positives to my shopping expedition:

1/ I can still wear the socks under the regulation black tights, and I will have the bonus of no freezing-cold gap between the tights hem and the sock cuff.

2/ I found these cool tights hanging beside the socks:

The ones on the right with the colourblocking?  The red stripe crosses over your knees.  The mad-stripeys?  I'm wearing them right now with a mushroom-coloured linen jumper, SO cute. Both pairs are super comfy and look just that little bit more grown up.

But not much more grown up.  I don't want to be getting up to any false advertising, you know?

Have a great day, you guys!  And come back tomorrow for the illustrated answer to the question I posed earlier in the week (which was: will my sock yarn run out before my sock does?)  I just know you're on the edge of your seat over that one.