Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Bubblegum and sunshine: socks for a cold cold day

Today I'd like to continue my series on really warm Stoddart socks that - apart from this recent incredibly-cold snap - are of little to no use inside boots (except for my super dressy unlined ones, which are enough too big to have room for thick socks, but also have no tread and are far too elegant for exposure to any weather but Dry.)


This time we're looking at bright yellow with pinks and pure bubblegum, a combination that made sense in the summer when I started knitting them but now makes a mockery of my huddled, bundled form grasping mugs of hot tea.  And that's the inside me I'm talking about, because (again, with the exception of these insanely cold days) that's the only place I wear these super heavy socks.


Some people find mohair itchy and others say that it really depends on the mohair - apparently, some is just better quality than others, and doesn't itch.  All I can tell you is that while my itch tolerance level is pretty low, I could wear these socks forever and never complain.  Okay, sometimes I'm dimly aware of a slight abrasiveness in the sock, when the hot water radiators have managed to suck the moisture out of everything including the sofa, but for the most part my toes just glide over the slipperiness of this perfect yarn as it wears into everyday use.


I love these socks, is what I'm getting at.  I have four pairs of them in this weight at the moment, four pairs of pure bliss to wear while I'm safely inside, looking out at snow and ice and heavy winds.  Four pairs of socks that make me feel, frankly, well-looked after.  And the most amazing thing is that I knit them for myself.  How many of us take care of ourselves, really?


Knitting myself socks is probably the kindest thing I ever do for me - the kind of thing only my grandmother would do, assuming I had one, which I haven't since I was three. (that one knit me mittens, and they were yellow too.)


Bonus: they're really quite beautiful.  A lot of work and love went into these socks, from the farmers who raised the fiber-bearing benefactors and, in Silvia's case, dyed the yarn, right down to to the summertime me knitting them for the slightly older winter version.  All that love shows, and it was worth it.


And I would do my part again tomorrow, which is lucky, because I still have several pairs left to knit!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I love my heavy sock, too. My current ones are llama and wool. I've seen where mohair is considered nature's nylon. so I'm going to try that as well ... After I finish the Surino - Suri alpaca and Merino I'm currently spinning. and that is absolute heaven!

Mary Keenan said...

Omigosh Karen, that fiber combo does sound like heaven! Isn't it great how we can always count on working with soft things to put us in a good mood :^)

linda gaylord said...

I was thinking of you,Mary,as I finished a pair of socks yesterday morning.I was knitting a pair of tall socks from two balls of commercial yarn(think self-striping blend).I had had a short length leftover from the ball when sock #1 was completed.I had counted my rows so I could make the socks match,and I thought I was good to go for sock #2.yesterday morning,with only the toe left to go on the second sock,I ran out if yarn! I counted and recounted the rows on both socks to see if the error was mine.no,I was good to go--the ball was short a few yards of yarn! I scrambled and dug through my stash and found a scrap ball,same material(I confess,it is acrylic.I'm on a strict yarn budget...:( )in a color that is a hair-off match of one of the colors in the stripes! I secured the new yarn in place and finished the sock! They aren't all matchup anyhow,so you can't tell a thing.I'm wearing them today,as a matter of fact.the whole episode reminded me of socks you blogged about a while back...:)

Mary Keenan said...

WOW Linda! You must have been on tenterhooks till you found the backup yarn - thank goodness you have a yarn stash! Honestly, my yarn stash makes me shudder until I need it, and then I'm glad I have it :^) So glad you've got nice handknit socks to wear today, especially ones with a story, heh

Jezz said...

Oh they look sweet! And they ARE sunshiny!

Mary Keenan said...

Gotta say Jezz - I just feel so cheery every time I put these ones on :^)