Back to school socks

This time of year will always be Back To School season for me - it's just too ingrained after all those years of being a student myself, to say nothing of all the ads and, soon enough, the kids walking around wearing backpacks and conspicuously new clothes.

And what I always want to know is, where are my new clothes? 

Problem: solved.

When I was a kid, back to school was all about the New Jeans, and these socks (Holiday Blitz in Vesper Sock Yarn) have the best indigo stripe.  I would have loooved to have these socks when I was heading into grade 7. 

There were always two or three key things I forgot every year when it came time for back to school outfits... maybe you did, too.

1/ First week of school weather is never, every going to be what you think it is.  I remember one summer I sewed a new, mostly shapeless cotton dress in a tiny floral print that was predominantly brown (thank you, 1970s, and how happy I was to boot you out the door) and insisted on wearing it to school the very first day with a gold chain around my neck and clunky brown shoes on my feet over - what, pantyhose?  Please tell me I didn't do that, though knee socks would have been worse.  Anyway, I froze the whole way there.  And probably looked like an idjit when I arrived and everybody else had new, tastefully distressed jeans on.

2/ You must never, ever wear all new clothes on the first day of school,. lest you look like you're actually happy to be there.  One new thing mixed with one old thing is pretty safe - two new things plus one old, if one of the new bits is super unobtrusive.  Whatever you do wear should be comfortable (I'm staring you down, icky panty hose) and attractive (and you, shapeless cotton) and not Trying Too Hard (a dress and necklace? really?  man I was confident.)

3/ Do not, under any circumstances, give in to the temptation to wear the decidedly autumnal sweater or corduroys you have been dying to wear since you bought them, no matter how cold it is when you are leaving the house in the morning on the first two days of school.  By noon, it will be so hot outside you will not only envy, but look ridiculous alongside, the people who showed up in jeans and a T with, at most, a thin sweater over top, all in borderline summery colours.

Wool socks though?  Oh yeah.  You can wear wool socks with your jeans.  Socks don't leave tell-tale sweat marks as long as you keep your shoes on.  And even if nobody else notices your ankles when you sit down, you'll know they're there, and they'll remind you that you are awesome.  Because you, my friend? you can knit socks.

Sigh, if only I'd known how to knit socks back then.  Maybe I should apply for a Master's degree somewhere, now that I can?

(kidding!  I am too busy knitting to study for a Master's degree and the tuition would kill my yarn budget.  pretty sure you can relate.)