Sunday, March 23, 2008

Second Longest WIP*: DONE!

queer pride socks
It's funny how a complete stranger pming you on Ravelry can actually have an effect on your knitting decisions. Earlier this month a random knitter sent me a message exhorting me to "...finish these socks! OMG the color is amazing!". I have to say that the message gave me a bit of a start and caused me to look over my shoulder, "Wha? You talkin' to me?" I felt like replying. But this Raveler was right! WTF? I only had about 70% of a sock to go before completion, so why not?
My first socks since JULY
The Specs
Pattern: Ann Budd Basic Pattern for Socks
Yarn: Regia Uni Nation 4-fädig color #5399 , 2 skeins
Needles: 48 sts on size 2 HiyaHiya circ (Magic Loop)
I am somewhat torn about the yarn--I love the tripped out 70s color scheme but found it to be somewhat stiff and even brittle if that makes sense. But the recipient is happy and noted that "the fit is particularly good", which is a relief given the rather long hiatus taken between them (see below).
regia-uni 4-fädig nation socks
These socks are serving several purposes at once. As I have said before (you know, a YEAR AGO when I finished the first sock), I am fond of the color way as it invokes at once Doug Henning and Queer Pride, two things which on second thought might not be that unrelated. And the fun color scheme really helped me finish these, so they represent a return to sock knitting for me, because before these I hadn't finished a pair of socks since *gasp*JULY, so I was due. *Now if I could just finish that Irish Hiking Scarf from March 2006...
Rumpled but finished...
These socks also represent the last skein of what I am politely calling 'industrial yarn' in my stash. You know, the scratchy stuff. While I used to be attracted to the self-patterning action and the unique color combos of your Opals, your Trekkings, and your Regias, I feel like I've gotten burned on more than one occasion with bad dye jobs, knots and weird transitions in the yarn, so I am just not feeling them at the moment. From this point on I am totally industrial-free, and I am loving it. It's nothing but indie/hand painted/hand dyed from here on out for me!

These are also for the Darling Marxist Resident Curmudgeon, whose interpretive apparatus is going into OVERDRIVE with the bad economic news these days. Sometimes I wonder if he weren't wishing that we would be flung into a full blown 1930's style depression just so his darkest fantasies about our society could come true. "You know, there will come a point where we will look back and wonder how we ever afforded expensive marmalade...".

Well these are for him. And I owe him one. Because I am going to the South of France in less than a week for work (dirty job, etc. har har) to visit a study abroad program that our university sponsors, and he will be alone with the junior units and their musical instruments that they don't practice, their specialty sports beverages that he doesn't condone, and their Hannah Montana that makes him recite his rosary of Adorno until he's blue in the face. He's quite a guy!

44 comments:

Meghan said...

Fantastic socks! I think I'd feel pretty powerful wearing those.

nicole said...

Somehow, it's hard for me to imagine your beautiful "Wonderful world of illusion"-coloured socks on the feet of a "Darling Marxist Resident Curmudgeon" who pines for the good old days of the depression. There's a bit of a disconnect there. But more and more I'm realizing that people are wonderfully multi-layered and cannot be pigeon-holed.

Bon voyage! I'm deeply envious. Have a few Calisson d'Aix and a pastis for me.

Anonymous said...

Wow, as soon as you said 'Doug Henning' and I stared at your socks, it brought me right back to the '70's. It was like being hypnotized!

I hope you have a lovely time in France. Your comments about the Curmudeon made me laugh and reminded me of SNL's dead-on impression of Suzy Ormon last week. "Sometimes life just hits you in the Toblerones." Ha!

peaknits said...

Doug Henning, my gosh I had forgotten about him! I was thinking Mork suspenders too. Enjoy your trip - it's a tough job but someone has to do it...

Kirsten said...

Ha-ha! We should really get your Darling Marxist Resident Curmudgeon together with my Darling the World as We Know It is Coming to an End Financial Services Employed (well as of today at least) Grumperoo. They could contemplate our collective futures over a glass of soon to be prohibitivly expensive Cabernet. Meanwhile, I will be sure to stockpile the marmalade. I think it's got a pretty good shelf life.

Have a fantastic trip!

Emily said...

I love those socks! After seeing them on Ravelry, I bought myself the same yarn. :)

weezalana said...

Those are groooovy, baby! So bright and fun! And wow, those stripes match up perfectly.

I just ordered some HiyaHiya circs to try them out for my Magic Loopin'. I'm hoping they work out, 'cause my KPs are kaput.

Dove Knits said...

I want those socks. They are awesome, awesome, awesome.

YawnOver said...

Too funny. I did the same thing to someone poor Raveler with a half-finished blanket in some gorgeous yarn, lol.

I was thinking Mork or HR Puffenstuff, actually - was that Doug Henning? It all blurs together in a freaky turquoise and orange haze when I try to remember... The DMRC must be mightily pleased that your yarn payments are no longer going to The Man ;)

Jennie said...

They are awesome!! I love bright socks. :)

And I so know what you mean about the Irish Hiking Scarf. I started mine 2 years ago and just recently finished it. lol One long arse project.

KeanaLee said...

you are right about those types of yarn, the socks I just finished were Trekking & they were SCRATCHY...congratson finishing! Fells good don't it!

Karen said...

Nagging via Ravelry? Who knew? But I'm glad it got you to finish up those cool socks!!

schrodinger said...

I love that a stranger guilted you into finishing the socks. And what great socks they are - Love 'em.

...Sarah said...

it is all financial doom and gloom around my house too. Though not as eloquently put as the expensive marmalade part.

Jocelyn said...

Heh!! I'm so pleased to see you finished them - the striping is oh! so! happy!

Have fun in France!

Jocelyn (the random stranger)

Octopus Knits said...

I LOVE the socks! I'm so glad you finished them, and they are definitely well deserved : )

Have a wonderful time "working" in France!

Sigrun said...

NICE!

a friend to knit with said...

i love that a total stranger can motivate us!
and those socks are AWESOME!
your hubby sounds like a fantastic guy, and a little like mine with his sleepless nights over the economy!
(oh, maybe that is me)
i am so excited for you for that trip! and of course, envious of all of that airplane time.
airplane = knitting.

Sarah said...

Wait a minute -- you got a MAN to wear socks that bright? I am in awe! What's your secret?

Anonymous said...

I can see why someone messaged you, the socks are awesome. Congrats on getting them done. Good thing too. Hannah Montana? Yeah, you so owe him. :)

Spinning Ninny said...

OH! I love them. How lovely! Despite my dislike of knitting socks, I might have to make my own pride socks. They'd look lovely worn with a pair of Birkenstocks! :)

Amy said...

Maybe those bright, sunny, gorgeous socks will lift his predictions into the merely dire for a time? :)

Veronique said...

I think it's nearly impossible to act curmudgeonly while wearing bright ass rainbow socks. And that's why I'm knitting a pair right now. (But I do agree about the stiffness of the yarn).

Knitting Bandit said...

I feel so bad for you...a dreaded work trip, leaving the day to day joys of mothering and "wifing" behind. It's going to be tough. I hope you manage oaky. How do you get your Irish Hiking Scarf done? Let it be the only knitting you take on the plane...well, maybe a backup project, just in case of an emergency, but put it in the overhead so it's hard to get to.

Anonymous said...

They are sooo great!!

Oddly my husband prefers industrial scratchy yarn.

Anonymous said...

Yay! I'm so glad you finished these fun socks! I'm with you - it's indie/handpainted sock yarn for me too!

Denise said...

Fabulous socks! Bet you're glad now that you were motivated to finish them.
Enjoy your trip to France :-)

Anonymous said...

The South of France!?! I'm sure you'll have a lovely time.

Also, please read my current post - you've won the obi scarf! [Not as nice as a trip to France, but, still...] :)

Sereknitty said...

Oooh, those socks took me back to my teens when I had a pair of 'toe socks' in precisely those colours! Deja vu!

Robin said...

Those socks are amazing!! It is crazy how motivating random comments on Ravelry can be. LOL at Doug Henning and Queer Pride...now there's a blast (name) from the past. What ever happened to Doug Henning? I may have to google him now to find out.

Anonymous said...

Guess who?? Those socks are amazing! You've been busy! So many things going with me. I'm just starting to slowly get back to my blog.

nova said...

Only you could make me enjoy a post about socks knit from "industrial yarn" so much. I hope your "work trip" is fabulous.

Sonya said...

Doug Henning. Now there's someone who hasn't crossed my mind in a while. Your very cool socks will keep the Curmudgeon's feet warm during the coming Depression. I've been watching extra episodes of the Waltons so I'll know how to survive. Apparently I'll be needing some aprons.

Risa said...

Oh dear. I hope your work trip isn't too horrible. Call me if you need someone to carry your luggage ;)

And yay for finishing long-languishing WIPs!

Kwana said...

Oh, I love these socks. I would just smile every time I wore them!

WonderMike said...

Is your husband Jesse Jackson?

Alison said...

Love those stripes! Fun socks; I hope you're feelin' the sock love again!

Happy knitting-
ali

Have fun in France- I am totally jealous of that one. I enjoyed a stay in Paris (all by myself) in 95 and would love to go back!!!

knitseashore said...

That is definitely one pair of groovy socks. LOL to the commenter about Mork!!

Enjoy France for us. You *could* replenish your marmalade stash by auctioning off some supplies from Provence to the highest bidder or yarn trader...

Vicki said...

Those socks are fab!! I totally feel you on the "industrial" yarns, though I did make an exception for some Kaffe Fassett goodness.

PetraO said...

I love your socks - now I know what to do with all my stash. Thankyou! / Petra in Sweden

Anonymous said...

Socks are neato, keano, wacko cute. Must finish my sweater that only needs like five inches knitted on a sleeve...

Knittymuggins said...

OMG. Love those colors! And what a good feeling to finish up an old UFO too! Hope Mr. Man loves 'em :)

knittymuggins

Jessica said...

They are very cool! Got to love the stripy goodness (but I know what you mean about the yarn). :)

Anonymous said...

He can't really be much of a Curmudgeon if he will wear those blazingly bright socks :-)