i d-d-d-d-did it!

I kind of can’t believe it. I finished a pair of socks. First time ever! An Olympic-sized challenge that, when push came to shove, proved much easier to complete than I’d thought. With the strict deadline, however, it wasn’t hard to continue on with the second sock. (Ok, I had a little bit ofsecond sock syndrome , but all in all it was fairly minor.) We’ll see how I fare with no gold medal* hanging out in front of me like a carrot for future socks, though. (What? did I just say “future socks”? Why yes, I believe I did. I don’t think I’ll ever be as devoted to socks as some, but there’s no reason to avoid them any longer.)

finished pomatomus!

My love for these socks only grows. I adore the bluefish-like pattern. I love the twisted knits, which raise and give the whole thing an added depth. I love them!

Pattern: Pomatomus, from Knitty.com
Needles: US size 1 dpns
Yarn: Schaefer Yarn’s Anne. 60% Merino Wool Superwash, 25% Mohair, and 15% Nylon
Started: Friday February 10; opening ceremonies night (though I didn’t watch)
Completed: Sunday, February 19, as Bode Miller failed to medal again
Notes: I didn’t decrease until there were 12 stitches left for grafting, as the pattern dictated; I went til there were 16 left. I thought a wider toe would look nicer. I’m happy with this change, though it is quite minor. Kitchenering came pretty easily, though I notice that the first and last stitches that have been grafted together kind of pooch out a bit. I assume with wear they’ll even out. Other note: I obviously tried the first sock on a bunch more times, as I figured it all out, so it feels much looser than the one I just completed. I’ll have to take that one off and put it back on a few times, until they feel the same!

Edited to add: Many, many thanks for all the kind words and comments! And a special thanks to Tania for suggesting the pattern in the first place. Not very hard, but definitely interesting. Thanks, everyone!

16 Responses to i d-d-d-d-did it!

  1. candsmom says:

    Absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Those are the most beautiful Pomatomus socks I’ve seen in Blogland! The colorway you chose is beautiful and looks amazing in that pattern. I really like how you modified the toe- I prefer wider toes, too. Fantastic job and congratulations on your gold!! :-) Take care!

  2. Rachel says:

    Those are awesome looking socks, fit for an Olympic champion! Nicely done.

    I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing Stephanie will post the gold medal button on her blog and it will be there for people to take on the honor system. I’m sure she doesn’t have the time to check to make sure people really earned it! And I think knitters are probably a pretty honest lot. (I have no evidence for that, but it just sounds right.)

  3. Pyewacket says:

    Your first pair of socks was Pomatomus??! *faints* They’re stunning!

    Turtlegirl passed on a great tip for avoiding poochy corners on kitchner toes. Before you start grafting, pass the outermost stitches (all 4 of them) over the neighboring stitch, kind of like a bind off. It rounds off the “donkey ears” (love that!) and gives you that much less to graft. :)

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