My First Pair of Knitted Socks

I finished my first pair of socks. I had been given the pattern for them from the parent of a student last spring. I had joked with a seventh grader that now that I was learning about making socks, soon his mother and I would be best friends (she was an avid knitter and all her son knew that she made was 'socks'). On the serious side, I did confess I might contact her for a tried-and-true pattern. He rolled his eyes, sighed, and was shamed with the thought of his English teacher and his mother becoming close friends. Nevertheless, within a day, without my initiation, she had emailed me two patterns, for his mock embarrassment wasn't enough to keep him silent about our exchange.

My thoughts, now that I'm done? I love Magic Stripes yarn. It's great to be surprised as to what color is coming up next. And I end up with colorful socks without having to switch strands every few rows and being stuck carrying colors up the side or having to weave in numerous loose ends. However, this particular color scheme isn't my favorite. I like order and balance, and these stripes varied. I could never predict how long any color strand would last. It leaves me with visions of the Wizard of Oz and I worry that I will slip these socks on, only to have a house plummet down on my head.

I've already finished a sock in another style, and it is delightful. Truly it's hard to be patient until both pairs are done. But I will wow you with my newest pair of socks next week if all goes well. And until then, I will still enjoy these socks and delight in their warmth. Even with crazy colors and a pattern calling for a weird bind off, I am still tickled that they are mine and they are done.