Ta Da! Finished, just in the nick of time.
Yarn: Fearless Fibers 100% Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn
One 4-ounce skein, 550 yards Colorway: Midnight Passion
Pattern: Knitspot’s Smokin Socks This was a fun pattern to do. I loved the repeating sections. Aurora doesn’t like slouchy socks so I usually make the smallest size in a pattern but next time I’d go up one size since the socks are stretched a bit too much to show the pattern to its fullest.
Needles: #1/2.25mm 16″L Jenkins Circs for one sock, #1/2.25mm Brittany DPN for the other sock.
This was a test to see which I liked better for socks. Frankly I still don’t know. 
They both have their merits. I’ve mostly used dpn so initially I was much quicker with them but once I got the hang of two circs on one sock the speed really picked up. I suspect if I used circs on socks they’d soon be my favorites. But still, there’s something about seeing four needles danging from something so small – it makes sock knitting look so impressive to the unknowing.
Time frame: Began mid July, finished Sept 3rd.
One round = 60 stitches; 6 rounds = 16-18 minutes; Approximate total stitches (didn’t count the heel or toe rows) 18,000. I started keeping track of stitches and time as the hours ticked away and there was suddenly only a few days to get them done. With a ton of other items to take care of I needed to know how many hours was needed to set aside for the task.
Ten p.m. Monday night the last strand was woven into place. The socks were handwashed and hung to dry the next morning. At 2pm they still weren’t dry so I tossed them in the dryer with a towel. 20 minutes, still not dry. They hung to dry some more until the clock ticked past 4 and still not totally dry so back into the dryer for another 20 minutes. Hmm, barely damp – it’ll do. Wrap them in green paper and tucked them in a shoe box to await the opening of presents. These were so cushy soft once they’d been washed and dried – I wanted to wear them! Fearless Fibers is definitely nice wool! I’m thrilled that there is plenty enough for a scarf. I don’t wear scarves much but this yarn would feel great draped around my neck.
(This was the first time I’d done a short row heel, and yes, there’s a small gap.)
Aurora’s birthday was Tuesday. She loves wearing hand knit socks especially ones made with love. We feel blessed to have her nearby and to celebrate her birthday with her.
She requested cherry pie, the cherries were from our tree and put into jars. Faith loved it too.
What else happened Monday? I signed 114 crochet hooks and 36 small circular needles. (Do you know how hard it is to write on a #1 2.25mm needle?) These are for a couple different orders – one huge order (100 items!) is just about packed and ready to ship to a store in the UK tomorrow. What a relief to Ed to have all those items marked off his long list!
Poor guy worked straight through his birthday which was on Saturday the 25th. He got an apple pie (the last of our Gravensteins) to soothe his spirits.
