When we last left our fair Twisted Flower WiP, oh back in February, I was complaining (because that’s what I do, I complain) about how I had to un-knit about 20 rounds, stitch by stitch, because I had gotten mixed up as to where my round actually started.  But I had successfully finished the sock after several failed starts and much frustration and was bound and determined to finish the pair.

And then I got distracted (because that’s also what I do, I get…oooh, a bunny) and here we are, um, several months later, finally with a pair of socks.

What is it about having a camera pointed at your feet that makes you curl your toes? It’s like they’re visually uninteresting otherwise; they have to be doing something.

Anyway.  The basics:

Pattern: Twisted Flower by Cookie A.  (Ravel it)
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Chinatown Apple
Needles: AddiTurbo US2 (3.0mm, so really, a US2.5), Magic Loop
Start to finish: Too long, with a long break thrown in between for good measure
Made for: Me, as usual

I knit the larger size even though I don’t have particularly large feet. But I learned pretty early on that the twisted stitches don’t look all that great stretched out and it’s not really my feet that I needed to worry about.  I made no modifications to the pattern except to leave 24 stitches total (12 each half) for grafting the toe because I like a wider toe.

What do I love about these socks? The pattern is fantastic – I adore the heel.  Anyone who has been following my sock knitting knows that I have a weakness for patterns that run down the heel (although I think this is the first sock I’ve knit with an actual pattern down the heel). That said, I wish the heel flap edges had been a little more substantial, as there are definite holes where I picked up stitches.  But it’s a lacy look, and I suppose it blends in well enough.  I love the color.  Loooove.  I think Dream in Color has beautiful colorways (they better with a name like that, right?) and Chinatown Apple is no exception. I was nervous at first that this colorway would obscure the stitch pattern, but I was delightfully proven wrong.

What do I not so much love about these socks? I don’t really care for the yarn, to tell you the truth.  I like the yarn in the store because I. keep. buying. it. But I start knitting with it and it’s the same thing every time: it’s scratchy.  It also seems to lose its bounce in the hands of an overly tight knitter such as myself.  But mostly it’s scratchy.  I don’t really like the way it feels as it runs through my fingers.  And it has only softened a little with blocking.  But those colors keep getting me.

Overall, I am very happy with these socks.  Don’t let my gripes about the yarn make you think otherwise.  These are probably my favorite socks so far and I will be wearing them often once the weather is finally conducive to such things.

Well, gosh, I don’t know what to do with this new found knitting productivity.  Do I clear out some more languishing projects or start something new?  Start something new, you say? Well, if you insist…