{"id":945,"date":"2016-12-08T16:33:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T00:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.tangledstrands.com\/?p=945"},"modified":"2016-12-08T16:33:08","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T00:33:08","slug":"happiness-is-a-pair-of-handknit-socks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.tangledstrands.com\/?p=945","title":{"rendered":"Happiness is a Pair of Handknit Socks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have I told you how much I love my handknit socks?\u00c2\u00a0 If not, be assured that I do.\u00c2\u00a0 Very much.\u00c2\u00a0 So much that in 99.9% of the time I’m wearing socks, they are handknits.<\/p>\n

The other times?\u00c2\u00a0 Well, even I can admit that when it’s nearing 100 F outside it’s too warm to wear wool on the feet.\u00c2\u00a0 And the only reason I resort to store-bought socks during those times is that I have yet to knit myself a pair of cotton socks.\u00c2\u00a0 Wearing socks in summer occurs so infrequently.\u00c2\u00a0 Because flip flops and socks don’t belong together.<\/p>\n

But back to the glories of handknit wool socks.\u00c2\u00a0 I like that they fit my feet perfectly.\u00c2\u00a0 I like that they guard against blisters.\u00c2\u00a0 (My shoes, no matter how well-made or how broken in they are, always rub blisters.\u00c2\u00a0 I guess I have Princess feet.)\u00c2\u00a0 I like that I made them.\u00c2\u00a0 I like that they can be whatever color and pattern I want.\u00c2\u00a0 I like that they keep my toes warm.\u00c2\u00a0 I like that I can customize them.<\/p>\n

I like that they last several years longer than store-bought socks.<\/p>\n

Case in point:\u00c2\u00a0 Here is a recent photo of the toes of my blue cheer socks<\/a>, completed in March 2012.<\/p>\n

\"img_20161208_140821_sm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You can see there on the tip of the right one, the beginning of a small hole.\u00c2\u00a0 Friends, if that had been a store-bought sock, the hole would have developed after only one or two seasons.\u00c2\u00a0 I don’t know what my shoes\/toes do to my poor socks while I walk around all day, but that is always where the hole develops.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve been wearing this pair of socks every week for nearly five years.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s a darn good run.\u00c2\u00a0 (Pun intended.\u00c2\u00a0 Younglings may want to look up “darn” in the dictionary to get it.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not what you think.)\u00c2\u00a0 Speaking of darning…\u00c2\u00a0 I think that’s what I’ll do to help this pair go for a bit longer.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve got plenty of the original yarn left over.\u00c2\u00a0 The rest of the sock is doing just fine – no other holes or wear spots to speak of, and they still snap right back into shape with every wash.<\/p>\n

\"img_20161207_112206_sm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I added a new pair of handknit socks to the growing stash in my sock drawer.\u00c2\u00a0 These are also delightfully cheerful and warm.\u00c2\u00a0 Knowing that I am extra hard on my sock toes, I added a bit of texture there to help these last even longer.\u00c2\u00a0 Basically I worked the same pattern as for a slip stitch heel flap, but on the top and bottom of the toe section.\u00c2\u00a0 The result is a slightly thicker section of fabric that should take longer to wear through.<\/p>\n

I’ll let you know how they’re doing in five years.\u00c2\u00a0 Time to cast on another pair!<\/p>\n

For the Knitters:<\/p>\n