Today is my dissertation defense at 2:00pm!  I’m nervous, excited, and so ready to be done! Think good thoughts for me, y’all.  There is power in the collective unconsciousness…

As for knitting content, while I’m working on larger projects, socks that I’m working on often get set aside.  I always have at least one pair of stockinette socks going, and sometimes many pairs of socks of varying styles.  They’re excellent knitting projects for traveling, commuting, knitting in the movie theater, and reading.  Right now, I just have a pair for me and a pair for Matt on the needles, but there is always more beautiful yarn in my sock yarn stash calling to me.  It’s hard not to cast on 10 pairs right now.

My pair is made with Juliana’s Lucky Star Sock Yarn in Truly Outrageous.  This yarn makes me happy every time I work on the socks.  It’s so ridiculously bright, and has just a hint of sparkle.  To keep from interrupting the stripe sequence, an afterthought heel would be best, but I really like the feel and security of the slipped stitch heel flap that I used.  I got lucky with this yarn and the stripes weren’t altered too badly.socks

If you’d like to know more about this heel flap, check out my sock patterns.  You can see what it’s like for free on Earlybird and Summer Slice if you just want to quench your intellectual curiosity.  Basically, going toe-up, I start the flap under the heel and continue the pattern to wrap around the back of the heel too.  It makes for a nice cushion on the heel and adds some durability.

Matt’s socks are made with Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock in Fiddlehead.  This color is so perfect for many things in his wardrobe, in case he ever wants to match his crazy hand-knit socks to things.  There are a ton of colorways in this yarn, and many of them would work well for fellas that like their socks to be both fun and slightly conservative.  Matt is fine with wilder socks like this pair, this pair, and this pair.  I’m very happy about that, because the wilder self-striping yarns are so fun to knit!socks-2

It would be incredibly hard for me to pick just one favorite kind of sock yarn, but out of the ones that I have tried I love Koigu KPPPM, Tosh Sock, Hazel Knits, and Colinette Jitterbug for amazing colors, Regia and Opal yarns for amazing durability and crazy fun self-striping yarns, and Anzula Squishy for it’s maddeningly soft cashmere-induced coziness.  I’ve used other kinds of sock yarn, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind and will be brands I’ll go back to often.  What are your favorite kinds of sock yarn?   I always love learning about more kinds of sock yarn to covet!

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