One Down on the Nemesis Socks

Making this sock has been quite the adventure.  In particular it used a technique I was not at all familiar with.  I'd only ever done a traditional heel flap once, and that was quite some time ago.  My first pair of socks was one of my earlier projects, and I hated picking up stitches so much that I looked for every excuse to never do it again.  However, with this sock, I was determined I was going to do it, if for no other reason than the pattern extends down the heel, and for once I was going to knit the sock directly as prescribed.

So here I was, knitting away down the flap when I got to the heel turn.  I noticed something really neat when I got there.  I didn't really see "watermelon" in the way my sister did while I was knitting these up, not until the heel turn.  Then it jumped out at me.  I really loved watching the way the colors pooled and the way the turn of the heel showed the colors so expressively.  The colors completely just popped, looking so much like watermelon on the rind.  The only thing it really lacked was flecks of black to be the seeds.

The heel turn itself was enjoyable.  I forgot how much I enjoyed watching knitting actually bend and form to take a physical shape.  It's not like sewing, where you have to stitch the fabric together to take the right shape.  In the case of knitting, the fabric is simply created with the right architecture.  This isn't nearly as interesting for a hat or a shawl where the shapes are pretty simplistic, but with a sock, you're now creating something with the obvious shape of a foot.  There are no seems, in spite of this complete bend to accommodate for a foot.  It's different with a traditional flap heel.  With all my short row heels it looks too commercial, too normal, but in the case of a flap heel, this is a look you only get with a handknit sock.

It wasn't long before I'd worked through the heel and the gusset.  There was something about knitting that section, watching the colors pool in ways they hadn't done throughout the rest of the sock, it just inspired me to keep going.  The heel almost seemed to have it's own coloration, it's own life as a part of the sock.  I kept going with row after row, just to see how long it would take the color splash to get back to the way it was for so much of the rest of the sock.

By the time I was done with the gusset, I was almost done with the sock.  I knew it wouldn't take me much longer to finish it through, so I started to really focus.  My early sock knitting was done while watching Penny Dreadful, then was disappointed when I finished the series while working on the sock.  I knitted while watching part of Sense8, and now I'm out of shows for the second sock, at least shows that I had been looking forward to watching.  They have to be something particular, something I can watch without necessarily watching.  I can't knit without having something in the background, not unless it's complex and needs all my attention.  I think I've just become too used to multitasking.

Now that the first sock is done, I'm really pleased with the outcome.  It's not a sock I would particularly knit for myself.  The colors aren't something I would particularly choose, and the pattern through the heel looks as though it may not be as snug of a fit as I would prefer, but I'm glad I knit them up.  I've already been asked to knit another pair in a men's size and a less feminine color.  Obviously that means these socks are a hit.  I might consider making some up for my daughter at some point.  I think she would like them, and her feet are big enough that she can get away with most adult sizes.  I know that these would last a while on her.

The best part about this, aside from getting to explore something I wouldn't necessarily do for myself, is that I get to share the joy of lovely handknit goods with someone else, someone who doesn't knit their own socks.  It's something I can do to share the joy I get out of those sorts of knits with someone I know will truly love them.  In a way, I guess this is my attempt to convert the world to handknit goods, and to show just how much better they are than store bought goods.  Sure, cheap, manufactured socks cost less in the short run, and they're so much quicker to make, but nothing beats the feel of socks such as these on your feet.  They last longer than any of the store bought socks I've ever owned.  They stand up to a beating.  Best of all, they're so much warmer in the winter because they're made with high quality wool, rather than the scratchy stuff you can get in stores or the cheap stuff you find that's mostly acrylic.  These are truly a gift of warmth, comfort, and happiness.