Nothing like a 4 hour car ride to lull a toddler to sleep and to help Mama get some knitting finished up.  These socks are nothing complicated, but it's always nice to add a new pair of hand knit socks to the sock drawer.  I like to think that every pair I knit helps to increase the lifespan of every other pair in the drawer since I have more pairs to choose from. 

It's interesting to note that I am getting to the point where the handknit socks are beginning to outnumber the commercial socks in my drawer.  Except when it comes to cotton socks.  I really just haven't found enough cotton-based yarns that I like to knit with.  The cotton wool blends (I've tried some Meilenweit and Sockotta and Blue Moon yarn of this nature) end up being a little too stiff for pleasurable knitting and the cotton elastic ones tend to make me a little crazy when it comes to keeping them tensioned and preventing laddering.  The cotton elastic blends also seem like many of them are a bit thicker than standard sock yarn, making wearing them with lighter weight shoes a bit harder.   



This yarn from Greenwood Fiberworks comes just about as close as I've found to a yarn that I would knit with again.  If I had a wool sensitivity, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'd have a huge stash of the stuff.  It's thinner that the standard cotton-elastic blends (Cascade Fixation, Elann Esprit) and I always think it's a plus to be able to buy from a small dyer instead of a large corporation.  But, truth be told, while it's a lovely yarn that is well dyed and I very much like how it has a little bit of the self-striping action going on, I just don't think cotton yarns are going to end up being "my thing" when it comes to knitting socks. 

Now that these are complete (after more than a year) it's time for me to figure out what will be my next pair of simple stockinette socks.  With winter fast approaching, it may be time to make another pair for my public transportation-taking husband -- a man for whom the temperature of his feet really does determine his overall comfort level.  I've been accumulating a little stash of man-friendly STR for the occasion.  And even when it's almost solid or a very dark colorway, it's hard to complain about knitting with STR.  Especially when it's already met with man-foot approval for cold Chicago winters.