FO: Mad for Fair Isle, Batik Style

Pattern: Mad for Fair Isle, Batik Style
Designer: Tina Lorin
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Spanish Moss and Natural
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) DPN's
Mods: None, really. I shortened the toe a bit but that hardly counts as a mod.
(Edited To Add: The pattern calls for a row of purl stitches down each side of the foot. I knit those stitches thereby eliminating the column of purls.)
New Techniques Learned: Fair Isle (whoo hoo)! I held one color in each hand, which meant I also had to learn how to knit Continental style. At the beginning of this year I decided I wanted to knit socks and learn Fair Isle. I'm delighted that my first Fair Isle is on a pair of socks. And I'm enchanted by the beautiful batik. It is way more my style than a traditional Fair Isle pattern.
Recipient: Me. These socks really aren't my colors. Because of that I had no intention of keeping them for myself when I started them. But as I worked on them, learning how to Fair Isle (can I use that as a verb?) and falling in love with the pattern, I knew I wouldn't be able to part with them. They are good enough for a first attempt at Fair Isle that I'm proud of them. Simultaneously, they're too flawed to give away. All the mistakes of first time Fair Isle are painfully evident. I'd be embarrassed to gift them. But they make me happy. They are knitting only the knitter could love. That said, the second sock is much better than the first. I turned the first sock inside out and assessed that I was stranding the white too tight and the variegated too loose. Having had a whole sock worth of practice, I was able to even out both tensions on the second sock and achieved better results.

Now I'd like to tie up (weave in?) a few loose ends.

The Mad Batik socks were the sixth of seven rounds of Sock Madness. Round seven came and went without my so much as casting on. I'm not sure when or if I'll tackle that final pattern. I'm pretty sure the next socks I start will be the Spiral Boot Socks from Summer '07 IK.

The winner of Sock Madness was Kristi R. If you click the link on her name, you'll see that her blog is called Needlefingers. She said she adopted this moniker when a friend called her Kristi Needlefingers because her knitting (fast, furious, lots of clicking) is like Edward Scissorhands cutting hair or hedges. She is mind bogglingly fast and absolutely deserved to win. It was so much fun (and a bit terrifying) to see how fast she could crank out a pair of socks. Yowza! Anyway, congratulations Kristi!

Also, do you remember the Mad Color Weaves?


Some of you expressed interest in this pattern, so I wanted to let you know that it is now available. For free! Go to Tina's blog. There's a link on her sidebar.

That's all for today.