end of summer socks

Hooray for the first day of autumn!  Hooray for warm, knitted clothing!  Hooray for hearty stews and changing leaves and cool, crisp, sunny weather!  Hooray for my last pair of socks for Summer of Socks 2007, which ended yesterday, and another pair done for Project Spectrum and Manly Gift-Along!:

These are Wendy Knits' Fingering Weight Toe-Up Socks with Gusset Heels done on US #2 needles using 2 skeins of Claudia's Hand Painted Yarn in Black Walnut.  I'm impressed with how much sock I was able to knit with this yarn.  It seemed to go on and on before I finally decided to knit the cuffs and be done with the socks:

I really like the way the heel is done with this pattern - M1 increases and SSK and K2Tog decreases instead of making a heel flap with stitches to be picked up.  I like the way the heel gussets end up looking too:

These will bring my total to 18 pair of socks finished this summer.  I'm ready for a small break in sock knitting until next month's Socktoberfest!:

Since it was a new-to-me pattern, I actually made these a bit too big for my Matt's feet so I think I will gift them to my father-in-law instead.  I hope he likes them.  I really liked the pattern and will definitely try it again:

A little while ago, I was tagged by Sue for the middle name meme. You describe yourself using the letters from your middle name but seeing how I have 3 strange unique middles names and I'd rather not claim them publicly as my own, I'll just go by the first initial of each - H.P.N.:

H: Happy - I do feel that I am a happy person most of the time (obviously not all the time!)  I really try to remind myself all the time how lucky and blessed I am when I'm feeling stressed.  I have a lot to be thankful for and don't want to forget it (even when a whole bottle of bleach fell off the washing machine today and splashed all over the laundry causing spots of discoloration on the dark clothing - I am a happy person, I am a happy person, I am a happy person!)

P: Persistent - I have this weird habit of finishing things I start whether it be knitting/quilting projects, books, movies, tv series, etc.  No matter how badly and ugly things may go, I stick with it 'til the bitter end - even if it may take awhile!  I will conquer you cabled sweater from hell!

N: Nice - I think I'm a nice person - or at least try to be (don't tell me if you think I'm wrong.)  It's always better to interact with a nice person, right?

So there you go - my answers to the meme.  A bit boring but it's hard to describe yourself without sounding conceited.  If you'd like to share your middle name, consider yourself tagged! 

Comments

[Cathy]

Beautiful socks! I love those colors. I need to switch back to socks, yours always inspire me.

[Brie]

I've lately been in love with toe-up socks. I'll have to try that heel. Thanks!

[Miss Scarlett]

Oh I love the colourway! It is fantastic - thanks for listing the yarn info so I can track it down.

I am sure your Father/In Law will appreciate the cozy warmth of hand knit socks this fall.

18 pairs! You rock Tiennie!

I am so excited about Socktoberfest - after dropping the ball big time for SoS, I am knitting socks like a fiend...well a much slower fiend than you, but a fiend nonetheless. :-D

[amisha]

you are a sweet, nice, and happy person indeed :) i have no middle name at all... always feel like i should give my future offspring 2 or 3 to make up for it!

[Janine]

I also have three middle names :). They serve to make my initials more palindromic, and unlike most kids I only heard my full name when my parents were pleased with me.