Slippin' Stripin' Socks

I haven't discussed Sock Madness 2 over here much lately but it's not because I'm not enjoying it. I am very much. It was hugely entertaining for me last year and this year it's even more so. The discussion has covered everything from Passover preparartion to Monty Python to alternate curse words. It's constant and always amusing.
I don't mention it here because I'd hate to be boring you with it. I can't show you the socks I've knit for it until after they are released to the players and just telling you about them in the astract without pictures is really just a tease. Thankfully, I can finally show you one of the pairs i tested for this year's games.

This is Slippin' Stripin' by Tina Lorin. You may recall that she designed 2 socks for the first Sock Madness - Mad Weave and Mad for Fair Isle Batik Style. She submitted this pattern at the same time but it uses lace weight yarn and I was intrigued by it but I wanted to be certain that there were superwash yarns that would work before using the pattern. I didn't try it then but it stayed with me in the back of my mind.

At Stitches East last year I found the Tess Designer Superwash Merino and instantly snapped it up with these socks in mind. I don't know the names of these colors but I love how they look together. If you want to see how other yarns combined them check out the flickr group here. Some of them are fantastic! The effects created by yarns of similar colors versus those with high contrasts are so interesting. This pattern is great for anyone who is into color play.

The pattern is really pretty simple with all of the interest coming the changing colors and slipped stitches. Because the lace is so thin, it combines very smoothly and I was able to knit the ends in as I went and you can't even see them now. Only time will tell but none of the ends have come out at all so far.

Working with the multiple strands of fine yarn and the slipped stitches can be a little tricky and I screwed up in one spot and knit 2 stitches together. Thankfully it was on the sole of one foot near the toe so I just left it alone and adjusted for it.

The use of slipped stitches and stranded yarn yields a super squishy sock. I said elsewhere that this is better described as a sweater for the foot because it has that thick, cushy feel to it. It's like no other sock I've ever worn.

By the way, I should note that my foot model is DQ. Her feet are now a half size larger than mine. It's very convenient to have her feet around because we all know that taking pictures of ones own is not easy at all.