Whose Socks Are Those?

Today's post is proof that I still knit and I even finish stuff. These are just basic Koigu socks with picot edges that I knit toe up. nothing new or exciting but they did get me thinking a bit.



Socks are my go-to knit. I always have a pair in progress in my bag and I often have 2 pairs in progress or, at the very least, a second ball of yarn is with me - just in case. It's easy to have a perpetual sock when your stash grows to a certain point. In theory you've chosen all the sock yarn because you like it so there is usually something in there to catch your eye and suit your mood. Occasionally I buy with someone in mind (or at the behest of one of my daughters) but most of it was bought strictly on a whim and it's all stuff I like.



The patterns used to be the driving force behind my sock knitting but that's not so anymore. Whereas I used to find a pattern I liked and then search for the right yarn for it - these days I often grab a ball of yarn and it's not unusual for me to start knitting a toe before I have any idea what the finished sock should look like. There's a freedom in knitting a sock and just seeing where it takes you.



So it's kind of funny that people are always asking who the socks are for. Since most of my socks start on a whim, I have no idea who will wear the socks. I suppose I start most socks assuming that they'll be mine but somewhere along the way it changes. The pattern takes a turn or inspiration strikes and suddenly hits me that they're just perfect for someone else or my daughters see them and claim them. Usually it happens before I hit the halfway point on the first sock.

That's why I thought that these were mine right up until I started to cast of sock 2. At that moment, half way through binding off sock 2 Stinkerbelle finially noticed the socks and fell hard for them. It was all I could do to get a few pictures before they were spirited off to her room.

Now I'm wondering about how the sock knitting has evolved for others. What about you? Is it still pattern driven or is it a more organic process? Are the endless possibilities freeing you or are they overwhelming?