(isn't she) Pretty in Pink...

Molly Ringwald has a lot to answer for, for some of us growing up in the 80's, even if her career kind of collapsed afterwards (the curse of the Time magazine cover). Apart from showing you can do wonders with a sewing machine and a few funky bits of pink material, she also gave those of us with a fair complexion and reddish hair hope that we could one day pull off wearing pink! Hope should never be understated, Viva los Chilean Miners! I digress, this is actually about my very pink socks and how appropriate I thought the combination was of the sweet sixteen (candles) 'pinkyness' of the yarn with the sweetness of the Hearts & Flowers design. I am also fairly realistic and most pinks don't look good near my face - purples yes, but on my feet I can get away with anything.

They are made from Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM) 4 ply yarn (say that fast out loud 3 times), which is a delight to knit with, so soft and squishy. I used 2mm needles which are the thinnest I've ever used and I was frequently reminded of their fineness throughout when I stabbed myself in the fingers as a result of being quite a tight knitter. I started them on 2.5mm, then down to 2.25mm but I eventually capitulated to the pattern suggestion and picked up the 2mm. It was going to take me longer to knit them (took me 6 months to get around to finishing them anyway!) but I could see the result would be far more satisfying, and it is. It just took me a half a sock's worth of knitting to conclude this, hence I started knitting the second sock on the smaller needles and gave myself a break before ripping the first 2.25mm sock out and started again. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I've successfully turned a heel too, though it can be most frustrating when you stuff it up and have to rip it back a few times to 'get it'. It was at this point a few months ago my sock mojo soured and into the naughty corner they went.


Even though I don't find myself wearing socks much these days living in the tropics, I still like making them, so portable and not 'hot' in your hands. Lately, there's a day every couple of weeks when it gets cool enough for socks and handknits get to strutt their stuff on my feet. Even more enjoyable now that my 'sock knitting mojo' has returned. You see, I actually began these socks in February this year, after deciding to make them last October on the way back from Knit Camp and Webgoddess had begun her Sherie's Posies socks from Wendy Johnson's book, Socks from the Toe Up. It's a great book, I could happily knit all the socks from this book, if only I knit faster or didn't have so many other projects in my knitting pipeline. All the lovely patterns, and most heels are to be turned the same way reducing time spent on redo's. I do try to stop myself from starting the next sock project before I finish at least one of others on the go. Alas, I've already started winding the next lot of sock yarn (more KPPPM in blues) and it's only due to pattern indecision I haven't started them yet.

I was also spurred on to finished these in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month, taking on board all the recent comments about the commercialisation of 'Pink October' (ie. actually finding a cure and doing away with the need for it - same goes for Prostate Cancer Movember). Once upon a time it was hip to be Green. It's also Socktober...as well as Rocktober, Blocktober, Oktoberfest...

So Hearts & Flowers will come to India with me, along with my Shantarams and a few other choice articles if I can finish them in time for next February. In the meantime they will satisfy my 'Pretty in Pink' teenager moments and not make me look sallow, given they are far away from my face, certain yoga poses notwithstanding.