The very best socks
Once in a while, along comes a project that exceeds all your expectations and strikes a tuning fork of joy in your soul. Sometimes this bliss extends only through the crafting process and the finished product doesn’t quite fit, or doesn’t hold up to wear. Other times, it’s just perfect all around. This is one of those times.
This is the Teeswater wool sock yarn from Shaggy Bear Farms of Scio, Oregon (via the Farm Series at A Verb for Keeping Warm) that I’ve been prattling on about to anyone who’d listen. AVfKW has five more skeins from the lovely ewe, Elise, who so kindly grew the fleece that became these socks, and it’s all I can do not to snap them up right now. I really mustn’t, because I just spent loads of dough signing up for the Madrona Winter Retreat, but they’re very tempting. (I’m excited about my Madrona classes, by the way. I’ll be improving my drop spindling on Saturday morning with Amelia Garripoli, knitting for speed & efficiency with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee that afternoon, and then knitting happily ever after with Carson Demers on Sunday afternoon. See you there?)
And this is the Arch-Shaped Stocking pattern from Schoolhouse Press, a sextet of patterns (including colorwork versions) created by Meg Swansen after she reverse-engineered the original sock her mother knit with this clever foot shaping. Mine is the Fishbone Cable version with twisted rib.
I’ve been wearing these socks for two weeks now and can happily say that they’re the most comfortable pair I’ve knit. I love the architecture of the foot, especially the way the twisted rib along the sole looks like lapstraking on the prow of a boat. Yay socks.
Posted: November 18th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
The socks are absolutely gorgeous! It’s easy to see why you love them.
Posted: November 18th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
They look fantastic, what’s the pattern? I love the ribbing around the arch.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 6:14 am
So great! They’re quite architectural, and look like they’re the perfect fit.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 6:15 am
WOW – these are gorgeous! Picking up knitting again after a long hiatus & said I would never want to knit socks. Yet, I am seriouly tempted now. Well done.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Those are some very clever socks! Madrona sounds like great fun.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I second the request for pattern details. Beautiful socks!
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 7:06 am
I would love to try these amazing socks. What is the pattern?
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Must. Learn. How. To. Knit. Socks!
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 11:58 am
The socks are gorgeous!!! Wow!!! I haven’t knit a pair for myself in a while. These would be a nice return…
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Wow! Thanks for sharing this. Those are beauts.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Those are some lovely socks! I adore all the intersecting lines of the twisted rib stripes. Well done!
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
they’re gorgeous, sarah!
Posted: November 19th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Yeah! I love the look of twisted ribbing on every pair of socks I’ve ever seen it on. It makes the ribbing pop. I love how it accents further the shaping of your socks.
Posted: November 20th, 2009 at 7:07 am
I do not profess to be a sock knittr but these I would love to try. With the added kowledge that they come fromthe genius mind of EZ, well, I think I Am sold
Posted: November 20th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Stunning! You must have very happy feet!
Posted: November 20th, 2009 at 11:45 am
So elegant! I love the stitch definition in the ribbing!
Posted: November 20th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Great looking socks… found the pattern for sale at http://www.schoolhousepress.com/patterns.htm
will have to put this pattern on my ever growing want to make list!
Posted: November 21st, 2009 at 2:27 am
Can’t wait to hear about the Madrona Winter Retreat!
Love the socks and I will have to get this pattern for my daughter who is the family sock maker.
Posted: November 21st, 2009 at 6:18 am
Truly Magnificent!
Posted: November 21st, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Such pretty socks, and they look warm! It’s been unusually warm here, but it can and will change at any moment. Hope you are enjoying more of your soup and getting lots of knitting done!
Posted: November 23rd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Total awesomeness.
Posted: December 20th, 2009 at 11:17 am
[...] Zimmerman’s Arch Shaped socks. I’ve being dying to cast them on after seeing this pair but this yarn is just getting on my nerves so I changed my mind midway and now I’m winging [...]