Wednesday, July 26, 2006

SMAK July - done!

These aren't the socks I was going to do for July, but they've been sitting in the Unfinished Stuff pile for long enough that they still qualify as "taking care of business."

Unfortunately, they may also qualify for the World's Ugliest Socks. The fact that I forged ahead and got them done shows that I have great fortitude of character -- or that I am too stupid to frog and forget them. You can take your pick.

They started out innocently enough.

Lorna's Laces, in Colour No. 32, Forest. You can see the brown tree trunks and the mossy green of the forest floor, the brighter green of the leaves on the trees and the blue sky shining through. Yeah, right.

Instead of a dappled glade, I got .... stripes. Which in themselves can be fine, if that's what you think you're going to get, but that's not what I thought I was going to get. I had one leg done and was contemplating trying to make it do something else ... anything else ... until I really looked at them.


That green -- the leafy green -- washes through and gives them a lovely radioactive glow.

That green is sneaky. It's the type of colour you don't really notice inside, but when you go out, or under fluorescent lights, it zaps you.

They really do glow. To be fair to them, I did try to take an arty-fartsy close-up.

I even tried flinging them into a bush.

No luck. Still ugly and radioactive. Oh well, I'll wear them on days when I dress in the dark, with really long pants and high shoes.

In Other News, I am a finalist in Challenge #4 of the Amazing Lace. If you have a moment, please head over and vote. For me, that is. Vote for me. If you feel like it. Thanks ever so.

And in even more Other News, Garterlac Dishcloths are starting to pop up here and there. Good on ya, dudes -- they're looking great! For the record, the ones pictured here are made from: beige and black, Sugar 'n Cream, Colour No. 176, Oasis; green and purple, Bernat Handicrafter, Colour No. 105, Twilight Ombre; and yellow and turquoise, Bernat Handicrafter, Colour No. 23743, Summer Splash .

22 people had something to say:

sheep#100 said...

Psst - Dave - I think they look very cool.

Emily said...

Call me crazy but I really like them!!

Anonymous said...

Ah, m'dear, I thinkest thou dost protesth too much. Yea verily, wert they my size...yo! I'd offer to take'em right off your feet! I never use those colors but I think they made some fine looking socks, the 'color story' notwithstanding.

Best~

aija said...

I like em too!!

I like the amazing lace entry more though ;)

Anonymous said...

dave! you can dye them, man! maybe a purple overwash, or a gray?
i really need to gt some of that black and tan washcloth yarn. it's the only color ive seen that i like, and i like it a LOT. no other color will do!

Anonymous said...

I was going to suggest overdyeing too, if you really are not comfortable with the color. A rust color would grey out the blue and the green and add more red to the brown.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I may have no taste, but I love them. I always have a tendenacy to do the same to things I make, but these truely are nice and I would be proud to wear them!

Kathy

Wendy Merganser said...

I love the picture of the socks "in the wild." I love the socks, too.

They don't seem terribly radioactive on my little computer screen, but if they are in real life, then hey, you could always wear them to the movies. You know - to help you see your way up the aisle in the dark....

Heather said...

Okay, I'm loving the flinging-them-into-a-bush idea...hilarious!

And really, they don't look *that* bad...

Anonymous said...

Like many others, apparently, I really like the socks! I think the colors are marvelous.

Anonymous said...

I actually really like them, too! I'm a green fanatic, though! They are very well knit, too! I voted for you, you are 87% now!

Anonymous said...

I like the colors, too (but I like them better in the skein...). I've never seen that LL color before...

Oh and I voted... ;o)

Anonymous said...

Totally gorgeous socks & love the color too. Never would have guessed that they would stripe like that. Thumbs up on the idea for movie socks - or campfire socks - wouldn't need a lantern to find the tent.

Nora said...

My LLs did the same - STRIPES!!! I'm posting about this 'phenomena' later today. Is it ok if I link back to your socks (as evidence)? PS I voted.

Anonymous said...

For Lorna's Laces, that's actually well-behaved striping - I don't hate them, but I understand they weren't what you wanted. I think you should know that even though I have a policy against all things entrelac, knitting-wise (as well as a general policy against dishcloths for that matter), I'm looking forward to making a Garterlac; my anti-entrelac suspicions are outweight by my love of garter stitch. Thanks for the pattern!

HPNY KNITS said...

every pair of socks has its use! I have one (ok, 2) that will not leave the house, but these glowers are perfectly respectable- and can be used well in rain boots.
check out wendy [http://wendyknits.net/]- she has a similar color and calls it- brace yourself- "pond scum"

Anonymous said...

Um....yeah. I like 'em too. Although I AM a bit of a fan of green so.....

bunchkin said...

You know you REALLY don't like something if you fling 'em into a bush, and you still don't find them attractive. I say save them for Christmas and give them to someone. They'll be so happy that you made them "just for them".

Alyssa said...

Hi Dave,
Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! I think your socks look pretty darn good for being radioactive. They'll keep you nice and warm with their radiation:)

LadyLungDoc said...

I wonder if you had alternated skeins with each row if it would have pooled nicely for you.

April said...

they kinda look like superhero socks. if superheroes were to wear socks and all.

Anonymous said...

Love your socks! Any handknit sock is a good sock. Working on your garterlac dishcloth. Had to rip back to first 3 triangles when I noticed a big gap. Must be my picking up. Need to work on that! Anyway, thanks for the pattern. It's my first foray into entrelac and it's perfect. I love making useful things.