Choose Your Own Adventure Socks

Pattern: Basic Adult Socks #12

an Ann Norling pattern by Deirdre Wallace
just basic 64-st, 2x2 rib cuffs with plain feet; heel flap, basic toe

Yarn: Regia 4 ply
Patch Antik color / #5754
210 m / 50 gr
2 balls with a little leftover in each

Needles: size 2 Inox dpns

A little over two years ago I started a pair of socks out of a ball of Lion Brand that Kay sent me. Because of the color I thought of them as lumberjack socks and decided to give them to a nephew who was heading off to college. Fortuitously they arrived the very day his rafting coach instructed him to get wool socks. Wool, as we know, maintains its warmth even when wet.

Turns out he likes handknit socks. I think most people do once they've experienced them. He mentioned to his mom that he'd like another pair and I was happy to oblige.

I wanted hardwearing, easily-laundered yarn and Regia fits the bill. After purchasing the yarn and getting along on the first sock, a second e-mail from the mom stated "As for colors, he will take anything but if you have not picked out any yet, he said the crazier the better." Hum. I may have spoiled him with that nutty toe solution on the lumberjack pair!

I don't think he'll consider these stripes very crazy, but hopefully they will serve. These were fast to knit. I think it was because there were only three colors and wide stripes. It was always easy to tell myself that I'd just knit to the next color or through the current sequence.

Choose Your Own Adventure books were fad reading for several months years ago when my daughter was in elementary school. For some reason that phrase was stuck in my head as I was knitting these and I thought of them as just that....socks for the adventurous. Luckily I was able to find a cartoon that I could use for the label.

Making labels may just be my favorite part of gifting handknits.