FO: Socks and Washing

Here is the finished pair. I posted them as my September socks on SAM4 . I did a 2 x 2 ribbing cuff with the leg as follows: 2 rows K, alternate with 2 rows of K2 P2. It is fun and simple and looks great with striped yarn. Sorry, I didn't keep the ballband but I believe it is Online yarn.

I love handknit socks. Once you try a pair, you are hooked! It's fun to see that my children automatically reach for their handknit socks when they want to feel cozy. I often see them wear them when they are "under the weather" or when they are tired and/or when it's chilly. The only time I am not enamored with the kids wearing their handknit socks is when they are playing basketball in the driveway without shoes. :-) They will reach for handknit socks before regular socks. They love them and have even worn them when they've outgrown them! They stretch them to fit. My daughter used to call her socks, "Mommy's Hugs" when she was tiny. I'd like to think that they can feel the love that went into them. Added note: when my kids were little, having them pick their own sock yarn at the LYS allowed me a bit more time to shop! Haha. There is always a method to my madness. :-D

My husband, on the other hand, has not been coerced into trying handknit socks yet. He thinks they will be way too hot since they are made of wool. The kids and I keep telling him that they "breathe" and feel wonderful on. At first I was frustrated that he didn't want me to knit him a pair. He said that if I did, he would not try them on. However, maybe it is a blessing in disguise. He wears a size 13 shoe. I'd be knitting forever! With my kids' feet getting bigger all the time, (my 11 year old son's are bigger than mine not to mention he is now 2" taller than me), I have plenty of socks to knit.

I've heard people say that they wouldn't want to have to wash them by hand. Ever since the kids were small, I put a plastic tote with a hand drawn picture of knitting and socks, on the dryer. They know that their socks go in there and not in the regular laundry. Then when I get a whole bunch, I wash them in the tub sink in the laundry room with a squirt of Dawn and spin them in the spin cycle of the washer. Then I lay them flat to dry on towels either on the deck if it is a nice day or on the floor by the heating vent. It really does not take long to wash them by hand at all. You could put them through the washer and even the dryer depending on the yarn content, but I think they get "nubby" faster. I like the look of them when they are handwashed.