Fancy Footwork

Look what the...elephant...dragged in:

My Socktoberfest socks were completed a few days ago. Here they are still damp from blocking:

We had a little party to celebrate and invited all the elephants to come:

(Honestly, these are but a very few of my elephants.)

I am relieved that my first pair of colourwork socks fit.

All that stranded colourwork makes the sock warmer, but keeps them from being very stretchy. That doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.

The soles are as fancy as the top:

which is another thing I like about them. Many colourwork socks have uninteresting stripes or other boring patterns on the bottom, and where is the fun in that? (It's missing, that's where it is.)

I followed the pattern exactly.

I know there were some of you who thought I couldn't, but I did. :)

I probably won't do it again, but it was a little liberating not to have to make any decisions.

The partridge heel is nice. It will likely make appearances in future socks. (Whether the pattern calls for it or not.)

The toe was a standard decrease. The fit is fine (although the toe is a little pointy) but I really don't like the strong line that develops on each side. My toes in the future will be made with short rows.

The only other thing I would change on the socks is the length. These are far shorter than what I like to wear, but I knew that going in. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier!

They definitely get "two trunks up"!

Project Stats
Started: 1 Oct '13
Finished: 28 Oct '13
Pattern: Water for the Elephants by Rose Hiver
Materials: Pagewood Farm Chugiak Hand Dyed Sock Yarn in Really Red (~1/2 skein) ($18) and Raveled wool/angora from an MJ Carroll sweater (~20 g) (<$5)