Speckled is Spot On

I cast off what I’m calling my hard won pair of socks, not because there was anything particularly hard about them, other than there was a whole lot of purling, and I do hate to purl. Perhaps they felt hard won because they took more than six weeks to complete.

But despite the slow finish, this was my first time knitting speckled yarn, and I’m. in. LOVE! Like stripes, the speckles kept my interest. Unlike stripes, they're more versatile. Before anyone thinks I’ve gone over to the semi-solid side, here’s the thing.

This past week, fall arrived, and despite amassing a lot of handknit socks, almost all of them clashed with my business-casual clothes. This got me thinking that as uninteresting as knitting solid yarns can be for me, they’re more practical than some of the colorways I’ve stockpiled. Plus, knitting from a pattern instead of row after row of stockinette was fun.

I used Eaden Yarn’s Prism in Neon Lights. I think the pattern – Jane Cochran's Hedgerow – compliments this yarn. Plus, I really like the heel. It's not the typical slip stitch/short row heel. The pattern is centered on the flap, making a seamless transition between the leg and the heel. The speckles eliminate any pooling, and honestly, I think these can be worn with anything.

I have two more skeins of Eaden’s Prism stashed away but my next pair of practical socks is going to be a semi-solid. Fine, I've gone over to the semi-solid side. Like the Neon Lights, I know it may take me longer to knit a non-stripey, but honestly, the post-blocked reward is more satisfying.

My heart will always belong to self-striping, but I need to open up my sock drawer to speckles, and yes, semi-solids too. It's not personal; it's just practical. Until next week, bon tricot!

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Bon Tricot

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