Move over snail this tortoise has a race to win

Well I'm not sure you could actually call the fabulous June prize draw from Sockamania a race or I would have lost by a mile and to be honest it was less slow and steady like a tortoise on these socks and more slooooooowwwwww and a burst of speed at the end but anyway I like that post title and I hope I win the draw :o)
So here are the Rainforest socks all finished, and I do agree that they are far more fabulous than any socks that could be bought for the money spent on the yarn and luckily I know my Mum will feel the same. It was a double deadline for these socks as it's her birthday on Wednesday. Two deadlines finally meant that I shook off my knitting malaise, stopped the evil business of calculating stitch counts (I agree never again until a project is finished - and maybe never again at all - too scary!) and buckled down and got the second one knit in three days. It was quite fun wondering whether I'd have to stay up to midnight last night to get it finished but I got four straight hours in when I got home from work and finished off just as Andy Murray tied up the tennis that he'd prolonged to keep me company! I thought I had a slight allergy to deadlines in knitting but turns out they can definitely work for me, it's just that Christmas gift one I've got to crack.

Pattern: Rainforest Socks from Sockamania
Yarn: Tofutsies - Get Your Feet Wet - 50% superwash wool, 25% soy silk, 22.5% cotton, 2.5% chitin
Needles: 2.25mm Harmony DPNs
Started: 9 June 2008
Finished: 30 June 2008
Notes: Love the pattern and the finished item (close up of the pretty stitch above) but I wasn't in love with the knitting of these. I'm putting that down to the yarn in the main, it also coincided with a general batch of feeling rubbish so I may be maligning the yarn a little more than it deserves. It's a very flat feeling yarn compared to say the Regia I just used, that may in part be due to the high cotton content, but the Lana Grossa cotton blend manages a really lovely springiness. The plies of this yarn are very loose and separate very easily. If you drop a stitch it's a pig to pick back up so I would go for a simpler pattern with less stitch manipulation if I were to go again with this yarn. You see I might be tempted again because the final fabric feels very nice and as if it will wear very well. The yardage is amazing, I think I could possibly get another smallish pair of ladies socks out of this one ball but when on full price this is an expensive yarn to buy in the UK - would be more than say Jitterbug or even the Shibui sock I had shipped from the US. So on the whole I think it's thumbs down for Tofutsies, nice to try it but I won't be rushing back for more.

Off down to Cornwall tomorrow to celebrate Mum and Dad's birthdays - which pair of socks to cast on for the journey is the main question???

Comments

Donna said…
Those are very pretty, and I love the colour. I'm sure your mum is going to love them.
Kai said…
Great socks and I love the colour too. Shame the yarn isn't all that. :(
Rose Red said…
Lucky mum - happy birthday to her! The sock pattern looks great!
florencemary said…
The socks look great, Sarah, and yes, they really are way better than anything machine-made (even I agree with that,and I'm not a lover of knitting socks).

Have a lovely break in Cornwall!

ps and wasn't the tennis stunning?!
Katie said…
The socks are lovely (the color is amazing, and good choice with the stitch pattern) but I agree that Tofutsie's yarn isn't very fun to knit.
Marianne said…
I have some Tofutsi in the stash, I'm hoping to knit this summer... I already knew about the splittiness but it's nice t hear it creates a nice feeling sock fabric!

The socks are absolutely gorgeous, lucky mum!
Happy birthday to your mum and dad, enjoy your holiday!
Marianne said…
oh, and good luck with the draw!
Rachel said…
They are beautiful...and congrats on getting them done in time for the draw! And thanks for the detailed info on the yarn!
Anonymous said…
lol about counting the stitches! The socks are beautiful - what a lucky mum to get them.

And I have the same blockers as you!
Bells said…
I think deadlines are great. I swear it's the main way I achieve anything. The day I figure out that there isn't an evil knitting god wanting to punish me for missing a deadline, I'm in trouble.

The socks look fabulous. Have a lovely time in Cornwall. Hope you bring back some lovely photos. I love that part of the world.
Linda said…
They are lovely socks. I have 2 balls of that yarn in the same shade gifted to me. I was thinking a shawl rather that socks with it, I wonder what it would be like for that?
love the socks, they are so pretty, I am still making my first pair, been making them now for about three months!!! hope you had agreat time at your Moms and she loved her socks...lucky lady
Anonymous said…
Fab socks. They look great in the Tofutsies. I knitted a pair of plain kids socks in tofutises and hated it.

have a good time in cormwall.
Beautiful Socks! Congrats On Getting Them Done In Time For Your Mum's Birthday :D Have A Great Time In Cornwall.
raining sheep said…
Beautiful socks and good on you for finishing. Your mom is a lucky mom. I like deadlines, they motivate me. Without deadlines nothing would happen in my life :)
Ally Jay said…
They are certainly worth every stitch. I would love such a pair so I am sure your mum will be as delighted. Beautiful colour, pity the yarn itself doesn't quite do it all for you.

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