Thuja x 4

I’ve finished my FIL’s Christmas present. A pair of socks knit up quickly in a colorway meant to reflect the school colors of his alma mater: Syracuse University. Really, I’ve had this sock yarn for about a year now and when I held it up to Stephen with another ball in a green-blue-white colorway and asked, “Is your father an orange guy or a green guy?” Stephen recommended the orange ball because it was in Syracuse’s colors. And I went with it. Because that’s what you do when you’re knitting socks for a male member of your husband’s family. You don’t take risks with colors. Otherwise your socks could end up sitting in the back of his sock drawer for all eternity. There is an added comfort here too: even if FIL won’t wear the socks, my MIL will (and since the socks are knit I think there’s a good chance that she could wear them around the house as slipper socks) since orange is one of her favorite colors.

Why “x 4?” This is the fourth time that I have knit this pattern. I’ve knit it once for myself, once for Stephen and once for my father already. It’s a really nice little pattern. It’s just 3 x 1 seed stitch rib all the way from the bottom of the toe to the top of the leg. The pattern stitch is in multiples of four, which makes it really easy to adjust for different sizes. Since it does have those purl stitches every other row it’s not too terribly boring either.

Project stats:

Pattern: Thuja from Knitty
Needles: Size 2 dpns
Yarn: Opal
Mods: I worked them toe up instead of toe down, and substituted short row toes and heels.

I did modify the pattern to make it toe up instead of toe down, and substituted short row toes and heels. At the moment I’m completely enamored of toe up socks with short row heels and toes. I haven’t actually made a pair for myself yet though. Which makes me wonder how well the heels fit. Soon I will have to knit some socks for myself. This year though? Everyone is getting short row heels and toes. And perhaps for all years hereafter.

That’s all I’ve got today except one thing. I cast on for Stephen’s second mitten last night. I’m ready to tackle the Latvian beast once again.