Kool-Aid Acid Test

What do you get when you have a guest blog photographer with a ton of jet lag and a knitter who gets paid to photograph? Pure chaos. I didn't realize how picky I was on how things are photographed and I really don't understand how one takes blurry pics while the auto-focus is on. But look, I have pictures again!!

Atomic River Socks
Pattern: My own
Yarn: SWTC Optimum DK
Needles: Addi turbos US 3 24"
Date Started: September?
Date Finished: 10.23.05

I kept getting sidetracked from these, but thanks to Socktoberfest I got into gear and finally started and finished the second sock. I knit them toe up magic loop style with lace that I borrowed from the River Stole. The yarn was dyed for me by my buddy Illanna and I love everything about it, the colors are fun and crazy, the yarn is extremely soft, and it was a breeze to knit with. I would recommend this yarn to you, but hurry since, apparently, it is being discontinued. These socks took somewhere between two and three skeins if you want to try it.

These are only my second pair of socks ever and were created as a practice run for Anna's socks. These were an exercise in sock math, casting on figure 8 style, and working with the magic loop. The only problem I encountered was with the heel, I couldn't seem to make a nice join once I started working with the instep stiches again. I also kept forgeting to pick up both wraps when I was reactivating the heel stitches, I constantly had to go back and unknit and pick the leftover wrap along with it's mate. I hate unknitting short rows, but I got through it. Does anyone have any suggestions for neater heels when knitting toe up? All in all these were a fun knit and I ended up with some original, funky socks. Want to see another crazy sock?

Life Saver socks
Pattern:Jaywalker
Yarn: Vesper Sock Yarn in Aqua Melon
Needles: Addi Turbos 2.5mm 40"
Date Started: 10.25.05
Date Finished:10.28.05

You may think I'm crazy, a fool, or trying to cheat you here by calling this a FO, but trust me it is. I'm in a sock swap where you only have to knit one sock so no one gets the old second sock syndrome. I was lucky enough to have a partner that has the same foot size as yours trully, I was able to try them on and feel how nice and snug they are.

Don't these look psychedelic? I wasn't sure what yarn or pattern to use, but when I finally decided on the Vesper this pattern begged to be knit. For some reason, anytime I look at these, they scream "1970's!" to me. I'm also reminded of Tom Wolfe's Kool-Aid Acid Test and of the lifesavers wrapper. I hope my partner likes it and doesn't think me an idiot for mailing this to her.

The pattern is easy enough to memorize, but interesting enough to make you knit it. The only changes I made were using Magic Loop instead of DPN's, using 2.5's because I don't own 2.25's, and I picked up the heel flap stitches Grumperina style. I found it to be slightly quicker and the tension was more even.

edit: I added two pics that the bf took.