Mesa Socks

I finally finished my Mesa Socks. What would have been a quick project (I had the first sock half done on the day I started it) ended up to be a challenge...not in knitting...but with yarn. I made these with Berroco Comfort Sock yarn. The colors are pretty and the yarn is very soft and affordable. So, I bought two balls of it in two different colors. It seemed like a great yarn, but...that changed quickly as I kept running into knots (lots of them) and sections where a knot held the yarn together with a thread that, 10" or so later, became yarn again. I came across the first knot at the heel of the first sock. I worked with it and tried to go on but I decided that a knot on the heel might not be comfortable. And, taking a big section out because of the thread and the knot would throw the colors off, making it hard to match the second sock. So, I ripped it out and started again. More knots! I don't remember how many times I started the second (third) sock before I was able to keep knitting without running across more knots. I finally gave up and just kept knitting. Luckily, I only have one knot to deal with in the second sock. And, I was able to match the colors up closely enough for them to look like a pair.

The very first sock was a 2x2 rib and I liked it. But, I decided to make them with a ribbed cuff and stockinette for the legs. I think it shows off the colors much better. I really love the colors. They remind me of colors I see in the desert, the soils and the glow of the sun on the rocks, with bits pale, sagey green, like desert plants. Pretty! And, like I said before, they're very soft. But, I really didn't like working with this yarn (aside from the knots). I'm not sure how to describe it except that where I picked up stitches for the gussets, it's like the stitches stretched out and it doesn't look very nice. It did that on the final kitchner stitch on the toes too. And, even though it's soft, it has an odd feel to it. Maybe I'm spoiled from using all natural fibers and the "weirdness" I'm experiencing with this yarn is the "fakeness"...nylon and acrylic. It's very affordable and I have tons left over but it's definitely not a good deal. I won't be making any more socks with it. I'm not sure what I'll do with the other ball of it that I bought.