FO: Mata Hari Socks

Pattern: Mata Hari socks by Steph at Craftoholic
Yarn: Fleece Artist Basic Merino
Needle: Size 1 DPNs

Ta-da. Apologies for the sideways-ness of the photo -- Aaron got a little fancy with the camera and I don't know how to turn it around. But, after much strife, here are my Project Spectrum Mata Haris.

I developed a major mental block making these socks. It may just be the stressfulness of the month I've had, but I really stacked the odds against myself. And no, it didn't really have anything to do with the pattern or the yarn.

My problem started with the fact that Mata Hari is more of a stitch pattern than an actual sock recipe and since the only socks I've made thusfar have been Jaywalkers (which come with a very detailed pattern), I had to kind of wing it as far as the sock shaping went. The yarn came with a basic stockinette pattern, but I didn't like the construction very much, so I improvised a little, which kind of freaked me out. Also, because the yarn was presented kind of like a kit, there was no yardage on the label, and I was constantly afraid I'd run out of yarn. So, the socks aren't as long as I would have liked and a little short in the foot as well. I also realized that I have a wee merino allergy and my right hand got very dry and puffy as knitting progressed. All in all, I wasn't totally dedicated to making a great sock, so the toes and heels aren't as elegant as I would have liked.

The up side is, I'm becoming a more confident sock knitter and I'm determined to press on with my Project Spectrum sock project. I would like to try the Mata Haris again (they suddenly seem to be all the rage, thanks in part to the fact that Grumperina has started a pair) as it is a lovely pattern. Next time around I'm going to buy two hanks of yarn in a lighter weight and a solid colourway so I can make them mid-calf length and really show off the eyelets. I would recommend hitting Steph up for the chart (although it's not hard to figure out from the brief instructions on her blog), but if you're not an experienced sock knitter, make sure you have a really good basic sock pattern to modify so you don't run into my angst.