Sock of Changes

My latest cycling socks are finished. They started as a 4th of July study of stripes, but finish not merely stripeless but also with a floral air. I decided to call them Padma, from the Sanskrit word for lotus. (I've been resisting the puckish impulse to call them Padma Peds or Pedma, Padma Pedals, Padma Cycle, etc.)



The new twist rib cuff reminds me of a lotus blossom, the rays of sunrise or sunset, fireworks, or perhaps even an awakened mind. The cuff is knit top down, so it was grafted to the de-cuffinated sock – the second sock was knit normally. It's so hard to tell them apart, I promptly forgot which was which.



Lest any would-be knitting police kick up a fuss, Padma has a regulation 3-inch (7.6-cm) leg and cuff – see, the dressmakers gauge says so – so they qualify as true socks.



The Merino/Tencel yarns used, Zarzuela's Fibers Shiny Sheep and Yarn Botanika Radiance Fingering, are noticeably more comfortable in this heat than many other yarns. We'll see if they hold up to the rigors of summer cycling – if so, I may have to revise my opinion of Merino/Tencel blends.