Les Belles Chaussettes sans Merci

After returning from MDS&W and while still thinking lovely warped thoughts, I decided to inspect the contents of the sock drawer to search out and forestall any activity by the dreaded müth. Preoccupied though I was in this worthy endeavor, methought I heard a faint cry, "Les Belles Chaussettes sans Merci hath thee in thrall!" It was very faint, and my first impulse was denial. It couldn't possibly be true, because I'm a ploddingly slow, easily distracted process knitter. But I couldn't deny my own knitting. Yep, those are my socks.



That's 41 mid-calf socks in the outer ring, 19 shortie socks in the inner ring. Some are pre-Ravelryites. Some are even Before Blog. The photo doesn't include three pairs of socks I got in swaps, Skew (which somehow is always somewhere else at class photo time), seven Socks of Shame, and uncounted numbers of other wips.

The newest addition to the outer ring of Les Belles Chaussettes sans Merci is a lovely Sock Madness pattern, Longing for Spring by Caoua Coffee, worked in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorway Clara's Garden. Pictured with spring violets because the erudite designer references Mozart and violets.



Although I was knocked out of Sock Madness competition, I knit the socks to a regulation 80 rounds on the foot and more-than-regulation 70 rounds on the leg. I usually have difficulty fitting toe-up socks on my Frankenfeet, particularly at the heel – this one is a tad loose everywhere except the heel, a perfect length on the foot, and short in the leg. Other Madness knitters found it knit up roomier than expected. The toe and heel turn are new-to-me constructions. Were I to knit this charming sock again, I'd consider knitting a half-size smaller, keeping the toe, and substituting a different heel.

Considering Les Belles Chaussettes sans Merci et al. en masse, it seems like a lot of socks. Not too many – never, there's still so much to learn and try! – but perhaps with such numbers I can afford to spend some energy elsewhere. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a new hobby after all.