Gift #1151: 2319 or Secret Sock Society

I was going to save this post for a while longer, but Facebook informed me that today was 2/3/19 – or a 2319.  This was too good a coincidence to pass up, especially since we won’t have one again.  For those of you who might not be Disney/Pixar fans, a 2319 is in movie Monsters Inc. and refers to a breach in monster security at the Scream Factory when a human object makes it back to the monster world.  In that most famous scene, George (my favorite monster in the franchise) comes back from scaring a child and unknowingly has a tiny sock stuck to his back.  The ensuing chaos is hilarious.

Anyway, I have my own code 2319 to share with you as today’s post is all about socks.  Last year in January, in the throws of winter depression, I chose to do something I’d never done before.  You can read the original post here: Gift # 1116.   I was beguiled by one of my favorite knitting designers who started a sock club for the year 2018 and she promised “it would be a place where you could take root and feel a blossoming kinship with little growing things”.  That was all the encouragement my little winter-crazed heart needed and I joined the adventure of knitting socks inspired by the garden.  Never mind the fact that I’d not knitted socks and was pretty convinced I couldn’t;  I figured if I couldn’t make it spring outside, I could at least knit spring into socks.

It has been quite an adventure but in the past year I have knit all 6 socks of the Sock Society and have been delighted by each pattern.  I’ve learned new techniques, how to work with very tiny needles, how to turn a heel, how to shape a toe, many new stitch patterns, and how to create with hope and joy.  I eagerly looked forward to each new pattern and to picking out the perfect yarn from my stash to make them.

Allow me to introduce “The Handmade Sock Society 2018”  from upper left corner. Feb/March initiated the year with Hellebore Socks (inspired by my favorite flower!!) knit in a deep rose color with all-over lace patterning.  Apr/May celebrated magnolia blossoms, with the self-same pattern name – I knit this pair in a soft peachy/pink and these feature tiny cabling up the side of the socks.  June/July pair is entitled Astrantia Sock for the delicate flowers.  These were knit in Peepaloo Yarn with the colorway Cherry Blossoms.  These socks are knit mostly in stockinette stitch with tiny bobbles at the cuff and little lace flowers.  These are special to me because I was working on them when I went to Denver this summer.  Aug/Sept found us celebrating the little bees that buzz in our gardens with Honeybee Dance.  Knit in a gorgeous deep golden color, these socks have a fetching stitch pattern that looks like bee wings and a honeycomb stitch on the heel.  As we moved into autumn, Oct/Nov pattern celebrated hazelnuts, with a pattern of the same name.  A lovely cable design travels up the side of each sock and this was knit in a cozy soft yarn of taupe hues with a bit of pink.  And Dec/Jan brought us Red Robbin Socks as a reminder of the cheery harbinger of spring.  These were my first two-colored socks and were knit in colors of the robin and features a slip-stitch pattern along the length of the sock.

Here’s a capture of the first and last socks of the society that find me in the same place – anxiously waiting for spring to arrive.  I took the Red Robin Sock picture today and found some hyacinth were boldly peaking from the frozen earth.

Already I’m looking forward to a new year of Sock Society and am anticipating the reveal for our theme in 2019.  This past year was a very special way to start knitting socks as we focused on “a little bit of earth” and used the book Secret Garden as the inspiration for this collection.  Here’s to a new adventure!

Blessings to you,

Sarah