Notes from the Underground, Part 1

We bring you this special report from HoyaGirl who is living in a media-deprived existence somewhere in California...

Oct. 16: Day 1 of the Media Fast
Scout’s Indie Swag arrived today. I have the members-only black, grey, and white sock yarn and a new black and white knitting tote. Included in my package was my skein of Socktoberfest, the special colorway designed for those of us knitting along in the month of Socktober. I am entranced by its fall colors, and I am throwing everything aside to start a pair of socks for the church’s Fall Festival and for Halloween.

Oct. 17: Day 2
I tried starting a sock with 60 stitches, and the color started pooling in a fat spiral pattern that I found unattractive, so last night’s work was sent to the frog pond. I’m casting on with 56 stitches today.

Oct. 18: Day 3
The spiral got even uglier at 56 stitches. One could even call the resulting pattern “pooling.” I ended up with a half-black and half-purple-and-orange-striped sock. This, too, will be fed to the frogs.

Oct. 19: Day 4
Realizing that the stitch count should have gotten larger instead of smaller in order to fix the ugly spirals, I have cast on at 64 stitches. Maybe this will work now.

Oct. 20: Day 5
Nope, it’s not working. I now have socks that would fit the trunk of the tree outside my door, even if they do have a striped pattern I can live with. I believe I have lovely ankles, and I really don’t want them covered up by baggy, wrinkly socks. If I’m covering them, it will be with lovely, fitted socks! I’m going to check 60 stitches again just to see how the color does in the stockinette section of the sock.

Oct. 21: Day 6
I have decided the yarn is possessed and that it doesn’t want to be socks in time for Halloween. The colors started pooling again in the stockinette section of the 60-stitch sock. As a result, I have spent most of today playing with Icarus who is feeling much neglected after this week of warring with Socktoberfest. I, however, am stronger than the sock yarn, and I will exert my will for its existence. The sock is obviously not intended to have a stitch count anywhere in the 60s. Don’t tell, but I broke the media fast in order to access the Pomatomus sock pattern at Knitty. I think I will finally have a breakthrough when I cast on 72 stitches!

Oct. 22: Day 7
We have lift-off! The sock is well underway, but the DCA does not think I can stick it out and make it last—this is, after all, the 5th attempt at forcing the yarn to bend to my will. I made it to the heel flap, so I think this one will definitely work! The "fish scale" design of Pomatomus doesn't show up terribly well in this colorway, but the color-striping is absolutely what I imagined it should be.

We expect another report from HoyaGirl about Days 8 to 14 of her media fast some time in the next week. Stay tuned for more news about the Socktoberfest battle and the Pomatomus saga!