Finished Object Friday!

We've all heard of the sweater curse: you knit a sweater (I'm going to use the word "jumper" from now on because I'm Irish and that's what we call it) for a significant other, and your relationship ends soon afterwards. It's to do with the time, money and effort invested in the jumper going unappreciated rather than us knitters believing that the gods decide the fate of our relationships based on what we knit.

This is why if I decide to knit for someone, be it a friend, boyfriend or family member, I will always always start small, see how much they like it and then decide if they're knit-worthy. Knit something small, like... oh, I don't know, a pair of socks or something?

So, when my boyfriend showed interest in a knitted gift, I told him I'd make just that. A pair of socks. Small, simple, challenging enough to keep me interested, and most importantly, something he'd actually wear.

Today, over a month later, I was finishing up my first pair of socks while browsing Ravelry forums. And just as I was nearing the end of the toe on the second sock I read something astonishing. There are as many stitches in a sock as in a jumper. I don't know how one would go about proving or disproving this claim, but if it's true then no wonder these socks took me so long! If I had known from the outset, I probably would have made some for myself before knitting that many stitches for someone else!

Thankfully, I didn't know when I started, and so I got through my first pair of socks slowly but surely. This evening I was a proud, proud knitting mama when I finished them, and took some photos straight away. It's difficult to take good photos of your own feet, but I did my best.

(One thing I'm not so pleased with is the way the first ball of yarn striped while the colours in the second ball pooled a bit more. Either one is fine, if only the two were the same!)

I was surprised to see that the socks weren't so big on me. I really hope they don't end up too small for my boyfriend's feet or I'll have to make another pair. After knitting that many stitches for someone else I think it's ok to be a selfish knitter until I have a pair of hand-knit socks of my own!


Check out other Finished Object Fridays over at Tami's Amis ad Wisdom Begins in Wonder!