Pattern: Unisex Slip by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Maia
Size: Small
Yardage: Aproximatly 80% of the skein (say 320 yards/2690 m)
Needles: 2.00 mm knit picks laminated wood

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Don't these socks look great with my wall? This is May's sock club kit all knitted up. I only made two modifications to the patterns as I was working it: 1) I used a provisional cast-on instead of the long-tail in the pattern because I like the way it works with the hemmed cuff, and 2) I worked the arrow pattern down the heel flap instead of switching into the heel flap pattern because I don't care for the look of the heel flap pattern.

These socks were just as enjoyable to knit as the pair I made for Rob. You'd think that working the same pattern over four socks in just a couple of months was just asking for an attack of second sock syndrome but I emerged unscathed. The pattern is just that perfect for me. I even considered starting a third pair with the July kit yarn but thought that might be taking things too far.

After how excited I was about this yarn and this pattern when it arrived you'd think I'd have cast on my socks in less than two months but I got distracted and, though the ball was wound a while ago, I only just scrounged up some waste yarn for a provisional coast on. This is the first of my Unisex Slip socks in the Rockin' Sock Club May colourway Maia. The pattern actually calls for a regular cast-on but I prefer a provisional one for a knitted down hem - what better way to ensure your cast-on is not too tight than to simply not have a cast-on.

I've been working on the pattern for a quite a while in a different yarn as a pair of toe-up socks for Rob but it is nice to finally be using this yarn. Each way I see it it seems more lovely. I often like a skein of hand-painted yarn a smidge less once it is wound up and the colours are all mixed together but this one didn't diminish. It's fantastic to knit with; every colour is my favourite for as long as it lasts and when it pops up again it is like a wonderful little surprise. The pattern is great - mostly plain, quick knitting but with a simple, easy to memorize pattern for just a few stitches. It keeps me entertained without being at all difficult. This is already a go-to pattern. I mean, I'm knitting it into two different pairs of socks for two different people … at the same time … and I'm not bored. Part of me wants to use July's yarn in this pattern too but I think I should give Fences a try first.

Here's a post with a random image at the top so you know what that means … My Rockin' Sock Club package finally arrived and this picture is here to ensure that anyone still waiting to receive his or her package of yarny goodness is not accidentally spoiled by coming to my blog. The veggies in the picture are from our garden and formed the major part of our lunch today. Along with some basil, bell pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese these peas and tomatoes becme a very nice salad. We put the leftovers in the fridge until dinner when Rob added some cut up strawberries (also from the garden). It sounds strange but they were a very good addition; little zings of sweetness among the veggies.

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After waiting (im)patiently for the two weeks it generally takes my club shipment to reach me, I found a parcel from Blue Moon in our mailbox on my way home from work today. As soon as I was in the house I found a pair of scissors and went into the front room to open it up. The front room is brightest and best for viewing Tina's wonderful colour combinations. This one did not disappoint.

I hadn't really been able to figure out the clues Tina gave us this time around but somehow this skein was totally not what I was expecting. Fortunately for me it is one of those colourways that just grabs me immediately and I am completely in love. There are so many of my favourite colours blended into this skein: purples, greens, browns, rusts, even a bit of gold. It is one of those times I'm not sure I really want to knit it up because I think it might be prettier if I just kept it as a skein.

This feeling is kind of intensified by my not being quite so enamoured with the patterns. The first is Blunnie Socks by Stephen Houghton and is a sock that looks like a boot. It's cool but not my style. The second pattern is Fences by JC Briar. I'm more likely to knit this pattern. It has an allover slipped stitch fence pattern that is mirrored on the second sock which I think is cool. I don't care for the look of the slipped stitch heel with the fence pattern so I'd probably do something different there and the suggested gauge is 9 sts/in which I could not achieve without going down to some ridiculously small needles (1.5 mm maybe). I already have people coming up to me in the coffee shop saying "What tiny needles!" when they see me working on socks and for some reason it kind of bugs me. Even other knitters say this. What are they expecting me to knit socks with? Anyway, I'll probably adjust the size I knit to match the gauge I usually knit at on my 2.0 mm DPNs. I think one of the sizes was for 60 stitches around which would work out perfectly.