Qualified for Madness

 

The sock pattern was released on Friday. I knit the whole leg and heel extension by that night, realized that I had a couple major mistakes and pulled it all out and started over. I had only a cuff when I went to bed. Saturday, I started the second cuff, then knit a pattern repeat on each sock, working in tandem to keep the tension even, and to make sure they were each worked the same amount of pattern repeats. Before midnight turned Monday to Tuesday, I had finished, weaved in ends, taken and sent in pics to the mods to qualify, and received an approval!

These sock pattern is called Hydra Scales by Clair Wyvern. I knitted the largest size, 80 stitches around for my husband. We needed a minimum of three pattern repeats on the legs, and another three from the leg extension on. Because there was a starting pattern and ending pattern not included in the repeat, that gives at least 8 helixes on the center front. I worked two extra to fit his feet. I could have stopped at the requirement or plus one and continued quicker in just the stripes, but I wanted to have the pattern go right down to the end of the stripes since it started on the cuff. I also wanted to let the toe be short to reflect the cuff. Just hints of the pastel colors throughout. 

The second sock could be knit exactly the same, or switch the colors (or to other colors), or mirrored, or even switched and mirrored! These ones are just mirrored. I do not have enough of the navy blue to use as a main color, and I wanted the colors on opposite sides on the second sock. 

I was concerned that following the pattern would result in loose socks with pointy heels. However, you can see how well they fit, and he is quite pleased with a new addition of color in his sock drawer.