tauriel.

If you’re anything like me, you are ready for the last Hobbit movie to come out … and you’re surprised that it’s been this long since the first one came out … and you’re sad: This is the last time Middle Earth will be on the big screen. (Unless, of course, they make the Sil, but I’m highly doubting that.)

And, if you’re anything like me, you design a sock in honour of the occasion.

Hence, the Tauriel sock, published in the brand new Winter issue of Knitty.

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // By Josiah Bain

Tauriel socks // Knitty Winter 2014

These socks were a lot of fun for me to knit. As you all know, I love twisted stitches, and these socks feature them heavily. The heel is in a reinforced slip stitch pattern, like most knitted socks’ heels have, but instead of the slip stitches all across the heel, it is interrupted by a few columns of purls that adds interest in knitting the heel, as well as a decisive look after the socks are all done. The extra gusset stitches are worked in ribbing, as well as the toe of the sock. They look surprisingly good, if I do say so myself. 🙂

Here’s the blurb on Knitty:

I wasn’t happy with the biggest change Peter Jackson’s team made with The Desolation of Smaug. I mean, a fabricated love interest for Legolas? What is world coming to? But that was before the movie came out.
Along the Dwarves’ journey to the Lonely Mountain, there was that part with Gandalf’s going to Dol Guldur that wasn’t written in the book, but I was fine with that. It did happen, even if it wasn’t recorded in The Hobbit. Legolas in the movie was a little harder to let slide, but I convinced myself that he did live in the elves’ palace in Mirkwood even if Tolkien hadn’t invented him yet, so he could have been an unnamed elf on the sidelines of the book.
But, back to Tauriel. I was ready to hate her; to tell my friends that she was terrible; to refrain from buying the Special Extended version just because of her presence in the film. But; I liked her so much, I had the notion to design a pair of socks with inspiration drawn from her personality and some of the architecture from a few of the scenes from the palace of Thranduil.

And, after trial and error, the sock’s pattern appeared on my double-pointed needles.

The design captured my mind, and the more I looked at it, the more of the pattern’s intricacy emerged. Depending on how you look at it, the socks could be soft and round, or hard and angular; just like Tauriel. The gusset stitches and toe feature a twisted stitch ribbing that adds to the downward flow of these socks. These socks are knit best in a solid or semi-solid color, so that any crazy color patterning doesn’t make a jarring effect on your fabric.

I’d like to thank Knitty–primarily Amy Singer and Kate Atherley–for publishing me again, and editing my pattern. (I’m still having nightmares about that first big edit, Kate!)

And I’d like to thank my sister, C, who does not have a blog, for modeling these socks over the course of three months. (Not every day, of course–just whenever I felt like the pictures needed to be taken again.) I look forward to seeing The Battle Of The Five Armies with you later this month.

And then, I would like to thank you, my lovely blog readers, for being so supportive and encouraging. I appreciate it.

And then, of course, what would a blog post be without a link? (I can’t believe I forgot the link! The link is the most important part! Ugh …)

Here’s the Knitty link …

… And the Ravelry link.

And that’s it! I hope you like them!

Happy Knitting!

J