Yoga Socks

You ever have one of those moments when you think you’ve had an incredible idea, a brand new thought, the first of its kind? Then the briefest, most cursory search reveals that actually the thought in question has been had a million times before and you’re really not so special for thinking of it?

I had a bit of that with these.

I’d love to say that I thought them up while doing my daily morning yoga routine - hydrated, nourished, relaxed - but the reality is far less zen. I was on the toilet, looking at my toes (as you do), and realised they were not only almost numb with cold (not pleasant, but not unusual), but also going a bit purple (slightly more alarming).

Now I could have just put a pair of socks on, or even the heating (ha who am I kidding, in this economy? not a chance), but instead I found a thought pop into my mind, in full capslock:

OKAY BUT WHAT IF FINGERLESS GLOVES?! BUT FOR FEET?!?

I was EXTREMELY proud of myself for this completely unique and revolutionary thought; until, of course, I found that yoga socks already existed and had done for years. Ah well. It was a nice feeling while it lasted.

I had a look around for patterns but none really grabbed me, so I decided to just make it up as I went along. In a bit of a throwback to the first pair of socks I ever made, I went back to the stitch pattern from Froot Loop Sock | Knitty. It has an interesting texture, and the twisted stitches pull the fabric in quite tightly so I thought it’d be good to make sure they actually stay on my feet.

As for materials, I rummaged through my stash and found I had a whole 50g ball of navy sock yarn left over from making my toe-up Pucker socks which I’d been ignoring because I knew it wasn’t quite enough for a full pair. And now here was a not-full pair of socks needing to be made! A match made in heaven.

In terms of construction… realistically, they’re just tubes with another hole in. Not exactly complicated. Half-way through, I switched to ribbing on one side for a few rows, cast off ~32 stitches, cast them back on again immediately, few more rows of rib, then back into full rounds of stitch pattern. Easy.

I will say it is a bit disappointing to knit a pair of socks without getting to do the best bit of socks, which is turning the heels and toes. But, the trade-off is that little extra bit of warmth, less slipping on polished floors, and if I paint my toenails I can still see them. Worth it? Worth it.