Extreme Rainbow Socks

As you all know, I've been working on the 2-in-1 Socks from Knitty for quite some time, and have finally finished them.. this is my official FO post. Enjoy.


Here we have an innocent looking sock toe...


But there is a hidden secret.. there are actually 2 socks!


And here we have a photo after the heel has been turned.. Still going strong.


Unfortunately.. the socks stagnated at this point for several months. More than half a year, actually.

But now.. they are finished:






Now I'm not going to post the photo itself behind the cut, but while my fiance and I were outside taking the FO photos of the socks, we ran into the cutest kitty that stopped for a petting session and to roll around at our feet.

Details
Pattern: 2-in-1 Socks from Knitty
Yarn: Superwash Merino Sock from Lazy Perry Ranch- note on this yarn: it is a bit THIN. Compared to Koigu or the Knitpicks Sock yarn or even like Opal or similar it's quite thin. I wouldn't even call it sock yarn, but.. it made a pair of socks so it was fine.
Needles: US 00 (because double-knitting tends to knit up looser than normal)
Notes: The pattern was modified to be toe-up, which means that I had to knit the toes separately. This may be considered "cheating" but I didn't feel the need to make this any more 'difficult' than it already was! On the technique of double knitting.. I don't really find it that difficult, but I probably will not knit another pair of socks like this because doing it on small needles in a small round is a total pain in the butt. You get into a rhythm, but it's still a pain and you have to constantly check to make sure you haven't crossed the yarn. In short, doable, something I'm proud to have done, but something I probably won't do again. Also, I wish the rainbow "stripes" on the yarn were more gradually color-changed (it's just an abrupt switch) or maybe in shorter repeats. I still like the socks, however.

Anyway, as a word of encouragement to anyone wanting to do double knitting (I'm an expert now, what with these socks and this headband and the number of other things I've double knit just for the fun of it)- It really is not that hard. Not something you want to try when you're just learning to knit and purl but if you have those two things pretty much grasped and you can hold the yarn in front and in back of your work as you go- just follow the instructions and I promise it'll work. Great beginner project would be the hoover baby blanket. Double knitting DOES NOT have to be done with 2 different colors, or even 2 yarns, so don't let that deter you. It really is super easy- just a bit tedious at times.

edit: as an add-on, I did indeed have to use the fix detailed in the 2-in-1 Socks pattern/article. It basically involves dropping back rows of knitting and then knitting them back up uncrossed. There was also a false start when I crossed the yarn in the toes. But I consider myself an expert in fixing mistakes several rows back so I was OK. Should you take on these socks, just follow the instructions in the article and make sure you haven't actually SWITCHED the two yarns (inside sock and outside sock). If you switched the yarns no amount of tinking back will help. You'll have to rip.