More Socks! Finally!

I was surprisingly diligent with knitting the last few months. Granted, it's been summer and wool is not the best in the sweaty humid heat we've had going on this summer.
After sitting in a continuing education class for 3.5 days (dear...God...), I got a full-sock-and-a-half completed! Much to the amusement of my nearby classmates, I might add. They were amazed by the whole process and by my progress. I argued that I was out of town, didn't know anybody in the area, and dislike drinking alone, so I went home from class, read on the porch of some restaurant for an hour or so, followed by returning to my hotel and knitting in front of reruns of "Top Gear" or "Sherlock" on Netflix. Not great for my social life, but good for knitting progress! They started saying things like "I expect that heel to be done by morning!" or "You're going to be done with the whole sock tomorrow, right?" Charming.

They did turn out mostly nice. I loved the sunset-colored rainbow.

Plain knitting socks are really a gift when it comes to long boring classes or meetings. As long as I was past the ribbing, toe, or heel bits, I didn't even have to look at my hands. It kept me focused and interested and awake, AND I was productively making something besides another blot of knowledge in my brain. Great times.

Toe turned out well. 

Anyway, I lost the ball band somewhere in my luggage, but Google tells me it's Berroco Sox Padarn, superwash wool and nylon. The pattern is Basic Self-Striping Socks by Amy Klimt off of Ravelry. Top down, with an afterthought heel.

Afterthought heel. 

 Not going to lie, I mostly really liked the afterthought heel. I liked the way it preserved the self-striping pattern of the yarn, and I like that with other yarns you could do contrasting heels and toes easily. There was one part of this that I did not like at all:

See the problem?

It's not exactly subtle. 

 As my mother-in-law hurried to assure me, I can always darn holes closed, but I don' wanna. I am a big fan of minimal finishing up, so an extra step after weaving in ends is not appreciated. But this was clearly not a big enough problem to keep me from casting on another pair.

They are fast.

I lost the ball band for this one as well and can't find the yarn anywhere. 

It's my current in-purse carry-along project.