Once upon a time, seven years ago to be exact, when I was still a fairly new knitter, I knit my dad a pair of socks. It was only my second pair of socks ever, and though they were fairly boring, basic socks, I was very proud of them.

Apparently, he loved them. In fact, he loved them so much that he has been wearing them to bed nearly every night for the past seven years. He says they are perfect sleeping socks.

In December, he asked if I would mind making him another pair of socks. He wanted them to fit exactly the same as the old ones do now – loose and slouchy, perfect for sleeping. I was so pleased that the socks I made him all those year ago were so well-loved, and even more pleased that he wanted more. I decided to make him a new pair in handspun.

First I spun up one of my most precious fibers, Hello Yarn Superwash Merino in “Peat,” the March 2009 Fiber Club fiber.

LOVE those colors.

Then, using my favorite toe-up pattern – David’s Toe-Up Socks Cookbook , I cast on, using a contrast color – Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in “Charcoal.” But I switched things up a little bit – instead of a standard heel, I just made a tube, using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in “Charcoal” for a contrast toe and ending with a contrast ribbed cuff. Then I measured the sock against my dad’s old pair, and cut a place for the heel:

Eep!!

Then I picked up the stitches:

And knit another “toe,” i.e., an “afterthought heel” in contrast yarn.
I am very happy with the results, and with the process, and I see more of this method in my future (this was my first time trying it). It was great because I was traveling a lot at the time I was making these, as well as taking a doctoral class that required most of my brain cells, and it was great to just knit a tube without worrying about when and where to put the heel.

I asked my husband to try them on for modeled shots. The shots turned out kind of ridiculous, because my husband’s shoe size is two sizes smaller than my dad’s, plus the socks are intentionally loose and slouchy.

But you get the idea.

I was very, very pleased with this whole project – from spin to finished result – and my dad says they fit perfectly. So, yay! I have a wee bit of the handspun left (I spun 280 yards light worsted, and I have maybe 40-50 yards left) and a lot of the contrast yarn left, so I’m pondering a few potential projects with those.

raveled