Nuclear socks

Yesterday I was out at Faslane naval base, home to the UK's stock of trident nuclear powered and armed submarines, as part of the Faslane 365 protest.

The idea of the action is that different groups take turns to blockade the base each day over the course of a year. Yesterday it was the turn of the academics, and we did what academics do best and held a seminar. The day was successful, with around 60 people coming from across the UK, Sweden, Japan and the United States to show their opposition to trident, and the north gate was still blocked when I left at around 5pm.

As you can see from the photo above, it was very wet and very cold, which made the numbers even more impressive. Lucky I was wearing my brand-new Jaywalker socks which kept my feet lovely and warm all day!

They're made using Interlacements Tiny Toes in the Poppy Fields colourway, which I was given in a Knitty coffeeshop swap. This yarn was beautiful to work with, although I did find the orange stripe a bit garish after a while.

Everyone seems to be making Jaywalkers at the moment - when I was wondering around the web last week I noticed some here, here and here. I can understand why - it's a great pattern; so simple yet looks fabulous. I also like how they have a "snug, droop-less fit" (quoting the pattern), counteracting the slight sagginess I've found with other handknitted sock patterns.

The only problem was this (sensitive knitters avert your eyes)...

That's what six broken dpns look like. Painful, isn't it? I'm only using metal from now on.

I also made another pair of socks over the weekend - this little pair for Phil's cousin's baby that's due in a few months time.

They're made using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino using a basic baby sock pattern.

And that's all for now, folks. Happy Monday!