Are You Hungry?

Over a year ago (maybe two?), I read the Hunger Games trilogy just as the third book was being released as really enjoyed them.  The first book was actually reminiscent of a Stephen King short story called "The Long Walk" in that teens are competing against each other to better their or their family's situations at the risk of death.

Since I first read the books, my son has also read them - also with great enjoyment.  We were both excited to hear that a movie was in the works, and it's release date is almost here - March 23.  I plan on dragging my husband to see it opening night.

So you might be thinking, "What does this have to do with knitting?"  I'm getting there.

A pattern author on Ravelry.com is designing socks based on Hunger Games characters.  Her first sock is called Peeta, after the boy-next-door baker's son who accompanies Katniss as the male tribute in the Games from their district.  The pattern has striping and a contrasting toe which gives the socks a bit of an athletic sock feel but in a more elegant and aesthetically pleasing way.  But the best part is the pattern on the legs which looks like stalks of wheat, especially knit in a golden yarn.

I was drooling over the Peeta socks.

Unfortunately they were being designed as I discovered them and only recently (in the past week) moved into the test knit phase, with the pattern release scheduled for the end of March. 

Fortunately, I commented on one of the test knitter's posts on Ravelry asking how she got lucky enough to be a test knitter and the pattern author contacted me to test knit it, too!  So basically I've said "screw the Cookie A. pattern for the beginning of the month" and cast on my Peeta.

I had ordered a skein of merino/nylon from Grant Creek Yarns in a new colorway called Winter Wheat which I had earmarked for Peeta before I even owned the yarn.  However, when I got it, it was quite a bit darker and more brown than the golden wheat color I had hoped it would be.  (Turns out the dyer opened new bottles of dye for the latest batch of Winter Wheat, hence the darker colors.)  Don't get me wrong, the yarn is beautiful, but wasn't right for Peeta.  Luckily I had some Knit Picks Stroll in Mustard in my stash which was earmarked for a Gryffindor project at some point down the road, but desperate times call for stash diving and it has become Peeta.  A little of the same yarn in the Fedora colorway for the stripes, and here are my Peeta's so far:

The same designer has started socks for the other main male character, Katniss' best friend, Gale.  I can't wait to see them!