Barcelona Revisited

While browsing Ravelry yesterday afternoon I followed a link to Mona Schmidt's blog and found a reference to Barcelona Socks, aka November Mystery Socks. Mona designed this pattern for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry but also posted each of the four clues on her blog throughout last November. The socks, she explained, were inspired by the architecture of Antoni Gaudi, and the accompanying photographs instantly brought back memories of my September trip to Barcelona. I decided on the spot to knit the socks, sight unseen.

Upon further investigation I learned that Mona recommended using a solid or semi-solid yarn. I was disappointed because I didn't have any solid yarn on hand that I thought would reflect the bright colours often found in Gaudi's work. However, when I checked out the Barcelona Sock gallery on Ravelry I discovered that Mona had ignored her own advice and had knit her pair with a bright, multicoloured yarn! Well, I thought, if the designer, herself, can do it, why can't I? My skein of Sunshine Yarn's "Field of Flowers" immediately came to mind.

A look through my Barcelona souvenir book confirmed that the yarn colours would not only echo some of those used in Gaudi's works, they would also reflect the many, varied shades of tropical birds and flowers found in the stalls along Las Ramblas, a popular tourist attraction in Barcleona's Old Quarter. The yarn also brought some more personal experiences to mind, like posing with this brightly-coloured "living statue"

and photographing this eye-catching candy display in the marketplace.

My philosophy is usually "less is more" so I may find that between the the crayon colours (they're much brighter in real life) and mulitiple stitch patterns these socks have a bit too much going on.

On the other hand, they will be a wonderful reminder of the three action-packed days we spent in Barcelona, trying to take in all of the sights and sounds of this beautiful city.