Inspiration to Knit Socks

I've always taken socks for granted. Wear them, then throw them in the laundry, and throw them away when they wear out. Socks are bought in outlet stores, in quantity, that fit feet sizes 9 to 11. When it gets cold, wear two pair together, inside of boots.

So it was really surprising to me that a book by Wendy D. Johnson called Socks From The Toe Up caught my eye at the bookstore. While browsing through this book, I realized that socks could be beautiful, and socks could be made by hand. These are some photos from the book that I found at Kristen Petliski's site. Can you see why I was inspired to learn to make socks?