What A Week

rhino virus (common cold) illustration

So, I'm still trying to recover from the micro-beastie that decided to make its home in my body.

Downside: It's been a week already, I'm not yet completely better, and I am so beyond ready to be healthy again.

Upside: Crafty goodness.

Yes, it's true. I got past the not being able to concentrate thing, and have been busy working on several projects.

First up we have the Triangular Summer Shawl. I started this last October, but after the initial cast-on and first few rows, it got set aside in favor of other projects. I don't know why. Its knit with linen/silk blend handspun, which I like. Its a pattern I've done before and like. There is no reason not to have been working on it. But I wasn't.  Having gotten a couple of things off the needles, I decided to work only on my wips, so this got picked back up. I have about 40 more rows on the shawl (each shorter than the one before, so it goes quickly), a lace edging, sewing on the lace edging, washing, blocking, and weaving in the ends.

Come to think of it, it sounds like I still have quite a lot of work to do. And here I was getting all excited about how close to finishing I was getting.

Next up is the sock I'm designing as I go. I picked up a ball of Indulgence from my lys, and loved the feel of the yarn and the color so much, I decided to cast on a sock immediately. I wasn't sure how the color repeat would go, but it turns out to be self-striping, so I knew that I could get away with some patterning without it being too busy or getting lost. I've got lace panels framing a center section of cables and ribbing. I like the way they are coming out, but am not thrilled with the short-row heel that I'd used. I think I'll do some looking around to find a heel that works better for these socks. Any suggestions? I also don't have a name for these yet, so any suggestions would be welcome.

Note to self: Make sure to write down what you've been doing, so that the second sock will actually match the first.

Finally there is the cashmere I've been spinning. I was able to pick up some incredibly soft and lovely cashmere top, and was trying to spin it for a wedding ring shawl (examples of which are Shetland and Orenburg shawls).

Truth is, it is nowhere near fine enough for that, but it is a good lace weight. The above skein is about 2 oz. (50 g), is two-ply, and is approximately 440 yards (400 meters). It is clear to me that I still have a long way to go before I'm able to ply as well as I'd like to, and before I'll be able to spin for a wedding shawl, but I have decided, overall, to be pleased with this yarn.

I still have another 2 oz. to spin and ply, and then will go in search of the perfect project. If anyone has a pattern they would like to recommend, I am open to all suggestions.

Darning a Sock

I had knit a pair of Jenny Socks out of Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Silk yarn. This yarn is beautiful. It is so soft, and has such lovely drape and luster.

It is not, however, a good selection for socks. The very things that make it lovely to work with, make for socks that will not stand up well to wear. And so, I ended up with a hole on the heel of one of the socks.

Rather than deal with this as I usually due (throwing it away), I decided since I have a darning egg, it was time I used it.

I gathered together the supplies I was going to need: the holey sock, left over yarn, scissors, a tapestry needle, and the aforementioned darning egg.

I turned the sock inside out, and slid the darning egg inside. I positioned it so the rounded edge was centered under the hole.

I cut off a length of yarn (I think it was about 1 1/2-2 ft.), threaded it through the tapestry needle, and began weaving it through the sock. I started both below and after the place where the yarn was broken, and, working from right to left, wove the yarn in using duplicate stitch.

When I reached the hole, I left loops for the stitches that were dropped when the yarn broke. My plan being to basically re-knit this section with the tapestry needle as I was weaving the yarn through to strengthen the area.

I continued doing this process, row by row, working the loops as I came to them,

until the hole was securely closed up. Then I turned the sock right side out to see how it looked.

It's clear that the fix wasn't perfect, but I prefer this look to the usual (and highly visible) method of darning, which entails weaving a patch across the hole.

The repair is not very noticeable when the sock is on, and would be even less visible inside a shoe.

Considering the delicate nature of this yarn, however, I think I'll keep them completely out of shoes and make them house or bed socks.

For any future repairs, I will consult one of these videos first so that my repair truly does end up invisible.

Petits Diamants

Last summer, I went into Michael's Arts and Crafts and saw they had Patons Stretch Socks yarn on sale, so I purchased several balls, each in a different color. My plan was to make one pair of ankle socks with each ball. I made some plain ribbed socks for the first pair, and these are the second.

The pattern is one I improvised, consisting of a lattice pattern on top, stockinette at the toe, heel, and on the bottom, and a 1x1 folded ribbed cuff. They are knitted toe up, with a short-row heel.

These I planned as very short ankle socks, and I definitely achieved that. If I were to do it over again, though, I would have made them a bit longer -- another pattern repeat and a longer cuff.

I really like the color of these (the colorway is Algae), but I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of this yarn. It's a cotton/wool/nylon/elastic blend that just doesn't have the softness or smooshie-ness that I like in sock yarn.

I have now knit several pairs of socks from yarns that are primarily cotton, and I find that I feel the same about all of them -- the cotton makes them hard on the feet. This disappoints me because wool is very warm, and I live in a very warm climate. I had hoped that the cotton blends would extend the sock wearing weather, and it does, but I find myself reaching for the wool socks first and saving these as a last resort. I also won't wear them if I'm going to be on my feet a lot. I think that wearing them is to the feet what knitting dishcloth cotton tightly is to the hands.

One positive is that I have found socks made from this yarn to be very sturdy and have had no issues with holes.

I really like the patterning on these, and the fit (apart from being a bit short) is perfect. I think I would knit them again, but with a different yarn.

In fact, I don't think I'll be making any more socks out of this yarn. Anyone have any ideas for other projects? I think I still have at least 2 balls in different colors.


Details:
Pattern Name: Petits Diamants
Pattern Designer: Brenda McCunn
Pattern Source: Not available (yet) -- I improvised this design
Yarn: Patons Stretch Socks in the Kelp colorway
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Knit Picks Harmony double-pointed needles

The March 2010 Knit Picks Catalog is out, and filled with lovely things, as usual.

I was fortunate to be able to work on a project for this catalog - the Emma Lace Socks.  The pattern is from A Cuff Above, the yarn used is Stroll in Carnation.

 This one shows the color accurately.

The sock is knit cuff down, has a heel flap and gusset heel, and a toe construction I'd never done before.  The decreases aren't 4 sts every other round, instead there are several decreases in a round followed by several rows with no decreases (the number changes), and produces a rounded toe.  There is also no Kitchener stitching at the end, so if that was keeping you from trying sock knitting, here's a pattern you can fearlessly do.

 

Sorry about the photo quality.  This one was taken on my cell phone, and the color is not remotely accurate.

Of course, I completely forgot to take a picture of the completed socks before mailing them off, but you can see them on p. 4 of the catalog, or on the website.

A Gift For You

***NOTE***  I would like to thank the people who left comments letting me know that the pattern link wasn't working.  I believe I've got it fixed now, but please do let me know if there are any problems.  And if you run into any problems on the pattern, let me know and I'll do my best to fix any errors - your feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Another sock pattern is now available.

Jenny Socks (pdf)

These are the socks I designed after Jenny suggested I should enter the Think Outside the Sox Contest.  I didn't win, but I did end up with some socks I love.  You can read more about them here.

 

Happy knitting!

Arizona Thermal

On a yarn crawl through Tucson about a year ago, I stopped in Kiwi Knitting and picked up several balls of sock yarn. Among them was 2 balls of Crystal Palace Yarns Maizy Print (I don't remember the colorway, and threw away the ball band before I had it written down somewhere).

In September, I decided it was time to knit this yarn up, but couldn't decide on a pattern for it, so I cast on without one. Once I had my usual toe done, I started fiddling around with different stitch patterns. I wanted something with ribbing for a good fit, but not just plain. I tried a rib that was K1, P1 for 2 rows and K on the 3rd row. It was okay, but really just looked like basic ribbing - not very interesting. Then I noticed the pattern on the wrong side of the fabric. It looked a bit like thermal undergarments, and wasn't boring. Perfect! I now had the stitch pattern I wanted, so I ripped it out and began anew, being careful to take notes.


After about 1 1/2 months of working on them off and on, they were finished.

And another 1 1/2 months later, I've finally gotten the pattern all typed up and ready to go. If you're interested you can download it here.



Happy knitting!

Back to Normal?

Things have been quite hectic around here lately. School started for my ds the day after Labor Day, so I was in a bit of a tizzy to get everything ready before then. I'll have to admit that I didn't quite get the classroom finished (I still have a couple of maps to hang), but enough to get the ball rolling. Last year Jay's least favorite subject was math (Algebra I, if you're interested). Well, so far this year, he has declared that his 2 favorite subjects are science (as always), and ... MATH! I couldn't be happier. We've also been blessed with the friendship of a math major, and he's willing to patiently answer all of Jay's questions and to discuss math with him for hours. Jay LOVES it. And our microscope is the favorite tool that we are using this year; it was well worth the investment, and I think every home should have at least one.

On the fiber front, I am spinning up some lovely maroon wool that I purchased at Tempe Yarn and Fiber. I'm not sure what type of wool it is, but it is fairly soft and spins quite easily. I'm aiming for a dk to worsted weight 3-ply, and so far that's what I'm getting.

I've finally finished knitting the Galveston Shawl, but haven't yet blocked it. It is large, lovely, and deserving of its own post, which it will get when I've blocked it.

A few of my friends have been busy having babies, so I've decided it's high time I got busy knitting something for them. I'm making the Cables and Textures Pullover from Leisure Arts #3325, Beautiful Baby out of Patons Beehive Baby in Baby Blue for the one that is almost 2-months-old. I'm making the 6 mo. size, figuring that he'll still be able to wear it when I'm done that way. I have a bit of a cushion for the rest of them since they aren't yet born, so when I've finished this one I'll cast on for the Cables and Checks pattern.

I'm also designing another pair of socks. I've not been able to settle on a name yet, but the texture reminds me of thermal underwear, so I've been calling them my Long Underwear Socks. We'll see if I can't come up with something better. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. :)

I've also finally cast on the Alpine Lace Scarf from Victorian Lace Today. I love the yarn (Alpaca with a Twist's Fino), and the pattern is beautiful, but I think I must be a little laced out right now because I haven't gotten much beyond the first edging pattern repeat AND I haven't even had any desire to knit it. (Sigh). Maybe it's the weather.

The Fall issue of Knitty has come out, and I find myself quite enamored with the Girl Friday cardigan. I feel certain that I will have to have this be the next project I start. I'm just trying to decide whether to make it with SWTC's Craft or Love from their Vickie Howell Collection. What do you think?

Sock Madness 3 - Tokena

Meet the lovely socks that took me out of the competition.

The pattern is called Tokena(Ravelry link) and were designed by Tricia Weatherston.

As you can see, the pattern is stranded colorwork, with solid color sections at the cuff, heel, and toe. They were designed to have a heel flap/gusset heel, and, as per the Sock Madness rules, I started out knitting them that way.

Every time I looked at the socks, I couldn't help but think "What a beautiful pattern!"

And then I'd get to the heel.

Okay, I admit it. I'm not a huge fan of heel flap/gusset construction. Now I realize that it can be an important part of the design, but it's not my favorite, and I avoid it when I can. It was at this point that I decided that I had to change the heel to my favorite method - short row heels. Yes, that meant I was out of the competition, but I prefer the look of short row heels, and life is just too short to spend it knitting something you don't love.

And I do love these socks!
The inside is just as beautiful as the outside.

And they are so comfortable.

The pattern isn't yet available, but when it is, I would encourage everyone to make a pair. They are fantastic.

Knit with Knit Picks Essential sock yarn in Burgundy and Bare.

Sock Madness 3 - Tropical Mer-tini

Jenny was at it again, this time talking me into joining Sock Madness.

The pattern for this is "Tropical Mer-tini" and included a recipe for the drink. I skipped the drink, but did make the socks.
This pattern used a Twisted German Cast-On which I had never done before. I LOVE this cast-on! I do believe that it will be my standard for socks, mittens, and gloves from now on.

Another new-to-me technique was the afterthought heel. Now I'm not sure, but it seems to me that a heel that is planned and worked on purpose hardly qualifies as an afterthought*. I didn't particularly like this technique, but it's always good to expand one's knitting skills.

The pattern doesn't show well, what with all those colors, but they are VERY comfortable socks.
Knit with Plymouth Yarns Sockotta Sock Yarn in colorway 30 (very descriptive colorway name, no?) on size 1 (2.5 mm) dpns.

* After writing the above I was searching the web for links and discovered that the Yarn Harlot had posted about this as well. She, however, was able to explain a proper use for this. I bow to the wisdom of both her and legend Elizabeth Zimmerman, and humbly apologize to Ms. Zimmerman for doubting the usefulness of this technique.

Fanboy Socks

My son is a HUGE fan of Formula 1 racing, so when he saw that I had sock yarn in red and white -- the colors of his favorite team and driver, he asked me to make him some socks that showed off his love. Well, more than a year later, enter the Fanboy Socks.

The writing on the cuff reads "Kimi Raikkonen", who is Jordan's favorite driver. The cuff was knitted long, then folded over and seamed to keep the strands from being exposed and able to catch on a toe.

He said that he likes them a lot.
And I think I do, too. :)

Knit out of Knit Picks Essentials in Bare and Burgundy on size 1 (2.5 mm) dpns.

Sherbet Socks

So, I finished the clues for the stole KALs I was working on, but didn't feel like moving on to more lace right away. Instead of working on my Galveston Shawl (which has been languishing ever since I started the stoles), I started a pair of socks.

Most of the socks I'd knitted were made out of wool. Well, when you live in the desert, having wool on your feet during the summer is NOT a pleasant experience. Because of this, a while back I purchase several balls of sock yarn that were primarily made of cotton. These socks were made from one of those balls of yarn.


The yarn is Sockotta in the 505 colorway, and they are knit on Knit Picks size 1 (2.5 mm) dpns. The colors remind me of rainbow sherbet and so that is what I've named these. Even though they are simple toe-up, short row heel, stockinette socks, I had to restart these 5 times before I was finally accepting of the way they were working out.

The first time I wasn't happy with the way the color repeats were going, so I checked the ball band. The recommended needle size was a US size 2, so I frogged and started again with 2s. Not only did this not help with the color repeats, the guage was way too loose. Thinking this would improve if I started with a smaller needle and gradually worked up to the 2s, I started again, this time with US size 0. I gradually worked my way back up to the 2s. It didn't help. So I decided to just go back to the 1s. I started again, but the gauge was just as loose as before -- maybe even worse! I kept on, telling myself it would get better. It didn't. I checked my needles again, and it turns out I had grabbed my US size 3s instead of the 1s. Back to the frog pond. I got started again with the 1s, and though I still don't love the way the color repeats are going, I'm happy with the gauge of the fabric. And I'm NOT starting again.