How’s your Soctober going? Check out this short-row heel tutorial. Very useful! I’ve done short-row heels before but I didn’t do her trick of double-wrapping as you go back and forth picking up the wraps. I also especially like the tip of wrapping the first non-heel stitch to keep a hole from forming. (I always get that hole.) I’m going to be doing socks all summer, I think. (Link courtesy of Lara.)
Tag: socks
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Straight-Laced Socks
Remember the wool I won in the Give a Little Raffle? Here it is! These are the Straight-Laced Socks from Knitty. As usual, I had to adjust the heck out of the pattern to make it work. I increased the number of stitches to 76 (38 on each needle) and thus had to change the maths of turning the heel. I think I’ve finally got my head around it, but I made this heel a little narrow. (Technically it’s perfect though, so I couldn’t bear to frog it back.) The toe was also turning out a little long so I started doing the decreases every row instead of every other. Still, they’re really pretty, aren’t they? -
Works in Progress
As you can see, I’ve currently got three projects on the needles. The first is a sample pair of socks for the shop using some new self-patterning wool we got. It’s “Jigsaw” and it’s from Heirloom (though it’s not made in Bendigo; it’s an Italian import). We’ve got eight colors and this is the one that caught my attention first. I’m following the supplied pattern and I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. There’s no way that calf would fit on my chubby leg, but it still looks cool, right? I’m using 2.25mm double-pointed needles. Normally I’d do them on two circulars but Albert wanted me to try out the new rosewood DPNs. I’m ambivalent about them so far. I’ve already snapped one and I think they might be too fragile (at least in the very small diameters) for my admittedly tight tension.
The second is the Cheesylove sweater from Knitty that I started almost exactly a year ago. (I recently frogged it back and started over.) I was really unhappy with the pattern (which is why I put it aside in the first place). The big problem was the decreases and increases along the side seams. The pattern just says to do them on either side of the marker, which seriously messes up the nice K2P1 ribbing. So I frogged the whole damn thing back and started from scratch. I even did the ruffle all in one go this time, which meant I had to cast on 1,008 stitches. Yes, FOUR DIGITS WORTH. It was insane. Then the Snook had a brainstorming session with me to work out the best way to do the shaping. I decided instead of a single marker on each side, I’d mark the actual rib that was the side seam. Then I’d mirror my increases/decreases in the ribs on either side so they’d grow or diminish organically. I know, I know; nobody will ever notice (especially since it’s in black 8-ply, and under my arm to boot), but dammit, I will know! So I’m doing it right. I’m actually through with the shaping now and I’m up to the actual fairisle hearts design around the chest. The body of the sweater is done in Heirloom EasyCare 8-ply, while the hearts are worked in Heirloom Aristocrat 12-ply mohair. (The mohair’s a little thicker, but I kinda like the effect. Makes it stand out more.) I haven’t decided yet what to do about the sleeves. I’d almost like to make it short-sleeved but that isn’t one of the pattern options. I’d have to wing it myself.
And the third is a cabled throw of my own invention. I lifted the cables themselves from a sweater pattern and laid them out in a new arrangement for this blanket. I’m knitting it out of some lovely (discontinued) Cleckheaton Alpaca/Wool 50/50 blend 8-ply. It’s going to look terrific on the back of our shagadelic brown couch, don’t you think?
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Class time!
Sorry for the lack of posting, but I’m all in a tizzy because I’m teaching my very first class at the shop tomorrow morning! I’m teaching “Sock Knitting on Two Circulars,” which should be pretty fun. Wish me luck…
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Self-patterning socks
Finally, another finished object: self-patterning socks for Mom! I used Opal Sockenwolle that I got from Knit-It in Beecroft. As all the previous socks I’ve knitted are too baggy to be worn with shoes, I tried to make this pair a bit smaller and tighter than normal. I can just get them over my chubby feet which hopefully means they’ll be appropriately sized for Mom. The only problem is that I’ve still got a substantial chunk of wool left over… and I’m not sure what to do with it. Maybe wrist warmers? -
Another FO – Columbine Peak Socks
(That’s “Finished Object” for you non-knitters.) After doing two pairs of simple basic socks, I was ready to expand my skills. So I cracked open my copy of Socks Soar on Two Circulars* and picked out the “Columbine Peaks” pattern. The leg of the sock has a lacy pattern that forms little v-shaped mountain peaks that continue down onto the foot. It wasn’t too hard, though you do have to count and sometimes I have difficulty with that. (Handy tip: Knitting and wine don’t go together so well.) Now they’re finally done. Unfortunately the Sockenwool I had was rainbow-colored so the pattern doesn’t show up so well, but I still like them. They give me the craziest urge to buy some Birkenstocks and walk around like a German tourist. (Note: That second image is a big scan and shows the stitch pattern nicely.)
* Although I like the technique used, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book for beginners. I’ve found several frustrating errors in the patterns. You can see a list of some corrections here.
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Double Trouble Socks
Socks!
Tonight I finished my first pair of knitted socks. They’re big house socks for the Snook to putter around in. Since double-pointed needles scare me and I like to do things as quickly as possible, I used this “Double Trouble” pattern for knitting both socks at once on two circular needles. (That sounds difficult, but this page has great illustrations that explain it pretty clearly.) To the right there you can see the Snook modelling them. The wool was a German “Sockenwool” that I did on 2.75 mm needles to get a 10 st/inch gauge. It was dyed in varying colors which gives a nice mottled effect. Pretty sweet, huh? Here are two more pics of the socks on the needles to give you an idea of how it was done. (I did the calf section in 2×2 rib, which is why it looks so much skinnier than the body of the sock.)
I was most scared of “turning the heel” but this pattern makes it a cinch. I recommend it for you beginning knitters that are getting tired of making scarves! Just use a thicker wool than I did. The thin stuff takes ages to knit up… 🙂
