Spring-Like Dawn Sockie Update (Sigh)

This yarn has made me into a frogging fool.

My first attempt resulted in a sock with ladders (small ones, but ladders just the same) at the junction of the circular needles. Ripped it down to just past the ladders and started again. Mood is still happy. Wouldn’t do to have socks with flaws like that.

Second restart — had maybe 4 rows done on gusset, tried it on and realized that my gauge was off — way off. Ripped it back to the cuff. Mood is on the fence — love the yarn but afraid I won’t be able to see well enough switching to size 1’s.

Third try — bit the bullet and changed to size 1 needles. Almost to the heel and noticed that I had dropped a stitch WAY the heck down the leg. Rats and curses. No way was I going after that with a crochet hook.  Wasn’t happy with a couple of small blemishes either that probably could have been blocked out anyway. Mood has crashed. Chocolate ice cream is not far off.

Today’s version — using size 1 needles. Paying extreme attention to needles and checking every row for dropped stitches. No ladders that I am noticing. Haven’t reached the heel flap yet, but seemed okay around the leg when I tried it on. So far, so good. Mood is optimistic.

If I didn’t love this yarn and colorway so much, this could become unpleasant. Back to the sticks. Film at 11.

Spring-Like Dawn Sockies for Me, Act II

I’m having a very hard time getting anything done in my house. All I can think about is this sock!! The colors are just knocking me out (Seacoast Handpainted Yarns, colorway Lovebird) and I love the diagonal striping. I’ve finished a little more than what this picture shows. And yes, I have actually done a little housework. The yarn is so fine (I think the term is fingering) that I had to pull out my craft eyeglasses with the flat top bifocal — my progressives just weren’t sharp enough. Ah, the trial and tribulations of getting to “that certain age”. Many thanks to a lady at our knitting night at my LYS, Woolworks a couple of weeks ago. She pointed out to me that I was holding my needles in a death grip, and that no matter how tightly I held my needles, I wouldn’t get my project done any sooner. So she gave me a couple of pointers on how to loosen up and enjoy it a little more. Can I tell you how much better my thumbs feel? I am proud to say that I am no longer a “Black Diamond” knitter!!

Sockies for me, Act I

I have been bemoaning the fact to anyone that will listen that I haven’t knitted anything for myself yet, while making all kinds of items for family members. There were 2 scarfs that I made that I had intended to keep, but as soon as my neck started to get warm, it started itching like crazy, so they were passed on to Darling Daughter. Can I tell you how sad for me she was that I wouldn’t be able to wear them?

Moving on — I decided that socks in luscious Spring like colors would be great for me (and will look SOOOOO nice with my black dress slacks that I wear to work, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) — periwinkle, peach, lavender, mint green — and very unlike me, I ordered the yarn on line at a lovely little place called The Loopy Ewe. And from which I will definitely order from again, because I am a sucker for anyplace that sends me any kind of freebie. All it took was a piece of cardboard to keep track of DPN’s, which I don’t even use anymore, and I was a goner. Just look at the colors of this yarn. Positively yummy. My mouth doth water. It’s Seacoast HandpaintedYarn Superwash in color Lovebird. You can check it out here.

So — since this yarn is a little pricier than I usually use (but after all, I am worth it, eh?) I am being a good little knitter this time and swatching to make sure my gauge is correct. The yarn is just about fingering weight, very thin and size one needles. Well, size one for the cuff, then size two for the rest. For sure I don’t want to get part of a sock done, realize the size is wrong and then have to frog it all out again and possibly ruin the yarn in the process. That would certainly make for a very bad day. More later. Swatching awaits.

SIL’s Sockies Finished

SIL’s Sockies Finished

Originally uploaded by mlm7154

Not blocked, but finished. SIL tried them on tonight when he picked up GrandDolly and they fit great. I had made them a bit bigger so that he could wear a lighter pair underneath. He’ll be using these just for house socks, not wearing them with his boots. The heel looks a little flat but it’s just because they’re not blocked. A nice beginning to Finished Objects for 2008!!

Socks for Son-in-Law

He said that he wanted orange and green yarn for his socks, and that’s what I found for him. I had him try on the cuff just before I started the heel flap and he liked how they felt on his skin. He has sensitive skin, doesn’t like itchy or tickly anything. I’m using Plymouth Yarn’s Galway Paint color 805. Usually one skein will make a pair of socks, but he wanted a higher than usual cuff so it will take more. Just a couple more chores around the house and I can sit down for awhile and perhaps even finish this one. Although it’s nice enough outside right now, we are in for a “weather event”.  How big and how much is anyone’s guess.

My Girls — Pretty in Pink

Hats and sockies finally finished!! On to other projects!!

 

My pattern for Izaak’s little socks

Cast on 36 with Size 4 circs
Knit 1 Purl 1 for 15 rounds (about 1 1/2″)

Heel flap
18 stitches

1. Slip 1 Knit 1 Repeat across
2. Slip 1 Purl across
Repeat above 2 rounds 7 times (about 1 1/2″)
End after knit row

Heel turn

1. Slip 1, purl 10, p2tog, p1 turn (4 sts left)
2. Slip 1, knit 5, ssk, k1, turn (4 sts left)
3. Slip 1, purl 6, p2tog, p1 turn (2 sts left)
4. Slip 1, knit 7, ssk, k1 turn (2 sts left)
Repeat until there are 12 sts total left on needle

Gusset
Pick up 8 stitches down heel flap, place a marker, work 18 stitches, place a marker, pick up 8 stitches up heel flap. Move 6 stitches from heel to second needle. 46 stitches total

Gusset decrease

1. Knit 11, k2tog, k1 (marker), knit to next marker, k1, ssk, k11 — 44 sts
2. This round and all even numbered rounds, knit even
3. Knit 9, k2tog,k1 (marker here) knit to next marker, k1, ssk, k9 — 42 sts**
4. Knit 7, k2tog, k1 (marker here) knit to next marker, k1, ssk, k7 — 40 sts
Continue until there are 36 stitches total, 18 on each needle

Foot
Continue knitting until foot measures 3.75″ from the point where you picked up the stitches on the heel.

Toe
1) Knit 6, k2tog, k2, ssk, k6 on each needle
2) Knit even
3) Knit 5, k2 tog, k2, ssk, k5 on each needle
4) Knit even
Continue decreasing every other row until there are 6 stitches left. Kitchener off

Sock Update 9/16/07

I actually finished Sweet Baboo’s socks a few days ago but was delinquent in posting the pics. I’m very pleased with how they turned out. I had hoped that I would be able to match the yarn again like I did with Darling Daughter’s socks, but it wasn’t to be. I think that the yarn that I used with DD’s socks was a painted yarn rather than a spun yarn like SB’s socks. At any rate, SB is very happy with his sockies and by God they fit this time!!!

I used Universal Yarn Classic Worsted Tapestry yarn in a Denim colorway. It’s hard to tell from the picture but I actually ran out of yarn on the right toe and had to add some from the blue that I was using for his watch cap. I think I made the leg a little too long (that’s what I get for knitting and watching TV) and that’s why I ran short. I hope the socks wear well — he will no doubt be using them this winter when the floors start to get chilly.

Sock Update

Darling Daughter’s socks are finished (YAY!!!) I used Regia Silk Color yarn Color Orange 185. Jen at my LYS told me that I should be able to get a pair of ankle socks out of 50 grams and she was right. See that little glob of yarn at the top of the photo? It’s about 40″ of yarn that was left after I grafted the toe. It’s self striping yarn (I self striping yarn very, very much!!)

I used KA bamboo needles (which my arthritic thumb ’s very, very much also!!However, I’m not parting with my other needles yet because I think that different needles and different yarns will drag/slip differently and I will have to experiment. Many thanks to Heather at Keeping Me In Stitches for mentioning yarn repeats in self striping yarn in one of her posts. I paid attention and made lots of notes about where I started and then started the second sock the same way. It seemed to match very well until I got down to the toe, then the pink seemed to never end — but nobody will see it anyway.

So now that the bug has bitten, and after much musing about Sweet Baboo’s too short socks, I am now starting another pair for him and keeping the short ones for myself. (There were boo boo’s in them anyway) I just started these in a worsted weight yarn (they will be heavy but our floors are cold in the winter) Universal Classic Worsted Tapestry colorway Midnite Blues. Really pretty yarn but still guyish!!

I’m using Crystal Palace DPN’s which slide just fine with this yarn, but they are 8″ long and I’m afraid that I’m going to poke my eye out. Oh well, I’ll just skip on down to Woolworks again and see if Jen has some 6″ DPN’s in size 5. (Sigh) Such a bother. Check out the cuff!! Long Tail Cast On at it’s best!!

A short list of important things I’ve learned about knitting socks

1. Always, always, always make notes of how many rows, increases or decreases, yarn repeats, or anything else while knitting the first sock. I guarantee you that you won’t remember when you start the second one.

2. It’s a pain in the butt at first, but somehow or other, learn how to Double Cast-On (aka Long-Tail Cast-On) (aka Continental Cast-On). It is such a neater cast on than knitting on and makes your cuff much nicer looking and stretchier to boot. I didn’t think that it mattered so much, until I compare DD’s socks to my first 2 pairs. HUGE difference!! If you would like to watch a video about this cast-on, the link is HERE. There are lots of other video instructions on this site — look around a little. (I first read about how to Long-Tail Cast-On in my Stitch-N-Bitch Handbook — which is money well spent if you are thinking about buying any knitting book — lots of knitting tips, explanations and humor. The gal definitely knows her stuff!!)

3. Check that gauge!!! This is another thing that I wasn’t so sure mattered so much — well, it does!! It’s also a pain in the butt, especially when you are chomping at the bit to get started on your sock, or whatever you are knitting. If you are knitting socks, check your gauge in the round, not flat - makes a huge difference.