Well. Here it is 2010. My year of socks is just about over. I have a few left but I did do 28 pairs in 12 months time so I feel that was an accomplishment. This is going to be a year of new beginnings. I have decided to go back to school and started class 2 days ago. I haven't decided what I want to knit this year but I'm sure inspiration will strike. I look forward to sharing my triumphs and struggles in both school and knitting with all of you.
Eileen
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Last but not least...
Grandpa Socks.
Project: Silvers Two Toe-Up Socks on one Circular Needle
Used: Size 5 60" Circular. Yarn was Wool Ease Worsted in Dark Grey.
Details: I used the pattern as written until I reached the leg. Then I took a pattern idea from Getting Started Knitting Socks By Ann Budd. She recommended a Twisted Rib Pattern which I did for the whole leg, as you can see on the left. To finish, I did the sewn bind off. I did it a little tight on one of the socks but I was still able to get it on so I'm confident that my Grandpa will be able to as well.
The yarn and the bigger size needles made this a fast knit. The sock is thick and seems perfectly comfortable and just right for a grandpa. :)
So now we are caught up on all the past socks. Next time I'll show you the dishcloths I've made this year.
Project: Silvers Two Toe-Up Socks on one Circular NeedleUsed: Size 5 60" Circular. Yarn was Wool Ease Worsted in Dark Grey.
Details: I used the pattern as written until I reached the leg. Then I took a pattern idea from Getting Started Knitting Socks By Ann Budd. She recommended a Twisted Rib Pattern which I did for the whole leg, as you can see on the left. To finish, I did the sewn bind off. I did it a little tight on one of the socks but I was still able to get it on so I'm confident that my Grandpa will be able to as well.The yarn and the bigger size needles made this a fast knit. The sock is thick and seems perfectly comfortable and just right for a grandpa. :)
So now we are caught up on all the past socks. Next time I'll show you the dishcloths I've made this year.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Our next float features....
The Child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.
Project: Child's French Sock
Used: size 2 Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN's. Paton's Stretch Sock in Taffy colorway.
Details: Other than changing the needle size I made very few mods to pattern as written. The mods made were mainly just to keep the size suggested. Therefore, I did 10 repeats on leg instead of 11 and 9 repeats instead of 10 on the foot.
I really enjoyed this sock pattern. They came out awesome and the colorway just added to the experience. These were made for my Grandma who has lived here in Tucson, AZ since the early 60's. I point that out b/c as the pic on the above left shows, the sock looks similar to a Diamondback Rattlesnake skin after it is shed. I know that may sound creepy or gross to some but it is very appropriate for this region. Everyone who has seen these socks LOVE how they came out and I am very proud of that. I just hope my Grandma feels the same way.
Tomorrow will be the last sock on the (delayed) parade of socks and then we will be caught up on where I am.
Eileen
Project: Child's French Sock
Used: size 2 Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN's. Paton's Stretch Sock in Taffy colorway.
Details: Other than changing the needle size I made very few mods to pattern as written. The mods made were mainly just to keep the size suggested. Therefore, I did 10 repeats on leg instead of 11 and 9 repeats instead of 10 on the foot.I really enjoyed this sock pattern. They came out awesome and the colorway just added to the experience. These were made for my Grandma who has lived here in Tucson, AZ since the early 60's. I point that out b/c as the pic on the above left shows, the sock looks similar to a Diamondback Rattlesnake skin after it is shed. I know that may sound creepy or gross to some but it is very appropriate for this region. Everyone who has seen these socks LOVE how they came out and I am very proud of that. I just hope my Grandma feels the same way.
Tomorrow will be the last sock on the (delayed) parade of socks and then we will be caught up on where I am.
Eileen
Friday, March 6, 2009
The grand-marshal of the parade of socks
For the next several days I will be posting Project Details on the socks I have finished in the last couple months. I will start with Angela's Crusoe Socks.
Project Name: Crusoe
Used: Size 2 Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN's. Knit Picks Imaginations Evil Stepmother Sock yarn.
Details: I heavily modified this pattern. I cast on 64 sts. I used Kithicknits cuff instead of the suggested. I then used the pattern as written until I got to the heel. (The cuff measured 2.5" and added 3.5" of pattern repeat.)
I used 33 sts for the heel. I took one stitch from the end of the sts held for the instep. I did 30 rows for the heel flap using a modified version of both the written pattern and the French heel with the seam from Knitting Vintage Socks book By Nancy Bush. Once I picked up the gusset I added the stitch back to the instep needle. I then knit the foot as pattern written until the foot measured 6.98". Then I changed the toe and used the French Toe also from Knitting Vintage Socks. It makes a "V" on the top of the toe. (I am not particularly fond of this toe nor do I think I am of any of the toes written in the book but we will see how that plays out on future socks.) One last mod is that I kitchnered the last 12 sts instead of pulling yarn through and cinching.
Well I hope the explanation makes sense on how I made these socks. As soon as I finished them I immediately wound the yarn and then cast on for the Nutkin socks. I have already finished the hemmed cuff but the bragging for that will be in a future post. :)
Project Name: Crusoe
Used: Size 2 Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN's. Knit Picks Imaginations Evil Stepmother Sock yarn.
Details: I heavily modified this pattern. I cast on 64 sts. I used Kithicknits cuff instead of the suggested. I then used the pattern as written until I got to the heel. (The cuff measured 2.5" and added 3.5" of pattern repeat.)
I used 33 sts for the heel. I took one stitch from the end of the sts held for the instep. I did 30 rows for the heel flap using a modified version of both the written pattern and the French heel with the seam from Knitting Vintage Socks book By Nancy Bush. Once I picked up the gusset I added the stitch back to the instep needle. I then knit the foot as pattern written until the foot measured 6.98". Then I changed the toe and used the French Toe also from Knitting Vintage Socks. It makes a "V" on the top of the toe. (I am not particularly fond of this toe nor do I think I am of any of the toes written in the book but we will see how that plays out on future socks.) One last mod is that I kitchnered the last 12 sts instead of pulling yarn through and cinching.
Well I hope the explanation makes sense on how I made these socks. As soon as I finished them I immediately wound the yarn and then cast on for the Nutkin socks. I have already finished the hemmed cuff but the bragging for that will be in a future post. :)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
I'm back and I have socks and a new camera!
Well. It has been one crazy month. I have been so busy running errands on my days off that I couldn't find the time to blog. However I learned from the books I have been reading by the great Yarn Harlot , and have been taking my project with me. I knit while my husband gets gas or while waiting in line at the bank. You name it I've knit there. It's amazing how many rows you can get done.
On the Baudelaire front I am finished. Not without tribulations (many as they were) but done none the less. I am going to try to do project details and haven't decided exactly how I want to lay it out so this may be rough until I figure it out but here goes.
Project: Baudelaire
Used: 1 and 3/4 (approx) skeins Knit Picks Essentials in Mermaid-an Aqua Blue. I also used two size 2 circular needles. --I first tried on one circ but the cable wasn't quite long enough to not have laddering issues so after 7 times of re-casting on the toes and trying to make it work I went and bought another circular.--
Details: Toe up. Pretty easy chart pattern to remember. Very clear instructions. I learned how to make mother and grandmother increases and how to move stitches to other needle while using two circs. Both courtesy of Cat Bordhi You Tube Videos. I didn't really do any modifications other than I used the magic cast on instead of the figure eight suggested. I liked it.
The tops look a little wonky but this is preblocking :)
So there you go for now. If anyone has any suggestions on what to add to project details let me know.
I really hope Dana (my sister in law) likes these socks. My husband thinks she will so that's good.
Now on to some misc pics.
Here are Corky and Emma being adorable together. If you look closely you can see where Emma has destroyed my box spring.
Here is Max doing his superman impression.
The above 3 are pics of my stepmothers Crusoe Socks. They didn't come out like I expected but I still think they are great. They are heavily modified so that is what inspired me to start doing project details. One is done and the second is on it's way. I will show them to you as soon as they are complete. (They are supposed to be done by midnight tonight to keep up with my schedule but I don't think I'll make it. Close maybe but not finished.)
And finally here are some pics of the swift Len made me. I will have to take another pic with yarn on it and maybe while attached to the ball winder as well. It has changed my life and I love my husband for doing that.
Lastly I want to acknowledge my best friend Jessie's man Jacob. He helped my pick out my brand new camera. It is a Canon Power Shot SD 790 IS. It is a great little camera. As you can see it takes pics pretty well. Now all I need to do is get to Boston so the great photo master (again that would be Jacob) could help me learn how to do more then turn on zoom and click :) Thanks Jacob for answering all my crazy questions. I really appreciate it!
Well gotta go. I think this was enough posting to make up for most of a month lost.
Eileen
On the Baudelaire front I am finished. Not without tribulations (many as they were) but done none the less. I am going to try to do project details and haven't decided exactly how I want to lay it out so this may be rough until I figure it out but here goes.
Project: Baudelaire
Used: 1 and 3/4 (approx) skeins Knit Picks Essentials in Mermaid-an Aqua Blue. I also used two size 2 circular needles. --I first tried on one circ but the cable wasn't quite long enough to not have laddering issues so after 7 times of re-casting on the toes and trying to make it work I went and bought another circular.--
Details: Toe up. Pretty easy chart pattern to remember. Very clear instructions. I learned how to make mother and grandmother increases and how to move stitches to other needle while using two circs. Both courtesy of Cat Bordhi You Tube Videos. I didn't really do any modifications other than I used the magic cast on instead of the figure eight suggested. I liked it.
The tops look a little wonky but this is preblocking :)
So there you go for now. If anyone has any suggestions on what to add to project details let me know.
I really hope Dana (my sister in law) likes these socks. My husband thinks she will so that's good.
Now on to some misc pics.
Here are Corky and Emma being adorable together. If you look closely you can see where Emma has destroyed my box spring.
Here is Max doing his superman impression.
The above 3 are pics of my stepmothers Crusoe Socks. They didn't come out like I expected but I still think they are great. They are heavily modified so that is what inspired me to start doing project details. One is done and the second is on it's way. I will show them to you as soon as they are complete. (They are supposed to be done by midnight tonight to keep up with my schedule but I don't think I'll make it. Close maybe but not finished.)
And finally here are some pics of the swift Len made me. I will have to take another pic with yarn on it and maybe while attached to the ball winder as well. It has changed my life and I love my husband for doing that.Lastly I want to acknowledge my best friend Jessie's man Jacob. He helped my pick out my brand new camera. It is a Canon Power Shot SD 790 IS. It is a great little camera. As you can see it takes pics pretty well. Now all I need to do is get to Boston so the great photo master (again that would be Jacob) could help me learn how to do more then turn on zoom and click :) Thanks Jacob for answering all my crazy questions. I really appreciate it!
Well gotta go. I think this was enough posting to make up for most of a month lost.
Eileen
Monday, February 9, 2009
100 Color Marker Packs
Well, now I know. 100 marker packs are made with 5 shades of gray for knitters. The yarn for my Monkey socks was hand painted. The first skein was great no color lapses or anything. The second skein not so much.....There are several white spots all over. I have been playing around with how to color the spots so that they "match". Hence where the mega marker pack comes in. There are so many different shades of the gray and pink-ish rose-ish options that next time I go to my cousins house I am bound to find the right colors to color in my sock. Now here is hoping that it doesn't wash off otherwise I may have to confiscate the markers I deem as appropriate for this project.
This will not be a problem because really what 7 year old (who isn't Van Gogh) will notice 2 markers missing--especially if they are in a rubber-maid type tub and not in the individual slots in the original packaging. True, I could ask but that would involve tears, bargaining, and crazy promises that will be remembered for all eternity (my step-brother states I still owe him $15,745--for all the times I was like "just let me have it or do it I'll give you $5.00"). That started when he was 8 and ended when he was 15--he is now 21. (I'm still waiting for him to take me to court :P )
Anyhoo, I will be finishing my second Child's French Sock today and will be starting on Crusoe today and begin Twinkle Toes tomorrow most likely.
Eileen
This will not be a problem because really what 7 year old (who isn't Van Gogh) will notice 2 markers missing--especially if they are in a rubber-maid type tub and not in the individual slots in the original packaging. True, I could ask but that would involve tears, bargaining, and crazy promises that will be remembered for all eternity (my step-brother states I still owe him $15,745--for all the times I was like "just let me have it or do it I'll give you $5.00"). That started when he was 8 and ended when he was 15--he is now 21. (I'm still waiting for him to take me to court :P )
Anyhoo, I will be finishing my second Child's French Sock today and will be starting on Crusoe today and begin Twinkle Toes tomorrow most likely.
Eileen
Friday, February 6, 2009
I hate being sick
Hello. I have so much to say but not enough energy. Hopefully in the next day or two I'll be back to my old self and can tell you all about the goodies I got in the mail and the progress I have made on my sock projects. Gotta go Tea kettle is whistling.
Eileen
Eileen
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