Two Left Feet

If you're going to San Francisco. . .

2012-02-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

The deadline for Afghans for Afghans' current campaign is February 29. I've done better than usual for this one, and today I am mailing one sweater and three pairs of mittens:

(The aqua pair has been washed again since this photo and the stitches are now nicely evened out.)

The red and green mittens were knit with worsted weight yarn held double. The aqua mittens are Lopi. All were made following the smallest stitch and row counts from this mitten pattern, producing a small/medium adult size. I love the fabric that's created using a double strand of worsted.

For the sweater, I used Knitting Pure and Simple's Bulky Topdown Pullover for Children (#112). I had five skeins of this blue Lopi, and the pattern said that was enough for the largest size. I was skeptical, but even after adding an inch and a half to body and sleeves, I did not run out of yarn. I'll make this again! (The pattern is available for purchase in hard copy from most yarn shops, and as a downloadable pdf file from Patternfish.)

for February

2012-02-02T18:04:00.001-05:00

February's category is easy: small projects for cold places. As I showed in my last post, two hats are already on their way to Nest Maine. Other possible beneficiaries of this one include areas in Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont that were hit hard by floods last summer and fall, Lakota reservations, or any number of collection points in the northern U.S.

Stay tuned to see what happens!

wrong foot

2012-02-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

So much for fresh starts. . .second post of the year, and I'm behind schedule already!

I am almost finished my main scarf for January's "assignment" -- but I have not yet managed to take a picture that shows that the thing is a glorious, rich purple. My camera and my phone prefer to tell you it's bright blue. One more try, tomorrow if it doesn't rain. And I almost finished my Special Olympics scarf, but I have a sad suspicion that I have had a willfully ignored case of crochet beginneritis, in which one end of the scarf fails to achieve right angles. I was close to finishing by the Pennsylvania deadline of February 1, but Pennsylvania met the quota before that. There may still be time to rip and redo for Louisiana's deadline; we shall see. No pictures of that right now either. . .

I did, however, finish these two hats for Nest Maine:

and this sweater and a pair of mittens for Afghans for Afghans:

All of the yarn was in my stash, so I am happy.

welcome to 2012

2012-01-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

Another year, another blog project.

We've noticed that we have trouble, toward the last third of the year, sticking to the same category every month. So this year we're making it easier -- our blog knitting will fall into two categories: scarf knitting and charity knitting. We've laid out a schedule that has us knitting 6 scarf projects and 6 charity projects, while also giving us 2 wild card months. Yes, you've done the math, and I can see that you're confused. . . there are two projects that are scarves for worthy causes!

Last year we diverged from our original plans because the weather in the U.S. brought so many disasters that we felt compelled to respond. The tornado that leveled a large portion of Joplin, Missouri last spring inspired us to knit (with Debbie, Ruth, and Ann, and RTDD's gift of yarn) a rainbow blanket. And the terrible flooding caused by Hurricanes Irene and Lee in Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont also called for a response; my sister and I sent a box to Vermont, and Pat made several hats to be distributed in Pennsylvania.

Because we have learned that things often change as the year goes on, we're building in some flexibility by not announcing the whole year's schedule in advance. We'll do it month by month, or sometimes one month in advance. (And if there's one of those hurry-up quick A4A campaigns, that will be inserted into the schedule whenever it comes up.) Sometimes we'll use the same pattern, sometimes not. For January -- a scarf. Any pattern, any design, any target. More news in the next couple of days when we've both decided on specifics!

I'm also going to try to continue what I did last year, and knit a hat each month from stash, to go somewhere in December. . .

winter solstice

2011-12-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

It is winter now, even though last night at 10 p.m. it was an unseasonable 63 degrees (Celsius friends, that is 17.2). It is too late to knit for Christmas (which is almost a relief) but time to plan for the knitting that will commence on December 26. As usual, I would have to be 3 octopuses (octopi?) to accomplish all I think I can. . .

Meanwhile, here's something to celebrate the beginning of longer days:

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/16/143834363/a-paul-winter-solstice-concert-2011

Baker's Dozen

2011-12-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

Our long-time readers will remember that last December, Pat and I sent a bunch of hats to Hats for the Homeless, a group that distributes hats to homeless people in New York. At the beginning of 2011, I decided I'd knit a hat a month (hats don't take long) from yarn already on hand, so that I'd have a pile of them by the end of the year. And it worked! Today I mailed off 13 hats:

Obviously, I will do this again next year. I will make just one change -- I will mail them a week earlier!

could it be the year of the sweater?

2011-11-15T09:04:00.000-05:00

I can't remember the last time I made a sweater. Sad words from a knitter! Why am I wearing all of these Polarfleece sweatshirts? This one is on the way to afghans for Afghans. It should fit a kid about 11 or 12 years old. I added length to the body and the sleeves, and added 4 stitches when I cast on for sleeves because Ravelry reports indicated that they were kind of skinny. It's all stash yarn, and has been in progress, or in time out, for at least two years. I think. The brown yarn was from two different dyelots, but I can't tell the difference.

brown Alafoss Lopi; red and gold Lamb's Pride Bulky. Pattern is Child's Fairisle by Design by Louise

It's so much fun to zip along at 3.5 stitches per inch (14/10 cm)! I love Lopi yarn. I'm already nearly finished another sweater, soon to appear on this page. That one is knit in the round, top down, so I won't have to beat myself up trying to achieve perfection in seaming.

(Someone was worried that this picture was taken on a grubby bathroom floor -- no, no, it's a charmingly rusticated painted porch.)

The Joplin Blanket: A Saga

2011-11-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Pat and I both like to try to use our knitting to help people out. We can't respond to every disaster -- we'd be curled up quivering in the corner if we even tried. But every once in a while one comes along that makes us feel the urge to do something. The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, last spring was one of those. It's just one of many in a year of terrible events, but this one hit a nerve, and we decided we had to respond. We recruited some friends, and here's what happened:

My sister was downstashing, and had plenty of Encore (machine washable and dryable was on our list of requirements for this one) from an early fling; she gave us 2 balls each of 6 colors. I added the darker of the two blues from my extensive holdings. I drew up instructions and a diagram, so that each of the five of us (thank you, Ann, Debbie, and Ruth) could see at a glance the color order for our individual strips and where each one fell in the greater scheme. I knit a test square and weighed it. According to that, we should have been able to get 3 blocks from 2 skeins. I set to work weighing out 65 grams of each color for each knitter. Of course, I'm the only one of the group who doesn't live within about a 5-mile radius, so I plunked these lovely packages into the mail. But -- apparently my scale decided it had had enough of being meticulous and fussy. It wanted to be artistic! It lied. Many of us ran out of colors, or weighed them at home and found out the grams were off by a huge factor. . . extra yarn was purchased (some colors were conveniently in my stash, so extra investment was not too bad) and mailed or swapped around.

It was important to get similar row gauge, so the strips would match, so I went with what the ball band recommends, knowing that my own row gauge tends to be eccentric and assuming the recommended number would be easily obtainable. All of us (all experienced knitters who think we know what we're doing) struggled with that. We started knitting in July; I received the last strip back on October 28 and then sewed many, many miles of seams. (OK, OK, it was only 252 inches. It took awhile. But I felt quite experienced by the end.)

This blanket just looks happy to me. As soon as I get the address, it will be on the way to help someone through a very strange and difficult year.

knitting for Vermont

2011-10-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

On, August 28, Hurricane Irene -- no longer a hurricane, but still terribly destructive -- caused massive flooding in Vermont and upstate New York. Thirteen towns in Vermont were totally cut off when all access roads were washed out, and many, many families lost everything they owned. It is cold in Vermont in the winter, and cold starts early. This week, I sent them these:

On the left, 4 pairs of socks (Peace Fleece, Baghdad blue) and a pair of mittens (Araucania Panguipulli) from my sister. On the right (bigger picture below, because I cut off the righthand side, but it's the same things), 1 pair of socks, 3 hats, and 4 pairs of mittens from me, all from yarn I already owned. The brown hat is Morehouse Merino (exquisitely soft); the purple hat and the green hat are Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride bulky. The socks and all of the mittens were made using Bartlett's Maine wool:

I am glad to know a few people will be a little bit warmer.

Red Scarf Season

2011-10-05T15:24:00.000-04:00

I was surprised -- and relieved -- to realize that I hadn't done as badly as I thought in keeping to the schedule we set out at the beginning of the year. Detailed report to come. But I have been busy knitting the first of this season's red scarves:

Pat and I have knit for the Red Scarf program for years, even before it became wildly popular. This year, while looking for something else, I stumbled across red yarn I'd bought last year, so here it is. Webs' own Valley Yarns Superwash. Very nice yarn -- but must stay strong and knit what is here already!! I am using a simple stitch, which must have a name, but I don't know it. Cast on a multiple of 3 stitches (for this scarf, I cast on 30). Then work every row the same: *k2, p1* all the way across. It's totally reversible, and you never have to stop to figure out what row you're on. And it's suitable for men or women, and it will make someone happy and warm this winter.

I know you'll be seeing Pat's very soon.

we are still here!!

2011-10-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

Pictures and posts soon, promise. You will see what happened with that rainbow of yarn, and what happened with our schedule for the year -- yes, the absence of monthly updates tells the truth, and it did indeed take a tumble, but we continue knitting for others . . .

Today in Pennsylvania it is cold and dreary, and I must get back to knitting the thumbs on a pair of mittens destined for Vermont, where so many people lost everything in floods a week ago. If it's this cold here, it's colder there.

a taste of things to come

2011-07-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

Watch this space!

April Hat Knitting

2011-05-30T14:13:00.000-04:00

In April, Elizabeth and I knit Chemo Caps for A.I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. I've finally photographed mine. They've been done for ages but I couldn't find anyone to model for me, finally I bought a head and now I have a full-time model.

Hit me with your best shot

2011-05-09T11:05:00.000-04:00

I believe this blog has had a bad case of spring fever. We may be back now. . .

It is widely known that my sock yarn collection defies reason. It's causing me a bit of panic, to tell the truth. In honor of the upcoming sock-knitting season (some call it summer), I'm giving some away. You can do any or all of the following:

tell me your favorite color
tell me the color you find intolerable
give me carte blanche, i.e., invite me to "hit me with your best shot."

And I will send you (up to 10 people) a skein of sock yarn from my copious archive.

Send your color preferences plus your name and mailing address to me at yarnystuff@gmail.com -- do not post it here in the comments, because you don't want strangers with ill intent to get hold of it.

It's April!

2011-04-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

And it's neither raining nor snowing -- which is good news, considering it was doing both, at the same time, yesterday morning.

I finished 3 pairs of mittens, with 2 still in progress, in March. Photo after they're dry and looking their best.

April's project is chemo caps for kids -- which means toddler on up to full adult size. Unfortunately, it means easy care and non-irritating fibers, and I really don't like either cotton or acrylic. But, for all the kids and their parents, I can do that. Because heads that are bald as a result of treatment have very sensitive skin, I'm not even going to try washable wool blends.

I plan to stick with very simple patterns, roll brim caps and the first couple from this site; I like numbers 1, 5, 6, and 8. For teenagers, I have my eye on the London Beanie, which has been found to be very popular with young men. (Ravelry lists 1012 projects, and the pattern was around long before Ravelry.)

Anyone who wants to is welcome to knit along. We're donating ours to the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, which is not far from us. If you live nearby, you are welcome to give caps to us for delivery (and, although I used the plural, just one cap is one more comfortable kid so don't feel you have to go into mass production mode); if you don't, your local hospital will be happy to have them.

I have track meets and soccer games in my future -- knitting round and round mindlesslly (mindfully?) is a great way to fill the gap between the time when you have to get there with your player and the time the action starts.

The Best of Intentions

2011-03-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

Really, I started out this year knowing that I would blog here each week. I knew that I would discuss in detail all my knitting but I didn't deliver on that promise. Writing isn't my strong suit... anyhow, here I am and I am ready to write the epic January, February and March, Knitting Tell All!

January, the "Something for Me" month. I finished my Noro afghan. I started this on my birthday last year and only had the finishing to go but it was a lot of work knitting it together and putting on the edging and finishing in the ends. It's done, it's for me and I love it.

February, the wool mittens for Maine month, but I found a need much nearer to home. A dear friend mentioned to me that she didn't have any hand knit socks and it was her birthday month. Of all the sad stories I've heard, I just had to put down my mittens and make socks.

Once finished with the socks I went on to make my husband a knit cap. This is yarn we bought last summer in England and he carried in his bag all the way home. It's so soft and nice and the colorways are wonderful. I've got mine on the needles now but have so many other projects distracting me...

March, the Afghans for Afghans month, found me knitting (as I was suppose) to a little vest for A4A. I enjoyed knitting this thing. It was a simple design, I scaled it up a bit by using heavier yarn and I made it longer so that it would fit a larger child. The pattern has no real finishing except sewing the shoulder seam and putting on the buttons, which I got my mom to do...yeah, my mom still helps with my knitting!

Beyond the knitting mentioned herein, I've knit lots of other things but they gone off to be worn before I got pictures. I also cast on a Nimbus sweater, knit 11" and then decided it might be a few inches shy of fitting around me. It was then that I decided to find a pattern knit from the neck down and try again. It's put away right now, to age and allow me to forget the 11" of stockinette that I need to pull out...meanwhile I've cast on anther sweater for me in Denim that might work out. I'll discuss it in detail if I get it right. That's about it for now. I'm looking forward to the next few months. I love knitting caps so the chemo project will be a breeze.

*All the projects discussed in the blog entry have full details of pattern used, needles and yarn at my site on Ravelry.

Pat

first daffodil

2011-03-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

Yipes! Stripes!

2011-03-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

I like striped mittens.

There may be a reason I don't make them more often.

visual interest coming soon!!

2011-03-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

1. I do not have Pat locked away in a cell, away from her knitting and camera. She is well, and knitting, and taking pictures, and will emerge at some point, as soon as the sun gets a little higher in the sky.

2. No pictures from me either. I have a new camera. (The old one is still in hiding. I'll probably find it in a bird's nest in a tree down the street.) Cameras no longer come with convenient little booklets -- they come with the instruction manual on a CD that you read on your computer. So you have to run back and forth between your subject and your computer (or send it to your phone, where you can read it in 3-point type), and it is remarkably frustrating and inefficient. I'm having a little trouble getting settings, color, etc, to work properly, and I don't want to post any more bad pictures. Mastering this lovely little machine is at the top of the list of things that will happen in March.

3. February mitten review. Um. I started the month with two pairs in progress, found a third I'd forgotten about, and cast on two more. That gives me five pairs of mittens in progress. Do not even try to figure out the logic; there is none. March is a wild card month, and I plan to finish all of the February mittens.

4. And -- ta da! -- Pat and I have discovered a very cool project, which supports one of our favorite efforts, the Heifer Project. Thanks to Kaleidoscope Yarns in Vermont; it's their newsletter that led us to this great idea: Hats for Hunger.

Details to be firmed up soon, but Pat and I will do something for this group during the month of March. We thought we'd put the link up right away in case you want to play along.

P.S. The first 3 crocuses opened up yesterday.

Not mittens

2011-02-11T20:07:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. As part of the very small committee (n = 2) that laid out this year's TLF schedule, I seem to be breaking the rules pretty enthusiastically!! To start, I did not knit myself a sweater in January. (I did, though, make myself a hat and some mittens, so I might qualify on a technicality.) Now it's February, and our schedule says to make mittens for Afghans for Afghans if there's a campaign that calls for those, or for someone else if there isn't one. But -- I had to finish this blanket for the February 14 Afghans for Afghans due date:

I call it "24" -- 4 large blocks, each of which measures 24 by 24 inches, and each of which is based on a multiplication fact. The first one I knit was 4 stripes, each 6 inches wide (4 x 6). Then 6 4-inch stripes, then 8 3-inch stripes, then 12 2-inch stripes. Seven colors of Peace Fleece, using more than 1 skein per color, and all from my stash. The colors are so much warmer and richer than this picture says, and this thing is WARM! I love garter stitch stripes; you'll see more.

I do have two pairs of mittens in progress, so I will finish those up for February, hitting the assigned target. And there's a sweater that needs only a sleeve and a half; that's on my list as well. Not to mention, as soon as I've crocheted the shoelaces, some outrageously adorable little red booties. Watch.this space!

Dear Witness Protection Program

2011-01-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

Please return my camera, which has been in deep hiding since two days after Thanksgiving. Accept my assurances that all threats to its continued wellbeing have been neutralized.

Without it, how can I adequately horrify Pat with this week's wild binge of casting on new projects without finishing older ones?

my love affair with the post office continues

2011-01-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will send these to Afghans for Afghans:

Blue mittens by RTDD, gray mittens (they are gray, not white) with turquoise edge and green mittens from me, stripey mittens and blue socks from Pat. There's also a dark gray hat that did not make it to the photo shoot.

And these to the Red Scarf Project (I missed the deadline, but I wrote and they said OK to send -- I always check first):

The scarf on the left is Knitpicks Swish worsted, using the Corrugator pattern; the scarf on the right is Knitpicks Shamrock, a hefty tweedy yarn that did not want to be ribbed. I used a 2 x 2 basketweave pattern instead.

All of the knitting is from 2010; I just never got these things into boxes. It's time.

Begin again

2011-01-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

January 1. I make one New Year's resolution every year. The rules are (1) it does not fall into the "become perfect" category, and (2) it has to be fun. For instance, one year the resolution was "see more movies." So this post is not to be seen as a resolution! It's a plan.

Pat and I both believe in knitting for people in need. Sure, we write the checks, too, but both of us think that, in addition to helping someone stay warm, there's an intangible benefit to receiving something handmade. The energy of the work, the knowledge that someone cared enough about you, a stranger, to make this thing -- we think the benefits go beyond the immediate and physical. And we've been knitting in this spirit for years.

It was Pat's idea, enthusiastically welcomed, that for 2011 we do a project each month that falls into that category. We both loathe the phrase "charity knitting" -- it sounds, to our ears, condescending, and has a certain "Lady Bountiful" sense to it. In the knitting guild I belong to, I changed the name of our charity committee to Knitting for Neighbors; Pat and I call our efforts KFO -- Knitting for Others.

We've made a schedule for the year. Unlike last year, we're posting this at the outset, in case anyone wants to follow along or jump in for a month or two. Subject to change, of course, because stuff happens. And Afghans for Afghans sometimes has quick, intense projects that can't be deferred. For now, though, here's the schedule. Each of us has three free passes, so we can skip a month if necessary, without penalty or need to justify. And the year doesn't really start until February 1; in January, permission is given to knit something for ourselves. Another new rule -- the project can have been started before the first of the month. As long as it's finished during the month of the challenge, it counts. (I can't count the finished red scarf sitting on my desk right now for next September, for instance.)

Other knitting will continue, too, and you'll see that here as well. We're looking forward to the variety!

We have participated in all of these projects before, and know them to be well run and successful at getting the knitted items where they need to be:

January -- knit for yourself

February -- wool mittens, for any organization (e.g., Nest Maine, afghans for Afghans, one of the reservations)

March -- wild card (project or organization of our choice; we may both do the same one or we may choose different projects)

April -- chemo caps for A. I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, one of our many wonderful local children's hospitals. Any size kid, infant to age 18.

May -- scarf for Safe Harbor for next winter. Safe Harbor is a local organization (West Chester, PA) that helps formerly homeless, recovering addicts get back to normal life. Mostly men, they sleep at Safe Harbor but must go out during the day. Many are those guys you see selling newspapers at intersections.

June -- wool socks for Adopt a Native Elder (supports Navajo elders living in the traditional way)

July -- blanket squares for any organization: Pine Ridge, A4A group project; South Africa; other. Overachievers can just go ahead and knit the whole blanket. What? Stop looking at me like that!

August -- Caps for Kids, to be delivered via Knitter's Day Out, a small, annual Pennsylvania event every September that Pat and I always attend and where both of us usually teach. It's very early this month, so knitting will be done in August.

September -- red scarf for the Red Scarf Project

October -- wild card

November -- Hats for the Homeless (in New York; if we can find a Philadelphia equivalent, we'll donate there instead)

December -- wild card

A Year in Socks…

2010-12-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

OK, I didn’t knit a pair of socks every month in 2010. When I look deep within myself I know that it’s alright, I’m not a sock-a-month person. Unlike Elizabeth, I have lots and lots of socks; my daughter has lots and lots of socks. I’ve knit a lot of socks in my life. I like to knit socks; I always have a pair of socks on my knitting needles, just one pair at a time but always a pair of socks in the project bag. I got all the way through June before the project began to wear thin, we traveled to England and I didn’t finish a pair for July. That was the beginning of the end of this project for me.

Just so’s you know, I’m OK with not finishing the year. I did spend my first year in our newly renovated house, hanging pictures, figuring out what went in each kitchen drawer, finding a spot to display my mug collection, the list is endless. I posted a photo a day on my art web site. I traveled to England. I lost 22 ½ pounds. I took care of my family. It was a great year and 2011 is going to be even better, the mind boggles.

I did lots of charity knitting this year. I’m a very fortunate person and I believe in giving back; I hope to give back even more in 2011. I’d also like to lose another 20 pounds, exercise a bit more, knit more, travel more and grow less facial hair. I expect to reach most of those goals and the ones I miss; well it just goes to show you that I’m not perfect.

Retrospective

2010-12-27T16:13:00.000-05:00

Pat and I had discussed knitting a pair of socks each month in 2009. I think we made it to mid-January that year, although we agreed we'd still really like to do that. So in 2010 we decided to try again, this time blogging the project. Somehow, that was what we needed. I was motivated by several things: (1) the pure fun of the challenge; (2) a large collection of sock yarn; and (3) the fact that I found out that both my sister and one friend each had more than 15 pairs of socks I'd made for them, but I had only three. I needed to fill my own sock drawer!

I started out strong, managing not only to meet the monthly challenge but also to finish up a pair or two that had been languishing on needles for months or years. Then I started missing deadlines, just by a day. By fall, the thrill had diminished somewhat; finally, Pat and I both agreed that we'd come close enough, and that it was supposed to be fun. I tried to make the November sock, but it didn't work out as planned. I have all year to fix it, so that's on the list.

January: green socks, rainbow stripes pair finished -- 2
February: Afghans for Afghans socks and a series of sock-knitting lessons on the A4A knitalong blog; another languishing pair finished -- 2

March: Socks that Rock; green and yellow socks finished -- 2
April: blue socks and contemplation of stash -- 1
May: purple cables -- 1
June: solstice socks (flew away to a friend just in time for December 21) -- 1
July: Afghans for Afghans; 3 worsted pairs, 2 pairs using a double strand of sock yarn -- 5
August: wild card; I finished two pairs in progress, so actually knit more than one pair -- 2
September: golden socks -- 1
October: we made mittens instead
November: no socks, but hats for 6 homeless guys
December: crash and burn, illustrated by the fact that this is the first post of the month

Total pairs knit: 18, 9 of which stayed here with me

I learned: blogging is fun and easy; knitting to a challenge is entertaining; and having a lot of wool socks is wonderful. I already knew that there's no sense in continuing to push yourself to do something that's supposed to be fun once it turns into a stressor and that a project is much more fun if you do it with a friend..

Two Left Feet has a new project starting January 1. Not socks this time, but no need to change the blog title, because we do, indeed, still have two left feet.

Hats for the holidays

2010-11-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

Pat and I both know we've been lucky, especially when we compare our lives to the whole rest of the world. That's not to say everything has always been perfect, and we've had our share of stresses and sadness, but we've never had to live on the street, and we've never had to raise our kids in a war zone. And the list goes on. That's one reason we both like to knit for people who have less. . . so when we found the web site for Hats for the Homeless, we both cast on immediately for hats.

I took a bag of yarn I'd stumbled across -- bought I'm not sure when, probably for mittens, and made these:

Fast, easy, and very very warm.

Pat found some leftovers at her house and made these:

(Please note, I used a highly paid model!)

They went to New York in yesterday's mail. We like to think they'll make a few people's lives just a little easier.

Sure don't feel like love

2010-11-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

Pat and I have been starching our upper lips every morning and trying valiantly to soldier on. . . the fact is, the sock love has gone AWOL. So in a chat this morning we agreed that the year of socks came close enough, and we have freed ourselves to work guilt-free on whatever knitting speaks to us until at least the end of December.

Ahhh, that feels better. . .

You will still see great and wonderful things!! But they may not be foot-shaped. Off to knit without that nagging little voice in the back of my head. (I am wearing, by the way, the green January socks -- and yes, they still seem to radiate green light.)

simplify, simplify, simplify

2010-11-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

The category for November is "holiday" socks. So far, I've got to the point where you print out the sheet of graph paper you need to chart the design. . .

I just read the Process Pledge on a quilting blog, and it seemed to apply to us too. So, here's the very beginning of the process, represented by the yarn I plan to use (click to make it bigger to see the sparkles):

Yes, it is green and sparkly (Black Bunny Fibers, Stella, colorway UFO). But -- it is not the green and sparkly yarn I meant to use. That is in a Safe Place, from which it will emerge when it's just a little too late for this pair of socks. (Yes, I can see the future.)

I want these to be festive, but I did not want them to be socks that can be worn only at Christmas time. So I've eliminated all plans to add red, and probably even gold, and have to rely on this yarn alone for the design. I'm trying to chart something out -- my original idea was way too complicated, because I would have had to follow a graph for every single stitch. In that case, I would have finished one leg of one sock and then put the whole thing away for some imaginary time in the future. I'm hoping to do better than that with this pair. So I'll be off to print out another sheet of graph paper (I just made an awful mess of this one) and try to formulate a more rational design.

without further ado -- the end of September

2010-11-12T11:05:00.000-05:00

I know, I know -- what can I say? Sometimes I have trouble letting go. . .

Socks That Rock, medium weight, 24-Karat

Only I would make lacy boot socks. But I do think they came out well. I'll be using this stitch pattern again (right after Christmas, not before) on thinner yarn, where I think it will show to better advantage.

Christmas socks

2010-11-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not making these socks, but one of you might like to. Check out this one (of many) of the free patterns over at Drops. They're on my Definitely Someday list.

when September goes

2010-11-06T21:24:00.000-04:00

I, too, managed to finish my "September" socks before Halloween. Camera is downstairs and I am not, so picture will come tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we seem to be well into November. Perhaps I should use tonight's extra hour to cast on my November socks. The category is "holiday." That can be any holiday, of course, but for me it's Christmas, and I have a great idea. Can't find (oops) the yarn I originally intended to use, but I have a close second. Just have to work out the design. . . watch this space. And send extra hours!

September Socks

2010-11-06T19:34:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to photographing my September Socks...took me long enough! The yarn is Blue Moon's Socks that Rock, knit on size 2 needles using the Dublin Bay Sock pattern (only I knit it from the toe-up). What I know now is that I'm not very good at lace patterns, I have several errors in these socks, but nothing that will effect the wearing of them.

how to knit a mitten, part 4: the thumb

2010-10-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

Thumbs are the reason most people quail at the thought of knitting mittens. I confess they're not my favorite part, but -- they're small! And the pain is brief. I often save up two or three pairs and do the thumbs all at once.

You have 14 stitches from the thumb gusset threaded onto a contrasting piece of yarn. Leaving that holder yarn in place, put 7 of those stitches on one dpn and the remaining 7 on another.

Now you need to finish the remaining part of the thumb by picking up stitches. Look at that open edge -- you can see where you cast on 2 stitches to close the gap that remained when you removed the gusset stitches. We will call those stitches B and C. You need to pick up one stitch on either side of those, too -- those will be A and D. So -- ready?

You don't have any attached yarn to work with, so you have to start with a new ball (well, it's not really a new ball, it's what's left after you finished off the top of the hand). Tuck the end down inside the hole for the thumb -- don't skimp; put 6 or more inches down inside the mitten.

Now, holding the mitten so the two needles with stitches are away from you and the edge where you're picking up is closest to you, begin. You will pick up 4 stitches; I'm calling them A, B, C, and D.

A: Invent a stitch by picking up in the crossbar of a stitch between the stitches already on the needles and the two cast-on stitches and pulling your working yarn through, forming a stitch that stays on the needle.

B: Put your needle through the first cast-on stitch and pull the working yarn through (2 stitches on the needle).

C: Put your needle through the second cast-on stitch and pull the working yarn through (3 stitches on the needle).
D: As with A, invent a stitch by picking up in a crossbar between stitch C and the first needle (4 stitches on the needle).

Here's how they look:

You now have 18 thumb stitches. On the first round, you'll decrease to 16 as follows:

Knit 13 stitches. Move stitch 14 to the needle that holds stitches A, B, C, and D. Now knit stitch 14 and stitch A together.
Knit 2 (stitches B and C).
Move stitch D to next needle. Knit stitch D and stitch 1 together, so 16 total stitches remain. This marks the beginning of the round. At this point I usually spread out the stitches more evenly, for example, 6-4-6.
Knit 14 rounds plain. (Sometimes I knit 13 rounds -- it all depends on the thickness of the yarn I'm using. Make sure you knit the same number of rounds on your second mitten--it's easy to count up from your holder yarn; that's why we leave it in there.)
If necessary, rearrange your stitches so you have a multiple of 2 on each needle.
k2 tog all the way around (7 stitches). Break yarn, leaving 8-12 inches.

Finish off exactly as for top of mitten: thread yarn through all stitches, pull closed, then do it again and pull tight. Thread yarn down through exact middle, give it a sharp tug to form rounded end of thumb.

Turn mitten inside out and weave in ends. Put your hand inside -- are there holes at the base of your thumb? (This does happen.) If there are, use the end from where you joined the yarn to discreetly repair those gaps.

Make another one!

how to knit a mitten, part 3: after the thumb gusset

2010-10-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

Continue knitting in stockinette (knit around) for 22 rounds.

Now it's time for the top decreases. For the 40-stitch mitten, you will be decreasing in 5 segments. Arrange your stitches on your needles so each needle holds a multiple of 8. I hold my stitches on 3 needles, and work with the fourth, so my stitches are arranged 16-8-16.

Decrease as follows:
round 1: *k6, k2tog* around (35 sts)

round 2: knit
round 3: k5, k2 tog (30 sts)
round 4: knit
round 5: k4, k2 tog (25 sts)
round 6: knit
round 7: k3, k2 tog (20 sts)
round 8: knit
round 9: k2, k2 tog (15 sts)
round 10: k1, k2 tog (10 sts)
round 11: k2 tog (5 sts)

You will notice that once you've decreased to half your original number of stitches, you stop doing a plain row between decrease rows. This gives you a nicely rounded mitten tip.

Break yarn, leaving an end of 8-12 inches. Thread onto sewing-up needle. Working from right to left, transfer remaining 5 stitches onto sewing-up needle and pull yarn through.

Pull yarn through all 5 stitches again.

Now, snug up the top as tight as you can, distributing stitches evenly to avoid any wonky edges.

Plunge the sewing-up needles through the exact center of these tighened stitches.

Push it out through the side of the mitten.

Pull the needle and the yarn all the way through. Now, to avoid an unattractive pointy top, give that yarn a quick tug. You should end up with a nicely rounded top:

before (above) and after (below)

Go to Part 4: The Thumb

how to knit a mitten, part 2: beginning of hand and thumb gusset

2010-10-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

Now that you have finished your cuff, it is time to start working in stockinette. On this very first round, increase 4 stitches, evenly spaced. You have 36 stitches on your needles; that means you'll increase every 9 stitches. I like to keep the increases away from the beginning of the round, so I knit 5, then increase 1, then *knit 9, increase 1* 3 more times, then knit the 4 remaining stitches.

Knit 5 rounds plain.

Now it's time to start the thumb gusset. Some patterns have the thumb pop straight out of the mitten; that's a design that does not fit my hand at all, so I always make a thumb with a gusset. You will need two markers. You can use little squishy plastic or rubber rings (my preference), safety pins, or even a contrasting strand of yarn.

Knit 3, place marker, increase 1, knit 2, increase 1, place marker, knit to end of round.

I do my increases as follows: pick up the bar between 2 stitches, lift it onto the lefthand needle, and twist it to avoid a hole, then knit. You can get very elegant and make left-leaning increases on one side and right-leaning increases on the other side if you wish. Check out a book such as The Vogue Knitting Book or The Knitter's Companion for information on making these paired decreases, or check YouTube for videos.

Knit 1 round plain.

Continue working as established:
round 1: knit to the marker, slip it, increase1 stitch right after that marker, knit over to the second marker, and increase1 stitch right before it.
round 2: knit
On one row you'll be increasing one stitch on each edge of the thumb gusset; on the next row, you just knit all the stitches.

Repeat these two rounds, ending with a plain round, until you have 14 stitches between the markers.

Now it's time to put the thumb stitches aside until later. You will need a sewing-up needle and a length of the same weight yarn in a contrasting color -- 12 inches or so is plenty. Knit the 3 stitches to the first marker. Remove that marker. Thread your contrasting yarn onto the sewing-up needle. Now, pass the sewing-up needle from right to left through all 14 thumb stitches (remove the second marker now). Remove the stitches from the knitting needle, making sure you don't pull the holder yarn all the way through:

(Remember -- you can click on any picture to make it bigger so you can see the details.)

I often tie the ends of the holder yarn together to make sure it stays put unless I've used a very long piece Many people like to use those little metal stitch holders that look like big safety pins, or kilt pins. I find that, because they are rigid, they stretch out the corner stitches and cause trouble later. I can't stop you, of course -- but really, you'll get better results if you avoid those things for thumbs.

Now, cast on 2 stitches using the old backward loop cast-on (probably the first one you learned).

Be careful not to leave a big loop when you join these two stitches to the old stitches:

You're back to a total of 40 stitches now, and you are ready to knit the rest of the hand.

Go to Part 3: After the Thumb Gusset

how to knit a mitten, part 1: the cuff

2010-10-24T13:29:00.000-04:00

This tutorial is based on the largest size in this pattern, the one that works the hand over 40 stitches. You can apply all the same techniques to the smaller sizes; just use the stitch count for the thumb, the row counts, and the numbers for the decreases from the pattern.

We know you know how to start!! Find your worsted weight yarn and the needles that get gauge for you. Why didn't we say which needle size to use? Because gauge varies widely, depending on the hands of the knitter. Pat and I are both pretty good knitters. But if we're using the same exact yarn, from the same exact ball, she'll use a size 7 (4.5 m) and I'll use a size 5 (3.75 mm) to get the same gauge. If you use this pattern but are getting a looser gauge, (1) mittens will be too airy, and that's not good for keeping warm, and (2) they will fit Sasquatch. Knitting tighter will make a slightly smaller mitten, but that's not so bad.

Digression over.

Cast on 36 stitches using your favorite stretchy cast-on: long-tail, German twisted, long-tail in rib. . .check your favorite knitting book for these, or search YouTube. Join the stitches into a ring, being careful not to twist, and work in k1 p1 or k2 p2 ribbing for 20 rounds. (If you are afraid of twisting, or if you always get a twist -- work the first 2 or 3 rows back and forth and then join to work in the round. You can sew that tiny seam with the end left over from casting on.)

Why do I put that contrasting stripe at the beginning of the cuff? That's something I started doing one time when I had a lot of navy blue yarn to use up, and I decided to use it up by knitting mittens until it was gone. I realized that one navy blue mitten looks very like all the other navy blue mittens. In case two or more pairs from that batch ended up in the same family or classroom, I wanted to make it easy for kids to match up and make sure they took their own pair home (and that no one else who had lost a mitten snitched one of theirs). And I think it jazzes up a plain pair of mittens. I love the look of doing just the cast-on row in the contrast color, but that makes weaving in the ends kind of a challenge, so I knit another row or two. I start counting my 20 rows of ribbing after that stripe. That way I know I'm always going to count to 20, no matter how many rows I used for the racing stripe, and it's easy to make the cuff of the second mitten the same as the first.

Go to Part 2: Beginning of Hand and Thumb Gusset

We're knitting mittens

2010-10-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

Pat and I both knit a lot for various causes that speak to us. One of our longest-running interests has been afghans for Afghans; in fact, there's been a link in the sidebar since the day we started this blog. Right now, A4A is in a position to accept mittens. We know some people find the idea of knitting mittens intimidating, so we're offering this tutorial to walk you through. Because it's very detailed, it's quite long, so we have broken it down into several blog posts to make it easy to find the part you need. Words and knitting by Elizabeth; magnificent photos by Pat.

Tools and materials: You will need 100 g worsted weight yarn (that is more than enough); double-pointed needles to give you gauge; two stitch markers; waste yarn in a contrasting color; and a sewing-up needle.

Gauge: ~5 sts/inch

The mitten pattern we'll be following is my own, and it lives over at the A4A blog, right here. I never set out to write a pattern. But I had downloaded one from the Internet -- probably 10 years ago now -- that was so riddled with errors that any new knitter who tried it would have given up. In the end I wrote my own mitten pattern. This pattern is written using row counts, not measurements, so no matter what weight yarn you use, you end up with a mitten that is in proportion to a normal human hand. (I often use the smallest or middle size with Lopi or Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride Bulky to make an adult-sized mitten.) Please note that the largest size in that pattern has a slightly different increase at the tip than the other sizes, so read through and follow the directions for the size you've chosen.

I usually make the largest size (which is actually more for a woman's large hand than small, despite what the pattern says -- I've changed my mind since I first wrote it) because I've found that most people tend to knit more for the little kids. Little kids are cuter, and the mittens are so much faster to make -- but big kids are cold too, and if a pair of mittens makes it possible to stay in school longer, or keeps them just a little bit more comfortable, I am glad to contribute. In a quick random sampling of kids I know, this size was a little too big for the tall 13-year-old girl but a bit tight for the (also tall) 14- and 15-year-old boys.

For afghans for Afghans, wool (or other animal fiber) is required. We strongly urge you to use wool anyway -- it's just plain warmer. Sometimes, if knitting for U.S. groups, or if your sister-in-law apparently boils her laundry, acrylics or blends may be a better bet. Use the best quality you can afford, of course, for two reasons: it's more pleasant to knit with, and it makes a nicer gift.

go to Part 1: The Cuff

We interrupt this program

2010-10-18T19:56:00.000-04:00

Well, the whole project is supposed to be fun. In the interest of depressurizing, we have agreed to give ourselves the month of October off. The category was "wild card," so it's not as if we're dodging an unpleasant assignment, after all. That gives me time to finish the September socks and knit some more mittens, and Pat time to work on some things for Afghans for Afghans. (I'll still make those socks I showed you the yarn for; they just won't be done by Halloween.)

While I've been busy not finishing socks, I, too, have been knitting other stuff -- mailed 3 pairs of mittens to A4A last week, and have 2 pairs finished and 2 pairs in progress right now. Here's ocular proof -- stripes by Pat, green by me:

We've also decided to knit a couple of hats apiece (and some other friends are joining us) for this group. We're not far from New York, so are well acquainted with how cold and damp it can be outside during the winter.

And there's Christmas knitting, and unfinished projects, and more A4A, and both of us are aiming to complete sweaters for ourselves this year. . .

September Socks...they gonna be late!

2010-10-04T18:03:00.000-04:00

OK, I have a number of fairly good excuses but my socks are going to be late. I will finish them this week but they got delayed by a number of trips out of town as well as Spider Solitaire...yes, Solitaire. My husband introduced me to this game and now I like to play a few hands before I start knitting. I like to play until I win a hand, that can take awhile!
Pat

September, November

2010-10-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's October 1. I have 1.3 socks from the September pair completed. I saw this coming, but I'm still disappointed that I didn't crack the whip and get them done.

Looking at our schedule, I realize that we managed to skip (how?) October. And a search of my emails doesn't indicate that we assigned a category once we'd discovered that omission. Pat? Is that correct? Hoping so, because if I can knit plain socks this month I can end up with September and October done by Halloween.

Here are the yarns I pulled to consider for the October sock:

It was very difficult to choose just one, but I managed. I resisted the call of the Mountain Colors Bearfoot (the berry colors) and Claudia's Handpaints (blue and caramel, in the middle). I reassigned the gray; it will be a cowl or gloves. The October yarn winner is the one at the top, going from about the 12 o'clock position to the 2 o'clock position. It's an Autumn House Farm yarn, and the colorway is Galway Moss. This particular yarn doesn't seem to be on their web site anymore, so I've written for information. I'll provide a close-up picture later today, when the sun comes out.

I'm also flirting with the idea of joining in on Kirsten Kapur's mystery sock project. Just to make life a little more impossible. If you're interested, details are available on her blog and you can join a Ravelry group for a knit-along.

for amber waves of grain

2010-09-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

by Elizabeth*-

It's beautiful yarn -- when the sun strikes it just right, my brain immediately leaps to "O beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. . ." It's a lace pattern I really enjoy, and will use again. But -- the yarn and the pattern are not a good match. I will continue, because I think they'll look good when done (predicting a finish after, not by, September 30), but in future will remember that Socks That Rock medium weight is much happier with a simple rib.

There's a chance, as well, that I may be suffering from sock fatigue. In the last two weeks alone, I've finished one hat (colors are deeper and richer in person; will try another photo later when it's cloudy):

cast on another (no picture yet), started a feather-and-fan scarf in sock yarn:

designed and test knit the next 10-inch block for a monthly series I'm publishing on the Stash Knitdown group on Ravelry (secret until October 1), made a pair of mittens, started another, and almost finished my hat for Knitters' Day Out (a good thing, since KDO is imminent).

Oh, and prepared a class on 3 styles of garter stitch afghan blocks for Knitter's Day Out.

So, yes, I've been knitting, but the socks are not speaking to me. . . I feel so guilty all of a sudden that I think I'll run downstairs and give them some attention.

* I added my name, because if you're reading in a blog reader, the author name shows; if you're not, there's no way to tell whether Pat or I is the one who's speaking. So, blogreader people, you will now know twice! But at least other readers won't have to guess. (I wouldn't want anyone to think Pat was quite so unfocused as the writer in this post!)

September Socks

2010-09-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

Look at this pretty yarn!!

I'm really looking forward to knitting with this soft yarn. We're knitting lace in September...which I don't really enjoy but with this yarn it should a pleasure.

July's Socks

2010-09-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my A4A socks for July. They were easy and I have no excuse for not finishing them sooner. I've completely missed August knitting, I'll try to make up for that this fall.

Does the Adirondack chair look welcoming? If so come by sometime and sit and knit with me!

I did finish a corkscrew tassel hat for Knitters Day Out. They ask that everyone donate a hat to keep kids warm.

I also finished a garter stitch scarf made in company colors for a co-worker.

Rocky Road

2010-09-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

Is it really September already? The topic for September is lace -- not my favorite, so I've found a stitch pattern that's kind of tailored. At least as lace goes. You will see it soon. Although it's a color I never wear and rarely respond to, I fell hopelessly in love with this skein of Socks that Rock. Worn on my feet it shouldn't be too bad:

The rich, deep golds just feel like September.

Yarn posed for its portrait in the amazing boulder field at Hickory Run State Park in Pennsylvania:

This picture shows just a small piece of the whole thing.

I scare myself

2010-08-31T14:06:00.000-04:00

Both pairs are finished -- ends woven in and everything!! The red socks were finished 2 weeks ago; the blue socks were finished this morning at 10 a.m. I had 14 hours left! That's early.

Glamour shots and yarn details after their bath, but here's the proof:

quick update

2010-08-12T11:13:00.001-04:00

I am rounding the heel on sock #2 of the red pair. . . next picture should show them finished!

--Elizabeth

a sock of a different color

2010-08-06T11:27:00.000-04:00

August is our first Wild Card month. That means, except for the ground-level requirement to knit a pair of socks, there are no specific guidelines. I knew what I wanted to make -- but I could only find one of the two skeins of yarn that pair required. In the course of my wild search, however, I unearthed these:

The blue, green, and white sock (much prettier in person; I'll get a better picture) was put aside in fall 2008 to make room for Christmas. It was and still is one of my favorites -- it's pure Maine winter. The brick red sock (color on that one is exactly right) -- well, this is embarrassing, but I don't even remember this sock! I think it was sometime in 2009.

For my wild card "pair," I will finish blue sock #1 (red sock #1 was finished last night) and knit the second sock of each pair. That actually requires a little more than a pair's worth of knitting, but August has a bit of sitting-around time built in, so I am optimistic.

And, in the interest of making life difficult, two nights ago I cast on a new pair of mittens.

August 1

2010-08-03T08:16:00.000-04:00

The first day of the month clearly has good energy for me!! I finished my fifth pair for the current afghans for Afghans campaign on Sunday, August 1:

This pair was also made holding two strands of sock yarn together -- as friends and relatives know, I have way too much sock yarn, and this uses it up faster. It also makes a soft, cushy sock. Both yarns were green/blue mixes; the darker one is a vintage Opal (ca 1999); the lighter one is a Meilenweit tweed.

I don't need to ask for a bending of the rules this time, because I finished a qualifying pair in July, but these are still headed out to California today to get into a box for the long ride to Afghanistan.

August's assignment is "wild card." I'll post mine later -- the sun is wrong for pictures right now.

--Elizabeth

Socks in July

2010-08-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth, I have to confess that I haven't done ANY knitting at all in the month of July. OK, I may have done some half-hearted knitting on a garter stitch scarf but other than that nada...I will make an effort to get two pairs of socks done beginning to end in August. I promise.

I could make some lame excuses but let's face it, I was in England. I had the time of my life. It's just lovely there and I didn't see anyone knitting...I didn't have time to knit, it was a steady pace of tour, pub, sleep, tour, pub, sleep, repeat...

one more for A4A

2010-07-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

I mailed a fourth pair today for afghans for Afghans' current campaign to collect socks for women. It's a wonderful feeling to do something for a woman over there -- life there is hard!! In addition to all the restrictions imposed by just being female, there's the constant worry over your kids -- worry about things such as whether they'll live to grow up. Can't imagine!! I have been so lucky.

Here's a pair of socks that will provide at least a small measure of comfort this winter:

The stripes make them more interesting, it's true, but what they're really saying is "There wasn't enough of this lovely brown yarn to make an adult-sized pair of socks."

Soccer weekend ahead, so there's some chance I'll finish the blue pair that's currently missing the whole second sock.

July for A4A

2010-07-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

Pat and I both knit for Afghans for Afghans every time a campaign comes along. (If you want to see what other people are knitting, take a look over here.) When we started this year-long sock blogging project, we threw a few wild card months into the schedule, and also agreed that if there was a chance to knit socks for A4A, that would trump previous plans for the month. Ann Rubin does an amazing job of working out the logistics of getting things to Afghanistan, despite the challenges of war, corruption, expense, and who knows what else. . . and she doesn't always have a whole lot of lead time. A sudden chance arose to send socks for women this month, so that's what we're knitting.

I've been on vacation, spending a lot of time in the passenger seat while we drove hundreds of miles -- not to mention a weekend at a folk festival, which is prime time for knitting as long as it doesn't rain too hard. I finished these three pairs:

Technically, only the lighter blue pair, with the light stripes, qualifies, because it was started in July. The darker blue pair was started in June, finished July 1, and the multicolored pair on the left was started in June and finished July 2.

All are worsted weight, knit on 40 stitches. The two solid blue pairs with stripes are made of Bartlett yarn; the pair on the left (my favorite) is made from 2 strands of Kroy sock yarn held together. Kroy is a little heavier than most sock yarns I use (166 yards, about 152 meters, per 50 g) and it made a wonderful, squishy, bouncy fabric. I used one self-striping yarn held with one tweedy yarn in similar colors; it did very interesting things! I'm already looking for the next pair of sock yarns to try; meanwhile I've cast on for another Bartlett pair. These go so fast, and time is short; I hope to get two more pairs out to A4A in time for this collection.

I believe this is the earliest in the month I've ever completed our assignment.

The three pairs in the picture, plus Pat's blue socks from June, go in the mail today.

solstice socks

2010-07-09T10:38:00.000-04:00

Here they are!! They sure look to me like the summer solstice:

I loved working with both of these yarns. In fact, I used only a bit of the yellow, and I'm already deciding what pattern to use the rest for; the richest, most jubilant yellow I've seen (dyed by The Periwinkle Sheep). The orange, from Sunshine Yarns, is 100% wool. I was worried about how well the heels would hold up, so I knit the heel flap using a smaller needle, then continued heel stitch under the heel, for the entire extent of the gusset. I will report back; it was 102 degrees earlier this week (metric folks, that's 39) so I will not be wearing wool socks for a bit! The picture above shows them in their post-blocking loveliness -- it's amazing how a nice bath and gentle stretch evens out the crooked stitches.

The picture below shows them, pre-blocking, on the shore of the lake where they were finished. This picture is a little closer to the true color.

As I said before, this pair was done on time; I sent a cell phone picture to Pat if anyone wishes to check. But we were computer-free for nearly two weeks, so it was not possible to post. Much as I love to spend time on email and blogs, I highly recommend going without for a short time! Very restful.

--Elizabeth

solstice socks update

2010-07-07T02:04:00.000-04:00

Picture tomorrow or Thursday, but we're just back from a computer-free vacation and I wanted to check in. I did finish the solstice socks on time, and sent Pat a picture via cell phone as proof they were done. Tomorrow to wash, block, and do the photo shoot. . .right now it's 2 a.m. and I still feel like I'm in the car.

June Socks

2010-06-29T16:14:00.000-04:00

It's such a shock to realize that June is coming to a close...I don't know what I've done with this month. Our June socks were suppose to say "Summer" and mine do, in a round about way. I knit this pair of socks for A4A as I just don't wear socks in the summer...summer to me means sandals and easy living. These are knit from Norwegian sport weight yarn, they were fast and easy...just like my summer!

At first I photographed these socks flat, on sock blockers, laying on an old stump but they seemed pretty lifeless to me.

So I pulled out my tripod and shoot them on my feet, while I sat on the steps...I am not a sock model!

but I got more confident as the shoot went on and now I feel that if any of you need a sock model...give me a shout, I'll work for yarn!

Good day, sunshine

2010-06-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

Both yarns I'm using are semisolids. In places, the orange is quite light. In places, the yellow becomes almost orange. When those places coincide, the edges of the sun motif become blurred. I was going to say this makes the motifs more subtle than I'd like, but somehow "subtle" does not seem appropriate for this particular color combination!

I've decided to go with these two yarns anyway, because I love both of them.

I'm already looking forward to making another pair, in blue, using the moon motif. And then I'm going to use that incredibly vibrant yellow and make an extraordinary pair of yellow socks.

Did you ever have to finally decide?

2010-06-07T15:13:00.000-04:00

For June, I am making Karin Maag-Tanchak's solstice socks, as I mentioned earlier. I wanted to use her own beautiful yellow for the suns around the top, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to. Somewhere I have a skein of deep tangerine yarn that would provide the perfect foil, but it's not going to come out until I'm halfway through the second sock. I did see a skein that's perfect in a local shop -- but since I have three other choices here in my hands, I bravely resisted. Here are my choices:

The orange at the top is too red, and I wanted a more solid color. The two orange skeins at the left are too pale. That choice was easy.

Here is the chosen orange next to Karin's yellow. I'm not sure the contrast will be adequate to show off the motif.

And here is the orange with the paler yellow, which would definitely provide enough contrast:

Clearly, some swatching is in order. Tonight's plan is to wind the orange and both yellows and knit two small samples. That will settle the question. It's one week into June and defintely time to get started. I'd like to get back into the habit of finishing the socks of the month a few days early rather than one day late.

the purple socks in all their splendor

2010-06-07T14:53:00.001-04:00

The camera finally reemerged. I have no idea where it's been, or what it does when it goes on these adventures. . .

yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Visual Purple
pattern: Brainylady's basic cabled socks

This photo clearly is intended as documentation only; I will try to get a better composition at some point, because this one is rumpled and off center and not very satisfying. The socks, however, were very satisfying indeed. I'll make this pattern again. The next pair will be red; the yarn is wound and waiting. Vacation knitting, perhaps?

May SOM Finished

2010-06-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

You all may not know this about me but I'd much rather take photos than try to write something in a blog...it's hard for me to come up with stuff to say and creating a witty title, well that boat has sailed.

Anyhow, here are my May socks in all their splendor, made of Fleece Artist Sea Wool (70% Merino, 30% Seacell) in colorway Sorbetto. I knit these socks toe-up, using my standard sock recipe. The cable up the sides is the same one Elizabeth used, after I saw her socks I just wanted to do it, it's so cute...nice and round with just enough chunky-ness not to over power a pair of socks.

I must admit, with my favorite model away in far flung lands, I had to use some ingenuity in my photography. I set my camera on the tripod which was down very low; at feet level so to speak (so low I had to remove the center column which I'd never done before), I then set my reflector against a stone frog that volunteered to help (surprising as stone frogs can be quiet recalcitrant), I used the timer release (set on 10 seconds, which was just barely enough time), then I would push the button, run over to the rock wall and sit down and then slip off my crocs and compose my feet. You would have laughed watching me struggle, feet modeling is not as easy as it looks!

Here comes the sun

2010-06-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

The topic for June is summer. I have wanted to make these solstice socks, by Karin Maag-Tanchak, since the first time I saw them, way back before Ravelry (yes, my child, there was a time before Ravelry) when Karin posted the link on either KnitU or the knitlist. Of course, I'll be tweaking things a little. . . because it's the summer solstice, I'm using orange as my main color. And I'm making both socks the same, using just the sun pattern at the top. I'm still debating which of several oranges (how the heck did I come to have a choice of oranges?) to use, but the yellow for the suns is Karin's own handdyed yarn (Periwinkle Sheep is her company name). With so much stockinette, and summer travel season soon to commence, I know these will be done on time.

Note: I've put out an APB on the camera, but for now, text only.

--E.

the one-day rule

2010-06-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

I seem to have fallen prey to the same syndrome that dogged me in college -- please, Professor, may I have a 1-day extension? Second sock is one toe from being finished. I call that close enough, and it is still officially the May sock! Picture tomorrow,* and intro to my June yarn and pattern. (The theme for June is "summer" -- plenty of room for interpretation!)

*if, that is, the camera consents to reveal itself. . .

E.

2010-05-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

Well finally I'm posting a photo of my socks...I've got both of them about 1/2 way done. I was going to use the pattern "Brainless" but decided I didn't like the long thin cables nor the way the pattern outlines the gusset stitches. After seeing Elizabeth's sock cuff, I feel in love with her cable pattern and am using that on the cuff of these socks.

Sock fatigue?

2010-05-19T07:48:00.000-04:00

Last week I was just about ready to turn the heel on purple sock #1 when I spotted a cable that had been crossed 1 row too soon. It bothered me too much to leave it there, so I had to rip out 3 inches of otherwise perfectly good knitting. So now we're almost two thirds of the way through the month, and sock #1 is still in progress. It may be done tonight, most definitely by tomorrow. That means sock #2 will be a desperation knit. . . could I be rebelling against the self-inflicted pressure of staying on schedule?

The yarn is wonderful. The pattern is wonderful. Why, oh why, do I think I want to be knitting a red sweater instead?

Purple Haze

2010-05-07T15:49:00.001-04:00

It seems the sock malaise has passed. I am loving the May sock! I am loving the May yarn. I look forward all day to the time when I get to pick these up again.

Theme of the month is cables. I chose a pattern I've been looking at for years, Brainylady's Basic Cabled Socks. They're coming out just right, and with 7 plain rows to every cable row, they move fast. The 2 x2 ribbing between the cables really pulls in, so I'm constantly having second thoughts and thinking about ripping out and casting on 8 more stitches, but when I try it over the very broad ball of my larger foot, it's fine, so I'm trying to stay calm.

The yarn is Dream in Color's Smooshy; the color is Visual Purple. I'm already thinking about what yarn to use for the next pair of these.

April 31

2010-05-01T19:18:00.000-04:00

The Woolen Rabbit Harmony sock yarn, colorway morning glory

That's all I needed -- just one more day. After the third time I fell asleep over this sock last night, just 11 rows shy of the toe decreases, I knew it was time to admit that it wasn't going to get done. So I decided I'd just mess with the calendar instead! Dilemma resolved.

They're pretty, pretty socks (wish I could make the green show up), and I will like them, but something about the knitting just did not grab me. I would knit anything rather than pick them up -- half a baby blanket, 3 new scarves started, 4 afghan blocks. . .

OK, May is going to be better. When it starts. Tomorrow, right?

May SOM

2010-05-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

Our May socks are to have a cable in them and I needed a yarn that wasn't so dark you couldn't see the cables. This is Fleece Artist Sea Wool, a blend of wool and seacell. Seacell is a textile fiber created from seaweed. It's suppose to have properties that make it breathe and pull moisture away from you skin. These socks should be good for the ol' feet....

I saw this bit of sunshine on my kitchen counter and plopped the skien down there to photograph it. The left side was in complete darkness...so I grabbed our white toaster and placed it just out of the picture on the left and what a great job it did lighting the scene!

April SOM finished

2010-05-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

I finished my April socks last night, just in time for the new month.

These socks are knit in Malabrigo Sock Yarn. They are the softest socks I own, they were a pleasure to knit, the yarn just floats through your fingers. My concern is that they are so soft that they won't hold up to hard wearing but we won't know that till next winter. This color of blue is amazing, a vast array of colors all in this blue colorway.

I'm modeling these socks myself. I'm tired of laying them down flat or hanging them from a shrub in the yard. I need a sock model, my favorite one is in college a long way from here...so I rolled up my jeans, slipped on the new socks and took photos of me. It wasn't easy but I'm up to the challenge!

Michaela Made Me Do It....

2010-04-26T20:10:00.000-04:00

OK, the Brits finished their April socks early and now they are hinting at our being behind the curve. I needed to post something this month anyhow, I'm not being prodded by Michaela, yeah, no way I'm competitive...my socks for this month are the most beautiful blue, Malabrigo sock yarn. These socks are super soft and springy, really I can not wait to slip my feet into these babies!

Watch this space

2010-04-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

I'm 2 inches into the second sock. Needless to say, I chose the plain foot, for speed. I'm traveling this weekend, which usually is good for making sock progress, but this time I'm the driver!! So 8 lovely knitting hours lost. . .

April ends one week from today. It occurs to me that Pat and I are the bosses of this project, and we didn't specify any penalty for missing the deadline, but I'll be so disappointed. . .

Watch this space. . .

--Elizabeth

Note to self...

2010-04-17T21:32:00.001-04:00

We are half-way through the month and I haven't mention the yarn I'm using or the pattern. I haven't posted a photo or discuss my knitting thoughts...tomorrow, I must take sock knitting pictures and post them. On top of that I only have half a month to finish this pair of socks, ouch!

Monkey mind

2010-04-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

I think I have spring fever. We're halfway through the month on Thursday, and I've just barely started the heel turn on sock #1 (on 68 stitches, for big feet. . .)

It's not that I haven't been knitting! But I am frighteningly easily distracted in the spring -- look at this yarn, wouldn't it make a pretty scarf? Let's cast on and see. Oooh, it would be so much fun to knit something for Sarah's baby. I should work on that white blanket for the hospital -- it's halfway done. But all these family weddings must mean I should be knitting presents. . . and it's been a long, long time since I made myself a sweater. Oooh, I have this great idea for an afghan block based on a traditional pattern, and I really need to try it out right now. . .

Help!

(No pictures, because in the unlikely event that any of these get finished, they're meant to be surprises.)

Morning glory

2010-04-10T18:47:00.000-04:00

For April's blue socks, I finally chose the yarn from The Woolen Rabbit. The colorway is called Morning Glory (not currently available on her web site) -- I'd say the blue is more like hydrangeas, but both are lovely, so that's not a problem! I'm finding this yarn impossible to photograph -- there are brief intervals of green in it that just don't show up. They're the same value as the blue, and with a blue rather than yellow tint, so the color is defeating me. I will persevere and eventually post a picture that shows reality. (Obviously, I should fool around with the background.) Meanwhile, here's what the sock will look like (it's already several inches longer, though):

The pattern was immortalized in the early days of the Socknitters group on Yahoo as the blueberry waffle socks, but it's a pretty basic rib.

I started (because I like to) with 8 rounds of k1, p1 ribbing, and then began the pattern:

rounds 1 and 2: *k2, p2* around
rounds 3 and 4: k all stitches

If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll continue the pattern down the instep after the heel turn, but I may just need the feel of the open road (ie, speedy stockinette) by then.

What I did with the rest of my month...

2010-04-02T16:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, after I finished my socks I had time for some other knitting. I made a pair of baby booties for a new dad at work. I love this pattern and have been using it for years. Each bootie takes me about an evening to make and you can vary the size by using different thicknesses of yarn.

My young neighbor came over and helped model them.

I continue to knit scarves, they are the most mindless knitting and sometimes that's exactly what I need. This month I made the Petits trous de printemps scarf. My knit buddy Gina translated the pattern for me. I made it using Kid Silk Haze...I love that stuff!

Hot Dog...I finished my socks!

2010-04-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

Please tell me you can see the color similarity between hot dogs and my socks...these hot dogs are fresh out of the freezer and are the upscale, all beef variety, stretch your mind and think about fairground dogs, floating around in a vat of greasy water, come on you know the ones. Having an "ah ha" moment? Want to admit that I was right?

I'm glad I finished these socks and I will find a family member to wear them but they are too thick for me. I am a bit disappointed with Socks the Rock yarn. I have a skein of the thinner STR and I will try that but the colors pooled and weren't outstanding not what you expect from high end yarns.

Birthday Blues

2010-03-31T15:12:00.001-04:00

No, no, no -- I've always loved my birthday. But April is my birthday month, so I get to pick the color. Perhaps you think I don't have much blue sock yarn? (Sorry, Linda, hope you're sitting down.)

3500 g right there, and I know there's more in Deep Stash. My aunt always said the family motto was "Any color as long as it's blue." You'll notice that many of those blues look quite similar -- in my defense, I plead that the texture varies quite a bit.

Pat, Lisa, Linda, Michaela: let me know if there are any that strike your fancy, and they're yours!

Semifinalists (narrowed down from 35 to 12):

The Final Four: Ray at Knitivity; Black Bunny Fibers; The Woolen Rabbit; Artyarns Supermerino

Bonus spring socks

2010-03-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

As has become traditional, I spent the remainder of the month, after the "assigned" socks were done, finishing up a pair that had been languishing for some time. These were started last year -- I'm really not sure when.

They make me think of daffodils. They do look baggy around the slender ankles of the wooden blockers, but that's the drawback to the plain stockinette sock. They look considerably better when worn by a 3-dimensional leg.

Please observe the very nifty eye-of-partridge heel:

the yarn is Online Savannah 1034

Tomorrow: new month, new challenge

In like a lamb

2010-03-23T12:44:00.000-04:00

The March socks are finished! I wove in the last ends Sunday night (today is Tuesday), but although my camera does have an underwater setting, I elected to delay the photo shoot until the rain stopped.

The colors didn't come out the way I'd expected them -- well, I don't know what I expected, exactly, but it didn't involve large patches of purple and white stripes. These socks are definitely festive! And they feel incredibly luxurious on my feet. The minute I put the first one on I was committed to knitting the second one as quickly as possible, so that both feet could be happy at the same time.

For my next adventure with Socks That Rock, I think I'll choose the lightweight, and use a colorway with less vigorous contrast. There will definitely be a next time.

Just Enough Ruffles

2010-03-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

Another scarf finished...if I keep this up all my Christmas presents will be knit before summer! This is the Just Enough Ruffles scarf knit in Manos Silk Blend. I can't say enough nice stuff about both this pattern and this yarn. The yarn is soft, floats through your fingers, feels great and it really warm. The pattern is fun; you cast on a lot of stitches, knit in short rows for awhile creating the curve that hugs your neck and then you increase like crazy and cast-off just before you want to give up on the darn thing and some how all those increases becoming charming ruffles. Just enough for a not so girlie-girl like me.

I don't usually model my own work but with my daughter off to college...who else?!? I ran outside between raindrops and did a quick session in front of the camera. I needed to pop a little flash in my face to open up my eyes but come on, ya'll came to see the knitting!
Micheala - I've now shown my mad modeling skillz...come on girl, I need to see you!

They're here!!

2010-03-16T14:30:00.001-04:00

Note to self: knit socks this color next February. . .

Baktus Scarf

2010-03-13T10:18:00.000-05:00

Last month Elizabeth and I knitted socks in worsted weight wool and they went pretty quick. I was finished with my pair of socks half-way through the month and so I turned my attention to the Baktus scarf I had started in January. I finished it up and yesterday I washed and blocked it. This scarf turned out really cute and I love it. I knit this scarf on size one needles using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn. It took a lot longer to knit than I anticipated but it's fun to wear and feels just right.

Note to self

2010-03-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

In next life, have smaller feet.

Pat and I actually got together today, in person. We realized that every row in my socks is a whole inch longer than one row in her socks!! I am not going to do the math on this one, but -- sheesh! There are a whole lot of rows in a sock. It's 1,000 or more extra stitches per sock for me. One of my reasons for starting this project was to make a whole bunch of socks to keep, but I am sorely tempted to switch to knitting for my size 6 friends. . .

Closer to finishing March SOM...

2010-03-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

Two Steps Forward

2010-03-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

I've made up the ground I lost by ripping out a few days ago. These socks are going to be pretty vivid! Indoors, at night, they don't look as interesting, but in the daylight the colors really pop. It's quite an adventure waiting to see what will happen next -- and the second sock will probably look entirely different.

Every color but blue is represented -- and I still don't know why it's called Christmas balls, but I sure would like to see the color namer's tree.

Here's something interesting that happened with this sock. See how it looks as if I intentionally managed the colors so the first inch would have that distinct straight edge, after which the colors begin spiraling? It had nothing to do with any planning or manipulation -- that's what happened when I had to interrupt my knitting to accommodate the first knot in the skein. It's fascinating how the simplest thing can affect the way the colors fall. I suspect that once I do the heel flap and pick stitches up again for the foot I'll get yet another change in patterning.

I'm using a slip-stitch rib for the leg -- very stretchy, and fun to do. One row is k3, p2 all the way around; the second row is k1, slip 1 as if to purl, k1, p2, and follow that all the way around. The picture above shows the sock unstretched, as it looks while I knit. See how the slipped stitches emphasize the column effect of the ribbing? I especially like that section where the white is dominant. And here's what it looks like when stretched out, as if being worn:

Tonight the heel. . .

One Step Forward. . .

2010-03-04T18:51:00.000-05:00

I'd love to post a picture of my socks in progress, and this time yesterday I could have. . . but last night, just as I was about to start turning the first heel, I decided the sock was too small and ripped out the whole 7 inches I'd finished. Unless I stay up VERY late tonight, no progress picture tomorrow either, but by the end of the weekend there should be plenty to show again. My skein had 3 knots, which did not make me happy, but the knitted fabric is very bouncy and feels great. The slip stitch rib doesn't show up as well as I'd hoped, but in sections it does very, very interesting things with the colors. Stay tuned. . . .

Clown Barf?

2010-03-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth asked me about how the Socks That Rock yarn was knitting up and what I thought of the color and when I complained she asked if it looked like clown barf...I think that's a fair description. This colorway; Fairgrounds,doesn't have any light, light colors or any dark, dark colors, just very pretty mid-tones. Just one very dark or light color running through the skein would make the entire colorway pop but instead the pinks and oranges fade into one another creating a muddy looking color similar to a hot dog. There's nothing super exciting going on within my socks.

The yarn itself is really nicely spun and knits up beautifully. No splitting, no poorly spun stretches, excellent yarn. I'm using my toe-up cast-on then Cat Bordhi's Houdini Sock construction with minor changes by me. One of my changes is to knit in some waste yarn where I want to open up the ankle of the sock.

Centerpull Balls...March Sock Knitting

2010-03-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth assures me that it is OK to wind my March yarn in February. I love to wind the yarn, it's peaceful, easy and no real thinking is involved. I'm using Medium weight Socks That Rock yarn...can't remember the colorway but I will look for the label. I believe it's prettier in the ball than in the skein.

Winding center-pull yarn balls is an individual endeavor, my mother doesn't do it the same way I do and my grandma had yet another way to do it. I use a pill bottle, I shove the yarn end into the bottle and put the cap back on. I wrap the yarn around the outside of the bottle, a few wraps and then turn, a few more wraps and then turn. My kids tell me, I wrap five times before I turn each time and that I count under my breath...I'm not sure that's true. The pill bottle gives the yarn plenty of room to expand, yarn does love breathing room.

My goal, my mom's goal and even my grandmom's goal is a nice round ball with the yarn coming from the center. I think I've succeeded.

If you are wondering about the postal scale; I divide my yarn when I ball it - half and half for both socks...then I knit.

Rock Around the Clock

2010-02-24T08:22:00.001-05:00

On our original schedule, March was to be devoted to knitting for afghans for Afghans. But -- the due date turned out to be March 1, making that a bad plan, and we bumped it back to February. Because knitting for Valentine's Day in March seemed an even worse plan, we needed a new category. Ta da! We'll be knitting with Socks That Rock, the original "luxury vehicle" of sock yarns. Delicious.

I had several colorways to choose from, and it was hard to make up my mind. In the end, I decided to go with Christmas balls (why is it called that?):

I'm hoping that using the medium weight will at least partially counteract the curse of the Bigfoot. I'll be using a slipstitch rib to try to keep the colors from pooling:

round 1: *k3, p2* around
round 2: *k1, slip 1 [as if to purl], k1, p2* around

Picture later this week; casting on tonight.

East meets West...

2010-02-21T11:34:00.001-05:00

So titled because Pat lives 23 miles west of Elizabeth. . .

Both of us had exercised heroic self restraint. Even though the green socks were done in mid-January, we waited (and waited, and waited) for the photo shoot to put them on. Finally we managed to synchronize our schedules and headed for a local college (always a good place to act peculiar -- nobody bats an eye).

P: Wow, you're right -- yours are a whole inch bigger around than mine.
E: I told you I had to travel more miles per sock -- no wonder you always finish first. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Atmospheric window shot:

Two sets of feet, in green socks for the first time.

E. I told you they were bright!
P: You're right, your pictures didn't show the color accurately. That's some green!

Wow, this Zauberball feels so cushy. . .mmmmmmmmm.

Two sets of feet again.
Do Elizabeth's socks have their own power source? Scary.

moving right along

2010-02-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

Although I'm still frantically trying to finish up something for the Afghans for Afghans Youth Campaign (must be in San Francisco by March 1, and it's not looking good), in my spare moments I worked on another pair of socks. These were started last fall, in September or October; the first sock was completed and the second sock had been cast on. I picked them up again last week. Drum roll, please:

The last end was woven in immediately after watching Shaun White's second run, after he'd already clinched the gold medal. Amazing (Shaun White, that is).

Opal, Hundertwasser series 2, color #823

socks at play

2010-02-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

Bartlett Maine wool. Knit for the A4A sock class -- just a week from start to finish. February's goal met already! These will go in the mail in a week or so, with a couple of pairs of mittens and, I hope, a sweater. Will post a group shot here before they go.

February Socks - Finished and in the mail

2010-02-10T11:46:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth,
I really enjoyed knitting these socks. Your tutorial was fun to follow and it's great seeing all the socks being posted over at A4A. Thank you for being you and teaching all of us about sock knitting.

Stay warm, Pat

February Socks - A4A

2010-02-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

For February, Elizabeth and I are knitting socks for a group called Afghans for Afghans. We've both knit for them for years and fully support their efforts. I've been knitting mittens, using Elizabeth's pattern and sending them off to Afghanistan the last several campaigns. I just finished these two pairs.

The yarn was given to me by dear knitting buddy Gina. I loved knitting with it and it made such soft, colorful, warm mittens for Afghani kids...thanks, Gina!

Anyhow, I'm knitting along on my A4A socks, I'm following Elizabeth's tutorial using Cottage Craft yarn. Here's where I'm at, hopefully finished by Monday...and able to send them off. I was going to say that the pattern is coming out a bit large but after reading Elizabeth's post, over at A4A, I understand that I've been duped! These were meant to be for teenage boys...ah, you tricky knitter!

Everyone stay safe and warm, Pat

The Yellow Scarf

2010-02-06T15:31:00.000-05:00

I finished the yellow scarf and wanted you to see the results. Warm, soft, lovely...

best-laid plans

2010-01-30T23:53:00.000-05:00

February's original theme was to have been red, for Valentine's Day. Now, I have a fine collection of red sock yarn, all clamoring for actualization, and this one was just perfect:

But our better impulses have prevailed. (And I'm not all that fond of Valentine's Day anyway.) Afghans for Afghans has a due date of early March for their current campaign. And, as I am starting a "how to knit socks in worsted weight" series over at this blog and have a couple pairs of mittens and maybe even a sweater to finish, and Pat also has mittens on needles and A4A socks in mind, we're rescheduling. This month is for A4A. Next month -- well, all we know for sure is that the theme won't be Valentine's Day.

Meanwhile, I'm this far on the brand-new cast-on-today (per Two Left Feet rules and regulations) sock:

and now for something entirely different

2010-01-27T11:49:00.000-05:00

While waiting for the February challenge to begin, I finished another pair of socks. Do not panic -- the operative word is "finished." The first sock of this pair was cast on in September of 2007. By the time the green socks were done, the second sock of this pair had reached the heel turn, so I decided to work on no other sock until it was finished. And look -- it worked! Yarn is an Opal; I will do some research and come back with color number later. Edited to add: Opal Feelings, #1701.

Look how closely the feet match! Look how the legs don't match at all. Isn't that odd? I prefer not to worry about matching, and was quite surprised when this strange thing happened with the feet.

clean and green

2010-01-26T18:31:00.001-05:00

Here are January's socks all spiffed up. First, a close-up of the cuff, done in a pattern known as English rib or broken rib (ouch): knit 1 round plain, work next round in k1 p1 all the way around; repeat these two rounds.

And here on January grass, trying to express just how very green they are:

Tomorrow: their first encounter with feet!

While I'm waiting for February...

2010-01-26T08:05:00.000-05:00

I saw the Golden Windowpane Scarf by Hannah Ingalls and thought of this lovely yellow alpaca/silk blend that I've owned for years. Her scarf was too wide for me so I've adjusted the pattern a bit. This yarn feels like butter and is knitting up beautifully.

So E, what are you working on?
Pat

Green Feats

2010-01-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

I do believe I accused Pat of being competitive. I, of course, am nothing of the sort. That has nothing to do with why I stayed up way too late last night -- knitting all the way from the last few rows of the heel gusset to the beginning of the toe decreases between 10 p.m. and an hour I refuse to name. And this is not your dainty type of foot, ladies! Socks are demanding a bath and a consultation with their stylist before the official photo session, but here's a paparazzi shot to prove that they're done. Glamour shot tomorrow.

Edited to add: dead battery, lost charger. Dress-up photos as soon as new charger arrives.

Eleven days until I can cast on for the February sock. However will I fill the time?

January Green Socks...Finished!

2010-01-19T19:24:00.001-05:00

Hi All,
I finished my Green, January socks. I worked in the tails last night and photographed them today. They still need to be washed and blocked but I was so excited that I had to post my finished socks. This pair was as plain as I could make them. I used my standard toe-up sock pattern (Pat Shorten, "Topsy Turvy: Toe Up Socks!, Cast On, Summer 2003, p. 69). This pattern came to life after I knit up several pairs of Kim Salzar's great pattern. I started making slight changes to make me happy and then I taught a class and had to write up the pattern.

I've included a detail of the figure-of-eight toe:

(I've stuffed the toe with a wash tag to get it to look "normal")

The turned heel:

(That's a lacrosse ball filling out my heel...I do long for a human foot...)

Finally, I used Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind-off, recommended by Cat Bordhi in her YouTube video. Sorry EZ but I will NEVER go back to the sewn cast-off, it's stretchy but not nearly so perfect as Jeny's bind-off!

Well it's time to wash, block and wear these puppies...Yeah, for hand knit socks!!

Guess what color we choose for February...Pat

2010-01-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

Your blacks and whites are perfect, on my screen. I suspect that the green is pretty close to what I'm seeing here...remember every monitor shows color differently.

I'm knitting on 60 stitches and have past the heel on both socks - funny, to read that you are on the easy part of the sock. I consider the foot the tricky parts...toe shaping, gussets, heel, once I get past the foot, figure out what sort of ribbing I'm in the mood for then I think I'm on the easy part! Inches of mindless knitting in the round, nothing could be better.

So far so good

2010-01-12T07:43:00.000-05:00

Green sock #1 is still on schedule, and I've reached the fast and easy part. This yarn is a vivid, vivid green, even more so than in the picture. I have to consult with co-blogger Pat, an expert photographer, on how to get the color to come out right.

I try to keep the label in the center of the ball after I've wound it, but this one got away from me. I thought at first it was a Black Bunny yarn, but it's not soft enough. It may be Araucania Ranco #305. (Edited to add: yes, this is a Black Bunny yarn, as determined in consultation with the Black Bunny herself. Nobody does green like the Black Bunny!)

This sock is on 64 stitches (I'm kind of wishing I'd used 68, but too late now), in a 2-row pattern. Round 1, knit; Round 2, k1 p1 all the way around.