March Socks

For this month's socks I used Trekking XXL (75% new wool, 25% nylon) with Gems on the toe. I have been using 2 circulars for the last few pairs of socks and love it.










I picked up a skein of the new Noro sock yarn from Bella Lana on 4th & Central in Minneapolis and have started working on April's socks. The colors are beautiful but the yarn takes a little getting used to because it is slubby and not as soft as I am used to. I suspect after a wash they will soften.

Dancing the Sock Hop

What can I say...monogamy pays. I cast on for a sock as soon as I got the fabulous handspun yarn and I refused to be tempted by other projects. Get thee from me, SSS! And so, a couple of days ago, I finished the pair, 7.5" cuffs and all.


Yarn: Sock Hop handspun in In-a-gadda-da-vida
Pattern: Variation of Nancy Bush's Madder Rib. I did a k6, p2, k2, p2 rib over 60 sts.
Needles: 2.5 mm dpns

I love them. They make me think of spring, the strange sight outside the window today notwithstanding.

These are the first of the 3 or 4 or 6 pairs I am knitting the huz for his big birthday this year. I turned the heel on the first sock of his next pair...stay tuned!

My March Projects

Two big ones on the needles.
I finished my Opal ones two weeks ago as part of my Socks for Soldiers project. I used some Jarwoll Lang for the contrast. These socks are probably on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan by now. This only leaves me about 10 pair behind what I should be doing. I have another pair and a half of soldier socks OTN right now, too. It's a never ending project.

Here they are:

I will post my second project in a day or two, after I have given the socks to my friend. Let's just say I have fallen in love with Smooshie yarn.

Still Plugging Along

The knitting funk continues. But I have made a little progress on my Twisted Fiber Art Smitten sock. I took it with me to Philly this weekend to work on.

Finally, some socks

I haven't worked on socks often this year. These are only my second pair for 2008. (The pattern is Simply Cables from the Sockamania KAL.)

The socks look different because I was using a hand-dyed yarn, and knit one sock with one end of the skein, and the other with the opposite end. Very surprising! :

Happy Spring!
limedragon :-: Harriet

Resoleable Socks

Finally, a finished pair of socks to post. These are the Resoleable Socks from IK's Favorite Socks, a gift for my dad. Ever since I saw a pair of EZ's moccasin socks way back in the early days of blogging, I have liked the idea, but I didn't really love the shape of those socks. So when I saw these, I decided they must be knit. They were actually a pretty boring knit, but they went quickly in worsted weight. At least they looked kind of amusing on my 2 circs - like a fanged sock monster.


I should note that these socks run really large through the ankles which was perfect for my dad, but they were very baggy on my husband, even though their feet are the same size. Knitting these socks reinforced why I think toe-up is a better idea. I first did the whole toe in the dark brown yarn. After I finished the first, I weighed the remaining dark brown yarn and figured I had enough. Wrong. I ran out with about an inch to go on the second toe. So I ripped the first one, deciding to leave a few rows of dark around the full circumference. It was laziness really. I had already knit the first toe twice because the first time came out too pointy. I reknit doing the last couple round of decreases without a plain row in between, and grafted as soon as I got down to 12 sts on ea needle. Third time's a charm! At least Dad is happy with them, and as it happens I finished them just in time for his spontaneous visit.

Not socks, but...

I am working on something made of sock yarn. My current pair of socks are on hold, because I started this 12 pointed Celestine star as a birthday present for my nephew Michael. I was making good progress until the last point. When you get to this point, you stuff the star and then knit the final point. It isn't so easy knitting it once it is stuffed. I've been procrastinating and the last point has taken me most of the last two weeks. Otherwise, this is a very fun little pattern. I'm using some Opal from my stash - I thought these colors looked good for a little kid. It is a free pattern on the Berrocco website.
http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/celestine_sox/celestine_sox.html

In the meantime, while procrastinating, I decided to knit a bib based on the Mason Dixon knitting book pattern. I went out to buy some Sugar'n Cream and they had some really nice colors. I've finished a bib that I'll send off with the Celestine for Michael, and I think I'll knit a few more bibs - one for a friend who just had a baby and a few more to keep on hand for future babies. This one is made with color "Swimming Pool". I really like how it turned out. My boyfriend had a great idea - he thinks it needs a little goldfish on it. Does anyone know where I can get some little fabric goldfish to sew onto the bib?

Rebecca [becbec on Ravelry]

I have sock ADD

I am working on too many things and not finishing anything.

My main thing that I tried to finish in February (unsuccessfully) was weaving in the ends of a pair of colorwork socks knit in cotton. I figured out that there are 44 ends total, and I am still less than half done. Not too crazy about weaving in ends in the first place, but especially not in cotton. I have dragged this out for way too long, and am determined to finish.

Also working on the heel of another sock and have one sock of a pair left to finish. I really, really want to start a new pair. Maybe it's spring fever or something.

I will post a picture or pictures if I ever manage to finish any of this crop.

These Socks Left The Cities

And went to North Dakota! I used the basic sock pattern from the Yarn Harlot, which is pretty much my standard sock pattern these days. This was the first time, though, that I turned a heel without actually consulting some other pattern for detailed steps. I feel so liberated!

I have no idea what this self-striping yarn is. I bought in on a trip to Arizona this winter, and I thought it would simmer in my stash for a long time. Instead, I ended up bringing it with me on a business trip, and I hastily tore the label off of it and misplaced it. At any rate, I'm not usually a fan of self-striping yarn, but this one really fit the recipient.

And yeah, I suppose I could have made them look the same, but when I use self-striping yarn, I prefer to make each sock look a little different. I like seeing how each part of the sock knits up differently. It's a good thing I prefer that difference, too, since the yarn was actually broken and knotted together, with a big chunk of the pattern missing.

I think these socks turned out okay. I made them for my mother, for her 75th birthday. Her first pair of handknit socks. When I make handknits for other people, I like spending my knitting time thinking of that person and what they mean to me. I enjoyed making these socks, and thinking of my mother, how she likes to quilt, and how even though I don't quilt, we share this broader connection to hand made gifts. Hopefully, she'll like them as much as I enjoyed making them for her.

First Post!

Sharon R. here with my first socks posted. For a long time I wondered what was so great about knitting socks, even after making a couple of pair. It just seemed to take so long. Then a couple of months ago I decided to try it with 2 circular needles - another thing I never understood the appeal of, because I'm quite comfortable with double points. But I had a trip coming up and I liked the idea of being able to knit socks on the airplane, so I gave it another try. Wow, socks go so much more quickly with 2 circulars. I am now hooked.

Here's my latest finished pair, made with Taos (not really a sock yarn). These are "house socks" for my sister whose feet are always cold. I used a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks with a baby cable rib. She loves them!

Zombie Attack!

I'm doing Sock Madness but I don't think I'm going to go very far. It's a tournament to complete a pair of socks with everyone using the same pattern. The first pattern is called Zombies and I don't think I'll make it past the first round because some people have completed pairs and I have this:



It's still kind of fun and I love patterns that include dropped stitches because it feels like you're doing something "against the rules" a lot. Every time is like a little knitting rebellion, like setting down a project in the middle of a row.

Hello!

Hi - this is my very first post on this blog. My name is Christine and I live in Maple Grove, MN. I've been lurking on this blog for a few months and finally emailed Sarah to join the KAL. I'm on Ravelry a lot and has joined some of the KALs there. I suffer from SSS and have 3 completed socks (singles!!) plus 3 socks on needles that are hidden in a basket behind the couch. Currently, I have 3 other socks I'm "actively" working on this month. I knit my socks using 2 cirs so you can imagine how many needles I have! I recently found Hiya Hiya needles, which is 1/2 the price of the Addi's, but Addi's are still my favorite. I've been using the Hiya, as needed, as stitch holders! These are the 3 socks I'm currently working on and hope that one of them will be completed before the end of this month!

1. Annetrelac by Sandle Beadle (Interweave Holiday 2007 Issue) using Koigu Multi and Koigu Teal Blue.

2. Mystery Sock from Ravelry (clues are posted weekly). Yarn is Socks That Rock Lightweight in Socktopus from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

3. Nine to Five Socks by Nicole Hindes, using Dream In Color Smooshy - Cloud Jungle


I hope to post back before the end of the month of my completed socks! I also have a knitting blog at http://christinepetterson.typepad.com/knitting if you would like to visit...

Did I Show You My Potato?

Not much finishing going on here. I am putting heels in, getting some toes in, etc. and being mostly distracted by pre-knitting processing for a Kauni (buying needles in the correct size, length, reading the pattern, considering cast-on methods, reading the pattern, looking at the yarn, etc.).

And, I am also distracted by attempts to naalbind. This is not new, it is re-learning. You can re-teach an old dog.

During all this flaggle-babble around the house, My Husband found this heart-shaped potato at our LGS. Aaaaw.

Starting a New Pair

I am not knitting these up very quickly, but I did start a new pair of socks:



The pattern is called "Cable Lattice Socks" from an old issue of Knitnet. It's a fairly simple but still interesting to knit pattern. The yarn is Socks That Rock in the Little Bunny Foo Foo colorway. Totally loving this yarn again.

Pretty soon it'll be time to put away the socks and take out the sandals!!

Finished Yarn Harlot Socks

Here they are, my first Yarn Harlot basic recipe socks in Austermann Step. The photos aren't the greatest, but good enough to show that they're good, basic socks in a fun yarn. The best thing about this pattern/recipe might be that it went really fast. I finished these in a couple of weeks, granted with some airport and plane time, still spending time on other projects. My second sock usually languishes for a long time when I tire of the stitch pattern. I guess I don't tire of plain old stockinette. Back to basics.

I followed the recipe to a T, except adjusting length, and I think I'll make a couple of modifications next time. I might do a few more stitches or use bigger needles, if I use this yarn again. I think I knit a little more tightly than our dear Harlot. You can sort of see in these pics that they're stretching a little too much, and almost looking ribbed. I like tight socks, but to a point. I'll also decrease in every row as I near the end to make them a little less pointy.

I'd like to try them out in a different yarn, maybe a little thicker and not so smooth, to see how the results might change. I'll definitely try using this as a foundation for socks with different stitches.

Ultimately, my opinion is that the Yarn Harlot's basic sock recipe is just what she says it is: basic and a good starting place for lots of sock knitting fun.

Finally done!

Redux
Originally uploaded by blacksheepknits

These are the Sock Wars II scar socks done as anklets. Yarn is Nashua Handknits Creative Focus on size 3 dpns. These only took about 4 months to knit, LOL! They were a "when I can squeeze in a stitch or two" project, so I expected them to take awhile. I am still thrilled to be done with them and now I can concentrate on my husband's socks in Noro Kureyon Sock. :)

Hello from a New Knitter!

Hello! This is my first post and I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Sarah and I just finished my very first knitting class at the Yarnery. It went so well, that I ended up working on my first ever pair of socks for the last few sessions. I don't have pictures right now, but will post them soon. They are a simple ribbed pattern using DPNs and I just started the decreases for the toe last night. I made a few mistakes along the way, but it's all part of the learning process, right? Anyway, I am enjoying seeing all of the wonderful socks that everyone here has made and am making plans already for my next pair. I am open to suggestions on a good "second pair" pattern so please let me know what your favorites are. Thanks!!

Makin' sock yarn

In the last 6 weeks I've knit two pairs of socks-- and have learned how to spin sock yarn! Spinning is terribly addicting, and I wouldn't recommend it if you want your knitting time to completely dissapear.

On the left is a pair of toe-up Jitterbug socks. Here I tried Charlene Schurch's reverse heel flap. I should have started about an inch sooner-- right where the arch begins.

On the right is a pair of house/slipper socks. I knit the soles first with a dk/worsted handspun on US 3s, then I knit the instep from the toe and attached the sides as I went with another hanspun yarn on US 2s. Since the yarn was from my second & third week of spinning, it was a lumpy/bumpy knitting experience! They're incredibly warm, and great to wear in the winter on hardwood floors.

Here's some of the superwash sock yarn I've spun this month. I'm thinking there just isn't time to knit all of this up-- so I might just have to give some to friends! :)