Finished Object, Really This Time

I can't believe it.  I knit a pair of socks in less than a week.  And these have 23 cm legs (9 in)!  Although they are only size US 7.5, so the foot is about 21.7 cm (with .9 negative ease)  or about 8.1 in.

I guess when I am monogamous, I can actually finish things.

Except that I wasn't totally monogamous.  I knit one row of my Echo Flower Shawl.  Had to knit something different!  And when I was riding the exercise bike at the Y, I knit on my Better than French Vanilla socks.  I don't need a pattern for those, so they make much better bike knitting.

These are for the Orange (July) challenge with SolidSocks, and the designer is Claudia Eisenkolb, one of the featured designers for the Sock Knitters Anonymous July Challenge.  The yarn is Flock Sock Sock Yarn by Holiday Yarns and the color is Mango Tango.

I finished the heels on Saturday (2 days ago).

Knit the gussets

and the feet down to where the foot chart started Sunday (yesterday)

I actually knit about 4 rows of the foot chart before I got too tired and went to bed.

Today I knit the foot and toe charts.  These go right up to the last row.

I finished listening to A Tale of Two Cities on CraftLit while I was kitchener stitching the toes.  And, yes, I got teary eyed.

They need to be washed and blocked, but I am amazed that I can finish a pair in a week.  I was about to say that I had no life this week, and that helped me finish, but I actually had a tiny bit of a life when I went to the movies then out to dinner at a friend's house, so, I must be getting a bit faster?

Something like that.

Well, when I wasn't knitting these socks for Moogie, I was either sleeping or at the Y knitting on my Better Than French Vanilla Socks.  Considering I really only work on those for the 30 minutes of biking every day, they are making decent progress.  The legs are finally about 4 inches, and I am thinking that I might go ahead and just knit the heels.  Or not.  I can't decide if I should give them normal length legs.

Anyway, I did make it to the Y today.  So...

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I knit for 6.6 miles this morning, then walked for another .27 miles.  This puts me at 291.63 miles total on my trip.  Wow, I am getting close to 300 miles.  I should hit that on Wednesday, if I am good and go tomorrow and Wednesday to the Y.


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I have made it to Eugene!


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California here I come.  Sort of.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with a daughter with 2 pairs of handmade socks

Tip: Don't Knit Socks While Watching So You Think You Can Dance

I didn't post my progress photos yesterday for the Makiba Socks that I am making for my daughter, Moogie, so I am doing a catch up post now before I get going on them again.

I had finished the legs Friday night before I went to bed, but the light had gone (it sets late here, but it was still too late to get a decent photo), so I took some photos yesterday morning right before I got started knitting.  I knit the legs 23 cm (9 in) which I hope will be long enough for Moogie's tastes.
They are now too long for the glasses I am using as sock blockers/photo props.

The detail is very pretty.  And the ribbing makes them very stretchy.

I got started on the first heel.  The instructions are to continue the ribbing on the heel.  I want these socks to last, so I wanted to do some type of slip stitching to give a bit of extra fabric there.  I put in a lifeline, in case I didn't like what I planned, and knit the heel with the ribbing pattern, but on the Right Side slipping every Knit stitch.  Other than that, I followed the pattern.

I think it shows the ribbing pattern nicely.  This is what it looks like from the wrong side:

You can't see the slipped stitches because off the ribbing I think, but hopefully, these will give some wear.

I then went on and knit the heel turn from memory.  I am so ridiculously proud of myself that I am able to do this now with no instructions.  I just keep a stitch marker showing where the middle of the heel is, then start my turn 1 stitch after the marker.

My instructions for a heel of any EVEN number of stitches would be:

Row 1:  Right Side, Sl 1,  Knit to the center stitch marker, sm,  k1, ssk, k1, turn
Row 2:  Wrong Side, Sl 1, Purl to the center stitch marker, sm p1, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3:  Right Side, Sl 1, Knit to 1 before the gap, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4:  Wrong Side, Sl 1, Purl to 1 before the gap, ssk, p1, p2tog, p1, turn
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all of the stitches on the the heel are used.

If you have an ODD number of stitches on the heel flap, the directions are basically the same, except I put 2 stitch markers, one on either side of the center stitch. 

Row 1:  Right Side, Sl 1, Knit to the 2nd stitch marker, sm, k1, ssk, k1 turn
Row 2: Wrong Side, S1, Purl to past the middle to the 2nd stitch marker, sm p1, p2tog, p1, turn
proceed as with Rows 3 and 4 above.

If I want a wider heel, I make the first 2 rows, 2 stitches past the stitch markers.  There is no counting involved.  As long as you pay attention, you just watch for the gap created by the short rows, then either ssk or p2tog across that gap.  Super simple

As I knit yesterday morning, I watched So You Think You Can Dance.  This season, they will have 1 girl winner and 1 boy winner.  I like more winners.  However, every season, I just want the girls all voted off, and only the boys left.  Really, I think all of the girls pretty much look and dance alike.  Their solos rarely have anything to do with the music, and are pretty much just carbon copies of each other done by girls dancing in sport bras  (why?).  I know the show worries about girls only voting for the guy dancers, but that is because they are way more distinctive than the girls.  That being said, I like the 3 ballet dancers, and the only girl who stands out this season is the girl ballet dancer.  (I rarely learn the dancers names, just give them nicknames for the season...)  I think the judges deliberately dissed the 2 guy ballet dancers, to give the other dancers a chance, because, let's face it, they have way the best technique.

So, why not watch and knit?  Well, first, I can't really knit and not look at my knitting, so every time there is a performance, I have to stop knitting to watch.  (Oh, yes, you might be able to tell that I DVR'd the show, which is a bit of a pain because I can never vote).  This stopping-knitting-to-watch-the-dancing slows down my already famously slow knitting.  But, the real problem was that I became so enthralled in the show, I love pretty much all of the 10 guys, and just want the girls to go, that I did not knit the 2nd heel flap, I just turned the heel.  So I had one mutant sock.  I finished it and was ready to pick up the gusset just as we were getting ready to go see the new Spiderman movie, (I really liked it, and do NOT feel that the story has already been told, who needs more Spiderman).  EEEEEEK!  I had to rip it back.  After the movie, my husband, the Doc, and I went over to a neighbor's house for a barbecue, yum, salmon and steak.  I brought my sock, and was able to knit the missing heel flap and the cup before the light got so dim in the backyard, that I was worried I would make a mistake.  When we got home, I was too tired to blog and went straight to bed.

Thus the photos first thing, and this catch up blog.

Why it takes me 4 hours to take some photos, eat breakfast, start 2 loads of laundry, and write this blog I don't know.

Anyway, I am now ready to get started on the gussets.  Oh, just an observation and a question about gussets.  When I pick up my gusset stitches, I just pick up what seems to make a nice solid fabric on each side (using the slipped stitches as a guide), but I never ever get the same number of stitches.  Never.  Does anyone else have this happen?  I mean, it's not a huge problem, as I just reduce the bigger side every round until they are even.  It's just a weird phenomenon.

I hope to be posting another brief(er) update of these socks tonight that will have finished gussets!

Stay safe and well.

yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet with mutant heels.

Fixed Heels

FO? Friday

No, I have not finished the Makiba Socks by Claudia Eisenkolb, that I am making for my daughter, Moogie (and SKA and SolidSocks groups on Ravelry.)

I do want to post a photo of my progress every day, though, so Moogie, who is in California for the summer, can watch the progress.

The yarn is Holiday Yarn's Flock Sock sock yarn in Mango Tango.

Today I finished the chart.  1 inch of a specific ribbing, and then 44 rows of the chart pattern.

After the chart, the instructions are for more of the ribbing, until the legs are the length you want.  Moogie likes her socks long.  So I checked the notes I made for the Glass Slipper Socks I knit for her last October.

I texted her to see what length she wants for these new socks, and she said the same as the Glass slippers.  What did the notes say?

NOTHING.

I did not write down how long I made the legs...  Why Why Why don't I take better notes?  I think they are 9 inches. or  @ 22.9 cm  I am trying to change my measuring to metric, because I feel that it is more precise.

I knit them to  15 cm (6 in.) then took a break for dinner and a photo.

Since then, I am at 19 cm (7.5 in).  but the light has gone.  I hope to get the legs completely knit tonight, and start on the heels tomorrow.  Since I had to finish my Circle Socks before I let myself start these,

 I am behind in my usual sock-a-month schedule.  If I am going to finish them before the end of the month, I need to really CRANK on them. 

That means that I won't be able to work on anything else, until I get these finished.  OOOOOOO MONOGAMY.  Can I do it?


 FO

I did finish listening to The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde, an audiobook I downloaded for FREE from my local King County Library.   If you love books, read this book.  I cannot recommend it enough.  The story is fun, the fantasy innovative, the characters terrific.  The best part is all of the funny historical and literary references made during the book.  At one point, the main character, Thursday Next (the character's names are absolutely wonderful), goes to a production of Richard III where the audience has seen the play so many times, that they have dispensed with actors, and just cast audience members.  It is obviously a play on the Rocky Horror Picture Show phenomenon in the 1970's and 80's, because the play is done with a bunch of audience participation.  Anyway, the idea that a historical Shakespeare play could be a cult following was super funny to me. 

Where in the World is f1bercat?

Just 5 more miles knit today.  But I was happy because I made myself knit those 5 miles.  There are days that I knit for 45 min before I notice, and days that I start wondering if I can last at 10 minutes.  Today was one of those, but I stuck out the 5 miles.

That puts me almost to Eugene, Oregon.


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The progress is slow.  But I am telling myself, that at least it is steady.


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When I got out of the Y today it was raining.  I mean really raining with thunder and huge drops.  Thank goodness.  We need the water.  I don't like to water our yard, but the grass is getting a bit brown, and the flowers are fading.  The rain today really helped.

Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, and especially no thunder.  It is our swim team's B Champs meet, and our pool is hosting it.  If there is thunder, they will have to postpone the event, because of the danger of lightning. Boo.

Stay safe and well.

yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet with the legs of 2 mango colored socks.

Hi Moogie!  I miss you.

Socks Update

Why is it that  some patterns just seem to fly, and  others crawl.?

I loved knitting my Circle socks.  I love the yarn.  I love how they look.  But, the last 3 inches of the feet took forever.  I would try them on and think, ok, about 3 more inches until I can start the toes.  Then 2 hours later, try them on and think, 3 more inches until I can start the toes.  Two hours later, I still needed 3 inches.  I am not kidding, it took me a full day to knit about 3 inches.

I kept the circle pattern going down the foot, tapering it off into a point as I neared the toes.

It's not that the pattern was so complicated that it took a long time to knit, either.  This is a fast, easy pattern.  I'm not sure if it is all of the slipped stitches, pulling the fabric back, or what.  But it just took forever.

However, I am finished, and I love them.

They fit beautifully, too.

Now that I have finished, what am I knitting?  Why, socks of course.

I cast on a pair of socks that will double dip for both SolidSocks (they are orange), and SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous), as they are designed by Claudia Eisenkolb, and called, "Makiba."

Since the SolidSocks color for July is orange, I bought some beautiful mango colored Flock Sock yarn from Holiday Yarns.

The color is Mango Tango.  I bought 2 skeins because these socks are for my daughter, Moogie, and she likes the legs of her socks to be more like knee socks, and I don't want to worry about running out.  However, since the yarn is hand dyed, the balls are subtly different!  They should be an interesting look.

The pattern is not difficult, but there is a bit of lace and some cables.

Well, I can't decide if the pattern is easy, or it's just that I am getting better?

I love how they are coming along.  The leg pattern is 45 rows after the ribbing, and I am on 35.  (this photo was taken at 25, but now the light is gone.)

 As Moogie is down in California, helping at my brother's house, she won't be able to watch the progress of these socks.  I plan to post a photo every day, so she can "watch" them grow.


Where in the World is f1bercat?

I knit another 5 miles today, and walked .7.  I am happy that I am starting to walk a bit more.  I have downloaded audiobook version of the Eyre Affaire, by Jasper Fforde through our library system for free, and am listening to it while I knit/ride the exercise bike, and also while I walk on the treadmill.  I am enjoying this book a lot.  I heard about it on the 2 Knit Lit Chicks Podcast.  At our neighborhood Independence Day party, one of my friends told me that she likes to download audio books for free from the library, and how to get started.  Wow!  I couldn't wait to try it out.  And I am loving it so far.

Anyway, while listening, and knitting on my Better Than French Vanilla Socks, I made it to:


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Basically, I am north of Eugene, in the middle of nowhere.


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Every 5 miles gets me that much closer to my goal.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet while missing my Moogie