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.


View Larger Map

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


View Larger Map


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.

Why Can't I Count?

Everyone told me the circle socks are not very stretchy.  I kind of have cankles, too (that's fat ankles, where my ankles and calves are one big piece so:  calf/ankle = cankle).  I am making these socks for the Sock Knitters Anonymous June challenge (this group gives you 2 months to complete the challenge).  I'm using the gorgeous Honey Crisp sock yarn by Huckleberry Knits that I bought at Apple Yarns during the 2012 Puget Sound LYS Tour in May. 

Anyway, the pattern has an 8 stitch repeat (super easy by the way), and it calls for 64 stitches cast on.  So, I am thinking brilliantly that I will cast on 72 stitches, to help with the lack of stretch, and the cankle situation.  I can put 4 sets of 8 on one side of the magic loop needle, and 5 on the other. 9 x 8 = 72.  That should fit me.  But then I decide that I like this yarn knit tightly, so I drop down to a size 0 US needle.  With 72 stitches, that should still be ok.

I did 4 and 1/2 repeats of the leg pattern.  I split one skein of  yarn, and because I had to add stitches, I am a bit worried that I will run out.  These are more than 3 inches required to count for SKA, but won't be super long socks.

The heel is an Eye of Partridge pattern.

 I added a small side garter stitch to frame them.

I am knitting these socks 2-at-a-time, of course.  I finished the first heel, and was getting ready to start the second, when I realized that the first sock actually had 80 stitches, and the second sock only 72.  I am not kidding.  Somehow I never noticed that one sock had 7 stitch markers, and the other one 8.  I couldn't believe it.  How could I be so unobservant?  How could I knit the legs and not notice this? And, what to do now?

I tried on both socks, and the 80 stitch fit much better.  I actually could not really pull the 72 stitch sock over my heel.  Not stretchy, indeed.

So I frogged the 72 stitch sock, and cast it on a 2nd pair of needles, and spend the last 3 days reknitting it.  When I got to the heel, I put it back onto the same needle as the first sock, finished the heel turn, and went on with picking up both gussets.

I am back to working 2-at-a-time.

I love the look of the yarn.  I love the circles.

I REALLY love how the yarn looks on the heels.

I have finished the gusset and am now knitting the feet.  The pattern has the circles stopping at the heels, and a plain stockinette foot, but I have continued the circles down the foot to the end of the gusset at least.  I hope to finish these socks this week.  I plan on wearing them.

They better fit.

At least they are now the same size.

Stay safe and well, and if you live in the USA, hope you had a wonderful Independence Day.  We sure did.

Yours,
f1bercat

almost shaping the planet with completely mismatched socks because I can't count to 10