Sock Progress

2013.02.14

 

Hello:

It's Lent.  I am going to try to post every day.  Can I do it?  They might be little quick posts, but I will try to make them meaningful.

One of the problems with this is that I often wait too late to take photos of my work, and since the sun is still setting pretty early here, that means no photos or badly lit photos.  I need to set up a light box or something to take care of that problem.

I did take photos of the 2 pairs of socks that I am working on, though, in bad light.  This makes the colors look really sad.  Which is wrong because both of the yarns that I am using are really amazing looking.  And, for entirely different reasons.

The first pair are the Smaug socks by Claire Ellen.

I have turned the heels on both of the socks.  In this photo, taken at about 4:30, I had turned one heel, but just finished the heel flap on the other.

You can see the wonderfully fun dragon scale pattern.
Here is a much better photo of the color of these socks:

I am just loving them.

The second pair are the Improvised Crossings by our own Hrvdmnky.  I flipped her pattern and am making them toe up.  I rarely knit socks in anything but solid colors these days (it is all about submitting for as many possible prizes as I can, and if I use solid yarn, I can submit to SolidSocks and Sock Knitters Anonymous SKA as well as Harry Potter Knit Crochet House Cup HPKCHC).  This partly for the prizes (ok, it started out ALL for the prizes) but then, I realized that you can see the pattern way better with solid yarns.  I have a few skeins of multicolored sock yarns from before I joined SolidSocks.  One skein, especially, is just particularly lovely.  I WON this yarn in an SKA drawing last year from Lisa Souza Dyeworks.  I decided that since I was going to try to make 2 pairs of socks this month (am I crazy?  it's the shortest month of the year), I thought I would use this yarn.  The pattern is simple enough that the yarn does not overwhelm it.  I think the yarn and pattern are working well together.

I have been bringing these with me to knit on when I need something that does not take a lot of brain power.  That means that I am knitting them in the offices of our local high school and middle school while I wait for the kids I am tutoring to show (or not) up.  No less than three people asked me if they were cookies.

What is wrong with people?

Here are the tops. 

You can see that I have finished the heels, picked up the gussets, and am beginning to knit up the legs.  I will probably bring these to Madrona tomorrow as they don't require a chart and a lot of counting.

If you are at Madrona, please look for me.  You will know me by the socks!  I would love to have someone who reads this blog say hi.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with 4 heels.

Pamina

Hello!

It is so windy tonight!  A bit scary with our tall trees. 

I am busy trying to get a ton of projects in some type of finished state.  I didn't finish my December socks for SKA and SolidSocks, but, since SKA gives you 2 months, I can still submit them for the prize drawing if I am finished by December 31.

I have finished turning the heels, and am ready to start the gusset and heel decreases.  These are toe up, as I am using up 2 partial skeins of yarn and didn't want to run out.

I don't have any new photos, just the ones I took last December when I realized they were way too small, and I had to frog back the heels and increase 2 more inches on the feet.

This has been a really fun knit.  I am writing the pattern myself, and it's pretty simple, but I think interesting enough that I'm not bored.  Once I have gotten above where shoes might hit, I will start adding beads.  The December SKA challenge (well one of them) is beads.  SolidSocks is blue for Dec.  Which I am a bit bummed that I didn't finish on time for, but I am not at all bummed that I will still have some socks from this gorgeous yarn.

I already posted photos of 2 of the afghan squares I have finished so far this month.  I also made one more tiny afghan square, of my own design.  If you can't tell, my big New Year's Resolution this year is to Design.  This is the first square for a Baby Afghan:

I'm calling this square "Year of the Boar."

The other project that I have made some progress on is my January socks.  I am doing the designer challenge for SKA, and am knitting Pamina by Caoua Coffee.   These are so detailed, so intricate, so twisted cabled, that it is taking me forever to do one row.  I am again using 2 partial skeins, the SolidSocks challenge is for yellow, so I am using up my Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock Yarn in Squash Blossom.  I get so many compliments for the first pair of socks I made with this yarn.  I'm a bit nervous that I will run out, as I have big feet, so I might do shorter legs.  The pattern calls for 3.75 repeats of the pattern before starting the heels, and I might take out one of them.  I will have to see how short that makes them in the leg.

Anyway, here is what the cuff and 1/2 of the first repeat looks like:

I'm knitting them 2 at a time, and that is working ok.  There are a few rows where you have to move stitches, so I am putting the moving stitch on a locking stitch marker, dropping it from the needle, and picking it up when I come around the sock.  It is working great, and the designer, thoughtfully warns you 1 row ahead that this is happening, so I haven't had to slide stitches around because I forgot to do it.

Peace.
Yours,

f1bercat
shaping the planet with yellow sock cuffs.

Sunny Days

Hello!

I'm in Phoenix, Arizona for a few days, spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family and 2 of my own kids, Moogie and Himes.

I just took 2 apple pies out of the oven and put in 2 pumpkin pies, and while I wait for those to bake, I am trying to finish the heels of my Snape's Stockings

that I am knitting for the Doc, and for my HPKCHC History of Magic OWL (and also SolidSocks and SKA... are they a threefer or a fourfer?)

Today, my Father in Law, Himes, Moogie,

and I went to visit my Mother in Law's grave.  I miss her dreadfully.  She was a lovely woman, and a wonderful mother in law and Grandma to my kids.  We are thinking of you, Jeannie, and so wish you were celebrating this day of family with us.

Stay safe and well,
Yours,

f1bercat
shaping the planet with 4 pies and a bit of a hole in her heart.

Lily's Socks

Hello!

I'm posting quickly before running out to attend the monthly meeting of the Eastside Knitters Guild. This is not my regular S n B group that meets on Wednesdays.  This is an actual Knitting Guild and it is a member of the Knitting Guild Association.  I have posted about this group before, but not for a while because I have not been able to attend a meeting since the beginning of the summer.  Since they only meet once a month, on the 4th Monday, if I am not at home that day... well, I have been gone quite a bit.

They not only participate in some great knitting charities, like making scarves for the Special Olympics, but they have speakers at the meetings.  Tonight's speaker is from the Skacel Company. This company is based in the area, is the distributor of Addi Knitting Needles,  and will be opening a retail store soon.  I will report back here.

On the needles

This is just a quick photo of my purple Bubbly Socks.  Once again, the pattern is by VeryBusyMonkey, and I am getting a 3fer out of these.  The color for October for SolidSocks Group is Purple, VeryBusyMonkey is one of the featured designers for Sock Knitters Anonymous (SKA),  and these are the 2nd of 3 pairs of socks I am making for my History of Magic OWL in Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup (HPKCHC) Group.  They are for Lily Potter, who excelled in Potions Class.  The bubbles and the purple color both reminded me of Harry's mom.

I started these before I left to go down to California to help out at my brother's house, but didn't make much progress.  I love the pattern, I love the yarn.  For some reason, I keep twisting the cables the wrong way.  Finally, I just gave in.  If they are twisted wrong, well they will just stay that way.  I think that I will make my next pair of cabled socks 1-at-a-time, though.  It is just too hard to fix cable errors by dropping down, and too time consuming to tink 2 pairs when only one has the error.

I brought these socks to Arizona last weekend, and worked almost monogamously on them.  I was able to knit both heels, finish the gussets, and begin working down the feet.  I was getting a bit worried that I wouldn't finish them by October 31, the deadline for SolidSocks, because they are tough to work on if it is at all dark.  Now I know I will be finished by this weekend at the latest.

I still have a special hat that I am knitting for my son, Pookie, for Halloween, and my daughter, Moogie, asked if I would sew her a costume.  I need to get cracking on those.

Maybe tomorrow.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,

f1bercat
Shaping the planet with purple socks.

Triple Dipped Socks

First room at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Hello!

HPKCHC

I have finally made some progress on my socks for September.  I think I posted here that I committed to making 3 pairs of socks for the Fall Term in HPKCHC for my OWL project.  Normally, I make a pair a month anyway, well I did last year, so I should be able to complete this project.

The first pair of socks that I am making are named Coupling  by Deb Barnhill.  She is one of the featured designers for September for Sock Knitters Anonymous.  The "technique" for this month is to knit something in RED.  I  was tempted.  But the challenge for SolidSocks is to knit in either Black, White or Gray.  Definitely not RED.  With all the things I am trying to finish up, as well as plans to head back to Southern Calif in October, I didn't want to try to knit 2 pair of socks this month, so I had to go with a designer and not the technique.  Not a problem though.  She has some very lovely patterns.

I originally started these socks in some Kroy Socks by Paton in Gentry Gray.

  But, Since I was afraid that they would be too tight, they have only 56 stitches each, I added 14 more stitches.  Seven on the instep (the pattern is a 7 stitch repeat) and 7 to the sole.  I also started knitting with size 2 Addi Turbo needles.  The Owl requires that you submit a gauge swatch before the examiners will ok your project.  I don't usually knit gauge swatches for socks.  But I was glad I did because they were huge!

So I frogged them all the way and recast on with a different yarn and the right number of stitches.  These were a bit too big, too, so FROGGED them again and recast them on size 1 Addi Turbos.  Well, I cast on 1 sock.  For the OWL, to gauge swatch for a pair of socks, you cast on one, knit the cuff and 2 inches of the pattern, then measure.  Since these are toe up, I knit the toes and 2 inches of the foot.  This gave me a decent swatch.  Well, third time is a charm, and they seem to be the right size now.

I submitted my OWL, then had to wait a day for the examiners to ok it.  Of course I worked on many other projects, especially the various squares for the 2012BAMCAL.  As most of those have fit the class prompts, I was also finishing classes while I waited.

Once the ok came, I got started knitting.  First I started the 2nd sock, and when the 2 were at the same place, knit them onto one set of circulars.  The 2nd pair was started on a pair of KnitPicks Harmony needles (I love the sharp points on this brand), and as I was knitting them onto the Addis, I broke a tip!

I kept knitting with the broken needle.  It wasn't too bad.  The only hard part were the SSK's where I had to insert the broken needle through the back loops of 2 stitches.  But I persevered, and now the socks are ready to start the gusset increases.

I will be knitting almost monogamously on these for the rest of the month, so I should be able to finish them by Sept 30.  I will have Quidditch and I am still making spa washcloths for Christmas gifts.  These are part of 2 other HPKCHC challenges as well.  But the bulk of my afghan block crocheting is finished.  I still have 1 more 12 in pattern (2 squares), the September filler pattern, to hook, but no pressure if I need to do that next month.

These socks are very easy, and I like the way the pattern is showing up with this yarn.  I should be able to submit them for SolidSocks, SKA, and HPKCHC.

A triple dipped pair!

Where in the world is f1bercat?

I still haven't made it back to the Y and the bike trip, but today I walked around our block the LONG way, so I walked about 1 mile.

Hope to get on the bike on Monday.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet with some correctly gauged socks

Chihuly Garden and Glass, First room.

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

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

A Tale of 2 Heels

Warning!  Lots of spoiler photos of the Rombikiri Socks by YarnYenta.


I am participating in the Solid Socks Mystery Sock KAL/Green Sock challenge for the month of June.  The pattern is called Rombikiri, and is by the YarnYenta, Heatherly Walker.  The pattern so far is this wonderful diamond design.

The 3rd clue was for the heels.  Nothing new there, just an Eye of Partridge Heel with a Garter Stitch Border. (Notice how casually I write that?  LOL!  I've done 3 socks now with borders, and this is my 2nd Eye of Partridge Heel.  I'm such an expert!)

But it got me really thinking about design. Like many new knitters, I want to learn how to design my own pieces.  I am now pretty comfortable with altering socks for size.  I have taken things designed to be knitted flat, and changed them to the round (like the Belinda Jane Doll by Flutterby Patch).  But, I have not started a design from scratch.

There is a woman who comes occasionally to the Eastside Stitchers Wednesday night Stitch n Bitch who was making  pair of socks of her own design.  And, as she described it, it's not that hard.  I mean, you just pick a lace or texture pattern that has a reasonable number of repeats, and use it. Of course, that is basically true, but when you look at really successful patterns, there is more to it.  There is something about balance, and poetry in a really successful design.

Why do designers choose one heel over another?

Here are some of the heels I have knit over this year:

My first Eye of Partridge heels.

Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder Oct SKA 2011

For the November, Man Sock, SKA challenge, I made 2 pair of socks, both with traditional sl 1 k1 heel flaps.

Movember Mystery Sock by Deb Barnhill Nov SKA 2011

Mr. Pitt's Socks by Kaitlyn Wong Nov SKA 2011

The choices for top down socks seem to be, continuing some kind of pattern over the flap, plain stockinette (not very sturdy), the standard s1 k1 ribbed flap, and Eye of Partridge.  Now, I am sure there are more possibilities, but these are the ones I have learned.

So, how does a designer decide which to use in her sock design?  I am so fashion senseless.  It seems to me in the socks that I posted above that the heel choices were really on the mark.  The heels for the men's socks need to wear well, but not be too fussy.

The Snuggly Socks, designed by Liz Marino, that I made in her Gift Knits Club this year, follow the same principle.

Snuggly Socks by Liz Marino for 2012 Gift Knits Club

These socks used a textured rib, and are a unisex design, so the heel shouldn't be too fussy.

The Hermione's Every Day Socks, are pretty simple, but still feminine.  The Eye of Partridge Heel is a nice choice.

I love that heel, and think it is a pretty choice for the current socks I am knitting.  Also, it's fun to practice the pattern again.

So, what will my first sock design be?  And how will I construct the heels?  I have no idea.  But I am excited to think about it.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

 I knitted on the exercise bike this weekend as well as today, so I am going to add the 2 distances together, and make it look like I went really far!  And although I don't feel too poorly, I have the beginning of a cold, with the achy muscles, etc., so I'm really proud of myself for making it to the Y today. 6.86 miles on Saturday, + 7.34 miles today put me at 255.19 miles total on my trip.


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I am almost half way down the state of Oregon.

I'm starting to believe there is an end.  Maybe next year?

Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with a lot of socks

Sock Progress

This is the spoiler picture for the Solid Socks Group in Ravelry.  We use this picture on our project page so that people won't accidentally see progress photos of the mystery socks and spoil the surprise.  Warning, I am going to post my progress photos, so if you don't want to see the cuffs (clue 1) and one repeat of the leg (clue 2), then please don't scroll down.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I had a dentist appointment today, just a routine cleaning, but it messed up my usual schedule.  I still went to the Y and both rode the bike while knitting and walked while riding.  Who says  I can't multi-task?

So I knitted for 5.8 miles.  I felt pretty good, and was able to keep up a good pace.  I need to take a photo of the spa washcloth I am knitting while riding.  I am making good progress.  After riding, I got on the tread mill and walked for .55 miles.  I am trying to work up to 1 mile walked each day.  I was able to speed up the treadmill a little bit.  I read a bit over 1 chapter of The Game of Thrones.  I have already noticed that my back and legs are feeling better and stronger each day.  I am not sure about how much my cardio has improved, as I am super out of shape. But I am starting to see and feel some real progress.

Where does my 6.35 miles for today put me?


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a bit north of Oregon City.

WIP's

I have finished the first clue for the Solid Socks Group's June/July Mystery Sock, Rombikiri, by YarnYenta.

It has a tulip cuff, very cool.  I am using the Huckleberry Knits yarn that I bought during the Puget Sound LYS Crawl at Apple Yarns.

The color is Granny Smith.  The color challenge for June is green, and it just doesn't get much greener.

I also started my socks for Sock Knitters Anonymous Group's June Challenge, one of which is to knit socks designed by Anne Campbell  (KnitterlyAnne).  They are the Circle Socks.  I have just started, so you really can't see much yet.  The yarn is by Huckleberry Knits, also, in a different apple color, Honey Crisp.

I really hope these will fit because I think they will be beautiful.

Goodnight everyone.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet 2 pairs of apple socks at a time.