New socks

I needed a break from the entrelac socks, so I started a new sock this morning...these are Spey Valley socks from Knitting on the Road, in Trekking, what else?


I've done these before, Trekking as well, but the cuff was a bit too tight. So I did the cuff ribbing/pattern in size 2s, and switched to size 1's for the leg. We'll see how that works out.

Oh, and a big thanks to Susann for sending me the Trekking.

Daffy Socks

Voila!. These are regular old toe-up socks, made with Knit Picks Sock Garden in Daffodil. For me. I like this yarn and would use it again. I've got more KP sock yarn in the wings but I must finish some mystery socks and the Tulip socks first. They're a little stretched at the top because I just took them off before snapping the pic. They're drying from a wash, as we speak.

Entrelac. Eh.

I started the entrelac socks. I don't mind doing the entrelac. I actually quite like it. But, on size 1 dpns? Eh. Not liking it so much. This is what I have so far.




My problem is this: the entrelac causes small seams on the inside, and the sock is entrelac all the way around. Something tells me that this isn't the most comfortable thing. Do I make just one to say I've made one? Do I make a full pair? Do I say F it and rip it out and use my precious Trekking on something else? Help!

Socks at knitting group

Catherine and I both brought socks to knitting group tonight! Catherine is working on her 2nd Jaywalker for Sockapaloooza and I'm working on my Sixth Sense Socks.

Seems I'm either blabbing too much here or...

.... really productive. Make your own choice please.

First I started a springy version of the Jaywalkers using yarnovers instead of the kfb and the beginning and end of each needle.
I'm using a 100% Merino yarn from Helloyarn.

Then I finished the thrummed socks, which will go in the mail tomorrow to find a caring home.













Then I started a pair of socks for my husband with the Regia Silk I got on Friday. It knits up really lovely and feels good to touch.

When I continue knitting at this speed, I'm back with new pictures soon.

Well, I finally finished a pair of socks- just plain stockinette in regia silk.

once they were done I worked up a pattern for my DK weight yarn and knitted it up. I'll write the pattern out in more detail and follow it to proof it for the second sock- then I'll post it on cavyshops.com for other people to try.

If you're interested...

There's a hand-dyed sock yarn swap Dye-o-Rama that has signups open now.

Basically, you dye a skein of sock yarn for your buddy. Kool-Aid, acid dyes, whatever. Check it out.

My first Trekking

I ordered 2 balls of Trekking XXL because the colours were so pretty in the picture. It arrived today and is much prettier than in the pictures!
No 166 of the new Aquarell colours
and no. 134 of the 2006 colours

Can't wait to knit the Aquarell colour into something beautiful. But first I have to knit socks in Regia silk for the husbeast; unfortunately he has chosen charcoal as his favourite colour.

Socks and the Harlot

I saw the Yarn Harlot today, and so did my socks! Joanna was there too and is holding her first Fair Isle sock!

Sockpal sox problems!!!!!

I wrote a post in my other blog and ealrier on in this blog that I was having problems with my sock pal sox, Well all did not go to plan...


The first pair was too small and I sent them to a friend in Brooklyn NY.






The second pair was coming along great,I had managed to get it to work out that they would be identical twin sox, then the yarn threw me, an extra pink piece of yarn mysteriously appeared mid way down the leg part of the sock. As I was knitting the second sock when I was away for the weekend and I didn't have the first one with me, I didn't realise the problem till I came home and by this point it was too late, both sox were finished. I know I could send a pair of fraternal sox to my sockpalooza pal, but I'm a perfectionist and no way can I do that. They are too small for me, but I think I will give them to my mum to wear when she goes walking.



You can see the discrepancy better in this picture.







THIRD TIME LUCKY........................

Here are the final sox that I have knitted for my sockpal. I hope she likes them.

They have a lacy top and are knitted from Opal sock yarn...75% superwash virgin wool and 25% polyamide.
I actually managed to work out the yarn correctly and they are identical twin sox.

And more socks for me!

Pattern: Elfine's Socks PDF here
Yarn: Knitpicks Essential in Grass
Started: 3/17/06
Finished: 4/18/06

Actually, can you keep a secret? They're not for me! *wink*

Someone stop me

I bought Socks, Socks, Socks today. And I cast on using Trekking (in the same colorway as Bean's Jaywalkers). You're wondering what, right? I need help. I want them, badly.



The appeal of this sock to me? It just looks so difficult, but I know entrelac is not. It's the challenge. It's toe up, and I've got just a few rows before I start the entrelac on it. More when I have enough for a good photo.

Back home with Jaywalkers!

Just 10 minutes before arriving at home, the second sock was finished! Good timing, right?!
You're wondering why they look so different from Saturday morning's post? Well, I can explain that. As always I started with 60 stitches and knit the cuff. Then I thought it might be a good idea to try them on and see if they fit over the heel. They didn't. So I frogged all, left the ribbing since it was wide enough and added 8 stitches. Knit down to almost the heel, now it was too wide. You can imagine what came next. Yes, I frogged again and knit a bit tighter, because the pattern needed the 68 stitches. This time it came out perfect.
I have a somewhat narrow foot, so I decreased 8 stitches after the heel, which brought me back to 60 and the nice stripes again.


So, what's next you ask? I think I'll make another pair of Jaywalkers with handdyed sockyarn I got from Helloyarn ages ago.

I'm still socking...

I've finally finished one of the toe up socks in KnitPicks Sock Garden-Daffodil. I'll refer to them as the Daffy socks. They most certainly drove me that. I bound off the cuff and the bloody thing was too tight! Even with using a needle 3 times bigger than the needle I used to knit with. Still couldn't get the sock over my heel.

I had to rip back to the beginning of the cuff(just easier to pick up the stitches in stockinette than in ribbing), reknit the ribbing and I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off to try again. It worked! I was able to get the whole sock on! I must remember this from now on. The sewn bind-off is a little more time-consuming than a regular bind-off but soooooo worth it! If you'd like some easy instructions for the bind off, look here .

Sorry, no pics as yet. Gonna wait til I get further on the mate before doing that.

I did not drop off the earth...

I just did not feel like knitting anything for about 3 weeks. Finally I overcame this phase and now am back in business.

I finished one of the thrummed socks and started the second. Unfortunately I ran out of fiber today, so I have to make a trip to the wool mill next week, which will sure end in bringing home a ton of fiber of all kinds.
I also finished one Pomatomus today, but decided against casting on for the second, because we're going on a road trip tomorrow and Pomatomus needs too much attention to be knit in the car.

I decided to start Jaywalkers for the road trip. I'm using Knitpicks Sockgarden in the Hydrangea color I got from Bean in exchange for Opal Petticoat. It knits up really lovely and is a joy to work with. I hope I have more finished socks after this weekend.

Jaywalker Progress

Here is a couple of pictures of my Jaywalkers. In the first, you'll see a sock and a ball of yan. Why is that, you ask? Yes, well...um. I started the second sock and got 1" into the pattern rows before realizing that I was using my #2 Addis, rather than the #1s. That's what I get for grabbing my project and running out the door without paying attention. :) I frogged the sock and rewound the yarn this evening, but I don't feel like casting on again, so I'll leave it to do tmorrow morning over my coffee. The second picture is detail of the pattern and shows the colors more accurately.

New Opal Rainforest yarns...

No I haven't disappeared from the sock world, but I have been so busy with work and trying to get stuff organized for my etsy shop that I haven't gotten much done. I plan to post a sock pattern on my website in a couple weeks, though!

Anyway, I got this link in an e-mail today, Opal, the beanie baby of sock yarns, is releasing a new line I think this summer. It's a new line of animal/insect themed patterns http://www.ptyarn.com/newrainforest.html

Yeah. I just said freak it and did stockinette the rest of the way. I've had enough of the pattern. Here you go!

Finally getting somewhere..

Thought I'd dropped off the face of the sock-knitting world huh? Nope. Been into this and that.. and life. But, here's a progress pic of my latest sock project, Pomatomus .

This picture was taking just after picking up the gusset stitches. At the time of this writing I'm about a third of the way through the gusset decreases. Pretty soon it's on to the foot!, and I can finally wear the somsuches. Poma was, and continues to be a very trying pattern. I lost my way many times and somehow managed to find my way back. I'm sure if you saw them up close you'd be able to see the mistakes. But to heck with that!

On with the knitting!

Finished sox

My Opal Zebra socks are now finished, I started them when I was at SKIPnorth. I really like them, but haven't actually worn them yet as I have a problem with a swollen left foot and lower leg (more on that later) and I am unable to get them on, well I suppose I could if I stretched them but I don't want to do that!!



I also finished these lacy socks, knitted in Online cotton sock yarn. I really liked knitting them. I had decided they were for my Sockpalooza pal, but I'm not sure if the foot is wide enough for her, so have decided to knit an other pair for her with some of the Lana Grossa I bought today. They will also be lacy but not that one. I will have to look through my patterns to see what I can find.

Two pairs finished socks

They've been done awhile, but forgot to post them.

My sockapaloooza socks, Jaywalker in Schaefer Anne:


My Pomatomus socks in Trekking (drool):

Hey, look! A pair!

Deja Vu huh? 'Cept this time - there's TWO! And they both have TOES! Exciting huh?

Yarn: Regia 4-fadig Crazy Color (#5437)
Modifications: I fucked up the gusset decreases on the second, you can't tell though. I didn't decrease enough. I decreased until there were 18/18 stitches on each circ instead of a 18/16 split. I call it a custom sock because everyone has a foot that's a bit bigger than the other one. Right?