Southern Summer of Socks

Welcome to SSoS 2009/2010!

2009-10-15T21:50:00.002+11:00

Yes! Summer is here! Well, the Southern Summer of Socks anyway. By the powers vested in me by, oh, me, I declare summer has commenced! Sock knitters unite!

Bells and I have decided that most of the action this year will happen on Ravelry, in the SSoS group - we both participated in the Tour de France KAL this year which ran entirely on Ravelry and it worked really well!

But we know not everyone is necessarily on Ravelry or has a blog, so if you want to post on the SSoS blog that's absolutely fine, we won't be shutting it down or getting rid of anything, as there's lots of good info and sock knitting on here!

We hope you'll join us and have some fun knitting socks together this summer!

Spoil Me Socks

2009-04-20T08:41:00.004+10:00

These socks have to be the longest-to-knit-socks I have ever made!!!

They were started back in May 2008 and finished in January 2009.

It's not that the pattern was hard, it's just that I lost my mojo during that time.

The yarn is The Knittery's Merino Cashmere Sock (old style) in Cherries colourway and the pattern is my own - picot edging, eye of partridge heel and star toe.

There's a little bit about them on my blog Jo Knits (but not very much 'cos I deleted my blog and started again back in December).

On the upside - I think I've got my mojo back!!!!

Lost & Found

2009-03-29T14:50:00.002+11:00

Around the same time I joined this blog I lost my sock mojo. Every sock I started ended in the frog pool.

It took me about 2 months to get 3 inches done on the Herringbone sock from Interweave Winter 08. Then I decided it was too much effort and frogged it.

Same goes for everything I tried with the Noro sock yarn I got AGES ago in a fit of excitement about Noro putting out a sock yarn.

But my sock mojo has been found. My sister-in-law gave me a ball of self-striping sock yarn (Online Supersocke 100) for my birthday and I decided to give it another go. Loving the simplicity of stockinette.

This is my progress in a week.

Sorry if I'm only supposed to post finished socks on this blog. It's been so long since I joined I can't remember the rules!

Last of the Summer Socks

2009-03-21T12:52:00.005+11:00

Okay, so I didn't fully complete my challenge which was:

1. Knit more than 5 pairs.
2. Knit only from sock yarn already in my possession.
3. Try magic loop.

But I came close. I failed on the more than 5 pairs but I finished all 5 pairs that I did knit. I knitted only from sock yarn I already had and I tried and successfully completed a pair of socks using magic loop.

Here are the last two completed pairs:

The first pair is Embossed Leaves of which only the pattern part of the sock is the same as the original. The cuff and toe are plain old cuffs and toes. I'm a little bit lazy and took the easy road. They were knitted with Fleece Artist Sokomo in the Mermaid colourway. I really enjoyed knitting these socks.

The second pair are Luminare Socks. I struggled with these. I didn't like the yarn all that much, Knittery Slim Sock in Royal Velvet, and I kept having to rip back so often that it's a wonder they were finished at all. Their redeeming feature is that I love the colour and the pattern was sort of fun. I also made a mistake in not following the pattern properly but they look good and I am pleased with them.

I think I'm a bit socked out so that's all from me until next summer though I will probably knit some more socks during the year.

personal sockclub '09

2009-03-08T10:50:00.003+11:00

second shipment:

Show-off Stranded socks (free) in Wired for Fibre "Rita" - colourway "Sorcery"(?)

and my latest shipment:

Seaweed socks (free) in Wired for Fibre "Rita" - colourway "Kelp"

more details at my blog...

When does summer officially end?

2009-03-07T19:55:00.003+11:00

When does the SSOS officially end? Just in case I dont make it in time, here is my newly finished Escher sock (from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn). Now, it just needs a mate.

TaaDaa!

2009-02-25T13:48:00.005+11:00

Here is another pair

Show-off stranded socks in Blue Moon's Socks That Rock, Fire on the Mountain in mediumweight

Bringing out my (not very) inner colour tart! That's 6 pairs so far and another nearly sock finished (and 2 more just cast on!)

lion's mane socks

2009-02-20T14:35:00.003+11:00

It's been a while since I've been here. I've been concentrating on lacy things this summer and have not done many socks. However, as things change in my life yet again, I'll be picking up more socks as I find them not only soothing and meditative but also very portable.

This is wool from Donyale It was a pleasure to knit and just look how evenly the stocking stitch knitted up. Easily seen on the foot. It's not a usual colour for me but I liked this as soon as I saw it. I have another lot of her sock wool, in teal colour. I'm still considering how I'll make these.

The plant is a kumara, sweet potato vine. I found one under the shelf in the pantry just before Christmas. It was sprouting, so as an experiment I planted it. It's grown very quickly and is attractive to look at, although I doubt f we'll get anything from it.

The insertion lace is the cat's paw print which I thought was appropriate for the name of the colour. It's a simple six row pattern over seven stitches and I added three rows between each pattern repeat. With just six rows, each repeat was quick to do and another repeat was quick to follow. Ive done shot row heels and toes many times but this time I pushed the sock through to the inside of the knitting and put the three needle bind off on the inside.

pass the slipped stitch over

I Have Been Lazy .....

2009-02-19T10:18:00.002+11:00

....... eversince I came back from my holidays & have neglected to post these socks that I knitted during my holidays ....

Pattern : My own design

Yarn : Dream In Color

Needles : 2.5mm Harmony dpns

You can read more about these socks on my blog.

In addition, I have also posted a free sock pattern that I designed last year on Ravelry .....

Snakes and Ladders

Hope you enjoy these socks !

Ann

Catch up

2009-02-16T19:37:00.003+11:00

I just realised I haven't posted on here for ages..... I finally finished the monkey socks I posted about ages ago, with some success (they are a bit hard to pull over my heel, is this normal with handmade socks???) I would have liked the legs to be longer. I have started a second pair of Cookie A socks, Marlene from Knit.1 which will hopefully not need to be frogged AGAIN... had some gauge issues which might have been due to the fact I was knitting with 2.5mm needles instead of 2.75mm. I don't know how that happened :)

I also got super crafty and made myself the sock blockers below which the monkey socks are on, it was super easy to make and cost me $2.99!

The first...

2009-02-16T13:36:00.004+11:00

These are my first completed socks for the ssos (I'm a late adopter) and the first for my 2009 Personal Sock Club.

They are Nancy Bush's Child's French Socks from 'Knitting Vintage Socks' and are knitted from Araucania Ranco Solid in grey. More details on my blog.

My next Personal Sock Club 'delivery' is 21 February. I'm looking forward to being surprised by my next project - how strange to be entertained by a surprise I've arranged for myself!

At last - socks for your pleasure!

2009-02-15T16:51:00.005+11:00

I've been a bit naughty about blogging on SSoS.

I have finished 5 pairs so far (one pair had one completed sock and had been abandoned for another love for a while, so it was a bit of a head start). Then there was the frantic Christmas knitting and so on.

Before Christmas I finished the Dragon Dance socks (finally!) and also started and finished Holidazed. That was the January and December kits from the Rockin' Sock Club.

Then while we were on our delayed Christmas holiday I finished 3 pairs L to R you can see Circle socks in CTH Champlain Sunset, Waving Lace in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight in Seastone, and Mojos in Yarn Pirate BFL.

I have 3 more single socks and a half sock I would like to make friends for before the end of SSoS. We shall see!

Random Ribs Lucky #13

2009-02-15T12:01:00.003+11:00

Yay a finished pair of socks - these were done last week but I was saving them for Valentine's day. S.V. lucky #13 pair.
They are Stephen Colbert Socks by Mason-Dixson book "Knitting Outside The Lines".
Knitted in Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester Socks yarn from the wool shop in Mosman - can't remember the name.
They were alot of fun to knit but I did do my normal trick of knitting ove 1/2 of the first sock before trying them on the S.V. only to discover they were too small this time. Back to the start and over again - you would think the lesson was learnt.

Here is my Personal Sock Club for 2009

nearly done the first sock of the second pair.

Personal Sock Club - 1 done, 11 to go!

2009-02-13T11:26:00.005+11:00

A thing I didn't fully realise about my personal sock club was how much of an incentive a new brown bag was going to be to finish a pair of socks! I've almost flown through the first pair of socks (well, to be honest, I cheated a little, but anyway) and am so excited to be picking out another brown bag soon.

Here's the ones just done - Bartholomew's Tantalising Socks from Cat Bordhi's wonderful New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One. I highly recommend this book if you don't already have it!!

You can read more about these on my blog!

Pomatomus Socks

2009-02-12T22:09:00.002+11:00

These socks have been around for a while. i first started them around this time a year ago, abandoning them when i screwed up the first repeat.

In January this year, I started them again and got into a bit of a groove with them. Sort of.

i still found them to be a bit of a slog, but I'd grown a bit as a knitter since I first cast them on and they were not so hard.

Full details here.

Bells

Pink Pablos

2009-02-10T22:04:00.005+11:00

I am so excited, I have finished my first toe-up socks and they fit. I knit them two at a time on one circular needle, also another first. They are the first socks in my Personal Sock Club.

Pattern: Pablo Blue Socks
Yarn: One Fat Slug Sock Yarn - Roses
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks Circular Needle

More on my blog

Melissa (HoneyBeeMine)

A Pair, A Pair, WooHoo A Pair

2009-02-04T16:49:00.006+11:00

As you can tell, I'm pretty excited. I've only managed one pair of socks during the whole of this awful summer. The weather has been crying out for sock knitting, but not me, oh no, I begin a winter vest and then a winter scarf and finally some lace knitting... but no socks - except these ones :)
So, here they are:

They are the Chains and Ladders sock from TheKnitter.com in Silja - one skein olive and one variagated teal/olive/magenta. Very pretty and the slipped stitch pattern create interesting texture.

And... because it is likely to be my only pair for this SSoS (they are also pretty cute), here is another photo

Deborah

Pretty Plain socks

2009-01-31T11:29:00.002+11:00

I haven't finished a pair of socks in a while, being occupied with other things to knit, but I had a plain pair going for a while to give me a break from harder stuff.

I'm thrilled with these. It's the Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock Recipe from Knitting Rules, and they fit me really well, something I don't often manage to get right. 64 stitches on 2.75mm needles. Seems to work well.

And I always love the Eye of Partridge heel. It suits variegated yarn so well!

The yarn is Regia, in a colourway designed by Kaffe Fasset. I think he missed his calling. He should be doing more of this. I like it better than his colour work designs!

Bells

Midnight Rose Meadows

2009-01-30T18:31:00.003+11:00

Ta dah! Another pair of socks. I am on fire!

These are Blackrose Socks from the winter edition of Knitty in Midnight Meadows Sundara sock yarn. I loved this yarn, but it nearly had me beat. The varegiation in the dye is quite subtle and I wanted a pattern that would show it to its best advantage. I cast on a number of socks in this yarn which were frogged - Leyburns, Paul Attwell and Charades twice. Then I chanced on the Blackrose pattern. It is lovely! Just enough lace to be interesting, yet an ideal television viewing sock. However I did get slightly more than I bargained for when whipping up the left sock. I thought my stitch marker had disappeared, and then I found it knitted into the ankle of the sock. Alas, the marker had to be snipped.

Noro Ribs

2009-01-27T18:55:00.003+11:00

first finished pair for 2009

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock - shade 184
Pattern: Simple 64st, 6x2 garter rib top-down with heel flap.
Needle: 2.75mm Knitpicks (ooh, sharp!)

more details on my blog...

Short and sweet

2009-01-18T15:33:00.002+11:00

Lilac Tofutsies anklets, a quick post-Christmas treat for myself. For all the details, see my blog.

Kiss My Frog

Lovelies

2009-01-18T08:46:00.004+11:00

Here are some new lovelies! Rock and Weave Socks in STR Jewel of the Nile.

They feature a linen stitch cuff which is made first, then the rest of the sock is knitted on to it. Rock on!

Your Personal Sock Club 2009

2009-01-13T09:32:00.002+11:00

This is an idea I read about on Ravelry - a way of stashbusting, using your special sock yarns, or whatever - just fun!

If you haven't heard about it, the idea is that you select sock yarn from your stash, even choose a pattern for the socks if you want, put each yarn and pattern in a separate brown paper (or similar) bag, and then every month select one at random - and there you have it, your personal sock club! Of course, you can make up any rules you like for your club - it's yours, after all!

I put mine together on the weekend - you can read more about it (and see the yarns I've picked) here.

I can't wait to "receive" my first shipment - just have to finish a pair of socks first!

RoseRed

Last of the Christmas knitting.

2009-01-08T11:55:00.005+11:00

A couple of weeks late, but I finally got my in-laws' Chrissy socks in the mail. Here they are!

First off the blocks, my FIL's thumping great feet will be well-clad in his favourite team's colours (he's a lovely bloke, but it just about broke me to make him Bulldogs socks!).

Pattern: Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Patonyle, hand-dyed by me in royal blue, with contrast heel and toe in off-white Patonyle.

They took forever, partly because they are so damn big, and partly because we were moving house, so knitting time was at a premium (I know, I know, what were we thinking, moving house at the holidays? Never again!!!)

Next up is my MIL's lovely laciness.

Pattern: Fancy Silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6 Years, also from KVS by Nancy Bush.

Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug in colourway "Mist".

These were a lovely, easy, quick knit; simple enough for TV knitting after a long day of unpacking, but interesting enough to keep my brain alive. Also, I had bloggy-friend visitors while I was working on these, so they were good for showing off a bit (ooh, did I say that out aloud?).

You can read all about them here and here on my blog.

Kiss My Frog

Better late than never.

2009-01-04T16:00:00.002+11:00

I finished these socks in November, but forgot to post them. I have not cast on any more yet as Christmas projects had me distracted. Just a few other items to finish then I'm back to socks.

The yarn is Opal Feeling. The pattern is a basic top down sock with a 2x2 rib.

My First SSS Post - Hello All

2009-01-01T22:10:00.003+11:00

These are my yummy Eki Riva Supreme 4 ply Alpaca lace socks. The wool is to die for. Everyone should try it at least once.

Cheers Grand Purl Baa

Christmas socks

2008-12-31T09:48:00.005+11:00

These socks were a Christmas gift to one of my step-daughters. She has such an eclectic nature so the colour was perfect. Collinette Jitterbug in Jewel colourway. What a gorgeous yarn to knit with. Although I didn't swatch and used needles that were too big so whilst the socks turned out perhaps larger than normal, I did make sure I did the length for her little feet so she was over the moon.

The colour in the photograph doesn't do justice to the vibrancy of the yarn in real life. I used Anastasia pattern, which is a toe up pattern, but I'm not ready for that kind of challenge so I did it top down and reversed the pattern. Clever chicky aren't I?

My blog is Pins & Needles. Thanks for looking. :-)

Gentlemen's socks

2008-12-30T22:22:00.002+11:00

More finished socks for Xmas
Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern from Vintage Socks in Jitterbug by Collinette. Not quite enough to do the whole sock so I had an angle via Ravelry send me another ball - not quite matching the toes don't look that bad at all in the slight contrast - and Sock Victim does love them. These were a complete labour of love I started them got beyond the heel and he tried them on - they were 1" to wide - so I frogged and started again. Second go got beyond heel and didn't change the number of heel stitches - so had to frogged the the leg. Third time lucky and we had success.

The second pair under the tree was a Noro alternate end of ball stripe. Toe up construction short row heel - a real winner.

Spunky Spotlight Socks

2008-12-29T09:37:00.002+11:00

Finally finished - a pair of socks for my husband. This yarn was a blinking nightmare. I guess you reap what you sow - it was $4.00 from Spotlight. Splitty, sticky and tangly. Anyway, the socks look good!

First socks of the season

2008-12-28T23:40:00.003+11:00

I have finally knitted some socks (albiet baby ones)! I have been very slack with sock knitting this season - but I was given Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters for Christmas. Hence I have knitted the Little Sky Socks, in Cleckheaton Merino Bambino (so soft!!) Luckily my friend is due to give birth in a few weeks, so there will be a little person to wear them.

I have knitted socks before (adult ones) but I am trying to discipline myself to actually follow the steps in Bordhi's book. The Little Sky Socks are the first practise socks in there, and demonstrate her model of placing the increase/decreases on any place on the sock (hope that makes sense - read her book!) I am glad I bothered to knit them, because she offers some really useful advice along the way - eg. for the first time, I learnt how to conceal the wraps used in short rows. Also, I discovered (to my shame) that I have been doing some basic things wrong for years - eg. my ssk was all wrong. So, whilst the result does not look like much, the learning has been significant!!

Happy (sock) knitting - and happy New Year!

Melinda

Finished Two Pairs

2008-12-24T22:24:00.003+11:00

Hope everyone is having a great holiday!

I finally finished the Soy Socks I started last year:

These are knitted in Tofutsies on 2mm needles. I plan to get a better picture when they reach their intended recipient.

Pair 2 is from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways book -- Sky Master Sock:

These are inspired by Bartholomew's Tantalizing Sock pattern, but not quite so involved. Knitted in Online Supersocke 100 Cotton on 2.5mm needles.

Have a great holiday. I'm flying overseas on Boxing Day and hope to finish another pair of socks while I'm gone.

Second Pair of socks

2008-12-18T18:10:00.003+11:00

Technically finished on Sunday night, but I figure better late than never!

I made these for my Nan and they worked out perfectly.

Details
Pattern:Monkeys by Cookie A
Yarn:is of German origin (Rico Design Knit-Kit) the colours are blues and cream and a hint of purple
Needles: 2.5mm dpns

More details over at my blog

My 1st Pair .....

2008-12-15T10:25:00.003+11:00

..... not for this year but for this KAL. My goal for this summer is to knit socks of my own design & here they are ....

This is actually my 3rd design as I started designing my own socks a couple of months ago. This pair is specially designed for Gosia who loves cables. Gosia is the Lady-In-Charge of one of the libraries that host our knitting groups. She has been such a great supporter of our group & has become a great friend to many of us. As Gosia is leaving for a family holiday to Poland, I knew that she will appreciate a pair of warm socks in her favorite color.

And the socks were hung ...

2008-12-14T09:37:00.004+11:00

on the tree. Seemed like a good idea at the time and it brightens up a dismal day but maybe the sun will shine later. We haven't seen it for a couple of days. The rain is good to have though.

These are my second and third pair of finished socks for SSoS. The top pair are my Wollmeise Socks knitted with Indischrot Wollmeise and the second pair was my first attempt at Magic Loop. The Magic Loop pair turned out quite well. The yarn used is Colinette Jitterbug in the Jewel colourway. I'm going to give Magic Loop another go at some stage. Once I got used to pulling and pushing the stitches around the needles it was very easy but I still enjoy using DPNs as I enjoy being able to go round without too much fuss.

So that's three down and three to go to meet my challenge of more than 5 pairs. I still have two pairs on the needles but they're still in the first sock stage.

purplevelvet

I laugh in the face of toe up socks!

2008-12-12T14:10:00.002+11:00

I laugh in the face of toe up socks. I sneer in the jaws of crochet provisional cast ons. I spit in the eye of short row toes. I scoff in the maw of short row heels.

Presenting the Leyburn Sock, which has broken down my absolute terror of the toe up sock. Seen here in Sundara Sock Cerulean Sea.

The Mullet: Yes or No?

2008-12-05T13:51:00.003+11:00

The mullet has made a comeback in my household.

Fortunately, on my husband's feet, not his head.

Ta da! Or closure on the Spiral Boot Socks

2008-12-02T09:45:00.002+11:00

Finally! After casting on during the last SoSS, the Spiral Boots Socks are done!

After a long hiberation, here is my version of the Spiral Boot Socks in Cherry Tree Hill Foxy Lady. I used one skein per sock, which really shows. While both skeins are from the same dye lot, one is way more saturated than the other. The darker one is clearly a Foxy Lady on her way out for a good time, and the paler one is the Foxy Lady the morning after.

First socks of summer

2008-12-01T22:58:00.002+11:00

Socks for xmas, as requested by my northern hemisphere sister. Plain vanilla pattern, a la Yarn Harlot, in lovely hand dyed wool by Happy Spider.

Fingers crossed that sister doesn't read this blog (although I think I may have given her a hint over on nettiesknits).

snap

2008-12-01T20:34:00.006+11:00

I finished a pair of socks and its more Monkey magic - aren't they pretty?

The details are: pattern Monkey by Cookie
made with local Happy Spider hand dyed sock yarn in colourway clematis
knitted with 2.25 dpns - they were meant to be 2.5s but I didn't have any and the yarn was more like a 5 ply so I thought it would be OK. It is fine - a little snug for me but will be fine for who they are for.

Monkey Magic

2008-11-30T12:55:00.004+11:00

Another F.O.

Monkey by Cookie A. - 2.5mm needles and Koigu yarn which was a present in my first ever swap. It has been a while coming but finally I did knit it up ( I did just check the date of the swap and it was only last year so I don't feel so bad now).

I have taken a photo of both sides of the sock to show the pink and the green pooling at the foot - just after the heel pretty neat. It was fun to go back to the traditional sock top down, normal heel with no special stitch, and the classic decreased toe. No matter how many times I Kitchener stitch I still have to refer back to the book for the instructions.

do these count?

2008-11-26T16:28:00.004+11:00

I suddenly decided I was going to make tiny Christmas stockings. Some of these are destined for son, DIL and her mother and one fro me. I think they will hang on out door knobs late on Christmas Eve after Santa has called. There is definitely a Santa, as he handed in my lost mobile before I even realised I had bumped it out of my pocket at Hornsby shops as I re-arranged two shopping bags of heavy books. So I'm sure he'll call here, particularly after my effusive thanks to him outside KMart as I retrieved my phone the next day! LOL. Some will go to grandchildren and I'm thinking of putting Lindt balls in another for my mum. She's now in a nursing home and feeling the transition badly, along with missing her former relative degree of independence. She needs nothing, but we all need good chocolate. Right?

I still have a couple more to make, but they are very quick. It takes almost as long to sew the back seam as to knit the sock. There are only twenty or so rows in teh whole thing. The pattern can be found on Jean Greengowe's site under free patterns. There's a snowman there too and some other small bits and pieces.

I was in Turramurra Drapery the other day and saw the dark green wool. Unfortunately, the colour is just too dark to show well in the photo. It's deep bottle green from NZ and some proceeds of the sale go to research to children's cancer. The red is a Cleckheaton Easycare 8 ply. The white is some scraps from a long ago knit. I used 4 mm needles, bigger than pattern suggested. My thanks to the lady who served me as she pointed out their stock and made pleasant helpful suggestions without being pushy. I am turned off by pushy salespeople and will often not buy anything if I am pushed. She was lovely.

pass the slipped stitch over

Three socks down, several more to go

2008-11-25T16:30:00.003+11:00

At last I have some progress to share. I've finished my first pair and the first of a pair and also have the starts to two other pairs.

The first pair is a pair of Patonyle socks which I've called Plain Rib because the pattern consists of a couple of rows of knit and a couple of rows of rib. Very simple and easy to remember.

The next sock is knitted with Wollmeise and is a free pattern available at The Loopy Ewe.

Now that the first pair is done, I am allowing myself another start which should be when I get to try Magic Loop as part of my challenge.

Read and see more at my blog.

Finally finished my first pair

2008-11-24T19:14:00.004+11:00

Unfortunately (or fortunately) however you look at it, my scrapbooking has overtaken my sock knitting at the current time.

I love this pair though which I have just not long finished. The pattern is Spring Forward from Knitty, knitted on 2.75 needles. The pattern, although it looks complex, is really easy and I think has surpassed monkeys as my newest favourite pattern. The yarn is The Knittery Chubby in Merlot, given to me by a friend of mine with the express instruction that whatever socks I make with it, they must be for me. So they are dear Tanya, and I love them!

Now I'm working on a pair with Jitterbug yarn, OMG it's knitting up so fast. Expect another post soon enough! LOL

My blog is pins & needles.

Won't lose these socks

2008-11-24T15:12:00.003+11:00

I don't think I actually signed onto the SSoS for this year, but I have finished a pair of socks. This is my first proper pair, I had tried another pair in the past using the magic loop baby sock pattern from the book. With this pair, I managed not to have ladders, and they even look pretty good. I need to practice my kitchener stitch though, I am not happy with it, but other people (not knitters) can't see the problem with it.
Pattern: North Country Cotton Socks
Yarn: Wendy Classics Courtelle Double Knitting
Needles: Knitpicks Options 3.75mm
Method: magic loop, cuff down
For: I don't know yet, but I think with all the pink they need to be for a girl. I made these to match the hat from the same yarn.
I am now working on the class sock from Sensational Knitted Socks, and will try one of the other patterns. I am hoping to do a pair top down, and a pair made from the toe up. Maybe. I won't say it is a goal, cos I won't manage to do it. But I will try to do it.
Seeya
Trudi
http://thecatrules.blogspot.com/

My second socks and new technique!

2008-11-19T16:12:00.005+11:00

My first every pair of knitted socks are still sitting in a plastic box under my bed from nearly a year ago. I realised half way through the second sock that I suck at using double pins (or maybe my crappy bamboo ones just don't cut it). The UFO didn't stop me from starting my second pair! I have recently bought myself a Knitpicks Harmony set, a Knitpicks options set and a whole heap of small gauge circulars. They have totally made my knitting obsession worse.
One of my Southern Summer of Socks goals was to learn have to make 2 socks at once on circular needles, I have the book knitting circles around socks by Antje Gillingham. So I grabbed my book, my stash of needles and my new waratah fibers sock yarn and started.
I am really enjoying this technique, I find it much easier than the double pins and the socks are looking pretty neat with no ladders at the joins!

Yay for learning new things :)

P.S These are Monkeys

one lonely scroll sock

2008-11-19T11:51:00.003+11:00

I usually save sock knitting for doing on the train. However, since college closed two weeks ago, I've done almost no sock knitting at all. This left my scroll sock from More Sensational Knitted Socks languishing on its needles in a far corner of my desk. However I had an hour in the train yesterday to go babysitting Master Three, the youngest grandchild. I worked quickly and flew down the foot to the toe which I did this morning. Darned in the ends and voilà, a finished sock at last.

The original pattern has the scrolls continued down the foot. I often do continue the pattern over the instep, but this one felt a bit bumpy and I wondered if it would be comfortable. Stocking stitch certainly made the foot quicker to knit than the pattern would have been. Now for the second one.

The colours don't really show too well. It's a very dark mornng up here. We had rain earlier and I can see that more is moving over from the west. No sun, or even the hint of any. Actually, I like this this week, it feels restful. Last week was busy, stressful and at time chaotic, both personally and for my immediate family and for the household. Hopefully with one member moved away to his real home in NZ taking another container of his goods, things will now quieten down somewhat.

The wool is from Katie at Live2Knit. The colour is called Iris and the wool's lovely and soft to knit. I think these will be a gift, but am not sure yet who will get them.

Two F.O. and one on holiday

2008-11-16T18:47:00.003+11:00

Monkey's on holiday - just started them last week in some koigu I recieved in my first ever swap!

Bex's Luminare which I had so much fun knitting - great pattern really well written and heaps of fun - it flew off the needles

and finally I present Twisted Flower - I did knit two but this was the photo at the half way point. I took two weeks to knit the first one and 4 days the second - I really knew the charts by then. I loved knitting these!

oh no

2008-11-13T20:30:00.001+11:00

eek - I just bought two sock knitting books on the internet. so much for tightening my belt with the economic downturn.

sensational scroll sock

2008-11-11T17:36:00.004+11:00

I've been trying to ration my knitting time equally around my three current projects. It doesn't always work and I seem to have a bad case of startitis which I am resisting. However, I've just turned the heel on a pair of scroll socks from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I'm using some of Katie's lovely wool in iris colourway which really suits the pattern. Unfortunately a week ago one of my Knitpicks harmony dpns snapped in two places. This was quite unexpected and there hadn't been any hint of a problem. Fortunately I had another pack in same size so still have plenty.

Picture when I get to end of this sock.

I'm enjoying seeing all the socks, different yarns, colours and patterns. Always good for some inspiration.

I'm a bit late to the party, I know...

2008-11-10T11:25:00.006+11:00

...but I was waiting to finalise a layby, because I wanted full disclosure.

I present, for your edification and entertainment, my Sock Stash.

The top pic is all headed for the dyepot, the bottom is ready to go.

Kiss My Frog

Next on the Christmas List...

2008-11-09T13:20:00.002+11:00

...is my Dad.

I dyed the yarn myself, and the pattern is Gentleman's Half-Hose in Ringwood Pattern (Rav-link) by Nancy Bush.

All the details are on my blog: Kiss My Frog

Crocheted socks #2

2008-11-08T22:51:00.002+11:00

Same yarn and same pattern as last time. At least the colour is slightly different!

You can see more photos and read all the details on my blog.

Globe Trotters!

2008-11-06T23:59:00.001+11:00

Tim's socks are finished - unfortunately the foot is too tight (humm - my tension square for the rib compared to the stocking stitch is completely out. So, they will be keeping my feet warm next winter, not my first choice in colour, but in all reality who is going to see them under long pants and inside boots anyway?

Pattern: Globe Trotter Socks by Jodie Danenberg
Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Musica

Needles: 2.25mm
Finished: October 25th 2008

Oh, I best introduce myself.

My name is Kylie (mumsbusycrafting on Rav) and I blog here. These are my first pair of adult socks - the first were a pair of Yarn mag Baby Socks. I would like to learn more about sock knitting and learn lots of skills - I am planning on having a pair on the go in a little bag that can be picked up and taken with me for spare moment occasions.

baby socks v.1.5

2008-11-06T21:09:00.002+11:00

Project teeny baby socks is going great guns so far - here are the three little sockies I've knit up during bus rides in the past two weeks =)

(free pattern from here)

It took a whole week

2008-11-06T15:17:00.003+11:00

That's right it took me a whole week from cast on to cast off to complete my challenge for the summer. ROFL. That means I'm on easy street now yes?

So here they are: "The city and surf socks" so called because of the locations in which they were knit! Knit from Colinette Jitterbug in Lagoon colourway on 2.5mm needles with knitting Kitchener stitch cast off from TECHknitting
We spent 4 days at the beach with the in-laws and I had heaps of time to knit while the baby napped and the kids were down at the beach with their dad. A good inch or two were knit when I was down the beach sitting on the sand watching the kids roll around in the water and digging for shells.

Have a small ball of yarn as leftovers so maybe the baby will score a pair of socks as well! Have been hooked by the bug and have bought some yarn for a pair of socks for my Nana for Christmas. Will have to see how many other pairs creep onto the needles before the end of the SSoS!

Wanted: mates for single socks

2008-11-05T11:08:00.005+11:00

Hi everyone!

My personal challenge this time is to finish my current sock WIPs by the end of SSoS. Here's the state at the moment:

Some info (cross posted from my blog):

1. Gentleman's Shooting Stockings from Knitting Vintage Socks.
2. A Pair of Hearts socks, by Donna of Random Knits. This one is for my mum.
3. Plain toe-up socks. This was my practice sock when I was learning magic loop, as I thought I'd better learn with a simple pattern. Well it worked, and now I'm totally a magic loop convert. Would still be nice to have a pair finished, though.
4. Firestarter. I loved this pattern, I still do. I hope I can pick it up again, I remember it being quite complicated at the time.
5. Roza socks. I'm not sure about this one. The pattern is pretty, and the yarn is lovely, but I'm just not feeling it anymore somehow. I'll see.
6. Paraphernalia socks for my dad. I've already started on the second sock for this one, so this one might be the first one to be 'liberated'!

I'm also going to try a new technique, or perhaps I should say a new way of constructing a sock, with the Houdini socks (free pattern on Twist Collective) by Cat Bordhi. From the pattern's description: "Houdini socks begin with a sock footprint -- a foot-shaped tube closed on both ends -- with no apparent way in, and no leg." Curious! I just have to see how that works out into a sock.

Doable, right? Right?

Eeek!

2008-11-04T19:44:00.002+11:00

I don't know where I have been but I had no idea we had started again! 2paw mentioned SSoS on Saturday, so I had to drop by and see what was going on!

At present I am knitting three different pairs of socks - one for me, one for a secret present and one for my husband. Now, a goal for the summer . . . how about I have three pairs on the go at any one time? That means I can mix it up and should be able to finish a few pairs as I go.

My stash is pathetic and not worth sharing. Perhaps I could work on that too!

Flashin' the Stash

2008-11-04T18:23:00.005+11:00

I had a day off work today so I decided I'd do a sock stash roundup. While most people in Australia were watching the Melbourne Cup, I was trying to work out how to organise the yarn into a colour wheel...is that sacrilege? Am I unAustralian??!!

I was pleasantly surprised at being able to (pretty much) make a whole wheel, I didn't think I'd have yarn in all (well, most of) the required shades. I did have to consult the lovely yarn wheel that Purl uses in their ads (I'm sure readers of Interweave Knits will know what I mean).

And if you are numerically inclined, there's enough sock yarn there for 69 pairs of socks. Oh dear. Even if I did a pair a month (which I don't) that's enough sock yarn for nearly 6 years. Which is clearly not enough to keep me going until retirement, is it!!

back to the drawing board

2008-11-02T17:02:00.002+11:00

One of my goals for this season's Southern Summer of Socks was to do some of my own designs. So far this has worked out well. The footies in the sea cell and Charlie's Sock, both shown below a few post, worked out well and I was pleased. ihave lots of ideas crowding around in my head but I thought I would try something different.
One of colours in washable merino was called Spring. Subtly varying shades of greens.

I wound it yesterday and thought that the colour looked like Granny smith apples. Never mind that apples are autumn fruits and the wool was called Spring! LOL. I sketched, then charted out an apple. I'm not at all capable at drawing, never have been, but an apple can't be all that difficult. I made a lovely picot hem with one of the neatest hems I have ever done and set about the apple. One on each of four needles, done in purl against the stocking stitch background.

Hmmm, not quite what I was expecting. I turned the sock inside out and it looked a bit better in stocking stitch against a purl background. Perhaps it would look better in moss stitch, that may stand out. Perhaps a lager apple like clocks up the side of the sock. Anyway, I was not happy and have frogged the sock.

I'll let some ideas run around in my head and try again. I know I could have done a swatch. That would have been about as much effort as working on the sock. If it had worked out, I would have been ahead.

Off to console myself by drooling over some of the socks on Ravelry now, as if I didn't have enough stitch books of my own and ideas too, as well as numerous sock books.

My 1st Post

2008-11-01T19:02:00.003+11:00

I really enjoyed participating last summer & glad to be back again - last year, I tried new techniques in sock knitting & did not achieve all my goals as I think I was too ambitious. So this year, there's only 1 goal for me - to design my own socks !

This is my 1st design for this KAL - my Snakes & Ladders Socks ......

I love these socks & you can read more about them on my blog.
Ann

Socktober Round-up

2008-10-31T23:14:00.002+11:00

I haven't been updating here, but that's just because I've been much too busy actually knitting socks. For the first month of the Southern Summer of Socks, my sock-knitting has been doing double duty for Socktoberfest, and I've managed to crank out fifteen socks. Here's some eye candy:

Drunken Bees / Tricoquelicot Laine Claude II in Caramel
Generic top-down socks / sKnitches Syncopation in Planetary
Cornucopia / Sunshine Yarns Soft Sock Yarn in Buttermilk
Generic top-down socks with picof-cuff / Sunshine Yarns Twist Sock Yarn in Reducto
Flicker / Sundara Sock Yarn in Sour Apple
Maelstrom / MadelineTosh Sock Yarn in Olivia
Twisted Tweed / Sundara Sock Yarn in Mossy
TTL Mystery Sock / Dream in Color Smooshy in Chinatown Apple

To be honest, I'm all socked out for now. For the next couple of weeks I'll be knitting other things, but my sock stamina usually recovers pretty quickly. I'll be back before too long!

Goal posts

2008-10-31T22:26:00.004+11:00

I haven't knit any socks this month, but I finally got around to setting some sock goals.

To begin with, here is a picture of (most of) my sock stash:

It's not too bad, but I do think I need to get knitting before purchasing any more! Especially with that packet of ten balls of Patonyle under there - recently acquired from the 'Morris and Sons' (Tapestry Craft) sale.

Anyway, my goals are:

- knit socks from the stash

- knit a pair for my husband

- knit a pair of lace socks

- try new techniques

- finally finish spinning and plying the roving that I was working on this time last year, and start knitting a pair of socks with the yarn

These are ambitious goals, so I don't mind if I don't quite make them all!!

I will be using my Knitpicks dpns to knit all of these socks - they are so nice and pointy, improving the sock knitting experience!

winterwarm socks

2008-10-30T17:13:00.005+11:00

Another two pairs, one deep purple and white, the other in your face yellow Opal. Both for Winterwarm. I've made several pairs of the Opal and the ball seems no smaller, even though I also made one of a pair for me. It turned out too sloppy for my liking, I like my socks snug, but I haven't yet frogged it. I guess the wool I have left will make several more pairs of children's socks. It depends on two things - my patience with the bright yellow and the amount of wool. I wonder which will be exhausted first?

I really don't like knitting with Opal. It's thin like string and annoys the arthritis in my fingers. However, it washes like a dream and mine go in the dryer too. I'm still wearing a pair many years old and they look like new.

pass the slipped stitch over

charlie's socks done and dusted

2008-10-30T16:56:00.003+11:00

Here are Charlie's socks, all finished. The wool is Voodoo colourway from Katie at Live2Knit. It's somewhat washed out here with late afternoon sun coming in my room from the west and camera battery was fairly flat. A much better idea of the pretty colours in this yarn can be seen here.

Charlie? King Charles who was executed in 1649 by Cromwell apparently wore a vest to his execution with a pattern now known as King Charles brocade. The Barbara Walker stitch books have this as a raised diamond. I didn't know that when I designed these socks. I adapted the stitch from Lace and Eyelet Stitches, E. Knight, Collins & Brown, London, 2007. The stitch has an easy eight row pattern and I adapted it to be knit in the round. Eight repeats down leg and seven on the foot. The stitch repeat is eleven stitches and I added an extra five so I had sixty four stitches in total. If more were needed, the pattern could be centred with stocking stitch at each side.

The wool is lovely to knit and despite reasonable longish legs, I have some left over.

pass the slipped stitch over

One sock down, one to go

2008-10-30T16:41:00.001+11:00

That's right I have finished my first ever person sized sock, and it is lovely.

Time to cast on for the second one before the love wears off!

FO: Cloud-Flying Monkeys

2008-10-30T08:02:00.003+11:00

Remember these? I finished them on the 16th October, but forgot to post them here. The wonderful, fabulous, blog-buddy-par-excellence Kate came to my rescue with a little bit of black Patonyle for the toes.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A. for Knitty

Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug, in “Mist”, Patons Patonyle in black for toe.

Needles: 2.75mm, changed to 2.5mm for foot.

Modifications: Tubular cast-on, extra length on the ribbing (yes, painfully aware that this is why I ran out of yarn for the toes), otherwise I just went with the pattern. I generally do an extra pattern repeat in the leg, too, but this time I didn’t - don’t even know why, it just looked right with six repeats. Can you imagine how much worse things would have turned out if I’d done the seventh rep? [Shudders]

Find me at Kiss My Frog

finished object

2008-10-26T16:38:00.002+11:00

Well, I have a finished object as in one pair or finished objects as in two socks! LOL. The footlet socks, one of which is shown in the photo in that entry have been finished.

However, there is no photo. They are part of my sister's (belated) birthday present. I thought I might see her yesterday so hurriedly darned in ends on the second sock and wrapped everything up. Then I realised I had not taken a photo. I didn't see her but am not unwrapping parcel.

There's also another small pair nearly done in Opal self patterning sock wool for Winterwarm. This is a mix of yellows, white and greys, bought for children's socks. It's made several pairs already and could well make several more by the looks of what's left.

Do A Thing Called The Crocodile Rox

2008-10-24T13:12:00.007+11:00

I am late to the Sock Party, but I suddenly realised I had a sock to share!! I don't know that I have any particular aims for the SSS, but I would like to knit myself four pairs of socks to replace the ones that have worn out in the last few months. I think I would also like to make them all my own patterns.

The first pair have been inspired by my handbag and I wrote about it here.

I have finished one and started the other. I have promised to write out the pattern, so as soon as I have finished knitting them, I'll do that!!!

2paw

Harki and Peri Naughty
and now Boogelly Blogger won't let me add any more pictures.

First pair

2008-10-24T13:01:00.003+11:00

Hi, here are my first pair of socks, Earl Grey socks by the Yarn Harlot in Yarn Nerd 900 MHz in colour 5 o'clock shadow. I started out knitting these for my DS but unfortunately something went wrong with my tension and they were too small. Guess they will fit someone.

I have already started on my next pair, Ultimate Crocheted Socks which are proving to be fun even though I have had to rip them several times to get the foot length right.

I'm using Spunky Eclectic Biffle sock in the Eclipse colourway (club colour). I really like it.

Cheers

finished!!

2008-10-24T12:59:00.006+11:00

I have finished my first pair of socks and I love them -they fit well, the colour is glorious and the pattern is lovely. I made a few mucks ups like with the toe grafting (need to practice that one) but they still didn't come up too badly. I haven't knitted with something so fine as this 3 ply from the Knittery and it was very lovely to work with.

almost done...

finished

and blocking.

specs: Yarn is the Knittery's merino slim sock in Bloody Mary, 100g bought but I probably only used 2/3 of it.

Pattern is bex's luminaires which is free on The Knittery's website.

I am off to decide what to cast of for the next pair now.

A question

2008-10-23T21:38:00.002+11:00

So in the practice sock that I made today I only had one bit that made me pause and it was the SSK instruction. It is the directional opposite of a k2tog. So my question is "is a ssk the same as a sl1, k1, psso?" OR "is it the same as a k2tog tbl?" or is it more twisty than that?
It may not matter, but being new to this sock knitting business I am wondering what the Australian version of this instruction would be. Who knew we actually use different terminology as well as needle sizes throughout the world....

not just yet

2008-10-23T19:27:00.003+11:00

I am almost finished my first pair of socks - which I confess I did start in September so I hope you will allow me a little room to still count them as part of my summer of socks. They are Bex's Luminaries in 3 ply merino sock slim from the knittery and I have to say, even with the mistakes, they are very fine.

I can't abide showing them without my toes covered- so no photos just yet - maybe tomorrow??? unless I get creative with photo editor tonight.

Yes, it's love, true love

2008-10-23T17:15:00.006+11:00

I love love love this sock, this yarn, this pattern - so much so that I couldn't put it to one side while I knit on actual deadline projects. So it was finished at the expense of other things!

I've got no regrets - but sock two will have to wait!

Yarn - Koigu KPPPM bought in New York January 2007

Pattern - Cat Bordhi's Bartholomew's Tantalising Socks

More photos on the blog.

Setting my personal challenge

2008-10-21T09:54:00.002+11:00

My personal challenge will be to finish the Spiral Boot Socks that I started last SSoS. If I achieve that, then I'm going to embark on the uber ambitious Garden Gate socks. That will probably last me at least another two SSoS!

more Jaywalkers

2008-10-19T20:30:00.005+11:00

Another pair down and the second Jaywalker for the blog.
I liked the colourway so much I bought another ball in the Lindcraft Sale

Details - Jaywalkers -

knitted from the top down,
on 2.5mm addi turbos one sock at time on two circular needles. They don't match perfectly with either the stripes or the knitting.
Short row heel.
Hot socks by Lindcraft

post script
I forgot to mention the story of these socks - my sister in law visited the wool museum in Geelong with us last year and expressed an interest in knititng. Socks in particular - so I sent down some wool, needles and a pattern. A few months later a tangled mess was shown to me and I took back all the bits and promised some knitted socks in return. And here they are.....

jaywalkers

2008-10-18T11:10:00.003+11:00

just to get the ball rolling, an old favourite of many...

Jaywalkers, using Opal Dreamcatcher #1237

More details on my blog

warm feet for some little one

2008-10-17T12:15:00.006+11:00

I've had a pretty stressful year all up. There was mum's leukemia diagnosis 13 months ago, moving out and all the nastiness and tensions associated with that, visits to the solicitor, long trips to work, a month off work with the flu and pneumonia and finally mum's stroke and shingles along with a sodium imbalance which was causing exhaustion. I thought she was gone a couple of days ago but she seems to have rallied. Her hair, face, pillow and sheets were all much the same colour. Early days yet though after a stroke and her sodium levels have suddenly and inexplicably plummeted again.

However, there have been many blessing along the way. I'm listing these, not to sound trite or proselytising, but as a reminder to myself. I have my faith which acts as a strong undergirding to my life. There is the support and loving concern of all my close family. I have a network of very good friends and some strong shoulders and listening ears.. Internet friends have been a very real support too. There is a roof over my head and food to eat and a job. Even a small cat who knows when she needs to climb on my lap and snuggle. I'm blessed.

There is always someone I can help. I've made quite a lot of knitted goods for charity purposes over the years. One of my goals for this year's Southern Summer of Socks was to try to match, pair for pair, all socks done by me here.

I've decided I want to have a sizable parcel for next year's collection for Winterwarm which is collecting warm clothing, knitted hats, socks, scarves etc for people in Afghanistan. I've done a couple of scarves, two shawls and a hat. Here's the first pair of socks. These were a very quick knit in 8 ply wool. Actually, it could be 12 ply. It was bought many years ago and there is no indication what it really was. 4 mm needles. I started these about 9:00 pm on Wednesday evening and finished them early on Friday morning. If I hadn't had to work, they would have been done sometime Thursday. What a pity!!

So where is the pair they match? Two socks in a pair, and I have two socks. Not the same I hear someone say? The footie was from last year's sea cell prize. The long sock happened because of a bad case of startitis. It's some of Katie's wool in Voodoo colour from Live 2Knit. Beautiful to knit and I'm pleased with them. Actually, I have about half the second footie already done. I'll finish that and then do the second of my design, Charlie's socks.

42 pairs of socks worth

2008-10-16T13:12:00.003+11:00

I am quite embarrassed but will endevour to make a dent on this during the next few months.

My first ever pair of socks

2008-10-15T17:25:00.002+11:00

My personal challenge: to knit one pair of socks!

I have never knit socks before but I'm willing to give them a try. I have a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in the lagoon colourway (all greens and blues) now what am I going to knit?

I have dpns, I have the pattern that came on the ball band, before I start are there any other suggestions for a first pair of socks pattern?

Leonie

First offical pair this summer

2008-10-14T16:18:00.003+11:00

These are for my friend Sal who has had a really rough trot with her health in the past year. But she has very large feet - 27cm long!!!!!!! I am a very good friend indeed.

They are from Patonyle purchased from The Silver Thread in Mullumbimby.
Construction was toe up with magic cast on, short row heel and cast off where you pick up a stitch in between each rib and cast it off - great loose top for the socks.
I am currently knitting on 2 circular needles but doing one sock at a time - faster gratification and easier to transport for the train. Socks have become my train knitting at the moment.

My First Pair with Wollmeise

2008-10-14T02:23:00.005+11:00

My friend alala in Germany sent me a skein of Wollmeise a while ago, and because it was so special, I didn't knit anything with it for the longest time. Finally I decided it was time and chose a simple pattern, the Tidepool socks, so as not to compete with the colors, which I love. I started these on September 20, but I decided they qualify, since the equinox was only a couple of days later. :) I finished them last night. I've been sewing a lot in between! The coolest part is I still have a smidge more than half a skein left, so I can make another pair of simple socks with this yarn.

amy

my personal challenge and stash

2008-10-13T16:24:00.004+11:00

Hi everyone, thought I would share a little. I saw the flash your stash post and since I had the pictures taken that part is easy.

OK so now my personal challenges... You see all the sock yarn above, well it's enough for about 70 pairs of socks but most of that will just be watching from the sock yarn shelves. My wife and I both knit and last spring I bought a spinning wheel. My personal challenge is to spin two and three ply sock yarn for myself and my wife to see which we prefer best. I'll blend some fiber, dye it, spin it and then away we go. We'll try some BFL, Targhee, Merino, Cormo, Bamboo, and some exotic luxury fibers for our boudoir socks. Not that all this sock yarn will go to waste.
So here is the 40 plus pounds of stash that I plan to work from.

Soysilk, Targhee, Seacel/Merino, cashmere, bamboo, BFL, Rambouilett & Falklands and more

And last but not least about 9 pounds of pin drafted Cormo that feels as soft as cashmere.

How many other spinners out here are making their own sock yarn for the SSS

Stash Flash and WIP

2008-10-12T22:15:00.003+11:00

Getting into the spirit of things, I'd say I have four or five more pairs of socks now than this time last year, and maybe twice as much yarn - which means my output is slightly more than my input (unless you actually count the balls of yarn in and out, in which case I might go hide for a while) - so the Stash Flash is here:
and the WIP is there:
Chances of finishing the second sock this week? Buckley's and none.

#2 - The Cotton Socks

2008-10-12T08:57:00.003+11:00

I have acheived one goal...to knit some cotton socks. Well cotton/bamboo blend. And they show off my new sock blockers :)

Maybe I'll do better this year....

2008-10-11T16:22:00.005+11:00

Last year I finished one pair and started two. One of those two is still on the needles (but I'm on sock two now!!).

Goals for this summer:

Try new patterns. I just got Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitter's Book One. I'd like to try several of her patterns.
Use up some of my sock yarn stash (can't promise not to buy more, but I would like to end the summer with less stash than I have now). ETA: Current count on Ravelry is sock yarn for 30 pairs of socks, not counting the cream patonyle I bought for dyeing.

I've been playing with the sample socks in New Pathways -- this morning I finished this pair:

They're out of 8ply rather than sock yarn, so they were pretty quick. I'm currently working on the Coriolis practice sock.

--Karen from Karen's Craft Odyssey (spinweaveknit on Ravelry)

Somebody up there doesn't want me to finish these socks...

2008-10-11T15:54:00.007+11:00

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A

Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug in "Mist"

Rounds left before I finished the sock: 6

Language used when I realised I'd flattened the battery in my car and thus couldn't drive the half-hour to LYS for black Patonyle to finish the $#%^&*!!! sock: Profane

Days before the LYS is open again to sell me said Patonyle: 4

ETA: I keep forgetting to link to my blog - sorry! Kiss My Frog

getting started

2008-10-11T13:41:00.002+11:00

On the way at last this summer. Last week end I pulled out all my sock stash so I could refresh my memory as to just what and how much was in there. How much? Quite a lot. Quite a lot indeed. What was it? Lots of bits and pieces, some single socks which I have now frogged because these were early efforts from years ago and they were far too big and sloppy for me and quite a lot of wool including my latest acquisitions. So it's all sorted and like brands stored in bags together and all in a big tote.

However, as I was in the middle of my big sorting job last Sunday, my brother rang to tell me mum was being admitted to hospital several stations up the line. I've spent some time there this week but knitting hasn't really been possible. She's 88 and has had a stroke. Tests also showed that she had an electrolyte imbalance which was making her very weak. Saline etc drips haven't remedied that yet and no one knows why. On top of all that, she has shingles and is in an isolation room in the stroke ward. Her speech is very slurred and she was confused but seems to be better mentally now. She's very tired and complains that sitting up to eat exhausts her and she sleeps for three hours after that. Personally, I think we might have her for Christmas time but probably not much more. Scary thought.

So I finished the sorting today, along with a whole lot of other spring cleaning. Lots and lots of sock wool. I could make socks all summer long and still have a lot left, I guess. I've found a lacy pattern I like and will be designing a sock when i finish charting the pattern.

I have managed some knitting at work. I've been making and have almost finished some footies from the seacell I won as a prize here last year. I just love the colours and have given a rolled edge to the socks. It's easy stuff to knit with and the pattern is very basic because of the constant interruptions at work. I'm about halfway down the foot of the second sock.

So my goals for this season? I'd like to try to use up some of the stash in children's socks to give away. I have a couple of airs which I want to turn into FOs. Other than that, perhaps some more to designs of my own. We'll see. Last year saw me knitting as some serious stress relief. This year will be much more for my own enjoyment and also personal satisfaction in being able to give to others not so blessed and fortunate as I am.

New Flickr Group

2008-10-10T10:10:00.000+11:00

Just a quick update to let you know that if you are on Flickr, there's now a Flickr group for Southern Summer of Socks.

Head on over and join in so you can post your photos there, as well as here!

Bells

First challenge met.

2008-10-09T19:50:00.002+11:00

I have met my first challenge, learn to knit a pair of sock toe-up. These were done 2 at a time on 2 circulars using Silver's sock class toe-up tutorial.

Sock time is here again!

2008-10-09T19:37:00.002+11:00

I had so much fun reading about everybody else's sock knitting adventures on the blog last year that I couldn't wait to join in this year.

My personal challenges for this year are:
* Start & finish a pair of gift socks that I promised someone over a year ago
* Learn magic loop
* Finish all my wip's - I seem to have developed a serious case of SSS (I keep on buying more stash & then can't wait to start knitting it up)
* Step out of my comfort zone & start knitting more complicated patterns.

Ciao all.

First goal reached

2008-10-09T16:01:00.002+11:00

The second sock of the Moda Vera in the grey colourway is finished. They are fraternal [not identical] twins. I call them topsy-turvy socks. Why? The self-patterning of the yarn is upside down in the second sock.

I've achieved my first goal! That's 100% better than last SSoS!

PS Pop over to my blog for the longer version.

Just found out SS of S is on again

2008-10-09T15:47:00.003+11:00

I would like to be in again. My only challenge is to try some new ways of making socks. I would also like to take part in any swap. Cheers

Crocheted socks #1

2008-10-08T22:31:00.002+11:00

To be honest, I started them on September 22, but the second sock was started on October 2, so it kind of counts, right?

I used Wollmeise sock yarn in the Sonne colourway. The pattern is "Pebbled Sand" from the Crocheted Socks book by Janet Rehfeldt. I love these socks. The colour is eye-bleedingly vivid. Can't wait until autumn next year when I can wear them.

The rest of the story (and more photos) is here.

Cheers
Michelle (quiltingmick)

Try again

2008-10-08T19:48:00.002+11:00

I didn't meet my goals last Summer, so I'll set some more realistic ones this Summer.... probably along the lines of: knit from stash, and finish some xmas socks. I probably should add in: learn a new technique - maybe toe-up, or magic loop. I'm looking forward to lots of socky inspiration.

(I seem to be missing from the sidebar list, although I might have once been confused with Nette Knits - could you add me in, pretty please?)

Nettie

goodies in the mailbox

2008-10-07T15:59:00.009+11:00

Yarn pr0n indeed! Two parcels were waiting for me in the mailbox when arrived home from work a few minutes ago. Well, three actually, but one was batteries for my hearing aids, not exciting at all, even if essential.

The top three skeins are from Katie at Live2Knit. From the left, Lilacs, Spring and Voodoo. The other two underneath are from Daphne at the Knittery. Dark green is called Rainforest and the other is Daisy. Again I love these too. They are in the slim sock wool category of her website. By the way, both these shops are under "need yarn?" section in sidebar of this blog.

I'm particularly happy with both green skeins. I like green but somehow seem to have missed out on much sock knitting in that colour. I love these. The rainforest does not show really well here. It's a lovely rich green. Spring green from Katie is just that. A bright, chirpy spring green, quite a contrast to the Rainforest but again a colour I'm really glad I chose.

Wool from these two suppliers is always gorgeous to knit, so now I will let them tell me what to do.

The other day when shopping, I bought a copy of the ABC's cooking magazine, delicious. As a freebie there was a pack of the tiny post-it notes which can be used to mark pages in books. These came with cooking type labels on them like "desserts." Six sections. I used them to work my way through a couple of stitch dictionaries to mark possibilities for sock patterns. I've used about twenty and there are literally hundreds left. So perhaps not an intended use, but very useful for me. A pleasant way too to spend some time on a cold, wet and windy afternoon.

pass the slipped stitch over

Count me in again!

2008-10-07T15:29:00.004+11:00

Last year I knitted 5 pairs of socks for SSoS.

My challenge this year is:

1. Knit more than 5 pairs.
2. Knit only from sock yarn already in my possession.
3. Try magic loop. Have yarn, needle and instructions. Should be easy, right?

I've already started my first pair with a multi-blues Patonyle which is knitting up very quickly.

I am looking forward to progressing and to knitting many, many pairs of socks.

purplevelvet
(Last year was known as Nette Knits. That blog no longer exists.)

Flash of The Stash

2008-10-07T15:14:00.004+11:00

OK here it is. I'm waiting on a couple more skeins that should be here this week and we won't talk about the two sock clubs I've signed up for lol! OK it's Sundara and The Plucky Knitter! A bit excited!

The dollar is tanking now so very little o/s yarn for me from now on. Well since I've come clean on the stash you can see I don't really "need" anymore do I?

I'm currently working on Komet in Crystal Palace Cotton and that is coming along nicely. One sock almost done. I'll be gifting those to MIL for her birthday in November. Nice cotton blend sock for the Adelaide summer.

Honesty, the best policy?

2008-10-06T10:35:00.003+11:00

I have a confession to make. I was a non finisher last season. Yep, didn't make it. So this year, my plan is to finish my sock WIPS. I don't care if it's a pair, just finish the ones on the needles now, a pair is a bouns. Í might make it The Southern Summer of SINGLE Socks!

So in an effort to be honest and up front, here's my WIPS today.

I have Nutkin (BMFA STR in Hollyday), Jaywalkers (BMFA STR Farmhouse), Ribbed men's socks (Heirloom Arglye), and a magic loop sock (Opal). I also have earmarked my first toe ups (Wendy's generic to up sock pattern) in the last reincarnation of patonyle.

Oh, and as I'm being honest, a Sock Yarn Flash Your Stash....

Anyone else keen to fess up?

Cheers, Rachael

I am not starting as i mean to go on, but...

2008-10-05T11:31:00.002+11:00

here is my first FO - Monkeys begun during the last SSoS!!!1

One WIP/UFPS (Un-Finished Pair of Socks) down, at least six to go!!! (Plus all the socks on the mental to-do-list!)

I know I am on the other side of the world now but.....

2008-10-04T17:40:00.004+10:00

I think I HAVE to join in. No, I NEED to join in.

Not because the temperature in London has dipped to 13 degrees & below (in the middle of the day people!).

Not because they haven't turned the heating on in our apartment building (WTF is that about! Who replaces a boiler when it gets cold???).

But because I need to finish these bad boys.

Thats right, these are the first (and only) pair of so

cks I started for the last Southern Summer of Socks. Yep that's right peeps, I think I am officially, somewhat embarrassedly (I didn't own up to it last year) THE wooden spoon-er from last year.

I am not setting any goals except to finish these.

Any other socks I knit are a bonus!!