Whitby Socks

I'm happy to finally report on a finished pair of socks! This pattern is "Whitby" from Knitting on the Road, which I started on the way home from knitting camp at the beginning of the month. I had to frog and restart once, as the number of stitches suggested just wasn't working for me. (I actually went up to 67 from the 51 suggested.) It was an easily memorized pattern and the cables were fun without being bothersome. I also tried out an eye of partridge heel for the first time. The yarn is the last of my Colinette Jitterbug; I love the colours, but I don't think I'll be getting any more. (My Vinnlands are already starting to pill and felt from a single wear.) I knitted these at the same time on 2.75mm needles using the two-circulars method. I think a goal of one pair per month is pretty do-able...

Update on my socks

Hi, a quick update on the socks I've knitted so far. I have finished these blue ones which are the garter rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks in Sheldridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in gunmetal, for size 12 feet. Thought I would never finish them. Also made these baby socks in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Child's Play. They were a joy to knit with a short row heel and short row toe on one circular. The pattern was the Better than Booties socks by Ann Budd, free from Knitting Daily. Have started another two pairs, Southwestern Socks free from Wendy Knits in Cider Moon Glacier in Victoria (purple). These are toe-up socks with a lace pattern and the yarn is "sport" weight, feels like a DK weight to me. Quick knitting though. I'm using two 2.75 mm circulars for these. The other socks I've started are the famous monkey socks in Fleece Artist Merino Sock in Marine. Photo when they are a bit more advanced.

First pair finished!

Me Sock
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is a terrible photo and I apologise, but here is one of my first pair made for SSS.

Made of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Hot Pink and Turqoise, to a basic cuff-down stocking stitch pattern. I liked the turqoise much better than the pink, which kept splitting, but I won't buy this yarn again. I still have the best part of a skein of turquoise and probably half of the pink, along with two skeins of purple (what was I thinking? I never wear purple) in the stash.

I told my gentleman that I would knit him the reverse socks, but it probably won't be this summer.

Next up, Firestarters!

The Joy of Sox

The first pair is off the needles!

Here are the Feather and Fan Socks from Socks, Socks, Socks, knitted in the Knitting Ninja's 'Tulips' colourway.

They feel great - straight off the needles and unblocked - I'm still working on the secret project - but may have a peep to show you shortly!

Just saying Hi

October Sock
Originally uploaded by jaynewagner

Hello everybody.

My name is Jayne, my blog is on the sidebar as 48 Hour Day and I thought I'd say hello with the first sock I have cast on for this escapade.

Personal challenge - to finish as many socks as possible and to finish at least one pair just for me.

Wool is Trekking XXL in colour 23, 2.5mm needles, in a pattern called "Gingerbread Rib" from a book borrowed fom Miriam (in the sidebar as nrrdgrrl).

Recipient is my 17YO son - if you are so inclined you can find out how big his feet are on the blog.

I cast this on on Monday and am now knitting the heel flap. Once I turn the heel and hit the foot the REAL knitting will start.

I think that will do for now. Hopefully you'll be seeing plenty of "I've finished" posts from me soon. Bye from South Africa.

Another Finished Pair, and a Question

First the finished pair: Whitby Socks, from Knitting On the Road.

Details are on my blog.

My second attempt at toe-up socks went a little better.

This is Knitty's Widdershins pattern, although I changed it to work a K2P1 ribbing right up the leg. I like knitting cuff down, but I wanted to learn a toe-up technique for limited-yarn situations. I wasn't sure how this yarn would knit up, since it's a little heavier than typical sock yarn. That bit to the left is how much is left over from half the skein.

My question: I ended up with small holes at the top of the gusset, where the heel stitches meet up again with the instep when the heel knitting is through and I joined to work in the round again. Should I have picked up stitches in the corners?

I'm going to close it up, and I was planning on picking up a stitch on each side for the next sock, but I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions or tips.

Administrivia

One of our sockers has suggested it would be a good idea, for those of you who have one, to include your blog name in your posts, either at the end, or somewhere through, and preferably make it a hyperlink as well - because our sign-on names and blog names can be quite different, which makes it a bit hard to find out more details about your socks or other knitting.

As we've got over 90 people signed up we thought it was a good idea to help us all get to know each other!

If anyone else has any suggestions or ideas about SS0S please feel free to email us!

Bells and RoseRed

the flood dries up

i suspect everyone will be a little relieved to hear this, but i give up. On the sullivan's sock yarn pomatomas anyway. I got guage, it looks nice... it's not the most enjoyable thing i've ever knit but it isnt boring...

the yarn is hideous. i can say it. full of guard hairs, scratchy, stiff and then there's the colour bleeding onto my finger tips. ew.

so yes, it shall be frogged. i think i will skein the yarn and then give it a good wash to see if that makes it a little softer. after that? i give up.

And you know what? i dye my own sock yarn, what the hell am i doing buying a cheap commercial immitation of what i can do for myself?? nuts, totally nuts i am.

Also, i have a question. If we knit half a sock and then end up frogging it, does it count towards our total? or if we count it in the first place do we then have to add a -sock to the week in which we frog it? because i tend to count my socks by halves as that seems to be their natural breathing space...

Peace out,
Ms Spider

nearly there...

6 more repeats and then sock one is done! #2 won't take that long at all - and the heel wasn't scary... it just took 3 hours to do... Sock 2 should be a piece of cake - it really is a very simple and easy pattern once you get down to it. Then I need to find a nice, affordable yarn (and pattern) to make the magpie a nice pair of socks too...

CF

come to my pity party

A question before the whine...can anyone identify these needles? I was hoping to buy needles from a particular vendor at the Spinners and Weavers Day. However she wasn't there this year. Two years ago I bought some vintage needles from her, small dpns. As I walked down Burwood road a couple of weeks ago after leaving the Open Day, I saw these needles in a tin in the local Vinnies. There were eight of them, five yellow and three pink. They feel quite bendy and flexible and I wondered how they would go. They weren't dear at all so I bought them all. To my surprise, I really liked them. They are too long and I'll have them cut down, but they feel good to use, almost like my favourite casein needles. They look oldish plastic, have quite a bend to them but knit well. These are equivalent of 3 mm.
Now I bought this wool at the Open Day. it says 5 ply crepe. Certainly crepe finish but I think it resembles the thickness of Lion Brand Magic Stripes more than 5 ply. That would make it 6 ply, American sportweight. The needles shown are 3.0 mm and the fabric is very firm.

This is the spring green colour I wanted when I made the brown Zokni socks. I loved it and bought it immediately I saw it. Not expensive, but not cheap either. 200gm in hank which wound well. I tried two different patterns but frogged them both as the design did not show up well. I decided to let the colour speak for itself.

Now for whine #1. The wool is splitty, no matter what needles I use. It's as bad as the Wildfoote luxury sock yarn which makes beautiful feeling fabric but splits constantly. I've done several pairs of sock in Wildfoote and vowed never again.

Whine #2. I could sort of put up with the splitting of the wool, but I have another problem. It seems to be badly plied. If I have more than about a handspan of length of wool between needles and ball of yarn, that length immediately folds up on itself and twists as if making a twisted cord for a belt etc. If I disregard it for a few stitches, it seems to easily fall into a knot, or if I pull at the two sides of the twist, another knot forms. I need more yarn than 9" to work with an even tension. Is this a problem with the plying? I'm not a spinner although I do have a traditional Ashford wheel and did some many years ago.

Is thre any way of fixing this or of handling the yarn in a particular way so I can use it? Or do I just put it down to experience and put it back in the stash. It might work if crocheted but I'm not about to try that in a hurry either. I have the seller's email and a webpage on Ozemail so I could contact her about the wool, but thought I'd ask here first for ideas.

pass the slipped stitch over

My 2nd Pair

Another pair off the needles & I am really having a great time with this KAL.

Pattern : Jeweled Step from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways to Knitting Socks

Yarn : Dream In Color (Beach Fog)

Needles : 2.5mm bamboo dpns

I love the yarn as it's so soft & nice to knit with & I learnt a new technique for the toe & gusset. You can see more pictures on my blog.

question about patterns

Hi,
I am quite new to this whole sock thing.
What I want to do is one sock at a time toe up on two circulars.
I have one cast on using a Cat Bordhi pattern.
My question is can anyone recommend a good super simple pattern for this?
I just want to enjoy the process not get cranky about instructions...
thank you


blog: http://myknittedempire.wordpress.com

First Post

Hi -- I signed up for this blog over a week ago and keep meaning to post something. This is my first KAL/group blog, so I'll keep my goals simple:

1. Knit socks from stash.
2. Try new patterns from books I already have.
3. Finish one pair before starting the next.

In honour of goal #3, I finished my Sunset Socks earlier this month. Pattern: Diamond Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I used 2.75mm needles. The yarn is Patonyle which I dyed myself (with a 12 meter repeat).

I've already finished the first sock of my next pair: Broadripple in Cascade Fixation.

My blog is Karen's Craft Odyssey and you can find me on ravelry as spinweaveknit.

Orange fun

These are my second pair of socks - nearly completed. I bought the yarn at the NSW Spinners and Weavers Guild open day. I used a basic pattern but added a cable down the middle. These socks have been my first cable project, my first attempt at toe-up socks, and my first use of provisional cast-on. I am quite proud of myself!

I am now considering laying aside all of that winter knitting for next year. Summer is for iceblocks and fans and socks and cotton!

Love Melinda

http://www.melindalow.blogspot.com/

Time got away from me

Hi,
This is also my first post. I knew this KAL was coming up, but somehow managed to forget it was October!

My First goal is (Goal A):
to finish all the socks I cast on in September and make pairs for them (that's 3 pairs).
My second Goal (Goal B)
If there any time left I would like to knit up all the yarn I have that is "sock yarn", I have just realised with horror that this is about 9 balls! (that seems like a lot of sock yarn for someone who doesn't really "do" socks).

I hope this blog will help to inspire me and keep me going.


my blog is at: myknittedempire.wordpress.com

Another Late Starter

Hello everyone,

I discovered this KAL last week so I'm late getting going with the real challenge. As I spin most of my wool for socks I'm not even going to attempt to put a number on how many finished pairs there will be by March. I've been spinning for 30 years but only discovered sock knitting very recently - I guess I'd rate myself as a beginner with aspirations for intermediate.


My goals are:

1. Try some new patterns (move on from plain knitting and rib).

2. See if I can use up some of the odd balls of homespun I already have lying around.



This photo shows what I finished last week (pre SSS) and also the standard pattern I've used so far. The socks are size 12s! and colours chosen by DS.

I have been inspired by all the work done here so far - and thanks everyone for putting in the links to yarns and patterns.

Margaret

My Goals

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post here and looking at all your beautiful socks it's really inspired me to try and finish all of mine. One pair are for me but the others are intended to be presents.

At the moment I am working on Embossed Leaves sock but haven't touched them for a few weeks. I am knitting these in Cherry Tree Hills Super Sock Merino Tropical Storm colourway.

My challenge is to finish socks which I've started and are singletons (as Monica puts it). Sounds easy doesn't it? But somehow I think it's easier said then done.

They are:

Gentleman's Fancy Socks in Lorna's Laces - Black Purl

Self striping - Denim Girl by Katt's Hand Dyed Yarns, knitted on two circulars which I am finding extremely hard to do, I prefer using dpn's. So learning to knit on two circulars may never happen.

The other socks that I've started on and would like to finish are these socks designed by my blog friend and sock pal from last year Monica. I am knitting these in Cashmere merino 4ply from The Knittery in the Dark Reds colourway.

Ok, I guess that's about it for today, I've been on the net all day today, blogging, Ravelry shopping, etc, etc. So much for house work!

Sorbet Swirl

I'm a little behind schedule with my sock this week, because I spent the last couple of days mucking about with my new toys. I may or may not get this one finished by tomorrow night, but I have every intention of getting it and its mate finished by this time next week. In the meantime, I give you half a sock.
I love this colourway, it looks like ice cream or sherbet, and the TOFUtsies yarn is gorgeous to knit and even nicer to wear.
I'm working toe-up, as you can see, and I've done a reverse gusset heel, which I know a few of you are trying out for the first time, so I had the Man Himself take a close-up pic of the heel and gusset for you (it's been resized for blogging purposes, but if you want a really big close-up, the higher-res version is on my Flickr page - it's not perfect, as the original pic was a bit dark and I had to fiddle about with the exposure in Photoshop, but it should give you an idea.)
Kate
kissmyfrog.wordpress.com

Oh Good Lord I've done it !!!!

My first real adult sock. Thank you all for the encouragement I have received here to get this done, especially from Bells (a big thank you). What a feat. I can't believe it. Now just have to make it's mate, ick!

Opal Wool, with 2.25 needles.

Have added it to my blog Pins & Needles. Stay tuned for it's partner, hopefully in the not too distant future.

Pair #2, sock #1; Pair #3 ... oops!

Things have been busy at Chez Quiltingmick. But I allowed myself some time last weekend to get stuck into Pair #2. I'm using the "In your Shoes Ankle Socks" pattern from Crochet Me, and other than a very strange way to do a heel (almost as an afterthought!) I'm extremely happy with how they have turned out. I've done one sock, using Sullivan's Sock Yarn (love the yarn - it's really surprised me with how lovely it is).

Then I allowed myself to get distracted by the most beautiful handdyed wool by the lovely Kattwings at Etsy. It arrived early last week and I have been enamoured by it's rosy hues ever since.

(Note: Sock #2 or Pair #2 not even started yet ...)

I'm getting there ...