Pair no. 3: the Shaka Banga!

Here's my third pair: the Shaka Bangas! Made from Stone Barn Fibers yarn with the Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.

More about these over on my blog.

yet another convert

I gave Miss Just-Three the first of this pair. She turned three at the beginning of October. They were made for next year so I made them long in the foot and they were also a bit loose in the leg. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Grandma, these are real combubble (comfortable) socks." She did not want to take it off.

The first sock was a product of three hours on the train last Friday along with some time waiting for connections. The second sock is actually a few stitches smaller. Same foot length, but just a bit snugger around the leg, although the leg length is good. I still have enough left of the two colours to make a pair for her cousin in reverse colours to these. He's a year younger, but takes a larger shoe size than she does. Takes after his dad, my son, who is 6'5" and wears an Australian size 14 shoe. I don't make socks for him or his brother who is same size.

Not bad going for 100 gm of two different colours. Two pairs of adult socks, one child's pair and another to come.

My First Knit Along!

Name: Crafted in Millthorpe
Joined: 20th October 2007

Goals:

1. To complete or frog 4 partially completed UFO socks.

2. To put myself on a sock yarn diet. Current stash estimate, enough to complete 14 pair without using frogged yarn from UFO’s.

3. To learn Toe Up Gusset Method by knitting Widdershins from Knitty.com

4. To limit self to 2 sock WIP’s at any time. One mindless stash buster and one more challenging with a new technique or complex pattern.

5. To develop a regular blogging habit. My blog is here.

6. To have fun knitting socks this summer.

Current WIP’s:
Illusion toe up socks from yarn dyed myself with another solid cream for contrast. Started before joining SSoS. See photo above.

Toe up baby socks in Bambino Merino mauve multi for my niece born this month. Cast on after joining SSoS.

Question:
Do Christmas Stockings count as socks? I have plenty of red and green 4 ply intended for stockings for my parents this Christmas (maybe).

FROGGED!

Remember the toe-up socks here? They're Gone, Daddy, Gone. (I'm a retro kind of girl.) I gave the diabolical short-row heel two attempts before frogging, and I'll find another toe-up pattern, perhaps this one. Kate directed me to a page full of them, but for the first attempt I need to stick close to gauge. I'm not confident enough in my altering abilities until I understand what I'm doing. The heel in the On Your Toes pattern? Is evil. Seriously warped. I've no problem with learning new techniques--I have been a fearless knitter since Day One--but this...this...it's simply filling my head with levels of profanity not fit for a blog.

So I'll stop typing now.

Finished Socks - Red Brick Go With The Flow

Mmmmmmmm I love these the reds are beautiful and look great against the blue of our couch.

They were very easy to knit up and were quick to complete when I had time on our recent sojourn to Tassie.

I can't wait for the blocking to finish so I can wear them and wear them.

It's a very easy to remember lace pattern (4 rows) I modified the pattern a bit and did a plain foot for comfort.

I spent the last non-weekend day of our holidays dyeing up a storm in my garden and have already cast on a pair of plain stocking stitch socks for dh in the red/blue colorway.

More details can be found by clicking here to see my blog.

mild annoyance

In case anyone was wanted a review of the sullivan's sock yarn (about $13 for 120g at lincraft) it's ok.. pretty hairy but nice colours. sadly these colours will rub off on your hand.
still pretty though.

Flickering Flames Socks

Only one of these socks count for SS of Ss as the first one was completed almost a year ago. Pattern: Flickering Flames - Black Dog Designs

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in 'Flame'.

Needles: 2.75 Brittany Birch DPs.

I don't like these socks. Gorgeous yarn, just hate how it pooled and I think it was too much colour for this pattern. Wish the whole pair had behaved like the pooled section because I actually think it's nicer. I really like the pattern. It is easy to learn and makes a very pretty pair of socks, but you just can't see it or appreciate the lace pattern in this yarn. Not a good set of choices on my part. I will definitely make this pattern again as I really enjoyed knitting it, but I will pick a much "quieter" yarn next time. Live and Learn. :o)

Turning My Back on Monogamous Sox

I began this yesterday...

(Ann Budd's On Your Toes Socks)

...before I finished this (one Whitby sock, completed).

I've always been monogamous with the sox, you know? One pair at a time. I always have multiple projects on the needles, but not sox. I had this fear that if I started another pair, I wouldn't finish the first. I know! As if I'd be that fickle! Now that I finished my last in-progress big project, I realized I was being silly. It's nice to have something easily portable, like the simple ribbed socks up above, and then something a little more complex, like the cabled socks.

I love the Whitby pattern. I modified it since my gauge is 7 stitches/inch rather than 6.5 by casting on four extra stitches. I also changed the toe to a standard decrease/Kitchener toe, rather than "gather up the stitches and pull tight." (I like Kitchener!) The only reason I didn't cast on the second immediately is because the Boston Red Sox were in an elimination game in the playoffs. They won and live to play another game. But I needed the mindless ribbing while they did so.

Toe-up socks was one of my challenges. The @#! cast-on for this pattern gave me fits, and I hope I can manage to do it a second time. But this yarn is precious, and I want to make sure I get as much sock out of it as possible. I split it into two balls using my new digital scale--that purchase made my husband raise his eyebrows, but he can just Shut. Up.--and determined to figure out this pattern. So far, so good, although I'm a bit wary of the finishing advice to "snug up any holes at the heel," since I don't get holes with heel flaps, thank you very much, and I'm going to be Quite Annoyed if short-row heels produce holes. Wish me luck.

It's Friday again

and you know what that means at the CraftyCarolyn blog, an FO to share.

Minerva's Argyles. Come to my blog for all the details: http://craftycarolyn.livejournal.com

Setting myself a challenge

I have finally signed up and thought I best set the challenges while the enthusiasm is high.

1. To finish BOTH socks of a pair before beginning a new sock project
2. To use what I have and not buy more sock yarn
3. To learn from my mistakes and not bend another Addi Turbo by yanking it out of the basket where it was stuck!

Keeping it simple.

A Whole Sock!

Here's my first whole sock, a Monkey. Note that the little ball of wool to the side is all that remains of the first 50g/160m skein of Koigu. I was getting rather worried about making it to the toe and I'd already left out one pattern repeat on the leg for this very reason. For the record, my feet are size 9.

Now onto the other sock.

crosshatch socks all hatched!

Crosshatch socks all hatched and ready to sit in present basket. I really enjoyed doing this stitch and will do it again, I think. This is done in Hotsocks sock wool I bought last Saturday at the Spinners and Weavers Open Day. I've actually been quite busy at work all week, but the business has been in spurts. There were times when I could sit and knit and the eight rows of this pattern go quickly. It's from More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I have both these books and think the info contained is great. Lots of variations to suit needles, tension, yarn, size foot etc and lots of useful information about knitting. However, I think I like the second book more than the first. Just personal preference, but I like the stitch patterns more. I have several stitch dictionaries, but don't seem to have most of these stitches.

Wool here is HotSocks knitted on 2.5 mm Brittany Birch needles which I bought from Daphne at the Knittery.

Why the mints tin? I was sitting looking at the empty tin the other day while knitting and thinking there had to be a use for such a tin. Wool and darning needles sprang to mind. Just perfect, and a good, tightfitting snap lid too. Such needles have been rattling around in my container of stitch markers for quite a while. Now they have been transferred.
As can be seen, there was a surprising amount left of the HotSocks wool. The dark chocolate Essential Sock It to Me sock yarn from Elann goes well, so this will be another pair. Possibly for one of the grandchildren. It's my day off today, I work Monday-Thursday but DIL has asked me to do some emergency babysitting this afternoon. That means an hour in the train each way for about three hours child minding till my son arrives home. More knitting time. I'm also minding the other lot tomorrow afternoon and evening while their parents are at a wedding. I doubt I will get much done then.

Sort of

These socks don't technically count because I didn't start them during SSS... but I did finish them during SSS, and they are my first pair of socks... and I am so proud that I just have to show them off!! Pattern designed by Spidey.

Now onto a pair of socks with my own hand-dyed wool!!

Addendum

Holey smokes rockin' sock stars!

After reading through the blog the last couple of weeks I have decided I need to add an appendix to my personal challenges. This is mainly for my benefit, but I feel as though some kindred spirits out there may be feeling the same way.

My additional personal challenges are:

* To remember why I joined this KAL. Which was to be more active in the knitting/blogging community. And because Rose Red FORCED me to join! Just jokes RR!

* To knit socks at my own pace. Very important, I react badly to pressure and tend to want to rebel and breakaway. Like forming a gorilla action group for the misunderstood and maligned, mismatched or unfinished socks!

* To enjoy how knitting makes me feel. It relaxes me and helps me to destress in what is the busiest time of year for me at work.

* To enjoy, marvel, and not be intimidated, at the speed of some of you rockin' sock stars in finishing pairs of socks. YOU LOT ROCK! You have helped me feel the sock love!

* To not be competitive. This is a hard one for me as I have a tendency to be swept along and try and out perform and try to keep up with the output of others. But it ends up making me feel stressed and I lose enjoyment when knitting becomes a chore. I have come to realise that there are things I streak ahead in, and lead the pack. And there are other things that I doodley bop behind in. And I am ok with that!

* Most of all to enjoy the Summer knitting socks. To have fun being part of SSoS. To enjoy reading about your adventures in sock land. To discover new patterns (for my to do list of course!) and new yarns.

And most importantly, To RACE DOODS TO THE WOODEN SPOON! See you there Doods!!!!!

In the mean time, I present to you one half (maybe the only half) of my first pair of socks for SSoS.


Details are:
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Rainbow 1 skein.
Heirloom 4ply in green (shade 470) and purple (shade 437) for heel and toe.
Cleckheaton Merino Bambino 4ply in a blue/purple colour for picot edge.
3mm 30cm circular & 3mm dpns. (Try 30cm circulars. You were right BDK, they will change your life!)
Pattern - Black Dog Knits, Lornas Laces One Hank socks

And now my biggest challenge is to cast on the mate for this lonely little fella!!

Left Over's

I had some left over wool from my last two sock club socks and not wanting to waste it I used it to make some anklet socks.

Needles: 3.75mm Addi Turbo Circs
YaRN: Fyberspates BFL in Blue Lagoon and Moss
Pattern: adapted from Lion Brand - striped footies

Modifications: I used a k1 p1 rib for the cuff and contrast colour for the heels and toes. I didn't do the stripes.

Baby Sock

So what do you do with your sock yarn left overs? I had quite a bit left over from my Rainy Day Socks, so decided that it was time my good intention of knitting little socks for my granddaughter Grace, was actually carried out. As it turns out, this is too small for her, but more babies due in the family next year, so they won't go astray. Just have to make sure I don't succumb to SSS now.

color!

I'm not really an experienced knitter (I've crocheted for years, and picked up tunisian crochet this last summer, but no knitting before). In fact, I've only been knitting for a few months. So I am still learning new ways to play with color and stitches and other incorporated design elements. I am having a great time experimenting with color on my new sock. I think I'm going to stick with color experimentation before I get all fancy with stitch patterns. Once I have them both down, look out! :D

whatever gets you through

And again.. but i only had to do from the second heel flap so it isn't THAT ridiculous.
mmmmm cashmere-aculous.

Peace out,
Ms Spider

PS. excuse the icky flash... it's late and it's the best i can do.

tragedy

hi sockers
there has been a tragedy in the toe up sock department.
you can read part one here and part two here.
im going to bed now
kms xxx

F.O. OMG what large feet he has

Oh what big feet he has - my brother-in-law
One year and one week late wedding present, and counting.....

Size 11!!!!!! They are even too big form my LARGE sock blockers.
I have just cast on my sister's pair - her feet are smaller than mine so they shouldn't take too long.

here is a close up of the G "heart" G motif I designer and swatched a few time
They were knitted on 2.5mm needles
Patons Patonyle which has started to ball a little bit - but it is so nice to knit with.
And the most wonderous peacock heel in action again - a current favorite

I am just itching to knit some lace socks.......

SO over plain knitting.