More of the Same

The toe-up socks are progressing. This morning I knitted the second heel.

Now that I've got the basic process pretty much sorted, I need to work on the little refinements, such as those gaps that appear at the end of the short-row shaping. Meanwhile I will soon have replaced the unfortunate hot-heels socks. Just to be absolutely contrary, I put the accidentally-felted pair through the washing machine cycle one more time--this time on purpose. I want the felting to be so thorough that I can cut the knitted fabric without the stitches unravelling. Then I will have learnt something useful about felting in my front-loader. In my mind that pretty much redeems the loss of my lovely warm socks.

Up and Up

I came across this book while browsing at the Wool Show.

I was actually looking for another sock book by Ann Budd, which I haven't found yet, but this one seems to have all the basics I was looking for. And you can see I've knited another toe. I've included the first completed sock in the picture so you can be sure that I'm not just showing you the same toe over again. I'm also happy to report that the short-row toe process is getting easier. Now I have an easy bit of knitting for my handbag while I knit the foot. When I get up to the heel I'll have to pay attention again. 

It's a Toe

Here's what I knitted up last night.

The next stage in my sock-knitting adventures is to knit toe-up socks. Unfortunately that's beyond the scope of Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks book which has been my trusted guide so far.

I don't currently have a knitting group--I'm planning to rectify that deficiency soon--so I turned to the internet for help. Wendy's toe-up sock pattern seems to be a popular go-to guide. With the help of this tutorial I managed the slightly wonky toe you see here. One of the problems with this sort of independent learning is that it's hard to work out which bits of wonkiness are my own beginner's errors and which are inherent deficiencies of the particular method being used.

When I looked at my knitted toe last night I was disappointed with how messy one particular line of stitches looked. If you're into knitting short-row toe-up socks, it's the part where you pick up the wrapped purl stitches while knitting the second half of the toe. I'd never done a short-row toe before. In fact knitting short rows using wrapped stitches is new to me. This morning I hunted around for more information on knitting short rows using "wrap and turn". I discovered this video, "How to INVISIBLY pick up a wrapped stitch on the Purl Side". I learned that the messy appearance of these stitches is not just my problem. And I learned a technique for making it better. Now I'm going to pull out this toe and try again. Hopefully I'll go on to knit the entire sock. I'll get several chances to practise my new skills as the short-row heel is pretty much like the short-row toe except it's at the back of the foot instead of the front. That much I know. 

Craft Combo

I recently bought myself a new sewing machine. Yesterday I sewed with it for the first time. I had to concentrate to keep breathing--I was so excited about it. And I've recently joined the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sock.* What better way to celebrate the occasion than to make a neat little roll to store my sets of double-pointed needles.

My sewing machine behaved beautifully. I got to use my cute sheep fabric for its intended purpose and my life is tidier as a result. That's a happy combination.

*Ummm, that's not an official membership or sisterhood or anything  as far as I know . . .

Hand-dyed Happiness

I'm knitting another sock. This is a relatively thoughtless sock. That's not a reflection on its character. Perhaps I should say it's relatively "un-premeditated".  I hadn't really planned for my next carry along project after I finished the hot heels socks. I pretty much just cast these on as I was heading out the door so I would have something to carry with me in my handbag. Now the first of the pair is done and the second cuff is also nearly done, so it won't be long before I have one more opportunity for pretty warm feet.

I wasn't too sure about this particular skein of yarn before I started knitting, but I'm loving how it's coming off the needles.

It's the extra touches of red that confused me while it was in the skein and amuse me as they show up in a few stitches here and there.

Back to Basics

I'm getting back into the swing of knitting socks. Since I don't have a lot of experience I wanted to brush up on the basics before trying anything new. And I've been wearing the first batch of socks I made and figuring out the things that worked well and the things that need adjusting.

My very first socks were made of 8 ply yarn, just for lounging around at home--and for instant gratification. I've noticed as I've been wearing and washing them that the tension is too loose. When I went back to my book I couldn't remember which pattern I'd used. So, I decided to follow the number one rule of knitting and do a tension square--or a tension cuff in this case.

I also re-read the relevant section in my "Getting Started Knitting Socks" book and realised that the sizes there were given according to US shoe sizes, not Australian. That should have been obvious, but I guess at the time I was so overwhelmed by the excitement of knitting real live socks on double pointed needles that I missed the point. I decided on a firmer tension and larger size. And I decided to keep a record of what I make so next time I won't be so confused. 

Undone

My first pair of handknitted "real" socks are undone.



I've been enjoying wearing my small collection of handknitted socks in this cold weather, but not every pair is a success. The first pair is now back to being a skein of yarn. The second time I wore them I broke the cast on edge. Knitting a nice elastic top edge is one of those basic skills in sock knitting and I guess I didn't get it right the first time. I want to experiment with some different approaches to sock knitting in particular a toe-up approach, so I decided to redeem the yarn rather than trying to patch it up. 

Another Pair of Socks

I finished another pair of socks this morning.

This is the first time I've been seriously tempted to abandon the second sock. The fit isn't as good as the others I've made. I think that's because the cuff is a bit too short, plus continuing the rib through the top of the foot pulls that in a bit more. I've given myself a bit of extra length in the foot to compensate. I'll see how they feel when I wear them. Even if they don't turn out to be my best pair, I'm learning and gaining experience, so it's OK. 

Green Again

I finished the pair of crazy zauberball socks last week. The second one turned out more glowingly green than I'd expected.

I was going to feature it for St Patrick's day, but was so excited about my day out that it slipped my mind. Today I've had a quiet time at home. I came across the socks while making a token effort to tidy my big table. You can see they're not blocked. I haven't invested in sock blockers yet. Any tips on that subject will be gratefully accepted.

Oh and the good news is that there's plenty of this yarn left over. Probably enough for another pair of socks if I use something else for the heel and toe. This may be just what I need to take the plunge into having a go at toe-up socks. Meanwhile I'm well on my way with another sock in a hand-dye of my own.

Cuff Take 2

This is the second sock of this pair.

And this is the second time I've completed the cuff. Why?, you ask. Do you see the needle in the lower part of the pic? It's not the same as the others. No, it's not! It's half a millimetre smaller --oops--bigger . In this case that matters. I completed the whole cuff before I realised I was using the wrong size needles. Then I agonised for a while about what to do. When I looked at it objectively I had to admit that the tension was noticeably different. So I ripped it out and started again. Now I can get on with the rest of the sock. The sizes are printed on the needles, but I just wasn't paying enough attention.

Learning Things

So, I've been off air for about a week, courtesy of various technical glitches and the humans who are paid to fix them for me . . . I learned a bit more about my computer and what makes my internet connection work--or not. As for the lessons in patience, I'm not sure that I would have chosen to practice that virtue if I had the choice.
Meanwhile I'm still an enthusiastic newbie sock knitter. I thought I'd branch out into something a little more challenging and exciting. This was an impulse buy.

Noro Sekku is 50% cotton, 17% wool, 17% nylon, 16% silk. It was on display as a possible sock wool and despite the fact that there was no knitted swatch available I decided to give it a go. That turned out to be not such a good idea. It's an unbalanced single and despite the promised strength from the nylon content, it breaks very easily. It also twists and catches on itself--not a good combination when knitting on 2 mm needles. Nor are the lovely thick slubs that show up reasonably often. And the wool content isn't enough to give the yarn any elasticity. The big cuff you can see in the pic only just fits over my heel to tug onto my ankle. Once there I'm not sure that it would stay up. It quickly became a "sample" and I've reallocated the yarn. It will be an interesting scarf knit on somewhat bigger needles. Hopefully it will be great and I'll end up a happy little knitter again. Meanwhile it's good to be back on air.

Cuff Detail

I've knitted the interesting part of the cuff for the second of Ann Budd's "ruffled cuff socks".

You can see the decreases that make the rib panels flare out. I'm wondering about making more of those increases in a future incarnation, but I think the length of the cuff is about right as it is. I'm not sure if more rows with decreases in them would just obscure the design. Anyway, for now I need to knit 24 rows of knit 1-purl 1 rib to make the rest of the cuff and then complete the sock. I'm already thinking about what I might do next. I've had a look around the Handweavers and Spinners Guild library and am wondering about ordering the next book by Ann Budd.

Same, Same, Different

This Ruffle Cuff Anklet sock is featured on the cover of Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks. I've been keen on it since I first saw the book, before I started knitting my first ever sock.

After completing the pair of plain socks last week, I immediately cast this on. I finished the knitting yesterday afternoon. I just have to graft the toe and I've already cast on it's mate. Unfortunately the cuff isn't as ruffly as I would like in my version. I don't know if that's about my tension in knitting the rib. I know I'm accustomed to over the top ruffles, so maybe I've been spoilt. Anyway it's a good way to consolidate my basic sock knitting skills with just a bit of added interest to keep me motivated.

Success of the Travelling Sock

The second sock is done.

I had to travel to an inner city suburb to pick up some beading materials yesterday. The cost of parking is about the same as a tram fare. The tram takes a little longer, but I can  knit on the tram. I'm feeling pretty confident with my new double pointed needles, but I'd hate to drop one on the tram. And I love to explore new ways of doing things.

I changed over to two short circular needles for the foot of my sock. The knitting felt nice and secure and didn't require as much concentration as the dpn's. I knitted through my tram ride. I knitted some more while perusing the newspapers at the local library. By the time I got home I was ready to do the toe shaping.  I grafted the toe and wove in the ends over my morning coffee. Now it's all finished. And yes, I'm already thinking about my next pair of socks!

Sock Progress

I am happy to report that number one sock is finished. I even did the kitchener stitch and wove in the ends right away! And number two sock is on its way.

I'm keen to get it done so I can actually wear the socks. I can certainly see how this could become addictive.

For Me

Just to prove that I really am getting on with my sock knitting, here's where I'm up to this morning.

It's going to be a hot day here--not the weather for wearing woollen socks. But part of the beauty of sock knitting for me so far is that the piece is small enough in my hands that it's comfortable to knit in any weather.

Oh and I'd better put mopping the living room floor on today's to-do list as well!

Sample Sock

I don't know how many times I've shared my desire to knit socks here. And how many times I've been "welcomed to the dark side" by my sock-knitting friends. I've knitted a few pairs in 8-ply, but they're really only good for lounging around, not wearing with shoes. Now I'm one step closer. This week I finished a sample sock in 4-ply wool on my new knit-picks dpns--2.25mm. The itty bitty stitches make me feel like a real sock knitter. Admittedly it's only one sock and I did it in a child's size, just to make sure I was clear on every step along the way.

I was so pleased with myself that I promptly cast on in my size--thankfully I have a small foot, so it's not that many more stitches to tackle. I've already had the benefit of having worked a sample. I've used the long-tail cast on this time and it looks better than the one I used for the sample. I'm just about to turn the heel. Then I will have gusset stitches to pick up. That will be the next place to learn a lesson. The sample has the predictable little hole at the end of the gusset. I'd like to avoid that if I can.

Mascot

Today is the day of the football grand final in Melbourne. Do I care? No, not particularly, but there's something to be learned from every situation. The footy clubs have their various mascots, and I need one too. Here's what I made.

It's called the wee tiny sock and it's perfect in all its parts: cuff, leg, heel flap, heel, gussets, foot and toe. I've been wanting to have another go at sock knitting and this was a fun cute little warm up. And it's helped to cheer me up a bit too. On the strength of it I got going on a few other long-neglected jobs. Ultimately I may make some more as Christmas decorations. Now I don't expect a full-on cheer squad, but I have chores to do before I settle down to some more knitting.

Snap

So, I finished the second sock. 

Not only that, I wove in the loose ends and now I have a pair ready to wear. There are a few sloppy bits and I'm still not really consistent with my tension when knitting in the round, but I think I'll try knitting a pair with finer wool on smaller needles next. It will take me from the slouchy home-socks to the wearing out category. Or if they don't work out too well, from the slouchy 8-ply to the finer home-socks. Either way I'll learn something. I have the appropriate wool already, so what am I waiting for?

One Frog, Two Frogs, Green Frog, Blue Frog.

Remember those highschool days when you used to phone a friend to see what she was wearing to such and such an event so you could match? I admit, that was never my style, but I think I missed out on quite a bit of innocent fun. Imagine a bunch of women at the Guild on the weekend . . . E has come along as the teacher's assistant, but there's not much to do. She's sitting to one side of the group, knitting socks. The conversation wanders in an out of the topic for a while. There's a discussion about the various styles of self-patterning yarns available. It turns out that C and M have handknitted socks from the same colourway: Opal, Frog. In fact M has knitted three pairs of these socks, all different of course. The conversation develops into a detailed analysis of construction methods, length of repeats and colour placement. Remember, this is the Handweavers and Spinners Guild, where I fit right in--we're all textile tragics.

"Wear your frog socks tomorrow", C said to M"

"OK, I' will"

So on Sunday morning we had this picture: What you can't see is the twists and contortions it took to get the shot: C is taller and thinner than M . . . M is breastfeeding, so her bumps are prominent and tender . . . I needed their feet close enough to get all four socks in one shot and not too much distraction from the other bits and pieces scattered around the floor . . . let your imagination fill in the details!