Socks for Me!

You may remember me posting about these often quite some time ago. These are the very first socks I ever started knitting but the third pair I've finished. I put them down for a looooong time and knit a gift pair and a Sockapalooza pair in the interim. This week I got sick of looking at them sitting in my knitting basket and decided to finish them. I can't wear them until fall, but it's good to have them done anyway. Can't wait to wear them!

I think I did a pretty good job of matching up the stripes--until I got to the toe on the final sock. I ran out of yarn and had to join the little piece that I wound off searching for the right spot in the color repeat to start the second sock. So the second sock has a weird brown and blue toe:

I ended up having only five yards left! Look what a tiny ball five yards makes:

So if you have feet larger than about a women's size 8 or 8 1/2, you might want to steer clear of Magic Stripes.

Knitterly details:

Pattern: Silver's Sock Class--basic sock on four DPNs

Yarn: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, denim stripe

Needles: US size 1 DPNs
Mods: used size 1 needles instead of size 2s as called for in the tutorial (I did knit one sock on size 2s, and it turned out much to big for me.)

And since I have such a bingey personality, I couldn't resist casting on for a new sock. (It's a basic Silver's Sock Class sock in Magic Stripes again--I got two skeins at bargain basement price, so I may as well practice on it.) It feels really good to have a different project inhabiting my sock sack.

My Sweater Dilemma, and Other Knitting Tidbits

Several months ago I bought eight skeins of Cotton Ease in the pistachio colorway, thinking I'd make myself a sweater out of it this fall. (I found an insanely good deal on this yarn online--pistachio normally isn't my thing.) I've been searching for appealing sweater patterns, and I keep coming back to the Dollar and a Half Cardigan in the Spring 2007 IK. I really, really like it. But I also really, really like how it looks in the dark brown (I think grey, navy, or any other dark color would be nice too). So would this sweater look totally wrong in pistachio (light pastelly green) cotton yarn?

I also like the look of the Green Tea Raglan from that same issue, but the thought of all that seed stitch doesn't really turn me on. I have some other yarn that I'm planning to use for an EZ raglan or yoke sweater, so I don't want to knit one of those with this pistachio yarn. Any other ideas?

I have been knitting (and crocheting) quite a bit recently, but I don't seem to be making much progress. Well, at least I'm not cranking out too many FOs. Here's what I've been working on:


plain vanilla mittens in black merino


lamb softie for my little T man (I plan to add facial features and a ribbon bow), acrylic scraps


mistake rib scarf for the Red Scarf Project, Caron Simply Soft autumn red

I'm still plugging along on my denim stripe socks (working on them quite infrequently, a few rows here and a few rows there)

I recently made some crocheted play food and sent it to a mama I know on Diaper Sewing Divas as a little surprise for her little guys. My pics are awful, so I won't bore you with them, but I made the food from the Dandelion Dreamers patterns. Very, very fun! I plan to make T and the like-aged nieces and nephews sets for Christmas. I hope to have some better pics to share once I finish the Christmas gifts.

I'm Done!

My socks for my Sockapalooza 4 pal are done! Like 'em? They might be for you . . .

Pattern: Baby Cable Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks, over 80 stitches
Yarn: Knitpicks Dancing, Rumba
Needles: US size 0 DPNs
Gauge: 10 spi

Now I just need to wash them and decide on some cool goodies to send along with them.

Sockapalooza--Halfway Done!

I've already cast on for the second sock so I won't be tempted to put it off. That's one big sock with lots of itty bitty stitches (10 spi!). I'm happy with it. I hope my pal will be too!

Finally Some Finished Items to Share!

I finally have some finished objects that I can share. I've been knitting up a storm lately, but most of it has been for baby gifts or knitting exchanges, so I've been sitting on the pictures until the gifts were given and the exchanges were sent.



Pattern: Baby Bib O Love from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Sugar and Cream cotton, cream
Needles: US size 4 (two sizes down from pattern recommendation)
Modifications: knit one long strap that buttons at the front




Patterns: Easy Baby Cardigan (pdf) and North Country Cotton Baby Socks (pdf)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Shadows, dark moss (it's actually a slightly darker green than the photos show--poor lighting for photography here lately). I'm not crazy about acrylic and usually avoid it, but I just loved this color! I think it will be great whether the baby is a boy or a girl.
Needles: US size 7 circs for the sweater; US size 3 DPNs for the socks
Mods: None for the socks. For the sweater, I knit buttonholes into the edging on the front and sewed on buttons instead of doing ties as the pattern instructs. I also used a provisional cast on for the top of the hood and came back and kitchener grafted the hood together instead of seaming the top. (I would knit both of these patterns again. Love 'em!)
Other comments: The socks seem to run very large. I knit the baby size on size 3 needles (two sizes smaller than recommended), and they still fit my 13-month old son. The sweater should fit around 6-9 months, just in time for cooler weather next fall/winter. Perhaps the baby will have large feet. :-) I figure that even if the socks don't fit at the same time as the sweater, they'll still be cute to wear with another outfit somewhere down the line.



Pattern: Tranquility spa set from Rhonda White's "Spa and Bath Sets to Knit"
Yarn: Sugar and Cream cotton, cream
Needles: US size 5 and 7
Mods: none



Pattern: my own (my first attempt at designing a dishcloth)
Yarn: Sugar and Cream cotton, cream
Needles: US Size 7
Mods: none (since I made up the pattern, I didn't need to modify :-)

Phew! That felt good.

Sockapalooza!

I've started on my Sockapalooza 4 socks. I thought my pal would enjoy some summer-weight socks in fun colors with just a bit of texture. I'm planning a cuff down sock (obviously) with a heel flap and a standard toe. I got the idea for the textured rib here (though I'm making up my own pattern rather than following her pattern, which is toe up with short row heel and toe). I'm using Knitpicks Dancing and US size 0 DPNs. This yarn is knitting up at between 9.5 and10 spi, so it's a good thing I'm getting a jump start. Lots of tiny stitches to knit between now and August!

One Down, One to Go

It fits! It fits!



And the top view . . .



And a closeup of the non-hideousness of the toe:



All I had to do to make it fit was frog my previous attempt and reknit it on size 1 DPNs instead of size 2s. (Yep, I ended up frogging the entire thing--and I'm glad I did.) I like the fabric the 1s make much better too. I'm very happy! Now it just needs a mate, but first I must get a good start on my Sockapalooza 4 socks.

Added 5/4/07:
A few more details on the sock, for those who may be wondering about fit: It's knit over 64 stitches at 8.5 stitches per inch (measured on stockinette), and it fits my size 8 foot, which has an 8.5 inch circumference.

A Little Bit of Sewing

Last week I was itching to do a little (very little) bit of sewing, so I whipped up this sock sack using this tutorial. It's not perfect, but I love it anyway. There are definitely more of these in my future. (Do you recognize the sock--or I should say yarn from the former sock--that's currently inhabiting the sack?)

Good News, Bad News

Good news: I finished my very first sock today!
Bad news: It doesn't fit me at all! It's quite a bit too wide and just a smidge too long. See how it bags around the ball of my foot and how the toe floats on the end of my foot? I have a long big toe that sticks out farther than my other toes, so I don't really like how this style of toe fits my foot. (Unfortunately, I know nothing about other toe styles either, so I have no idea what I would even try to get a better fit.)



A closeup of the hideousness of the toe (doesn't it look look a cobra getting ready to strike?):



Okay, so . . . time for another yucky knitting decision:

Option A: Frog the entire thing and reknit using size 1 needles (instead of size 2 as recommended in the tutorial).
Option B: Frog the toe and half a dozen or so rows of the foot and start the toe decreases sooner. I'm thinking this might stretch things just enough to get a snugger fit around the foot.

I honestly don't know what I want to do yet, but I'm sort of leaning toward option A. Any thoughts? Do you think option B might work?

Despite this unfortunate result, I really enjoyed knitting this sock. I can see how people get totally hooked on sock knitting. Right after I turned the heel, I bought enough yarn to make four more pairs of socks. I'm dreaming of all the different patterns I want to try. Now, if I can just get the size thing down . . .

I'm Doing a Happy Dance!

This yarn is aptly named--Knitpicks Dancing. This came in the mail on Friday. I ordered some of each color they had left, since it's being discontinued. I was just giddy when I saw the gorgeous colors. I called my husband over to share my excitement and pet my yarn and ooh and aah over the colors. Not suprisingly, he didn't share my enthusiasm. I can't wait to knit these up into socks. I'm already dreaming of what patterns to use with the different colorways.


Two Step


Hula


Rumba

I'm brand new to sock knitting. I know there are truly fabulous sock yarns out there--Lorna's Laces, Socks That Rock, Trekking, etc.--but I'll go for this cheap (but, I think, still pretty wonderful) stuff until I'm sure my skills warrant the deliciousness of the premium stuff.

Sock Dilemma

I haven't made that much progress on my sock since my last post, but I just couldn't stop myself from posting again. I love my sock. I can't wait until it's done (until both are done). I keep trying it on. I think I'm just about ready to start the toe. I'm debating if Iwant to start the toe now or knit another half inch or so. The tutorial says to knit to within 2 inches of the tip of your toe. I was planning on knitting until it measures 8 inches from the heel to my needles (my foot is ten inches heel to tip of big toe--but I have rather long big toes), and I'm not there yet. But then when I try it on, it seems like it's time to start the toe. Hmmm . . . the stretch factor. Plus, the sock is a tad on the large side. I don't want a saggy baggy sock that slips all over my foot and doesn't fit well in shoes. (Next pair I'm using size 1 DPNs instead of size 2s.) I've never done this before, so I don't know what to expect. So I'm waiting and debating. This may be my naptime project for today (T's naptime, not mine ).

Roll Call

T's longies. Not far to go now.


My first sock. I can't decide if this yarn is fun or ugly, but I'm having a blast knitting it!


The plans for T's new sweater. It will be an Elizabeth Zimmerman seamless pullover. I haven't decided yet if it will be yoke or raglan, but I've got a good amount of knitting to do before I need to make that decision. You can kind of see what I'm planning from my (very poorly rendered) pencil sketch. I'm no artist (Do you like the different length arms? LOL), but it helps me visualize where I'm going.

I've decided I need to finish these three projects before I start anything new. Think I can stick to that? I've already got a scarf idea that I'm eager to get started on. (I'm pretty unhappy with the scarf I made earlier this winter--see here and here--so I'd like to replace it with something better.) Plus, I have more sock yarn coming in the mail. Oh boy . . .

Some Pics of FOs and WIPs

My Curly Purly scarf in action. Doesn't it look nice against my black wool pea coat? It's pretty, but the texture of the fuzzy acrylic doesn't feel that great against my skin. There may be another scarf in my immediate future, once I get through my current WIPs.


My current WIPs: socks for me and some Elizabeth Zimmermann longies for T


T's slippers. Yes, there are two of them again! Can you tell which one is new and which one has been worn constantly since October? I sure can!


Woozy Cloth. I love this cloth. It was really fun and quick to knit, and it turns out so fab and funky. Plus, it's on the small side, which I really like. I don't like huge dishcloths. They just take up too much yarn and are too bulky for me to handle.