A Song of Socks

There are things when you dress
That you put on your toes
There are boys who wear tubes
And girls who wear hose

If you wanna keep me warm
When the freezing cold wind blows
Don't give me your love and forget it
Just give me a pair of those

I want your socks
I want your socks

I'll wear 'em on my feet
I'll show 'em to my friends
'Cause I like the feel
Of those hand-knitted trends 



The second in my series of socks for myself are the Rainy Day Socks made from MadelineTosh sock in the lovely Wash colourway. They were fast and the pattern was easily memorizable and they are perfect for spring wearing. I made size small on US 1.5 dpns. I did adapt the pattern, which called for a kitchenered toe, to a star toe. I'm all about the Easy!

But I found it hard to continue to knit things for myself. After all, the little guy needs socks too - he is growing like a sunflower! I just bought him two new pairs of shoes, because his toes were bumping the ends of his old ones and there were absolutely no handknit socks in the drawer that fit him! I think the last time I made him socks, his feet were only 3.5 inches long and now they're 5.5 inches! Oh no, that's not right! I did knit him these Sherlock socks a year ago, and they were 5 inches long - but they were no where to be found.

And besides, I'm impelled to create for those I love, so I've switched my attention to making as many pairs of little socks as I can before Camp Loopy starts on May 27th. So far, I've managed three socks and I hope to finish 3 more in the next week - all stripey:



I have my own method of toe-up construction and they are fast, fast, fast and easy, and fit so well! 



And because the little guy's socks take so little yarn, I'm left with a fair amount of widowed and orphaned skeins in colours that don't suit me (but that he loves). Should I save them for the next growth spurt?

Sensitive Man

Good morning! I'm just raising my head from a hurried breakfast of blueberries and tea to let you know the reason I haven't been blogging lately.

I have a very sick young dog at home, and anyone who has ever had a dog going through chemotherapy will know that it's a full time nursing job. I don't at all mind taking care of him day and night, giving him his meds every hour, and sleeping on the couch near his bed to be on hand as crises arise - not at all. But at the same time, I'm trying to keep up with a full time job and two part time jobs as well as other personal and family matters. All the dog chemotherapy centers are out of state or on the border with another state, so that means lots of driving - lots and lots of driving = several times a week. 

All of this means there is no time left for blogging. I miss it! But this is important and needs to come first. 

This pre-illness photo shows the dear Teddy (whose real name is Percival) - definitely one of the most sensitive men in our house. 

Sigur Ros - This is a Good Beginning

In spite of my long list of knits waiting to be finished for other people, I've taken a creative break to make myself some socks and stockings.

Like the fairytale cobbler whose children go shoe-less, all of my socks are grocery-store-bought black of an indeterminate fiber and have holes in the heels. Sadly, this isn't a new state of affairs. I gamely sew up the holes and continue wearing them while knitting away on gifts for others.

Well, last week I said (to myself) "No more"! I'm going to knit up a drawfull of stockings for myself before I finish anything for anyone else!

So, the picture shows my first pair, finished yesterday. They are made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR lightweight in Sigur Ros (one of my favorite bands). The cast on was 60 stitches and I used size 2.5mm Darn Pretty DPN Needles. I used a simple stitch pattern - 3x2 rib - in a simple formula - cuff down, short-row heel, and star decreased toe (no Kitchener!).

I wore them as soon as they were off the needles - not even waiting to block them, though I know blocking would soften the yarn even more than it already is and help it to 'bloom'. They are super comfy!

I've already begun the second pair: Rainy Day Socks using Madeline Tosh Sock in Wash. I hope the Force for sock-knitting stays strong in me. I want lots and lots!

The comforts of an old house

In Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, when the Dashwoods move from their estate to their country house, Barton Cottage, there is a definite sense that they're giving up comfort and ease and warmth in exchange for independence. The stone walls, though plastered, capture the chilling rain and winter's penetrating icy winds. You can see that realization in their faces when they view the cottage for the first time:



One of the most telling moments is when the older sisters climb into bed the first evening. The wind is blowing, there are no fires in the bedrooms, and the bed covers are sturdy but sparse. Marianne says to Elinor, "Your feet are cold!" and Elinor climbs out again with a sigh to pull on stockings.



In Sense and Sensibility, the cold rains are a symbol of emotional abandon - dramatic, romantic, a wild release - but with possible devastating consequences. The inevitable sense of cold, chilling to the bone, is palpable, even in Marianne's one bare foot when Willoughby carries her home in the rain. Cold feet again!



I can relate to this. Here in my old, cold house, I love the cosy feeling when it rains outside, but even a summer rain can chill the house. I've turned to traditional methods of keeping warm - knitted socks, shawls, night-caps, and fires in the fireplace. My friends ask for my knitted bedsocks and night caps as gifts all the time, and I've started on some for Christmas presents already.

Here is a new pattern, just finished:

Sensibility Bed Socks







So soft and warm - and comfortable!

Knitting up a Storm

A few years ago, when I was learning to knit socks, I started a pair for myself in that curious cotton and elastic yarn that comes as Cascade Fixation or Elann Esprit. My skeins were the Elann yarn in pink, rose, and greenish-grey and brought to mind faded roses. I found the perfect pattern:Antique Rose Socks by Dianne Mulholland.

The pattern knit up so quickly and easily and the first sock fit perfectly! But other socks were calling to me, and I set this pair aside while I worked on "practice socks" for 8 friends. By the time I finished I wanted to move on to other garments, and did - lace shawls, which held my interest for a long time.

Years passed, until this weekend when I found this first sock in my old knitting bag and, needing a transitional project, decided to complete the pair!

It's hard enough getting tension from one day to the next, but over several years? Very tough! It turned out just right, though, (this elastic sock yarn is very forgiving) and I've been wearing them happily.



Elann Esprit - 2 balls
Needles - Dyakcraft DPNs Size 3
Stitch pattern - feather and fan - toe up, short row heels

The sock took me 4 hours over 4 days from beginning to end. Why did I wait?

I'm ready for the rain storm that's coming now. And ready for a new project for the rest of the week.

Baby Sherlock

I posted here a little while ago, when I finished my Sign of the Four cashmere socks. I loved them so much and had so much yarn left over, I decided to make a pair for the little guy. I'm almost finished with those, and can't wait to show them off:



They might look kind of big for a baby, but his feet are only 5 inches long and mine are only about 8.5 inches long so they just look big by comparison. He really is just a little squish!

These socks (his, not mine) are going to have suede moccasin bottoms on them, so that he can wear them around the house to keep his feet warm now that he's toddling - or even at friends' houses. He really motors when he has a goal in view!

I just can't describe how incredibly soft this yarn is once it's blocked! The cashmere really makes a big difference - they're divine on the feet! The yarn is Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Sock. I want to find more of this in my favorite colours - greens and blues. I only have it from kits: one had a bright gold/yellow and this one with the nice reddish brown (called Hound of the Baskervilles). I do love the brown, but would be crazy about about a blue-green.



My goal this weekend is to finish up some projects that are almost done, so I can start some new projects. I have two Pickles sweaters on the needles for the little guy, and of course the Miss Marple Shawl. But I'd love to make many more pairs of baby socks!

Sherlock at Home

I finished my Sherlock Holmes "Sign of the Four" socks tonight and couldn't wait to show them!



They are so incredibly soft and got even softer when they were blocked because of the cashmere yarn. And the yarn, which looked like a shaded solid in the skein turned out to have just enough subtle variegation to make a tweedy fabric...

Yarn: Serenity Sock from Zen Yarn Garden, colourway: Hound of the Baskervilles
Size: Small (foot 6.5)
Needles: Signature Needle Arts DPNs size 1.5 (2.5 mm)
Pattern: The Sign of the Four by Anne Hanson

Love Love love! I think I'll have to make a matching pair for the little guy!

The diamond pattern:

Little Guy's Little Owl

What is it about owls? I just love them (especially barn owls!) and have this thing about incorporating them into knitting. I remember visiting all those rescued owls over the years at our local Audubon society and how we would be fascinated by their funny antics (dancing on their perch branches!) and wild ways.

Well this owl is a little more tame - a Christmas stocking with the owl graph from Spilly Jane Knits' owl socks used as the motif. I have several of her patterns, but haven't (until now) dared to try them!

I devised the actual stocking myself with a cast on of 48 stitches on size 8 DPNs (cuff down with a short row heel). The yarn is Jared Flood's new SHELTER pure wool. It's quite wonderful to work with on patterns like this and gets softer as you use it.



My stranded knitting on this Christmas stocking is obviously not perfect, but I learned a lot about stranded knitting by working on this over the past month - like how to carry the yarn invisibly across the back so I didn't have long "floats". I'm now inspired to try many more stranded patterns - like those beautiful Latvian mittens!

On the Needles

It seems like a good time to talk about the current WIPs! It happened this way:

I have a certain kind of summer socks that I really like. They're not, I'm sorry to say, hand knit socks. They are a cotton and elastic combination that are very soft and stretchy and good with my Merrell summer sandals. I found a store when I was in Bar Harbour that had several pairs of these in their sale basket and I stocked up. Recently, as I had my ankles crossed and propped on the hassock, my bf remarked "why is the Knitter wearing holey socks?" Yes, they had split at the gusset seam and my entire heel was un-socked! I switched to the next pair - same problem; and the next - same thing happened within a week!

Finally I awakened to the ultimate truth: I should knit some summer socks for myself.

So here they are:

It's A Fish, in Crystal Palace Panda Silk, my own pattern:



and Kaibashira, in Tofutsies (I thought it was ironic and funny that the yarn has an element of Chitin - a fiber made from shrimp and crab shells - in it, and the pattern is styled after the scallop used in sushi):



I have to say that I rarely knit for myself so I'm having trouble finishing these. One of my tricks on myself is to knit two patterns at the same time, alternating socks, so that I don't get bored. Consequently, I have two different finished socks and two different half finished second socks. At the same time, I'm knitting a winter hat, a summer sweater, a lovely silk scarf, and a long, high-investment shawl (vintage pattern).

Have any of you started your Holiday knitting yet? I have plans - oh yes, I have plans. But my plans are always much bigger than my time, so we'll see what happens.

Ripping Yarns

In the words of an old ballad,
otherwise completely lost,
Life's a recipe-less salad
that's forever being tossed.
~Edward Gorey

The knitting zine is finished!



There is a ripping yarn, of course, two baby stocking patterns, one of my original recipes and various illustrations. There's a bonus third pattern in this one too!

Here are the stockings, String Beans and Carrot Sticks, made from Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock mediumweight. (What can I say? I'd ingest the stuff if I could!) The green is their colourway, "Lucky" and the gorgeous deep orange-red is the new colourway, "Saffron Jungle".

Now looking for knitting stores in Portland, Oregon who might like to carry it.

The next edition - the summer one - will have patterns for adults, again with BMFA yarns, this time in silks. The words and pictures are dancing around in this unruly amusement park I call a brain.

Obsidian

Remember these? My Once in a Blue Moon Cast On socks started on the second full moon of December 2009?



They are now these:



Whew! I can't believe it took me so long to finish these! They were at the bottom of my knitting bag, only brought out between other projects - not the way to get your socks done!



But yesterday was my birthday, and my boyfriend had given me such a wonderful day I was determined to finish these up and give him a present too! He loves them, and happily posed for pictures.

The stats:
yarn: 1 skein Socks That Rock mediumweight fingering (had a few yards left over)
size: men's 9
needles: started toes with size 0 DPNs and finished the remainder on size 3 DPNs
pattern: my own. These are toe-up, with Lucy Neetby's toe cast on and an adapted increase/decrease heel. The stitch pattern is an easy one - and may be my favorite rib pattern:
Row 1: K2, P2
Row 2: K all
This rib doesn't scrunch up but is nicely snug and looks good. The bf said that to him, it looked "Celtic".

The bad news - the heel!



Even though I measured and re-measured, the foot turned out too long on both feet, so the heel is sloppy. You can see the extra fabric bunched on the sides. The good news is that the bf says they aren't too big and are very comfortable (he's wearing them with shoes today and the report is positive). He pulls them up so the heels are tight:



It's not too bad, and I think (hope) that when they're washed they'll tightened up a little bit. Next time I'll make them tighter. Can you believe that these are the first socks I've made for him? I think there will definitely be more!

A Month of Boyfriend Knitting

After watching me knit every minute of every day for the Holidays, my boyfriend asked me to make some things for him. Backstory - I haven't made him anything for a long time, because the first things I made him, he promptly lost, giving the impression that he didn't like them all that much. He also often makes comments about only liking the most complicated types of knits: lots of cables, fair isle, traditional British type knits and the like. I relented, though, and I promised him that January would be the "Month of Boyfriend Knitting" and I'm trying to get 3 things finished for him during that time:

Dog walking mitts

Socks

Vest

I did finish the dog-walking mitts (my own pattern). They are made with a yarn he chose himself from a not-so-local alpaca farm:



They didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, being a bit big, but I think they're useful anyway.




They're not working as dog-walking gloves because the alpaca is so soft that the dog treats stick to it and he ends up either dropping them or having the dogs bite the glove to get them off. Dog walking mitts should be made with a sturdy strong fiber, like sock yarn. I'm also bemused with the way yarn patterned. I could have frogged and started over to try to get a better match, but they are kind of cute as is, so I left them.



I plan to make him a hat from the leftover yarn but probably not until after I finish the 3 things I've promised.

I'm currently on the second item - socks. I do love knitting socks and am doing this, like the mitts, without a pattern - my own design. I'm up to the heel now, but this is what the beginning (toe) looked like:



The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in mediumweight; colour - Obsidian. I started the toe on size 1 needles to make it extra durable, and am knitting the rest of the sock on size 2 needles.

I'm trying a couple of things to personalize these socks: my boyfriend has sensitive feet but is very hard on socks. I'm doing the bottom of the heel (the sole side) in reverse stockinette in an attempt to make it more durable and to be very smooth and comfortable on the inside, and I'm doing the back of the heel in a sturdier textured knit where it will rub against his shoes.

He tried the foot on last night and said they felt very good. I'm really hoping these will be more successful than the gloves. I did get a bit worried when I was telling him how to wash them (machine wash, no dryer) and he said "they're just socks". A discussion ensued about how hand-knitted socks are never 'just socks' and he appeared to take this conversation seriously. ;)

The last item, the vest, is going to be knit from a Rowan pattern out of a tweedy yarn from a different alapaca farm:



Keeping my fingers crossed that I reach my goals because the month of february will be devoted to the Ravelympics on Team Blue Moon!

The Fish

Yarn: Panda Bamboo and Soy
Needles: Knitpicks steel DPNs Size 0
Style: Toe up (obviously), 64 sts around
Pattern: My own

These are another pair of socks that I'm knitting when I need something mindless. Yes, that means I'm knitting more than one project at a time. I don't really finish one project before I start another, ever, but I have been making an effort lately to make sure that I do finish the projects I start! That means that I only have two or three projects going at a time now instead of so many that I lose track of how many I've started!

This yarn, with it's little bit of elastic stretch, makes a really nice finished fabric, but is difficult to knit with - which is why I'm using my pointiest needles! Even so, many stitches have split and I've needed to tink back 3 times to pick up the splits.

I meant these to be very short summer socks - socklettes, so to speak, and am just now doing the heel. As soon as the back heel flap is finished, I'll do a few rows of K1P1 and that will be that (for sock #1). If it weren't for the splitty yarn, these would be done by now!

quick like popcorn, satisfying like butter and salt...

Did I tell you I was knitting a pair of transitional socks? Transitional in the sense that they are meant to help me transition back into my planned knitting and design. I just can't seem to right myself after the bustle of wedding creativity and the thank you gifts afterward. I just can't seem to interested again.

The solution is always socks. What ever the question, the answer is...socks.

These are made from two mini skeins (155 yds each) that I picked up at the local Sheep and Wool Fair a couple of years ago. The resulting socks are slightly short, slightly scratchy, and the dye job on each doesn't quite match the other. That odd looking mess on the instep is actually a purl pattern from a vintage 50's stitch-dictionary booklet that I wanted to try. Unfortunately, it didn't come out anything like the picture.

But, they served their purpose and it was a satisfying quick knit. Rather like eating a bowl of buttery popcorn instead of a meal when you're hungry and tired. Its quick, tasty, and satisfying in the immediate but never gets to the root of your hunger.

I do want to knit or crochet something substantial. But the inspiration hasn't hit me yet. So I started....you guessed it...another pair of socks! These are Panda Bamboo and Soy - soft and very, very splitty.

The Flash

When I was a kid, I used to lie out on the sloping back lawn of my best friend Susie's yard and read through her vast collection of comics. One of them, a low-budget take-off on Superman, featured "Flash Kelly, Ace reporter". Flash was a particular kind of super-hero... smart, humble, helpful, and idealistic, able to leap small building with a single bound the help of a jet-pack hidden in his portable type-writer case...

Now I know my own Flash Kelly, and I've made him a pair of socks, size 10.5.



These socks are knit from a single skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock mediumweight on size 2 needles. They are toe-up and I made up the pattern as I went along. It went something like this...



Cast on 12 stitches and proceed with your favorite toe-up method until you have 17 stitches on each of 4 DPNs. Moss stich on instep only for 4 rows. Continue in St st for 6 inches, then decrease one stitch on each side of instep. Continue in St st until approx. 2 inch from end of foot (for the 10.5 size, this would 8 and 3/4 inches). Then, increase one st every other row on back two (heel) needles only until each of the heel needles has 27 stitches. Form gusset by knitting across 31 stitches, k2tog, K1, turn, Slip first st, Purl 10 st, p2tog, p1, turn. Knit across to one st before gap, k2tog, k1, turn. Sl first st, purl to one st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn. Repeat these two rows until all heel stitches have been used up. Knit two rows, closing up any gaps in the ankle stitches. Continue up leg with an interesting modified rib as follows:



Row 1 - K3, P1, K1, P1, repeat around
Row 2 - K3, K3, repeat around

Repeat these two rows for the desired length of the sock, or until you run out of yarn. I like this modified rib, because it's stretchy and has a nice ribby appearance, but it doesn't pull in the way the usual K3 P3 rib does. And I think it has a nice sort of masculine look, too.

Finnish with Sewn Bind off.

...and there you have it - socks just like Flash Kelly!

...and his boots were yellow

Old Tom Bombadil
is a merry fellow
Bright blue his jacket is
and his boots are yellow.... (Tolkien)

I've finally Kitchenered the toes of the Plimoth Plantation stockings that I knit for the Living History re-enactor with the size 12 feet and will mail them off tomorrow.



They are very long over-the-knee stockings, with a mock seam up the back and a welt to grip the garters. The heels are square, and there is a diamond patterned clock on both sides if the ankle... The yarn is quite harsh and thick. The head of the wardrobe department said that no one ever complains about it - they are just grateful to have nice warm socks!



I quite like them, and wish that I had a pair myself (but in a more muted colour)!



I tried to buy some Sundara sock yarn tonight during her February offering. There was a tea related colour that I wanted and some beautiful greens, and I've never seen this yarn in person...... but, though I checked every 5 minutes starting at 2:30 pm, and I did manage to get the yarn into my shopping cart... before my invoice even refreshed on the screen for my billing details, all the sock yarn had sold out.

Sundara said that this month's yarns were meant to dispel the gloom of winter, but I'm afraid it has only made me feel more gloomy. Only few were able to snatch up the fresh yarn and lighten their winter doldrums. I wasn't one of them, and will have to suffer the effects of cold, dark days a while longer, un-yarned.

The first new project of 2009

Somehow I injured my back sliding on the ice this past week, or maybe having too much fun over the holidays, and have had to spend a lot of time laying flat. This has actually been good for my knitting!



I started my socks for the Socks that Rock Leyburn Socks Knit Along on Ravlery! I'm using BMFA STR in Petroglyphs.



After these few rounds on DPNs, I decided I wanted to switch to a small circular needle. At the LYS, I discovered this lovely Pagewood Farms sock yarn sitting innocently and unsuspectingly at the counter. It hadn't even been entered yet in inventory when I scooped it up to come home with me....The light green is Yukon - Merino, Bamboo, and a touch of nylon in 450 yards. The dark green one is Denali - a very soft and cushy Merino and nylon; again in 450 yards. More socks! Socks for Everyone! Hurray!!

Sophie Longstockings

I'm beset by responsibility at the moment and this has paralyzed my own designing. I took Briley's advice and pulled out a 'small' knitting project - the Plimoth Plantation 16th century stockings.



As you can see, I don't have much to do to finish this pair so that a size 12 foot freezing early American re-enactor can warm up his leggings... I want to get them done before the new year and send them off while they are still needed!

I actually love the pattern - one that a lot of research went into to make them authentic. It really brought home to me how current construction for knitted socks was not just for the convenience of the knitter, but for the comfort of the wearer! For instance, the original design has a seamed heel - a 3 needle bind off right across the bottom of the heel so that you are standing and walking on a seam. This could cause serious pain on long walks! But it is absolutely authentic and I love the ancient look of it! The clock on the ankle, the knitted welt to brace the garters, the skin tight shaping over the calf and thigh - these are all very charming touches.

The yarn used for these (provided by the Plimoth costume department) is straightforward 2 ply 100% Shetland from Harrisville Wools. It is scratchy beyond belief and full of lanolin that strips layers of skin from my fingers where the yarn habitually lies. I'd love to try this pattern with a softer yarn - say, Lorna's Laces...

In other news, check out Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits collection. Is that adorable or what!? I bought my copy today.

Happy Halloween!

I hope that everyone is being happy little witches and wizards today!!

My friend Nad sent me the most wonderful Hallow's Eve package in the mail:



This is the new Harry Potter sock yarn in the Hedwig Owl colourway! Hooray!!! I have a special idea for a pattern in my mind just waiting to attach itself to this yarn...

Isn't the tiny skein great? Its the Harry Potter colourway... and the wrapped package is a stack of music CD's of the group Harry and the Potters singing such rocking tunes as Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock and Luna Lovegood is OK.

Have a wonderfully spooky day and night, little batling friends! I'll be flying with you in spirit.

Girl Guiding with Wool

I have met many nice people on Ravelry, but one of the nicest is my friend Melanie. Melanie lives in the frozen North... perhaps that is why she loves those soft yarns that you can wear so comfortably around your neck!

Recently, she sent me a package of wonderful surprises, and I was delighted to find this, wrapped in pretty tissue:


Wool 'round the Year is an official publication of the Canadian Girl Guides from 1950. Just like the American Girl Scouts, girl guides got badges for achievement of skills, and one of those seems to be for working with wool.

This book covers making things with wool felt (puppets, needle books, lapel pins, flowers), sewing clothing out of wool cloth as well as how to shop for wool from a mill (for economy) and how to clean and preserve wool.

The very best, and largest section of the book, though, is on knitting...



The patterns are very 50's: Bobbie socks, Argyle, "Weskits" (vests), and twin set cardigans and pullover sweaters...



I do plan to try out these patterns. They are the epitome of those wardrobe basics and that would make Tim Gunn proud to look in my closet! I would make the cardigan a little longer (and make one of the wool felt lapel pins for it) and make the turtleneck a little looser, but their classic style is still appropriate. It would make me feel like Audrey Hepburn!

I love these Argyle stockings:



and think I should make them in sky blue with the main diamond in this colour,



and the secondary diamond in cream or very, very pale green....