Sock Talk

I was delighted to find Patons Stretch sock yarn on SALE at Michaels' this week. So I bought two more colours, a tan mix and a grey mix. I am already working on the green colour mix and like the results so far. The pattern is the same as my stand by sock pattern, but this yarn is 41% cotton, 39% wook, 13% nylon and 7% elastic (very stretchy) so these all year round socks hold their shape really well.

The other thing new to me is the abandoning of the traditional 4 double point needles for ONE circular in 3mm. It is a 36" Addi turbo, and I observed a clever knitter, standing, and knitting on one of these. I stared at the way she moved the cables to two big loops and the stitches to two halves of the sock, and I had a eureka moment.... no stitches slipping off the tips of the DPN's, no dropped into the sofa twilight zone needles.... miraculous really. I couldn't wait to get home and launch my first ONE NEEDLE sock...

Here are a few photos of how the sock looks at various stages...

Sock Ponderings

I have knit many socks and used many yarns. It seemed a good idea to consolidate my sock theories on one page (since I am still plugging away at the noro sweater, and the photos of progress would be more than boring at this point). First, my favourite sock yarn: I love them all, but like the feel in hand of Austermann STEP. It is 75% wool, and 25% nylon with Aloe Vera and Jojoba oils added (the oils remain after many washings) and I like the chunky, uneven striping without being too busy, and that the second will look EXACTLY like the first (not always a given). The first photo are my (well worn) Step socks. The second shows a pair made of left over Step yarn (the yardage is enough for one pair of ladies socks, and half a second pair) and left over brown and the toes are leftover hand dyed. Nice mix. The last photo is of my fave bright hand dyed, Red, orange and yellow, dyed into Patons Kroy, the one I use the most for hand dying.

The patterns for socks are many, but the socks were knit with my most common pattern, my own Favourite. I find it fits snuggly, due to the mild rib throughout, and works for any yarn, except the details, fairisle self striping yarns.

I always have a pair of socks on the go, no matter what else I am knitting, and most of my friends and family are in line for 'just one more pair'.

On a last note: One more gratuitous Maui photo... the vacation is over but the jet lag remains.... golf in Maui, mmmmmmmmmm

The Best Sock Pattern EVER!

Or... at least, my favourite sock pattern :)

This is the pattern I use for almost all of my socks. It is easy to follow, and fits snuggly and doesn't droop at all. The only time I don't use it is self patterning yarns, those should be all stocking stitch to show the pattern that happens. You could still use all the numbers below, but stocking stitch instead of the K3, P1 ribbing.

Yarn: Most classic "sock" yarns (fine yarn designed to knit on 2.5mm needles)Needles: Double point 2.5mm needles, set of 4 - I like Bamboo ones, as the yarn is less likely to slip off.

Cast on 60 stitches and join in the round. Knit for 1.5 inches in K2, P2 ribbing. Change to K3, P1 ribbing, and continue to work in the round until total length is about 7 inches.

Heel: Put half the stitches (30 ) on one needle by knitting next 15 sts, and transfer previous 15 onto the front of this needle. Rearrange the other 30 sts onto two needles with 15 each. These 2 needles will be ignored for a while.

Working on the 30 st needles, Purl (wrong side) across. Right side: [Slip one, K 1] repeat across row. Work these two rows until repeated 15 times. (the heel should be almost square and be about 2.5 inches).

With right side facing you will now do the magic that is a heel turn! K17, K2tog, K1, turn to wrong side facing. Slip one, P5, P2tog, P1, turn. Slip one, Knit to the stitch before the gap (the space between the slipped stitch and the old heel stitches). Knit 2 tog (thus closing the gap and picking up the last slipped stitch and the next old heel stitch), K1, turn. Slip one, Purl to st before gap and P2tog over gap, P1, turn. Repeat these two rows, until all the old heel stitches are involved and worked.

Right side again: Knit across heel, pick up 15 sts up the side of the heel (put these on needle 1).

Work next 30 sts on needle 2, AND work them in the K3, P1 ribbing, as they are already still looking at you. Pick up 15 sts on the other side of the heel and knit half of the bottom of the heel sts. (needle 3). Check and make Needle 1 and Needle 3 have the same number of sts on each, adjust if needed.

Round ONE: Knit down Needle 1 to 3 sts before end, K2tog, K1, Needle 2: work in K3, P1 pattern as established, Needle 3: K1, K2tog, knit to end of needle. Round TWO: Knit needle 1, Pattern needle 2, Knit needle 3. Repeat these two rounds, until back to 60 sts (15, 30, 15). Then continue in stocking stitch for the under foot and ribbing stitch for the top of foot, until about 6 inches from the picked up stitches of the heel (or until sock is about 1.5 inches short of your foot length). Toe: round 1: Needle 1: Knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. Needle 2 K1, K2tog, K across to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. Needle 3: K1, K2tog, K across to end. Round 2, Knit all sts without decrease. Continue to knit these 2 rounds until 16 sts are left. Graft two rows of eight sts.

Do it all again for sock two. This photo is the almost finished socks for Fiona, made with the yarn she dyed at our Sock Dying Party. I thought it may be a bit much for Fiona to knit as a first sock attempt, what with the small needles and her inexperience with double point needles, so I offered to whip these up. I will help her up with the Chunky Sock pattern for her first sock project.

Works in the works...

I am done the swatch (sleeve) of the cape collar jacket, and have started on the back. The cable section will be done on 4mm needles and a few more stitches to allow for the elastic behavior of the esprit yarn. I hope it works.

The finger puppet pack for March is ready to deliver to my clown... 20 pairs of kids and puppies, all bagged and set to take to the hospital. I got some lovely photos of kids with puppets on fingers and smiles on faces, but will not post here, as they need privacy. See story here.

The current sock project is one of my hand dyed yarns, and looks good so far.

Knitting with Stainless Steel?

My friend Susan was away in Chicago for a week, and brought a gift from a lovely yarnshop she found. It is a scarf kit from Habu textiles. I have never seen anything like this. It consists of two incredibly fine laceweight yarns that are knit together on relatively large needles(very lacey). That in itself is not unusual. The thing that had my jaw on the table is one of the yarns is Silk Stainless Steel..... Yes. 69% silk, 31% stainless steel. I checked out the website, and they said the fibre has been used to make a fine mess for oil filters! But they decided it would be more fun to wrap silk around it and use it for knitting and weaving. The end fabric can be twisted and it will hold its shape until you pull it smooth again.

I started a swatch to see how it handles and it takes a bit to get used to the lack of stretch in the steel, so you need to move loosely, but already I can see the way it can be molded.

It is Kit78, Kushu Kushu - merino and silk stainless steel scarf from Habu, if you want to find one yourself. Mine is colour 29, coffee.

Here are my finished socks. And I have started a Superwash Bamboo button front vest, my next pattern soon to be posted.

Socks, and new Yarn-Bamboo!

I am almost done the current sock project. It is mega boot stretch, a nice soft, stretchy yarn from Lana Grossa. It is 70% wool, 23% polymide and 7% elite (stretch). I tend to do most of my sock knitting at appointments, on car trips and at work (at lunchtime only of course - NOT during working hours.... really....)

Some nice new yarn came in the mail from Elann. I got a few balls of Superwash Bamboo. 65% superwash wool and 35% bamboo, it is a new house yarn from elann. I ordered it in Claret (red) and it looks great, but then elann emailed that they pulled stock due to uneven dying of that colour, and hoped I would accept a FULL refund for the yarn (and keep the yarn too). I was impressed by that and let them know, and inspected the yarn, but it looks fine to me. I will use it for the buttoned, fitted vest that I have planned and will see if the colour is a problem.

I am on the final sleeve of the Silk Garden cabled pullover. Lots of knitting time available this weekend as no one is visiting, and no big plans to go out.... a perfect weekend!