New Sock Technique Review

Most recent socks are completed, US 1's using Berocco Ultra Fine, which is a lace/sock weight version of the Ultra Alpaca which I known and so love. The pattern is my usual M.O., making it up as I go along based on my sock number/gauge. The largest cable starts halfway up the foot, and is shadowed by a smaller cable opposite that starts halfway up the leg, which is ribbed.

I used some new techniques which I think merit review, namely the 'magic-cast on' toe and the Japanese short row heel. You can see in the photo below the nice angle of the heel stitches, they are visible but more subtle than the wrap & turn heels I have used in the past. They feel somewhat less bumpy as well, but as a first attempt at this technique, there is a tad of bumpiness :)

There's a detail of the cable, I got a chance to use 2 different methods (only slightly tweaked) of making cables without a cable needle, which is a technique that I fully embrace.

Here you get a good view of the toe. It is called the 'Magic' cast on because the top of the toe is completely seamless, and the increases form attractive ridges down the edges of the toe. In previous socks I would do a provisional cast-on and then execute a short row toe identical to a heel. It was functional and fairly attractive (if you put the provisional row on the sole of the sock, as it tended to stretch and look droopy), but this one is much more so. It also fits better, still being roomy but not gaping, and fitting in my shoes. It also looks sharp and is easy to customize as you go, since you can just pop it on your foot and see how the fit looks. It took me a few tries and views of tutorials and videos to get it right, but I will definitely be using this for future socks.

And here are some pictures of the finished beauties, complete with pretty outdoor scenery. If any sock knitters out there know a good heel suitable to toe-up socks that wears well, give a holler and I will give it a try!

Knits in the wild

When I went to Ireland I brought knits to give away, as a gesture of "thank you for all your whiskey". I try to be a nice girl. The knits, mostly hats, were well received and I got an email from my host and pen pal Mark with this lovely photo:


See the bit of green on the top of his head? Thats my hat! Way out in the wilds of Loch Awe, Scotland, adventuring with adventuresome people! That's Paul, and I'd be happy to send his friends handspun hats anyday :)

Still here, still knitting

I am alive, and I am knitting. Just a bit of radio silence since the progress is slow. I'm working on my first sweater, top down raglan in the round, using my special Irish worsted cream wool. So far, so good. I'm designing it as I go, but really there's nothing to it.

A close up, I'm using size 8 needles. And however much I have I'll probably use, estimated 880 yd.

The lovely gaiter with buttons that I showed last post has been really popular with people at the shop and non-knitters, and I wanted to show an added benefit of it. It's not only beautiful, soft, warm, and pleases me every time I look at it knowing I spun that wonderful yarn, it can be worn 2 ways. This way, with two buttons open, is very jaunty.

And then the way I originally intended, a plain neck gaiter to be worn under a coat collar. I'm probably going to write this pattern, as it is too easy and awesome not to share.


Other than the sweater, I have a pair of socks on the needles in Berocco Ultra fine, which is a skinnier cousin of my beloved Ultra Alpaca. I'm making up the pattern as I go (as always) on size 1 Harmonies. However, I did learn two new skills so far! I used a magic cast on toe (loving it) and Japanese short row heels, which I am still having trouble with, but like a lot so far! In addition to socks there are also the usual parade of hats I make as gifts. Not holiday gifts, I don't like to give myself a deadline, just presents for people I like! I promise not to be such a stranger, and with more photos.

Thank God for FiOs

Awesome internet speed allows me to bring you more photos of handmade items! Unfortunately my hard connection and wireless aren't working in my room, so I have to be in the kitchen and can't hide in my sanctuary. Pout.
\
The cowl with buttons from my handspun BFL. I don't feel like posting the details, but its a super easy pattern if you want it. Plus the buttons are beautiful.

My pumpkin, I enjoyed carving it but we had zero trick-or-treaters so no one saw it anyway.

Those red gloves I was promising you! I also have the pattern for these but I don't WANNA! you can't make me!

I want to go back to knitting my sweater, can you tell? More updates promised.

The gift of yarn

These yarns were given to me by a friend. They are somewhat of an eclectic collection, red mohair and tons of blue brushed acrylic. But they belonged to my friend's late mother, and the fact that he wanted me to have them makes it really special.

I'm thinking some throws/blankets will come from this blue yarn, which is very soft.


What a wonderful windfall, huh. Thank you friend!

Cute

Pretty red dog and pretty red leaves. Soon, pictures of pretty red-ish gloves!

Fibers and cables and URLS (all very computery....or knitterly)

First, I would like to express my confusion that flickr will no longer allow me to right-click on a photo to extract the URL. Now I have to go into the "all sizes" tab and copy and paste the URL, which is a much bigger pain and I would like it to stop now, please, since that makes less sense and honestly, why are you doing that anyway?

Computer n00bs like me need all the help we can get. Anyway, onto the fiber. Here's my newest little pretty, 190 yds of pure Blue-faced Leicester, and a more wonderful fiber I have never met. In the roving, the crimp could be felt as big, soft waves. The wool was very lustrous and had a great hand, as good as any other fine wool, but the long fibers made it an absolute dream to spin. This lady is a true worsted (to my eye) 3 ply, we will see how she knits.

The roving is from a local dyer called Dragon Fibers, and the dye job was just lovely. I'm glad the finished, plied yarn is beautiful because I was getting frustrated for a while with the singles. You see, knitters and spinners, I don't like stripey yarns. No variegated, no marled, no self-striping yarns. I don't like how they knit, how they distract from stitch patterns, etc. I am happy to embrace fully a subtle kettle-dye or handpaint with subtle, random shifts in the color, those bring depth, not distraction. And my beloved BFL singles were making me very distracted.

Happily the yarn is beautiful and we can move on to the hat. I have mentioned before I don't really like patterns. They mostly are good and make sense, but its a whole 'nother thing to read them. I would love to be able to crank some numbers, make some sketches, and have pieces turn out exactly how I envisioned. (I have learned to embrace charts though, mmmm charts.) Most books/online patterns/pamphlets don't wow me. Maybe I'm picky? Who knows. In any case, this hat is part of my on-going desire to make knitting do what I want.

I didn't used to like cables, they seemed slow and fiddly (and a degree scary!) but with the cable-hook-less techniques (and forgiving Donegal tweed) I was able to play around and make the nice woven net-looking cables on this cap. It isn't 100% how I imagined, but its still pretty neat.