Stitches West 2008!

Had a great day yesterday visiting with my cousin who was up from sunny SOCAL. I sewed the last button on my mom's tweed stitch cardigan and she modeled it for the camera, so I will soon have pictures to post. The cardigan was originally for me, but gauge was not my friend once again. It was my first steeked garment, adapted heavily from a pullover in Sally Melville's Color book. My mom loves it, though, so it all worked out well. She's been wearing it with only three buttons all winter long.

I'm busy getting ready to go to Stitches West next week. I have homework to do ahead of time for all three sock classes I'm taking. I may not get much shopping done, which will be good for my budget and my stash. It seems like February is the month for knitting socks, both at home and in classes. I got in from the waiting last for one Cat Bordhi class, and also signed up for a class from Lucy Neatby and a more advanced design class with Cat as well.

I knit a little bit on my Printemps/Primavera socks yesterday as well. This is a really easy pattern that looks hard and makes the best of some of the more muted self striping yarns. I'm trying to get a few pairs of socks to the right point so I can have something to knit at Stitches besides homework. I don't like to bring a sock project out in public while working on the heel. I've finished sock one and started on sock two. I also turned the heel on the second spiral eyelet sock so I can bring them as well, and I just need to finish the top section of the first Cat Bordhi's Salish Sea sock from the last Rockin' Sock club shipment I got. I decided not to sign up again this year, since I haven't finished any of last year's socks. I have too much wonderful yarn and more patterns than I can ever knit now. I'm also working on a pair of hiking socks in DK weight wool for DH. The Thuja pattern from Knitty is another great, simple pattern that adapts well to many weights of yarn, and is really easy to knit.

Still No Sock Knitting

I started knitting the Via Diagonale bag by Wendy Wonnacott from Knitty's Spring 2005 issue last week and I'm at the binding off point. I could not stop knitting on this project! Everything else got put on hold. I'm using two stash yarns: a Chinese red Pingouin mercerized cotton from Elann left over from a sweater I made my Dad 5 years ago and some cabled cotton, also from Elann, that I helped a friend dye a nice soft teal blue and she gave me the leftovers after finishing her sweater. I saw the bag in someone's project pages when I was browsing for ways to use a certain yarn on Ravelry and was reminded of how much I liked it originally.

I love using slip stitch/mosaic patterns and this one was no exception. Once I got the rhythm going I didn't even need to look at the directions. It helped that I'd made some socks using the same pattern a few years back. The double stranding helps give the bag structure even in cotton yarn, although I will have to line it and put something in the bottom to help the bag keep its shape. Since I had more yardage than the pattern called for, and I like bigger bags, I'm making it taller. I plan to insert plastic aquarium tubing into the handles, or maybe use purchased handles. The colors are a bit brighter in real life, as you can see from the frogged red bag's picture, and there are very subtle variations in the hand dyed blue yarn.

Using Ravelry's interactive features, I was able to click on the yarn info page for the pattern and see what weight yarn the designer used, something that's not always obvious with patterns. Then I could just go to my stash page and figure out if I had enough yardage to make the bag. This is only one of the reasons why I love Ravelry! If you haven't put your name on the waiting list I'd encourage you to do so. It took six weeks for me to get an invite but it was worth the wait. Once they are out of the Beta stage the site will be free and open to all.

I plan to make the bag again in Kureyon and a solid colored wool, using larger needles, and felt it. Slip stitch designs really work well in felted bags. I've also been working on my mitered garter stitch vest and a modular sweater using a big bag of miscellaneous purple and blue green yarns. Pictures pending

In order to make the Via Diagonale bag I had to frog this bag project, which had been on hold since I didn't think I had enough yarn to finish. I'm much happier with this new project. I have a golf ball sized amount left of the red yarn and one skein left from the teal, enough to bind off and make the handles.

Toning Down Bright Colors

Here's the second pair of socks I made using the slip stitch pattern from the Judy at the knitter. I was so happy with the first pair that I immediately cast on for another pair, but I thought I'd try using just one yarn for each color. They are both variegated. The pink yarn came from Elann and was much brighter than I expected. I used a blue/black Opal yarn as the contrast color and successfully (I think) toned down the hot pink yarn. I also used the slip stitch design on the foot of the sock. This helps with wear and gauge, as well as fitting and looking better, even off the foot. I used a two color eye of partridge stitch on the heel. The toes are plain hot pink. I'm still working on ways to account for the changing number of stitches in the gusset area in the slip stitch design. The most recent pair of socks I finished are the most successful to date at handling this problem.

Slip Stitch Patterned Socks

I thought I would share the first pair of mosaic stitch socks which I made a few years ago. I love using slip stitch patterns, also known as mosaic stitches. They work well in socks for uniting leftover balls of yarn using a 50 gram ball of a solid color as the contrast. and using the leftovers as your contrast color. This does make a striking sock, but there are lots more ends to weave in.

These socks were made with a semi solid vintage Opal yarn and lots of little golf ball sized bits of leftover self striping sock yarn. I used the Peacock pattern from the knitter.com. I like my version much better than the knitter's version, which is all in blues. The second time I made the socks I used the slip stitch pattern on the foot as well as on the instep, so the socks don't look quite as much like canoes. These socks fit fine, they're just a little baggy on the heel. I've found slip stitches are less stretchy and I need to use more stitches. YMMV, and the slip stitch pattern you use also has a lot to do with it. This one was relatively complicated: 32 rounds and a 30 stitch repeat.

Here's the finished spiral mosaic sock. I used 76 stitches for the ribbing and 84 for the pattern, which had a repeat of 14 stitches. 70 stitches would not have fit my ankle, but it would probably fit a normal sized ankle. I used 2.5 mm needles and navy solid Knitpicks Essentials with Regia color. I'm very happy with the look of the heel and gusset on this sock. I've made several mosaic patterned socks and the gusset decreases always wreak havoc with the pattern. I think I solved the dilemma with this design. On to sock #2 after I finish a few more second socks. Edited to add: Sock # 2 is at the toe finished! The toe looks very pointed on this sock but I tried it on and it fits me perfectly.

Sock Madness Est Fini

I've gone down in flames in the second round of sock madness. I was paired with one of the faster knitters in my bracket from round one. I was the last to qualify, what were they thinking of with the matchups! She is already finished with both socks and I have just finished the heel and gusset on sock one! I knew when they announced that the pattern was coming on Thursday afternoon that I was a goner.

The pattern is quite nice and very easy once I got the rhythm. I think I'd like it in a solid or heather much better. I used some Silja sportweight yarn in red, violet and navy, and it looks very nice in person. Now I can return to my double spiral mosaic socks and go to my quilt class tomorrow, if they haven't already given away my space.

Edited to add: My mom LOVES the socks, and they do look much better in real life. Sock one is done, sock two is cast on, but I forgot the second ball of yarn at home. UPDATE: I finished sock two last night while watching Island at War on Masterpiece Theater again.

Slip Stitch O Rama

I watched a great movie from Netflix last night and knit on my new sock. The movie is called "Her Majesty". I thought I was ordering the Helen Mirren movie, and was kind of surprised when she never showed up in this one. After a while I figured it out. It's about a little girl in rural New Zealand in 1952 who idolizes the new queen. She writes her several letters and is thrilled to hear she will be visiting her town on the Dominions Tour. No more spoilers, but I highly recommend you watch it. If you liked "The Squid and the Whale" "Whale Rider!" you will like this one. I cried at the end. Edited to add: What's the matter with me? I HATED "The Squid and The Whale" and it wasn't about New Zealand.

I made great progress on the sock, too. I knit the heel flap on Monday night while watching "What about Brian". I used a two color variation that I might have unvented of the eye of partridge heel stitch. You knit one row that is usually purled. Very distinctive! I'll post more about this later. After finishing the heel turn I picked up stitches in alternating colors to get both strands of yarn to the beginning of the pattern round at the instep, making a checkerboard design. I knit in the slip stitch pattern on the instep, then K1, SL1 around to continue the checkerboard design. Slip stitch designs are hard to use in the gusset decrease area, because the count gets thrown off. I've resorted to stripes or solid areas in the past. One idea I had while knitting this sock was to use a band heel on my next pair. There are no gusset decreases to throw off the pattern then, but there are decreases in the heel flap, so it would have to be a solid color, thus eliminating my intriguing new heel pattern. I could also use a short row heel but, as I've said before, I HATE SHORT ROW HEELS. I did do something different with this sock. I continued the slip stitch pattern on the instep and used a different one on the sole during the decrease rounds. I think this has worked out the best so far. The pattern on the gusset seems to continue the heel pattern, and the pattern on the instep continues uninterrupted.

After I got through the gusset decreases, which took exactly half of the pattern's row repeat, I continued in the instep pattern around the whole sock. When knitting another sock design, I tried to use a slip stitch design on the gusset and a striped pattern on the sole of the sock, but the row gauges were too far off and the sock looked like a boat. It fit okay, but the next pair I tried, with the slip stitch design on instep and sole, fit better and looked nice.

I won't want to stop knitting this sock to start my sock madness design on Thursday.

Sunday VII, Part Seven

This is my delightful niece Sophia, who was born in Brussels, moved to Prague at age 2, and lives in Rangoon, Myanmar right now. I knit her a baby surprise jacket when she was in Brussels. Now that she lives in a hot climate it's hard to find things to knit for her. She's 5 years old, goes to a Japanese kindergarten, and is a tri-lingual bundle of energy. Do you agree with Sophia that she looks like Stitch?

Seven things I'm grateful for this week:
1. My Family
2. Sunny Days
3. Mosaic aka Slip Stitch Knitting Patterns
4. Barbara Walker's Treasury books
5. Fiber Weekends
6. Husbands who do laundry
7. Leftovers (food, yarn, beads)

On the Home Stretch

I've been working on these socks for my DH for a while now. They've been my travel socks, the mindless pattern that I carry around with me to knit in my spare moments. I finally turned the heel on sock two last week and am almost finished with the foot. I'm using the Alternating 2 X 2 Rib basketweave stitch from the SKS book (page 38). I've had this Socka striping tweed yarn in my stash for quite a long time, waiting for the right pattern. It's kind of boring yarn, but everyone who's seen them loves the socks. I want to get this second sock finished so I will have a free needle for the next round of sock madness.

I also started a new sock project with Knit Picks Essentials in navy and a brightly colored Regia. I cast on 76 stitches, ribbed for 1.5 inches, then increased to 84 stitches while I knitted the first round of the pattern stitch. The pattern repeat is 14 stitches and the chart has 44 rounds. I'm using the Double Spiral mosaic (slip stitch) design from Sensational Knitted Socks. The Regia yarn has been ageing in my stash for several years. I got the Knitpicks Essential in a few solid colors last year to use with leftover multicolored yarn in slip stitch patterns like this one.

Slip stitch patterns have very little stretch, so it' s important to swatch, or try on the sock before knitting too much. This pattern repeat will also work if you cast on 64 stitches, then increase to 70 stitches before starting the mosaic pattern.

Honeycomb Slip Stitch Sock Pattern

A (nearly new) sock pattern in honor of what would have been my grandmother's 106th birthday today. She taught me to sew and made my Barbie a real mink stole (which I still have) from a scrap of someone's mink coat, brown satin and a rhinestone button. I moved this pattern from my old website so it would be more available. I prefer using a 12" ADDI turbo circular to knit my sock, so that's how this pattern is written. It can certainly be knit using any method you prefer. See my post about using markers instead of needles to avoid ladders and convert any pattern to your preferred method of knitting.

The inspiration for these socks came from Knitter's Magazine, Spring 2001. A baby sweater and hat in pastel "Look at Me" yarn was featured using this slip stitch pattern. Another socknitter posted a picture of her sock in progress using the rainbow sock yarn and this stitch pattern, and I took it from there. I'm sorry I can't remember her name to give her credit for the inspiration. She did give me her blessing to share this pattern. I've also made a hat using the same idea and worsted weight yarn, which my DD wears snowboarding.

This pattern could also be knitted using leftover balls of sock yarn for the main color and a solid color as the contrast. You would then need one skein of solid color yarn and lots of leftovers. I would divide my leftovers into two equal size balls (or use different leftover yarn on each sock to make true Monstersocken.)

Materials:
CC:1 ball, 50 grm/200 yds Variegated Sock Weight Yarn
Lorna's Laces Socknitter's Rainbow was used for these socks. You won't need the whole skein for the pair of socks, especially if you knit the plain foot. I'd estimate that I used the amount of yarn left over from knitting another pair.
MC:2 balls, 50 grm/200 yds Dark Sock Yarn (High Contrast) I used Special Blauband in a navy with primary color bits twisted in.

Size 2.5 mm ADDI Turbo circular needle (or size needed to achieve gauge)
Size 2.25 mm (1 US) double point needles, which you will need for knitting the heels and toes.

Note: The picture shows the foot knitted with a slip stitch stripe pattern, but the pattern is written with a plain foot. I used Karen (Wren) Hoyle's pattern for garter bar slip stitch for the foot in this sock, but I changed the purl stitches to knits so the sock felt smoother around the foot. I would recommend you knit a plain foot, because of the problems encountered with the slip stitch pattern when you decrease. Another option would be to use the band heel, or a short row heel.

Because the slip stitch pattern does not have any stretch, and I cast on my normal number of stitches, these socks did not fit me. Remember to swatch! I gave these socks to my sister in law for her 50th birthday, and she gets many compliments whenever she wears them.

SIZE: Woman's Medium Women's Large/Man's Medium in ( )
GAUGE: 8 sts = 1" worked in pattern stitch on size 2.5mm needles

HONEYCOMB SLIP STITCH PATTERN
Repeat of 8 stitches
Round 1, CC Knit around
Round 2, CC Purl around**
Round 3, using MC *Knit 6, slip 2 KW*, repeat between *'s
Round 4, 5, 6 Repeat Row 3
Round 7 repeat Row 1
Round 8 repeat Row 2**
Round 9 using MC K2, *SL2, K 6*, repeat between *'s, end K4
Rounds 10, 11, 12 Repeat Row 9
Repeat Rounds 1-12 for pattern
**If you like, change rounds 2 & 8 from purl to knit to get a smooth texture.

Knitting the Sock
Using MC, CO 64 (72) sts. Join, being careful not to twist, and K2, P2 for 1-2". Place a marker at join. Knit around in slip stitch pattern, slipping marker every round, until sock tube measures 7 inches long, ending with Row 6 or 12 of pattern. Remove marker until heel is finished.

Heel:
Change to double pointed needles, keeping the instep stitches on the circular needle. Drop CC and knit heel flap and foot with MC. Knit the heel on double point needles over the first 32 (36) sts.

Heel: Eye of Partridge with slipped st edge
Row 1: *slip 1 KW*, k1,* repeat between *'s to end
Row 2: slip 1, p to end
Row 3: slip 1 KW*, k2, *slip 1, K1* repeat between *'s to last 2 sts, end k2 (don't end with a slip stitch)
Row 4: repeat Row 2.
Knit this four row heel pattern until heel flap is 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 (2 3/4 - 3) inches long. This is a matter of personal preference. Measure the foot of the intended recipient from floor to top of ankle bone (inside ankle) to determine the correct measurement.

Heel turn: (round heel)
Thanks to David Mackay's Heels by Number which was the inspiration for these. This invaluable chart can now be found on the socknitter's site.
(Note: SSK = slip a stitch KW* to right needle, slip a second stitch KW to right needle, then knit those two together)
Row 1: slip 1, knit 16 (18), ssk, k 1, turn
Row 2: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: slip 1, knit 6, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: slip 1, purl 7, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Continue on, adding one st knitted or purled at the center of the row until all sts have been worked. You should be ending with a knit row. If not, knit across the heel using the Eye of Partridge pattern until you reach the pick up edge. Using a new double point needle, pick up and knit one st from each slipped st along the edge of the heel flap (about 20). Place first marker here. Knit across the instep stitches which were not part of the heel, place second marker. Pick up and knit stitches on opposite side of heel flap, knit across heel flap to three stitches from first marker. You should have about 96-104 stitches on the needle at this point.

Decrease (Gusset) Rounds: Three stitches from first marker, k 2 tog, k 1. Slip marker. Knit across instep to second marker, slip it, k 1, SSK, knit around to the first marker. Around this point you will want to change back to using the circular needle by knitting off of the double pointed needles onto the circular needle. Knit one round without decreasing (or two rounds, if you like a slower rate of decrease for a higher instep), and repeat the decrease round. Repeat decrease and plain knit rounds until 64 (72) sts remain on the needle. Knit plain until the foot is about 7.25" (8") long (2 to 2 1/2 inches less than desired length).

Wedge toe: Change to double pointed needles.
Round 1: Knit to last 3 sts before first marker, k2 tog, k1, slip marker, K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts before second marker, K2 TOG, K1, slip marker, K1, SSK.
Round 2: Knit around in stockinette stitch. Repeat these two rounds until 16 (18) sts rem. Divide the 16 (18) sts between 2 needles at markers and Kitchener stitch (graft) them together or do a 3-needle bind off.

Now knit the second sock!

copyright 2002 Margie D
All rights reserved
You may print and make copies of this pattern to share as long as the entire copyright notice remains intact. Please don’t post it to any website or email list without my permission.

Felting with SWS Soy Silk and Wool

I would be careful double stranding the SWS soy/wool. I tried double stranding a short striping yarn (caron's Felt It) and one strand of yarn kept stretching more than the other one, throwing the matching color stripes I started with out of whack. This may not happen as much with the SWS yarn, because the color stripes are longer.

I also "felt" the swatches at Michaels and decided against felting any of my SWS yarn projects. I have found that using slip stitch patterns works well to double up too light yarn without obscuring the pattern. They felt beautifully, and are much easier to make than a fairisle type stranded bag.

Here's a link to one: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTlittleslip.html
and another http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=41024

Neither of these would work (IMHO) with the SWS, but this one should: http://notanartist.blogspot.com/2006/04/andrea-bag-pattern.html

Knit and felt a swatch first.

Knit from Your Stash 2007

I heard about this Knit from your Stash plan in late December and have been trying to follow it, with one change. I made an inventory of my sock yarn a few weeks ago and determined that, at the rate I have been knitting socks, averaging 9 pairs a year since 2000, I have 20 years worth of sock yarn to knit with. That's at least 270 skeins of sock yarn! (Some are 50 gram and some are 100 gram skeins.) So, no sock yarn purchases either. Sock books, yes. I have my eye on two new books, Sensational Knitted Socks Two and the new Interweave Sock book.

Last year I made a concerted effort to finish all of my second socks and pretty much succeeded. I only have two single socks that I am not actively knitting on sock #2, down from a high of nine. I'm bored with all of the socks I am currently knitting, though (six different pairs, all started last year). I was gifted with a brand new set of vintage Boye Balene prototype DPN's, so I started a new sock over the weekend using stash yarn. It's a combination of this Dutch pattern and Ginger Luter's Swatch Your Step pattern from her wonderful book, Module Magic. I am using Lorna's Laces yarn in the green, teal and purple Lakeview colorway and a solid color medium aqua blue Special Blauband. I'll post pictures soon.

I love using slip stitch patterns. They also work well in socks, for uniting leftover balls of yarn using a 50 gram ball of a solid color as the contrast. and using the leftovers as your contrast color. This makes a striking sock, but there are lots more ends to weave in. I've found they are actually less stretchy and I need to use more stitches. YMMV, and the slip stitch pattern you use also has a lot to do with it.

Slip Stitch Patterns in Felting

Slip stitch patterns make wonderful designs in felted items, and tend to strengthen the fabric, especially if you use one strand of worsted weight wool instead of a bulky weight. I made a small felted bag last week from my leftover Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride. I used the Ball Band Recipe from Monica's blog, with different yarn, of course. I also knitted the bag without a base, then picked up stitches from the inside of the base and knitted a mitered square to close up the bottom. I used an I-cord bind off to finish the bag, and put in holes for a drawstring just in case that's how I decide to finish it. I haven't felted it yet, but it looks great. As soon as I figure out how to get pictures off my phone or my DD's camera I will post some. I used a chocolate brown main color and, since I had lots of golfball size balls of many colors of the Lamb's Pride, every alternate stripe is a different color. The following is a slight variation on Monica's pattern stitch.

Multiple of 4 stitches:
Round 1 and 2 with MC Knit
Round 3 and 4 with CC *Knit 3, slip 1*
Round 5 and 6 repeat round 1 and 2
Round 7 and 8 with CC Knit 1, *slip 1, Knit 3*, repeat around between *'s
Repeat rounds 1-8 for pattern