socks for the fall

it's not officially fall yet, but i've experienced some mornings that have been on the cooler side of brrr !

in my sock knitting (ravelry) kal's, it's getting harder to consider knitting a sock with a lace pattern. my most recent cast on is solid, but still with a textural interest ....


i love this combination! this yarn was bought by my buddy corbett a couple years ago at rhinebeck. the yarn came without labels, so who knows what the fiber content is (i'm guessing superwash wool)(though, i will handwash, because guessing is not good enough) ... yardage, or anything !

what i do know, ... i have 2 50 gram hanks, and it's pretty. so, i am knitting toe up, as to not worry about running out of yarn. i am knitting jeannie cartmel's starflower socks. her pattern is rather "loose", so i'm essentially using her chart, and will decide soon about the heel construction. she uses a shortrow heel ... but i don't like for my socks to feel tight across the instep, so i'll be using some form of a gusset heel w/flap construction.

the stitch pattern isn't very elastic. it fits fine now on my skinny foot, but i might have to go up a needle size when i begin my gusset increases.

in the day's fading light ...

i have finished a PAIR of socks! i finished these last night, and there was less daylight this morning than when i got home this evening ... but, just enough.

i LOVE these socks! i don't remember where or when i purchased the yarn, but i love it all the same. it's arucania solid in red 118, which is really a semi-solid.

we all go through phases of loving various types of yarn (ie: handpainted, solid, semi-solid, self striping, etc). lately, i've prefered semi-solid or solid for all the lace and textures.

but, when all else fails, it doesn't hurt to cast on a self striping yarn and knitting ribbing or plain stockinette.

the pattern above is evelyn clark's acorn lace socks (fiber trends pattern AC-47). it is well written, with both chart and line by line instructions (i prefer chart).

i always live in fear of running out of yarn, but i had plenty left over (socks used 79 grams and i have 25 grams leftover, and i do realize that does NOT add up to 100 grams.

i have some other evelyn clark patterns in my queue. there's a certain sense of security when knitting any of her patterns, whether socks or shawls.

wow!

i thought i'd do something a little different this week, and actually update the blog (vs. take pictures and do nothing with them). my knitting time has been greatly reduced since the beginning of august. i simply cannot knit as many projects as i'd like. and actually finishing something means i need to stay monogamous.

i belong to several sock knitting kal's. i have realized that i cannot participate in all of them simultaneously. therefore, each month, i pick one or two to try to participate in.

this month, i chose to knit socks for two of my ravelry groups, sock knitters anonymous (or ska) and solid socks.

for the ska group, one of the options was to knit any (challenging) sock pattern in yellow (solid or semisolid). typically, this group does not have color restraints. so, i dyed up some of my knitpicks bare yarn using some koolaid and icing dye.



i did have some other yellow yarn in stash i could had used, but because the lorna's laces cost more, it felt more *precious*. plus, it's fun to dye yarn.





the pattern i chose is the nichole beaded band socks by melissa morgan-oakes. it's a $4 pattern, found via ravelry.

i'm using size 8/0 beads, and instead of prestringing the yarn, i instead dropped a bead on each stitch with a size 12 steel hook. i thought the hook might be too small for the fingering yarn, but when the yarn is under tension, it stays secure enough in the hook.

my sock is still in the same state as the photo. all i have to do is finish the toe. but, finishing (for me) isn't nearly as much fun as starting new things !



THIS is the sock i'm in love with right now. i am just loving this RED.

red is the color right now for the solid socks group. i switched gears to work on these socks because they have to be knitted in the month of september (the ska group gives 2 months to finish). i finished the sock above last night, and today cast on the mate. it would be nice to finish this sock within the next week, though i am realistic and may not finish until the deadline.

the pattern is evelyn clark's acorn lace socks AC-47. like all evelyn clark designs, the pattern is well written, charted and row by row. i always think her designs are a great place to start for beginning lace knitters because she offers both the charts and written instructions.

the red yarn is arucania solid (though, it's really semisolid) in color 118.

when this pair is finished, i will get back to the yellow socks. really.

i finished!

thanks for the luck! it worked!

and i finished yesterday (a whole day ahead of the deadline).



the socks are an odd pair. all the decreases lean in the same direction, so the fabric biases. i can get over that, but it also means i have to pay a bit more attention when putting them on so they're not all twisted.

i do love this yarn. it's opal handpainted. i found it at a ben franklin store in a small town about two years ago. i've wanted to knit it for awhile, but never found the right pattern. i cannot say this IS the right pattern (as the colorful splotches obscure the lace pattern) but it's certainly good enough.

so, i've finally had success with a wendy johnson pattern. perhaps there is hope. maybe now i can quit fantasizing about converting her patterns to cuff down. maybe.

specs
yarn: opal handpainted in greens
needles: 2mm for first part of foot, 2.25mm for rest of sock
pattern: wendy johnson's seaweed socks
size: size medium at a smaller gauge

seaweed ...

i am actually quite surprised that i like this sock! this is wendy johnson's seaweed sock, a free download, from her website. i am knitting it as part of a ravelry kal. i really like her patterns, though i think more about knitting them top down.

something about her patterns is always a little off for me. she uses numbers i wouldn't normally choose to use (ie: she uses 66 sts vs 64). also, i think a lot of her patterns are catered towards fluffier feet. my feet aren't narrow, but they aren't "plump" either. but, all things can be modified, and gauge & yarn combo can be your friend.

that said, i chose a thinner fingering weight yarn for this sock. i am knitting the size medium, but at a finer gauge. i could had knitted the small size, but i didn't think the design would show much because the chart is so minimal. the yarn is opal's handpainted. it's been in stash for awhile. it's happy to be free. and even though i can't see the stitch pattern all that well, i do love the colors.

the deadline for this pair is the end of the month. i just cast on the mate last light, so i have a lot of knitting to do before monday. wish me luck!

more summer sockens

i took about 57 pictures and this is the best one. pretty pathetic i think. let's just say it's hard to take pictures of your own feet.

i'm glad to have these off the needles though. the pair used 66 grams of yarn (and i have 57 grams leftover). i will save the leftovers for use in another sock project.

i wish it was cool enough now to wear socks, as then i could report on their wear and durability. but, it's summer ... and this is the south.

la la la ....

i don't really have much to say today.

yarn: joanne sensations 'bamboo & ewe'
needles: clover 2.25mm dpns
pattern: bluebell lace from _sensational knitted socks_
60 stitches

sigh ... if only there was enough time .....

so, i posted the picture of the magazines i collected over the weekend. these magazines are still beside the bed, and are waiting for me again at bedtime. i don't have a good book to read right now, so i'm just going to enjoy my magazines instead.

though i think today is the hottest day we've had so far this summer (it's 99* at 6pm), i've had sweaters on my mind. of course, one must start thinking about the next season if you want to wear said sweater in the upcoming season. of course, that doesn't mean i'm going to start whipping out sweaters. i'm barely getting my socks done at this point.

but, IF i were to knit sweaters, these are a few of the ones i fell for instantly while perusing my new magazines.

first off, was this lovely crochet motif cowl neck pullover by designer robyn chachula. i love this! i think it's interesting looking, without looking "granny", and maybe i'm a bit biased to the color.

i did some research on the designer, via ravelry, and she has oodles of designs that i've seen before, and many of which i like very much.

this design is very similar to one called the calla lily cowl which she did for mission falls yarns.

another note, the yarn used for this is by red heart, their eco-ways bamboo wool. i saw some eco-ways yarns the last time i was in the craft store, and i'll be eager to see how much people enjoy working with them i'd like to try them out too.

this one is my favorite. it's called the nordique swing jacket, designed by veronik avery. it's knitted in sport weight yarn. and i've swatched for it. apparently, i have a yarn in stash that is the right weight, and the color is very similar to the printed magazine (though not the same as the actual color). though, color is irrelevant. the color issue is a fluke.

i started swatching yesterday. i started with the recommended needle size (US 3) and it was tight. i'm now using a US 5 and might have gauge. i will also swatch in pattern, and then dunk the strip into the sink to wash and block.

oh! this design is in the fall interweave knits magazine. i also spotted another favorite from this issue, the slanting gretel tee. if you'd like to see more, i know the preview is available right now here (scroll down) on the IK website.

and lastly, i found this pretty cardigan in the current issue of vogue knitting magazine ... the rib and cable cardigan (design #4)(gosh, i wish vogue had more intersting names for their designs) ... designed by irina poludnenko. side note, this pretty cardigan is opposite a fabulous dress designed by sauniell connally (formally local, ... went off to NYC to attend fashion school) (yay!).

all these magazines have numerous designs to inspire for the fall. oh, and let's not forget knitscene. there were several sweaters in the current issue that i will be watching progress of on ravelry.

of course, right now i'm all about knitting/crocheting sweaters. but, give me a few days and that will pass .....

bedtime!

it's late ... and i've got to get to bed, but i wanted to do a quick update. i was out & about yesterday, and picked up the latest fall issues of VK, IK, and Crochet Today. so, i'm off to get ready for bed and read for a little while ....