Sock-a-Long Challenge

I may be converted!

2007-04-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Jane, I know you'll be so excited to see a post on the Sock-a-long, especially from a former blogger...

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share that I knitted my 1st Toe-Up sock on circulars! I can't believe it, I actually liked knitting with 2 circulars...I've always been such a die-hard double pointed knitter-what's the world coming to?! Pictures to follow...I started the second sock today. Who knew I'd ever be so inspired by "Knitty Gritty"???

Socks from the February Meeting

2007-02-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

Okay. It is obvious that we do knit socks; we just don't post them on this blog. I don't have the details of these; perhaps the knitters will post those after they see the pics.

These are Jeannie Hanover's first socks.

These are being knit by Renate's guest Burgl.

My foot and Burgl's. We wear our work proudly.

Renate's handiwork.

Piper's cuff.

Harriet's first toe up sock. Don't we wish we could see pictures of the other 250 pairs she has knitted?

Two socks on two circs by Jane Godshall.

Jane's feet.

Just Checking In

2007-02-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

So Turtlegirl76 doesn't feel so lonely, I thought I'd throw up a picture of Steve's new socks. He wanted them to pool in the spiral shape, so I didn't worry about it. They are Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in colorway Mineshaft. I knitted on size 0 needles. Just a simple K2, P2 cuff which he likes, and everything else pretty standard. I slowed the toe decreases to every 3 rounds and bound off more stitches than usual--20 vs. 8--to make the toe broad. I think that fits him better.

I've done two more pairs that I can't post yet. I submitted one pattern to knitty.com and will submit the other somewhere. I mean they can only say No, right? At least if they hate them, I'll never really know. They'll send a generic thank you but we have so many etc. Still it's exciting and a real challenge for me. And that's what this site is for.

So what have you done lately? I'm not the only one anxious to know.

More Socks!

2007-01-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Another Pair of Feather and Fan socks, this time in some Lorna's Laces.

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Feather & Fan
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Purple Club
Details - Magic Cast-On Toe US Size 1 Needles.

I had these at the last guild meeting, and they are now on display at Charlotte Yarn.

From Winter 2005 Interweave Knits
Trekking XXL in color # 109

I did these in less than 4 days! Such a quick and clever knit! Seriously, I'm on my second pair of them and know I'll be making more in the future. It's a pretty design and so easy to memorize. I started on late Saturday Night, and by Sunday Night I had already turned the heel and finished the gusset decreases.

This pair is for a sock exchange I've joined on the Knittyboards. My partner chose some Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the blues/greens colorway I had in my stash. This is also, believe it or not, my first time working with a near-solid sock yarn. Everything else has been self-striping or variegated. It's a nice change.

I also have a pair of "Whiskers and Paw Prints" socks going.

These are in Koigu. The pattern is $5.75 but $1 of each pattern sold is donated to the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago. The pattern calls for a short row heel but I have chosed a heel flap. These are on hold until I finish my sock-swap. Participating in this will also help me learn how to make a sock as a present for somebody based on measurement alone. It really helps you learn to pay attention to gauge and choosing a yarn to suit somebody's taste.

I have also recently purchased The Sole Solution which I downloaded from The Knitting Zone. Lemme tell ya, this is the neatest thing I've ever seen. You can adapt any pattern for any gauge and circumference you need. You just need to know your gauge, cuff circumference, and pattern repeat (i.e. is it a 4, 6, 16 or more stitch pattern repeat?) and you can even specify what type of heel and toe you want to use. Whether you want to do it on 2 circs, or 4 or 5 dpns. Very cool.

I know there are other sock knitters out there! Show us your stuff, Charlotte!

The Super Hero Socks

2006-12-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

Or, at least they're strong enough to stop a speeding bullet the insanely tight gauge I knit them.

But they fit and I love them!

My Challenge Socks are Done!

2006-09-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yay! I finally finished them. I would have finished them much sooner, but they were the victim of knitting A.D.D. Heh. So here they are. My modified Hedera socks.

How did I modify them? Well, for one, the pattern is written cuff down. I prefer the toe-up method so my challenge was to modify the pattern so that it could be knit toe-up but not visibly so. This required me to learn how to do a heel flap from the toe-up. I used Judy Gibson's instructions for a Toe-Up Sock for the heel flap directions. The toe, I used Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock pattern for the toe. The bind off, I faked. I read on Heather's blog back when she finished her mom's Koigu socks, about a sewn bind-off. She vaguely described it as entering the first two stitches on the needle as if to purl then back into the first as if to knit, rinse, wash, repeat. It works out pretty well! Nice and stretchy. They're nice and comfortable. I used Plymouth Sockotta in color #14 ("Green" - how clever a name!) and had plenty left over. I could have done several more repeats of the pattern on the cuff were I motivated at the time. Some people that have knit this report using more yarn than they thought they would. This was another motivation to do it toe-up. No running out before I got to the toe! I love these socks. They were my first successful venture into lace knitting. Even Ripple likes them!

New Knitty Sock Patterns!

2006-09-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

No excuses now! There's a pattern for those of you hesitant to do the whole "knitting in the round" thing. It's Soxs on 2 Sticks!

Double-Knit - Cuff Down Red Herring
Cuff-Down with Mini-Cable goodness! Cable Net
Toe-Up with a Heel Flap! Diamante

So, what are you waiting for? God knows more than just 3 of us knit socks. Speak up!

Modified Jaywalkers

2006-08-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Finished these this weekendbut it was quite a journey. I changed a lot: gauge, heel, toe. Details of the changes and some other pictures are on my blog. Merely a Suggestion

Still working on the first pair of the challenge and am planning another pair with stash yarn. The Sewing Bird has a shipment from Lorna's Laces on the way, so the stash yarn may just stay in the stash.

1 Down, A Little Over Half of 1 To Go.

2006-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

I finished my first challenge sock while I was in Oregon. The reverse engineered heel-flap fits wonderfully!

This is the Hedera sock from knitty.com (see link in the sidebar). It was written cuff down, but I'm a toe-up convert. So my challenge was to convert the pattern from cuff-down to toe-up and maintain the heel flap. I'd only ever done short row heels on my toe-up socks, but prefer the fit of a heel flap, so to figure out how to do this is insanely gratifying. I started the second one on the plane ride home and I'm just now getting to the gusset increases.

I've also started another pair of socks - Anastasia by Mintyfresh. I'm doing them in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the colorway Country Garden. The challenge? Knit a pair of socks for a size 11 foot on US size 1 needles in time for Christmas. Heh. The pattern is written for an 8 1/2" circumference foot, but is easily modified for a wider foot by simply adding a stitch or two between YO's. Also, the YO's give a certain amount of stretch to the sock, and negative ease helps bring out the pattern more.

The yarn is a treat to work with. I love the way the handpainted yarn changes colors so quickly. No patterning to it, just an ebb and flow of color. It's gorgeous. This pattern is also toe-up. I have split the yarn in half (using a kitchen scale and ballwinder) and will be able to continue up the cuff until I run out. This method is also advantageous for knitting socks for larger feet so as to ensure enough for the pair. No one wants to get halfway down the foot of the second sock only to run out of yarn. And with handpainted yarn, really, no two are alike so you're better off using only the one hank.

About the Jaywalkers

2006-08-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

If you plan on making the Jaywalkers for your challenge sock, there's something you need to know. The nature of the stitch pattern does not allow for any "stretch" or "Give" when the sock is put on. So, even though you may have an 8 1/2" circumference foot, you may want to make the larger size anyway. And the thing is, you won't even know they're too tight until you get ready to start the heel. So a shorter cuff is also helpful in ensuring a good fit.
I would recommend a yarn like Knitpicks Dancing, or Cascade Fixation. Both have some great stretch to them that this pattern can only benefit from. And pick something variegated or self-striping! This pattern shows that off well, as you see.

My Challenge for the Sock-along

2006-08-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am knitting socks using one of Candace Eisner Strick's Austrian Traveling stitches patterns. The work isn't terribly hard, but it is slow going. I'm counting on this public declaration to get me through the second sock. I'm using Louet's Gem Merino in a solid red. i chose a solid so the stitch pattern will show to its maximum.

The challenge:
Use a tubular cast on
Complete the Austrian Travel st down the front and back of the sock
Use the non stop heel which I discovered on line and in an old mag. You increase for the gusset and then turn the heel.
Use two circular needles.

I have already abandoned the circular needles. Two hard on my hands. I've now got the socks on four dpns and have the sts set to divide the pattern by needle. Makes some of it mindless. I'll post pictures soon.

Jane Prater

My Socks

2006-08-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

(Sorry, I've fixed all the links now. Stupid html not copying right from word.)

OK, so I thought I'd show off some of my socks to get us all started. That, and hey, I like to show off my socks.

Top Row: Jaywalkers by Grumperina
Simple Socks from Socks Soar on 2 Circular Needles
Wendy's Generic Toe-up Socks
Middle: Sixth Sense Socks from the yahoo group 6-Socks KAL
Generic Toe-Up socks again in Fortissima 1776
Best Foot Forward Socks from Knit Socks! (The sock shaped sock book)
Bottom: Fuzzy Feet from Knitty
Detail on the garter stitch short row heel used in the sixth sense sock
Detail on the Best Foot Forward sock. (A good example of when a good pattern can be thwarted by busy yarn.)

(Note, the jaywalker and Generic Toe-Up sock pattern are linked in the sidebar as are the Fuzzy Feet.)

If you are a guild member, you should have received your invitation to the blog this morning. Please make sure it didn't find it's way into your SPAM filter or trash. Find it, and accept.

Sock-A-Long Challenge!

2006-08-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

As discussed at the August 1st meeting of the Charlotte Knitting Guild we have started a Sock Knit-a-long whereby all members interested in knitting socks are to choose a pattern to challenge their skill level (all the way from first timers to veterans). We'll post progress pictures, ask and answer questions, and give the various tips and tricks we pick up along the way.

If you look in the sidebar there, you'll see I've provided a plethora of links to various patterns, resources and tutorials. If you have a link you'd like me to add, let me know.

For you first timers, coming from experience, I highly reccommend Knitty's Fuzzy Feet for your first attempt at socks. They're felted slippers, done from the cuff down on size 10.5 dpns. All the steps of the basic sock are there, and if it doesn't look that fabulous when you're done - no worries! They're getting felted anyway!