You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘socks’ tag.
So I’m knitting a sweater. It looks like this:
(Well, it’s a little farther than that now–I finished one of the fronts too.)
It’s Girl Friday from the Fall 09 Knitty. The yarn is Valley Northampton, which was originally earmarked for a Berocco pattern, Mayer. I didn’t really care for the waffle stitch, though, and the ribbing was written oddly–it has you cast on for a ton of stitches then just says “decrease 45 stitches evenly” across a 118 stitch row. No thank you. Frogged and debated over other cardigans before settling on this one. I think it will be nice. I am changing a few things though, most notably the lace pattern. I don’t really care for the purl stitch tabs, so I’m changing all the purls to knits. Makes my wrong side rows nice and easy–they’re just purled all the way across.
I’m knitting the smallest size, even though my bust measurement is 32″, and not the 29″ that is the smallest age. The designer says the lace is stretchy and I presume it’ll open up when it gets the severe blocking I’m planning for it though, and I’m going for negative ease anyway. I’m hoping for a longish sweater coat style that I can wear as a jacket or under my winter coat or when I’m chilly (kind of like how I wear my owls cardigan). I’m highly looking forward to wearing it. : )
Here’s something I do not have on the needles:
It’s a sock. Yep, one sock. One little cabled ankle sock. Why am I showing you this sock, and not a pair of socks in an FO post when I usually don’t bother with WIP posts? Because it’s only one sock. And it will be a while before the second sock is completed. Why is this?
Cause I freakin’ lost the rest of the yarn.
Yeah. I brought the socks to knit at Seaworld in lines and such when I was in Florida over Christmas and New Years. I finished the first sock in a line for a roller coaster (the new Manta, which, by the way, is AWESOME) and must have left my fanny pack open somewhere in the park and the ball rolled out. I mean, I bought the yarn at Michael’s with a 40% off coupon so it was only like, $3.50 and it’s definitely not difficult to find more, but I’m totally bummed because of the rigmarole. It’s doable, just annoying.
So that’s what I’m knitting. In addition to that Featherweight Cardi which is taking FOREVER. It’s definitely not my only project. I don’t think I could ever be in a serious, monogamous relationship with a cardigan knit in lace weight yarn in stockinette. Can you say boring? The finished thing will be awesome… I just have to finish knitting the damn thing.
Okay, so things are going to reverse order from what I said Sunday. Turns out I left the hat I was going to publish somewhere I can’t actually get to it quite yet, so instead you get socks! Whoo hoo!
Pattern: It’s a toe up sock with a short row heel.
Yarn: Red Heart Heart and Sole, one skein, colorway “Toasted Almond”
Needles: US 1/2.25 mm metal dpns
I used a basic toe-up sock pattern with a short row heel and increased to 64 stitches. This resulted in socks that are a bit too big, but not so much so that I can’t wear them. Amazingly, my gauge is something ridiculous like 9 spi, so these should wear pretty well, despite them being too big. The next time I make plain ankle socks (and it will be soon… I’m already looking at Knit Picks for a fix of sock yarn), I’ll only go up to 56 stitches and I think they’ll fit better.
Also, despite this being a “cheap” sock yarn, I liked it fine. It was cheap–with a coupon, I think I got it for like $3 at Micheal’s, but I liked knitting with it, and it’s comfortable. And the colors are fine. My socks don’t match, but I’ve been known to wear mismatched socks when I can’t find a pair anyway.
In unrelated news: I received one of two Ongoing Wish Swap packages yesterday, so that’s happening. Plus I finished that hat that I was going to show you today. I’m glad I’ve got all this blog fodder because my current knitting is working on my Featherweight Cardi, and that is sloooooooow going. Lace weight on 4mm needles. Yeah. It’s simple stockinette though, so it’s fine for all the work I’ve got going on this week.
Pattern: Srsly, it’s a toe-up sock with a short row heel. And some increases to fit my calves.
Yarn: Lion Wool in Cadet Blue (bout a quarter of a skein) and Ocean Blues (two FULL skeins)
Needles: US 6/4 mm dpns
So I wanted socks to wear in my rain boots to keep my toes warm in the snow. These definitely fit the bill. They come up to my knees (actually, a bit over) and are super warm. Because they are wool, my feet will still be able to breathe, but even if snow gets into my shoe, my feet will stay (mostly) warm and dry. Win.
And as for the yarn: The variegated has been marinating in my stash almost since I started knitting–I bought it on sale at Micheal’s before I knew I didn’t like variegated yarn and I hadn’t been able to find a use for it. When I decided to make the socks, I knew I didn’t want to have ANY left, so I knit until I had just enough yarn left for the cast off. This resulted in a left over length of yarn (after weaving in) of about a foot on one sock and about two inches on the other sock. WIN.
The blue in the heel and the toe I was a little more worried about. I knew I wanted contrasting heels and toes (because I really love that look) and I only had about a quarter of a skein. I thought it was going to be close and I would run out on the second toe. Fortunately, I had plenty and I even have a couple of yards left. Not sure what I’ll do with them though—Maybe I’ll make a scrap hat one of these days. OH, or, I have some purple that would look lovely in a hat with a blue stripe. : )
In other knitting news: I started (and finished, actually, except for blocking) a hat from some left over Cascade Eco. Featherweight, as I said, is on the back burner and in the mean time, I’ve been working up small projects to burn through some stash. I’ve recently decided that I can’t buy more yarn until everything (or at least, all my good non-acrylic) yarn fits in the bin I have at school. This includes a whole skein of Cascade Eco, four balls of Valley Northampton, and most of a cone of Jaggerspun lace weight. We’ll see how that goes. At the very least, I’ll have lots of hats and mittens and things.
Pattern: Seriously, it’s just a toe-up sock with a short row heel.
Yarn: Cascade Fixation, less than a skein
Needles: US 3/3.25 mm
Not much to say here, folks. They’re socks. Simple socks in a squishy yarn. Lovely.
BUT WAIT. There’s more! I made another thing!
Pattern: White Lace Leaf Ornament
Yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Fasion Crochet Thread in white/silver
Needles: US 3/3.25 mm
Earrings! They’re just attached to cheapo Walmart earring wires and jump rings, but I needed some earrings, and I think these came out cute. I blocked them with a little glue so they’re stiff and not all bendy and annoying. Cute. Simple, but cute.
Okay, you all, I’m just about ready to roll out that surprise I’ve been talking about. In two days (more or less), it will be revealed. SO GET EXCITED. Or, you know, at least check back. Stay tuned!
Pattern: It’s a toe-up sock. My own. Short row heel because they’re awesome and smooth.
Yarn: Cascade Fixation, less than a skein if you can believe it.
Needles: US 3/3.25 mm metal dpns from a garage sale like, eons ago.
So sock knitting is pretty cool. I only ever wear ankle socks, so they knit up reasonably quickly. I haven’t knit many socks and I’ve yet to actually use fingering weight yarn, but socks are awesome. These socks… These socks are amazing. A, they cost me about three dollars to make, which for sock knitting is basically free. And they knit up HELLA FAST. DK weight yarn knits up really quickly. Oh, and they’re so squishy and comfy and amazing. And I love them.
So basically, I’ll be knitting socks now.
I’ll still mostly be knitting sweaters because I love knitting sweaters, but socks will also happen. I’ve got like, four more balls of Fixation that will probably become socks (at least one in a lace pattern), and there will be leftovers, which will be made into little, like half socks that you wear with ballet flats. Yeah.
So I’ve just today cast on for Foliage out of some Lion Wool not because I need more hats but because I need MOAR LACE. Or something. Next up on the knitting agenda is Owls, I think (modified into a cardigan), since I got my order from WEBS today, or most of it anyway. I ordered two skeins of Cascade Eco Wool (one in grey and one in coffee) and four balls of Valley Yarns Northampton in a lovely purple that will probably become a lovely cardigan, possibly the ubiquitous DROPS jacket or possibly Girl Friday from the latest issue of Knitty.
Foliage first, though. Then Owls. Then probably some more hats when Owls gets too big to take to class. Stash busting should… probably happen.Though really, once I use up the Eco Wool, there will be lots more room in my stash. But I don’t plan on buying anymore yarn for a while. Stash busting! It’s happening! Or something.
Because I’m such a proficient knitter, I recently finished a couple of things:
Home on the Range Mitts:
(Modeled by my lovely boyfriend.)
Pattern: My own, with a slightly different thumb (involving CO 9 stitches instead of holding them). Also, I cast on more. Also, to keep them from curling, I did a row of seed stitch before the cast off. You wouldn’t expect this, but it works like a charm, and I’ll definitely be doing this for all my fingerless mitts from now on.
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Notes: Made for my friend, who wanted a pair of fingerless mitts that he could wear to the range so his other ones wouldn’t smell like… guns. Whatever that is. Powder? Smoke? Guns.
Basic Black Socks:
Pattern: Lifestyle Socks (Basic pattern)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Modifications: Worsted weight. DPNs. Ended up just using figure 8 cast on.
(More pictures of these on Ravelry.)
Okay, I love these. They’re acrylic so they won’t breathe very well, so they’ll stink to high heaven and I’ll have to wash them a lot, but I looooove them. They knit up VERY quickly. Like, a day or two. They’re like mittens. They’re comfy and lovely and wonderful. The first sock of this pair is a little messed up cause I made the heel too pointy and the ribbed bit around the ankle is a little large, but I solved the first by fewer rows on the heel and the second by decreasing four stitches after the heel is complete. LOVE. Definitely will be making more socks. Many more socks. Because I have much yarn, and they’re so quick and useful and wonderful.
Zebra Socks
Pattern: Lifestyle Socks (basic pattern)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Modifications: Same as above.
OH MY GOD, LOVE LOVE LOVE. SO much love. I fiddled with a few things for these socks, meaning they fit AMAZINGLY and oh god, so comfy. The ONLY thing I would do differently is make the solid toe section a little shorter, starting the colorwork/stripes earlier. But other than that, perfect fit. A sewn bind off makes for a sufficiently stretchy cuff which is made tight enough by going down a couple needle sizes. Love these socks. Definitely going to make a ton more in more fun colors. I need more Simply Soft…
RIGHT NOW: I have a couple of projects on the needles for a swap, so stay tuned for that. I may start another sweater (a ballet-style wrap cardigan out of JoAnn Sensations Rainbow Boucle) or I may just make more socks for myself, using wool this time. I think I’m going to get some DK weight wool and slowly ease into sock-weight yarn for socks. I’ll get there. Probably.
I finished my first pair of socks!
Specs:
Pattern: Striped Footies from Lion Brand
Needles: US 5/3.25mm dpns
Yarn: Lion Wool in Purple and Vanna’s Choice in grey
Modifications: Didn’t do striped and just did the toe and heel in a different color. Other than that, I followed the pattern as written.
They fit properly, but the fabric made with the small needles is really thick and stiff, so I think for future socks, I’ll use a larger needle. They’ll wear out more quickly, but if I continue to use acrylic for the heel and toes, it shouldn’t be too bad. These would have only taken a day or two, but I was also working on Lime, the Cavern Cardi (pics to follow soon). They fit alright though, like I said, they’re pretty stiff and they look a little wonky, but I’ll wear them in boots or something where a little thickness might be a good thing.
I’m definitely planning to make more socks, though not with sock yarn since I just don’t have the patience. Maybe eventually, but for right now, I’m going to keep with the worsted weight.
I actually am working on this sock pattern (but in worsted weight, obviously). I finished one whole sock and just finished the toe increases for the other one. I am using Caron Simply Soft and US 6/4mm dpns (5) and though the fabric is still a little thick for my liking, they are coming out pretty well. Because I’m using acrylic, there’s very little stretch, so off of my foot, it looks huge and weird, but it fits nicely. Nice and squooshy. : )
Also, I’ve decided short row heel = ❤
Since Lime is done (as I said, pics to follow), I’ve also done a pair of fingerless mitts for my friend. But I need something bigger. Hmm…
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 