My third completed pair of socks. I am really liking the process of making socks. With this pair I was tinkering with the fit a bit. When the excitement of knitting my very first pair of socks wore off I realized that they were actually bigger than I liked socks which meant that I just HAD to make another pair. I gave the first pair to DH and started new ones for myself. I got some advice from fellow socknitters on how to change the fit of my socks (thank you to FirsttimeSockKnittersKAL and Socknitters yahoo groups)- I realized, upon scrutiny, that not only were they too long but they were not as snug around my foot as I like.

This pair was knitted from Silver’s basic sock formula. I only used 1 inch of a 1X1 ribbing and the rest of the sock is in stockinette stitch (the tutorial shows 8 inches of 2X2 ribbing for the leg). But when I got to the heel I changed to a smaller size needle size. This made the heel stitching look so neat and pretty and it made my socks fit much better (thank you again to all the helpful socknitters in cyberspace). I deliberately mismatched the stripes this time just to see what it would look like. I think the effect is quite funky. Now that I have a better idea of how to size socks, I am ready for the challenge of a more complicated design. I am planning a visit to the LYS and the Knitpicks website Saturday to pick out some new yarn and purchase some smaller dpns (don’t have anything small enough for fingering weight yarn). My next project is the Dublin Bay sock by Mossy Cottage Knits

Project Details
Yarn – Red Heart Strata – color Cascade (So what if its acrylic)
Pattern – variation of basic sock from Come to Silver tutorial
Needles – Size 5 and 6 dpns

I have been in a dishcloth knitting frenzy lately. I had two skeins of varigated yarn called Fiesta. It is bright and cheerful but I couldn’t find a stitch that went with it. I frogged no less that three different designs before someone on the Dishcloth KAL recommended the DW pattern. That one was the ticket. After the two DW cloths I realized that I had enough extra yarn for a two color cloth. I decided to give the Ballband pattern a whirl. As you can see the results are very colorful and bright. I really like the color play in the DW pattern. These should definitely brighten up the drudgery of dishwashing.

I finished these just in time to start the January Mid-month KAL. I have Day 1 complete – didn’t post a photo because there isn’t much in detectable pattern yet. I am looking forward to the using cable needle. Cables are one of those knitting techniques that were on the to-do list. Thanks Andi for helping me remove one more thing!!

Project details
Patterns – DW (Darrell Waltrip) Dishcloth by Rhonda White and Ballband (Textured Knit) Dishcloth from Peaches & Creme label.
Yarn – Peaches and Creme – Fiesta Ombre, Yellow and Hunter
Needles – Size 7

For my latest sock adventure, I thought I would give Fair Isle knitting a try. Socks are such a great project for trying out new knitting techniques. I must admit that Fair Isle knitting (or more properly stranded knitting) is requiring some adjustment. I am having a few tension issues – particularly in the points where I change from needle to needle. Hopefully, the socks will have enough elasticity that I will be able to wear them when I have completed them. Knitting with thread in both hands feels really, really, really awkward – I mean, this is as bad if not worse than the dpns sticking out everywhere awkward. I am not accustomed to holding yarn in my right hand. Consequently, changing from one needle to the next, which I normally do with my right hand, tends to be a tangled mess. So the going is slow but at least it is going and it’s actually fun once you can forget the awkwardness of it all. I don’t have a pattern – I am making it up as I go along using some peeries suggested by the very nice ladies of the Firsttime Socknitters group. I am thinking about frogging a few rows and increasing the checkerboard pattern another row or two. The good news is that when I finish the first sock, I will at least have a pattern for the second – unless I do something radical and use a different pattern on the second sock! Again the photography isn’t great – camera flash reflecting the sheen in the yarn but you get the idea. I would love to hear your comments (translation – advice) unless you think its horrible and then I don’t want to know 🙂

Merrily knitting along

Project Details
Pattern – Silver’s basic top down sock
Yarn – Caron Simply Soft Black and Embroidery Print
Needles – Size 6 dpns
Peerie pattern ideas – Katherine’s socks
FirstTime Socknitters KAL

Here is my second pair of socks. This pair was my first adventure in two-color knitting. I have a lot of room for improvement with this technique. Not the most beautiful pair of socks I have ever seen – I don’t like the acrylic yarn but it was the only thing I could find in the colors that I needed. These socks were for Jerry who just underwent some major cancer surgery and these colors are the colors of his favorite sports team. The photo is especially bad because the camera’s flash reflected off the sheen in the acrylic yarn and caused weird things to happen with the color – it is supposed to be pumpkin orange and navy. They really do look better in person. But I told you a long time ago that I am not a photographer.

Project Details
Pattern – Basic sock from Silver’s tutorial
Yarn – Red Heart Acrylic – Navy and Pumpkin
Needles – Size 6 dpns.

It took WAAAYYYYY longer than I intended but I have finally completed my Mid-December KAL dishcloth. This is an absolutely beautiful design but the YO SSK combination proved a challenge to this novice knitter. Apparently in the process of getting the new knit stitch to pull through my two, very tight, slipped stitches on the SSK, I was dropping the YO that preceded it causing my row count to be off. There was one row in particular that I know I re-knitted four times before I managed the necessary 41 stitches. I think perhaps aluminum needles instead of bamboo would be advisable for the next lace work in cotton that I do. This is exactly the kind of project that I need to stretch my knitting muscles. Thanks for the workout Andi!!!
Now that I am finished with the cloth, I am actually envisioning that lace pattern in the leg of a pair of socks. Am I crazy or what?!?

Just Keep Knitting!!

Project details
Pattern – Snowy drops by Andi Worthy http://thingsstitchedmarketplace.blogspot.com/
Yarn – Peaches and Creme Ecru and Yellow
Needles – Size 7 Clover bamboo