FO: Naive Socks

Well, there's actually a bit of a story to why I chose to knit these socks. A friend has asked me to make her some very tall and cabled socks in the future. I told her I would consider, even though I'd never finished a cabled project before. I did try making the Irish Hiking Scarf a few years ago, but I never finished it. It's actually a very simple pattern that is perfect for beginners, but I may have been looking for a bit more of a challenge at the end of the day. Anyway, it was high time I tried a cabled pattern again and I figured a sock pattern would be a good idea. So I browsed all over Ravelry and found this Naive Socks pattern. It looked like just the thing. It featured several different cables that weren't always crossed on the same row. Additionally, the pattern is carried down the heel somewhat and it really added a fun element to keep me motivated.



Overall, I really like these socks. They fit very well and are quite comfortable. The yarn feels just a little thicker than some of the other fingering weight yarns I've been using recently. I would highly recommend the yarn though because it really sparkles and I like the color changes. I considered matching the stripes on each sock, but I didn't take the time to really do so. But, I actually really like the way they came out. They match without being too matchy matchy. :) I am pleased to say that I learned how to cable without using a needle on this project. It was a little scary at first, but much quicker and easier than I anticipated. I've also discovered that using a size 2 1/2 needle for the toe works wonders for me. I shall have to remember to do it every time. It makes the toe fit so much better for me.

Pattern: Naive Socks (see link posted above)
Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Fortissima Colori Disco Socka
Needles: Size 2 and 2 1/2 (for toe)
Techniques learned: Cable without a needle

Crazy Veil of Leaves socks

It all started innocently enough. I was at a somewhat Local Yarn Store (LYS) and I noticed a new sock book. It wasn't just any new sock book though, it was the magical New Pathways for Sock Knitters Book 1 by Cat Bordhi. Wow. Let me tell you, the book will catch the eye of any sock knitter. I flipped through it a few times but kept putting it back down because I thought I didn't need another sock knitting book. But, there were interesting patterns and new ways of sock knitting included that I ended up getting it. The first pattern to catch my eye was Veil of Leaves. I don't know why, but that's the one that did it for me. I wanted to make them so much that I ended up just casting on for them in December of 2007.

I finished the first sock in record time. It was interesting. The heel damn near killed me, but I just kept going and got it done. I put on my new sock and felt... well... okay with it. It just didn't look as good on my foot as it did in the book. Not only didn't it look as good, I don't think it fit very well overall either. I was disappointed in it, and not sure what to do. I thought I should try wearing it a few times before making a final decision. So, I did and it never really ended up being a favorite. The short row heel wasn't as comfortable as a heel flap for me and they end up slouching a bit around the ankle after I wear it for a while. I put the project aside for a bit to clear my head. Then, I took out the magical book and did all the math properly. I decided to change a few things here and there to customize the fit. Hell yeah, I was ready to get down to that second sock now!

But, alas, the second sock isn't perfect either. :( I did fewer wraps, increased my wing stitches, decreased the total number of stitches after the heel, and started the toe a little later than in the first. That should basically make the world's most perfect sock for me. But, it's still just not quite right. I really dislike the short row heel, even after trying to modify it. It doesn't fit my foot very well. I'm a heel flap girl I guess. So I finished this challenging and new pattern only to find that I'm not as over the moon as I thought I would be. Oh well. I will continue to wear them and I will likely tackle other patterns in the book. But, I've got to figure out a way to make the heel more comfortable on my foot. I'm going to have to read through all of the information again and see what I can come up with. In the meantime, here's a pic of the socks for your viewing pleasure! :)

A Letter to Cat Bordhi

Dear Ms. Cat Bordhi,

I recently started your Veil of Leaves sock pattern from your book "New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book 1". The pattern intrigued me and I couldn't wait to just dive right into this fun, new sock. I cast on before completing the mate to another sock I finished months ago because I was just too excited! I made a small alteration right at the start because I really enjoy ribbing at the top of a sock, but then I began to follow your pattern as written. Things were progressing quite nicely! I liked following the charts for the leg and my sock was really coming along. Then, however, I came to the heel.

My goodness! I was NOT prepared for this. In your defence, it has been years since I've done any kind of short row heel. In fact, I did a short row heel on the first pair of socks I ever made and then I fell in love with heel flaps. I've been solely a heel flap girl for about 2-3 years now. Also in your defence, I did not start with the baby sock primer you feature at the beginning of the book either. I really felt that I could read through the pattern a few times and get through it without too much difficulty. But, imagine my surprise when your master reinforced heel section BLEW MY MIND! I had to read the instructions about 3 times to make sure I knew what I was doing. It was far more intense than I anticipated. Step 4 in particular was beyond my grasp. I'm still not sure how I ended up with the yarn in the right place and the correct numbers at the end of it all. The pictures probably helped the most, but it was mind boggling at first glance. What kills me about it now is that step 4 is probably the easiest section, but I just could not grasp it! I kept staring at the description and the pictures and saying WTF? inside my head. Luckily, I figured it all out and I finished my first Cat Bordhi master reinforced heel! I don't suppose you hand out medals for achieving such a magnificent feat, do you? If so, let me know! I desperately could use one!

Sincerely,

Helmut

FO - Crest of the Wave socks

Well, it's official! I finished my Crest of the Wave socks. Hooray!

So, in case you're curious, I did NOT work on them for a full 5 months. lol! I put them aside quite a bit and did a fair amount of ripping back as well. Overall, I'm quite pleased with them, especially the second sock. I made a few changes to the second sock and it made it even better. I added a few plain rows of knitting before starting my toe decreases and I used a larger needle so that I would gain some needed extra length and comfort. Oh yeah, I guess I should mention that my right foot is definitely bigger than my left foot and that I wanted to make sure one of the socks would fit it well. So, my socks are officially fraternal twins and not identical twins. Oh well. Over time, I imagine the "shorter" one will stretch out a bit and fit just as well. But for now, I like that they aren't exactly the same.

Pattern: Crest of the Wave from More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlotte Schurch
Yarn: Interlacement's Tiny Toes (fabulous yarn, btw! I would love to use it again sometime)
Needles: size 1, 2, and 2 1/2 DPNs made of different materials by different manufacturers... go figure!

One down...

You know, it's weird. The weather is basically perfect and I still have little desire to knit. I've barely been knitting since my last update. I'm not entirely sure what's going on over here. :/

But, I did finish a Crest of the Wave sock the other day. We lost power one night (for 13 hours) and I was able to Kitchener my sock toe closed by candlelight. It sounds romantic when I type it out, but really it was just a pain in the arse and made me really appreciate good lighting. I wanted to weave in the ends on the sock that night too, but in the end, I decided it would be too dangerous to do so with only candlelight to guide me. So, instead, it's sitting on the top of my knitting bag mocking me. One day, sock, I will finish you and that's not a threat; it's a promise! [insert evil laugh here]

Originally, I figured I would cast on for the mate to the Resurrection sock after finishing this Crest of the Wave sock. But, strangely enough, I cast on for the other CotW sock instead. I was watching a rerun of Top Chef when I cast on and I nearly finished the cuff while watching. (Can I just say that Tiffani was a really unlikeable person on the show? I mean, seriously, she came off as so evil! I don't usually trust the editors of reality shows, but when it comes to her... well, I'm not sure what to think. But anyway...) So while I haven't been knitting very consistently or for long periods of time, I've been hauling ass when I do pick up the needles.

I also cast on for a Shocking Pink Coif from knitty.com the other day, but it will be a Shocking Turquoise Coif if anything. The pattern isn't totally working for me right now though, so I don't know if I will continue to work it or just rip it out. Oh and I made a huge 8 and 1/2 inch square wash cloth the other day. I did it all in seed stitch and I really like how it turned out. It looks like it could really scrub the heck out of some dishes. Now I just have to decide if I should keep it or give it away.

Break

So, for some reason, I took a few weeks off from knitting. I know I went at least 10 days without knitting a stitch. It was weird. It wasn't an intentional break, but I guess I needed it. Luckily, I was able to get back into it recently. Yesterday I did a heel flap and today I completed the turn and finished about half of the gusset decreases on my Crest of the Wave sock. I'm glad I ripped it out previously because the pattern really does look very nice on the size 1 needles. I also cast on for a new project a while back, but I haven't made much progress on it either. A friend of mine sent me some possibly DK weight cotton yarn and requested that I magically transform it into a bag. It's based off the Everlasting Bagstopper, but with a ton of modifications. Basically, I love the construction of the Everlasting Bagstopper, so that's what I use from it. I finished the bottom and started the body of it already. It's dyeing my needles a fabulous shade of green that makes me think they're sick. Luckily, I have a set of needles that were turned into a lovely shade of red, so when Christmas rolls around, my needle collection will look a bit festive. Good times. :) Well, I'm glad to be knitting again for now and I really want to finish all the socks I've got going. I'd love to wear my Resurrection socks this fall! Must finish this Crest of the Wave sock so that I can get to that second Resurrection sock. :)

Resurrection socks and Crest of the Wave update

Good news! I finished one of the Resurrection socks the other day. Hooray! It turned out well enough, but there are a couple of things I would change. First of all, I would stop doing the yarn over cable at least one inch sooner than I did. The pattern goes up over my 2 smallest toes and it just bugs me for some reason. I wish I'd thought about it more and that I'd done a few rounds of plain stockinette before beginning the toe. Secondly, I'm not totally fond of the toe either. I did a round toe but it came out funky. I don't really like how pointy the standard toes end up looking on my feet, but it seems like most toes just end up looking pointy on my feet. It must just be my foot, you know? But, overall, this is the best sock I've ever had on my foot. It fits better than any store bought sock. Very cool. I could end up a sock wearer if I keep on knitting them for myself.

In other news, I ripped out almost all of my Crest of the Wave sock. I wanted to make some changes to it. First of all, the design looked neater on the size 1 needles, so I decided to knit the whole thing on the 1s, well, except the cuff. The cuff was knit on 2s and I liked how it felt when I tried it on. The thing that sucks though, is that I don't own 2 sets of size 1 DPNs. So, I have to finish the Crest of the Wave sock, then knit the mate to the Resurrection sock, then knit the mate to the Crest of the Wave sock. Well, technically I could do both of the Crest socks first, but I'll probably end up doing the Resurrection mate first. That's just how I roll, I guess.

Resurrection

Wow. I can't believe it, but I think I've decided to resurrect a project that I abandoned ages ago. You see, a few years ago, I promised my friend Alicia that I would knit her a pair of socks. Originally, we had picked out a Knitpick's yarn called Simple Stripes. (It has been discontinued, or else I'd link to it). Anyway, I started them at least 3 times trying to find the right pattern. I was never truly happy with it. Then, I finally decided on a yarn over cable from Sensational Knitted Socks. I started knitting the first sock and just as I finished the heel turn, my needle broke. Well, it splintered really, but it wasn't going to work anymore. So, I put the project aside so that I could try ordering size 1 aluminum DPNs from Knitpick's. Time passed and I ordered the needles and then I stalled out again. I don't remember what happened, but I was unhappy with it and cast on for about 109 other projects. Until tonight. Tonight, I looked at that sock and thought it is time to finish these suckers.



This picture was taken at least a year ago and it was taken just before I abandoned the project. As of right now, I've just finished the gusset decreases. Oh yeah, and I've decided that since I've made Alicia a kick ass pair of socks, that this pair will now be for me. I've tortured this yarn so much that I don't think I could stand to give it to anyone else. I literally made an entire sock and then ripped it out because I was unhappy. Of course, I've also made design changes that required ripping out a few rows and things of that nature. I just can't pawn them off on someone else in good conscience. Oh well. It appears as though I'm making myself 2 pairs of socks at the same time now.

Oh and about those Crest of the Wave socks? Yeah, I've run into a bit of a problem. I finished the toe and had to rip it out again. It was just a little too short. I'm worried because I don't have a lot of yarn left. I'm cutting it VERY close and it slows my knitting progress down. I hate the idea of ripping out more of the sock and adjusting my gauge and all that, but I may have to. Just pray to the knitting Gods that I will have enough yarn left to finish them. To be honest, I'd rather go out and buy a contrasting yarn for the toes than to redo the sock, I think. Well, maybe not. I don't know. It was a fun pattern and I did make it taller and wider than I needed. Oh I don't know what to do. For now, though, I'm just going to avoid thinking about it by working on the Simple Stripes socks instead. :)

In other news, I turned in my coins at a local Coinstar. I love that you can convert your change into a gift certificate for places like amazon.com. My mom had a jar of quarters she wanted turned in as well, so I took them with me. Altogether, we turned in over $100 worth of change! Amazing, right? So, we got together and ordered some stuff from amazon tonight. I'm getting Charmed Knits, the second season of the Venture Brothers, and I pre-ordered a copy of Norway to Hide by Maddy Hunter. I love Maddy Hunter's Passport to Peril mystery series. Seriously, if you like reading mystery novels and travel, then this is the perfect series. It's a little bit silly and a lot of fun. I'm very excited about the Charmed Knits book because I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fan. The funny thing for me is that I'm probably most excited about the Venture Bros DVD. I love this show. It's one of the greatest shows EVER. It cracks me up to no end. Hooray! I can't wait for the package to get here! :)

Crest of the Wave socks

Well, I cast on for some socks not too long ago. I've been making slow progress, but it's progress all the same. I think I'm in love with them. They are looking very cute so far. The pattern is from More Sensational Knitted Socks and it's called Crest of the Wave. I started out with size 2 needles, but when I got to the heel, I switched to size 1 needles. I wanted to make sure the leg of the sock was loose and comfortable, but I don't want it to be baggy around the foot. I cast on 72 stitches to start, but I want to get the foot down to less than that. I think I will continue decreasing around the foot until I have 64 stitches left. I might even go down a little more than that, depending on the fit. I love trying on socks as I'm knitting them. I think it's fun! Well, I still have a bit to go before this first one is done, but I'm actually looking forward to finishing them soon. I may actually even wear this pair! Shocking, I know!

Pics of Socks for Alicia

I went and updated my last post with a picture of the socks. But, I wanted to post additional shots and I figured it would be easier to just make a new post with them. :)

Pattern: Traveling Vine pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Louet Gems
Needles: Size 2 DPNs
Notes: I did these from the top down with an eye of partridge heel. I found picking up my gusset stitches went very well despite not having a slipped stitch edge. In fact, I'd say it was my neatest attempt at picking up stitches thus far. I wasn't thrilled with the pattern at first because it didn't look the same as in the book to me, but it grew on me over time. Now I love them and they appeared to fit Alicia's feet well.

the heel

Sock 1 complete

This ended up being a very fun project for me and I love the finished socks. The next pair of socks I make, however, will be for me. I've not made myself a pair of socks yet so I think it's the perfect time. :)

I Did It!

Yes! I finished them on time! They are currently hanging up to dry and I leave in about 12 hours. I had them off the needles, with the ends woven in, before 10 pm. I'm quite pleased with myself. I can't wait to give them to her. Lord do I hope they fit! lol!

Here they are just before I gave them a bath. Yea!

Impressive Progress Report

Well, I'm quite pleased to announce that I nearly finished the leg of sock number 2 today. In fact, I have only 10 rows to go before starting the heel and I might try to finish them before I head to bed tonight. There were multiple distractions today and yet I still made excellent progress. First up, an old friend from high school stopped by to chat for an hour or so. I tried calling Lisa 3 times between 2-4:30 pm because she owes me money that I need to pick up before I head out of town. Then I drove by her house to see if she was home (twice) and picked up dinner. I took a small nap by accident, watched Hell's Kitchen, took a few phone calls, and called my brother. Later, I caught up with a friend online. Given that I rarely knit for more than 20 minutes in one sitting, it's amazing I got so much done. I just took frequent breaks, moved around a lot, and knit off and on throughout the entire day. I know other knitters out there will sit for hours and knit, but I can't do that. My attention span isn't that great and I fear that if I knit for long periods of time that my wrist problems will come back. So, I only knit in short bursts, yet I occasionally get stuff done.

Oh and my mom bought me a present today when she went to her favorite sewing store. It just so happens that her favorite sewing store is about 2 store fronts away from a yarn store. So, she popped in to the yarn store to buy me a gift. She did a really excellent job! I was quite excited when I opened the bag and found a double hank of Tiny Toes in gorgeous shades of purple, turquoise, and green. It's quite lovely to be honest. This yarn will not be used to make a gift. Nope, it's all mine! I will be winding it and playing with it soon, I hope. I need a pair of gorgeous socks for myself despite my general aversion to wearing them. Thank the knitting Gods that I have both Sensational Knitted Socks and More Sensational Knitted Socks because I'm certain the perfect pattern is in one of them. I almost wish I could start playing with it now. But, first, Alicia's socks will be done before her wedding. They will! :)

No SSS for me!

No, I'm NOT suffering from SSS. I started the second sock today just fine, thank you very much. I was smart this time and cast on with my 2 and 1/2 size needles and knit 2 rows of the ribbing with them. Then I transferred over to the size 2s and I am almost done with the ribbing. Well, I'm 2/3 finished at this point, but I think I'm going to go work on it for a few right now. I talked on the phone with Alicia today and that helped. Chatting for a few and just being reminded of how awesome she is helps me feel a little more motivated. :) I'm getting excited about her wedding and seeing everyone. She invited me to stay at her house (again) and I decided to go for it. Only 5 days before I leave! And, since I'll be staying at her house, it would probably be a good idea to have the socks done before I get there. So, yeah, I must leave now and work on the sock.

Half way there

Who cast off the first sock today? That's right! This girl did. Yea!

Okay, it looks way cuter now than I thought it was going to look. It might be just a little short for her foot, but it should be quite wearable. Plus, when she washes it, she can put them on and make sure they'll fit her foot. It's a nice wool blend and it will have enough give, I'm sure. Tomorrow though, I get to cast on for the mate. I have to make sure I keep the ribbing a little looser as it's just a touch difficult to pull on. Once the sock is on though, it's great. I have until Saturday to finish the mate. I need all the luck in the world on this one! :)

FSS

The title of this post is FSS because I've decided that I suffer from a very rare knitting disease. We've all heard of the dreaded SSS, aka Second Sock Syndrome. But I seem to have a rare variation known as FSS- First Sock Syndrome. It appears as though getting through that first sock is really my issue. I've never had a problem finishing the second one. I think it's because I work out all the kinks with the first sock and I know what I'm doing for the second one. I won't need to rip anything back with the second one unless I totally screw up my pattern or lose a needle. So once I get through that first one, I feel confident that it's all going to work out right. Right now, I'm getting dangerously close to the toe on Alicia's sock. I want to do a round toe and I'm tripping about it. A round toe will be a full 2 inches for me and the pattern says the toe should only be 1 3/4 inches. So obviously I'm just going to start the toe 2" from where I want it to end, but I'm still tripping anyway because that's what I do. It's not like I'm using a yarn that has no give either. It will stretch if it's a touch short and it won't be uncomfortable at all. I know all of this and still I freak out. I can't wait until it's time to start the second one so that I can just knit it and let it go. :)

Concept Hat update

Well, I finished the ribbing and have switched to size 9 circs. I was distracted while trying to do the switch and it was NOT working well for me. It took me twice as long as I think it should have, but at least it's on there now. I was contemplating finding a different stitch pattern to use, but decided the k2tog, yo followed by a row of yo, k2tog would be easiest. I think it might be the right size this time with the 80 stitches I cast on, but it's still a little too early to call.

I successfully ignored the sock today. I had to walk by it several times and I still managed to not work on it. I was always better at writing papers with a very pressing deadline. Perhaps I will turn out to be a great pressure knitter too. Or else I just won't get them done on time and they can become a Christmas or birthday present. :) Sometimes I hate to admit that I want them done but lack the motivation to work on them. Oh well. It's my own issue to work on, I guess. I could easily finish the first one by Saturday if I just don't ignore it. That would give me a week to finish the mate and I usually bust out the second one a little faster than the first.

Who am I kidding? I really want to finish these. I just need to sleep better tonight and work on it tomorrow. A lot.

Concept Hat and sock update

I have a project I've been calling Concept Hat. My mom likes to set her hair with rollers before going to bed on occasion because she hasn't heard that it isn't 1964. Anyway, she usually wears some kind of cap over them at night to hold them in place and possibly for comfort. She's tried all kinds of caps and most won't get the job done. Her current one has lots of holes in it and is getting ready to retire. So she asked me if I could knit her something appropriate.

Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if I can or not. I thought it over a bit, talked it over with knowledgeable people, and decided to at least give it a shot. I wanted yarn with some elastic content and the LYS didn't have much that would fit the bill. In the end, I decided to try this Panda Cotton yarn. I pulled out my size 7 Addi Turbos and cast on. I didn't know how many stitches I wanted and didn't feel like doing a real swatch when I have no idea if my idea is even going to get off the ground. So I knit about an inch of 2X2 ribbing and switched to size 9 needles and a k2tog, yo type of open stitch. I did that for a few inches just to get a look at it. Then I put it on a longer cable to really investigate.

It appeared to be a bit too big but I felt like I was on the right track. So, today I ripped it all out, rewound the yarn, and cast on with fewer stitches. I've only done about 3 rounds of ribbing but I'm feeling like this project just might work out right. I'm quite excited about it actually. :)

In sock news, the gusset decreases are done! I tried the sock on and it seemed to fit okay. It's a little snug for sliding on, but once it's on, it feels just about perfect. Just a few inches of foot and then a toe and it's done! Yea!

Gusset decreses

Well, I'm more than halfway done with the gusset decreases. I have about 6 rounds left until I start the foot, if I remember correctly. It's been kind of hot and my motivation is waning just a bit. Yes I realize that I live in a climate controlled environment, but the outside conditions still manage to affect me.

Okay, then there's this gem of a story. It happens all the time, but it still drives me crazy when it happens. Anyway, I belong to a book swapping community and I love love love it. I had a book order that I needed to wrap and take to the post office by the 5th. Well, tomorrow is a holiday, so I decided to just go ahead and take it up there today. So I printed out the label, wrapped the book up, and went to the post office. It was a fast and easy trip and when I got home, I went to mark it mailed on the site. Wouldn't you know it? I had another brand new request waiting for me!!! I have my shelf scheduled to go on hold in a few days so that I can go to Alicia's wedding and not have to worry about people ordering books from me. I really didn't think I'd get too many requests prior to that because I haven't posted anything new in a while. Oh well. It's just Murphy's Law at work. You would be shocked at how often this happens to me. I try to save up my book orders so that I only have to go to the post office every once in a while. But, the book swapping Gods have quite the sense of humor when it comes to me. :)

Well, that's it for now. Time to watch some lame TV and think about knitting on that sock, even though I know I won't. :)

Heel Turn Complete!

Can you believe it? Not only did I finish the leg of the first sock, I did all of the heel stitches, the turn, and I'm actually into the gusset decreases! It's shocking, I know. I could actually finish it before the wedding! Not only could I finish the one, I could even cast on and knit the second one too. Will I? I'm crossing my fingers on this one. I really would love to give them to her at her wedding. Maybe I will be able to continue plugging away at it like I did today. I was actually enjoying the pattern more than ever before. Plus, that eye of partridge heel was something new and fun for me to do. I like it! I did make a small mistake in the early rows, but I fudged my numbers and covered it rather than fix it. It doesn't look too bad or else I'd rip it out. It's a mistake I can live with. Plus, that's how you know it was a hand made gift. :)

Sock for Alicia

Well, I got my invitation to Ravelry the other day and I jumped right in. I realized very quickly that it might be a good idea to start a blog devoted to my knitting. I'm not the fastest knitter and I don't finish things in a timely manner, but that doesn't really matter too much to me. I just want a place where I can go on and on about knitting if I want and not bore my non-knitting friends to tears. :)

So, I started on Ravelry by listing my current WIPs. I made notes about them as well. On the entry for Alicia's sock, I mentioned that "I was hoping to finish [them] before her wedding, but I don't forsee that happening. I'm just unmotivated to work on them". Something about seeing that in print lit a fire under me and I've been working on them. I don't know if I will continue to stay motivated, but for now, things are moving along rather nicely. Can you say heel flap? Oh and I'm trying the Eye of Partridge with seed stitch border heel flap from More Sensational Knitted Socks for the first time. It's very easy to follow and so far, I'm liking how it looks. Only 24 more rows to go before the turn. I'd like to get them done today, but we'll see what happens.