Essential Tweed socks

Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

Pattern: David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Plum (now discontinued)
Needles: 2mm
Time taken to knit: 21st January 2011 to 2nd June 2011


Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

The yarn was a present from my friend CL in Canada a few years ago. It's made a lovely dense fabric and is very soft after one wash. However I don't know how long the coloured flecks will last as they're very loosely combined with the yarn.



Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

This pair were knitted toe up, two at a time. The feet and body of the socks are in 3x1 rib and the cuffs 2x2 rib as I like my socks to stay up. I decided to use a simple rib as the flecks would detract from a more complicated pattern.


Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

Overall I'm pleased with them but would have liked them to be a bit longer.

A Lesson Learnt....

I've been on a finishing spree recently as I have too many projects on the go at once.


'A Lesson Learnt Bed socks'

Pattern: Little Shell Rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Just over 100g of James C Brett Pure Merino in red (PM10)
Needles: 2x 60 cm 3.5mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: December 2007 - October 13th 2009


The blocked shot as always

These socks were started over Christmas and then put on hold for MIL's Broad Sprials (and because I'd reached the Short Row Heel & I HATE SRH's) but not picked up again until now. Which is where the lesson learnt comes in...


follow the line from the Short Row Heel

See the problem?



Have another look....

Because I left this pair for so long my tension had changed and it's really obvious.

horrible toe

I also don't like the fit to the heel or toe. The heel is hard to stretch over my foot (I think I have high arches) & the toe seems huge but in future as mentioned previously I'm sticking to David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook so that doesn't worry me.

But as bed socks they'll do and will be a reminder not to leave projects so long in future. However I have more old WIP's to clear before my conscience is clear.....

Waffle House Socks

Waffle House Socks

Pattern: David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook with Waffle House stitch pattern inserted into the formula.
Yarn: 56g of Opal Petticoat 1251 & 19g of Stylecraft 4ply in Navy.
Needles: 2x 2.25mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: August 3rd 2009 - September 19th 2009


The blocked shot!

Both yarns were given to me in swaps and I went toe up to make them as long as possible. This is the 4th time I've used this pattern & I love it.


Waffle House Socks

Previously I used it to make Toe-up Cho' 7 socks, Out of the fire and Diagonal Lace Socks and will be swatching again soon for another pair





Waffle House Socks

Finally February Socks.....

After 3 attempts I've finally made a pair of socks with the beautiful Koigu yarn I received as part of the Hot Socks Swap. . My
first attempt last year was a disaster as was my second. But finally I'm happy with the combination of yarn & pattern:


Diagonal Lace Socks

Pattern: David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook for the structure & maths with Diagonal Lace as the pattern. The construction of the two patterns is the same but I wanted the reassurance of the formula from the first.
Yarn: 2 skeins of Koigu KPM 115711
Time: March 22nd - May 4th 2009
Needles:2 x 2.25mm 60cm Knit Picks (or KnitPro as they're now known) circular needles.
Technique: Two at a time toe up with a Turkish cast on & a very stretch cast off. .


see how well they fit my feet!


Diagonal Lace pattern

and finally the blocked shot:


opening up the lace pattern

The colour is a bit dark in the last photo & more accurate in the others.

I'm pleased that I've finally made a pair of socks with this yarn that I'm satisfied with. I've already cast on another pair but will be frogging them later as the toes need another plain row between increases so in the meantime I cast on for a quick project last night.....

Purple Progress

The heels have been turned + I'm now working up the legs...

Sock update

Diagonal Lace Socks in Purple Koigu

I finally settled on Diagonal Lace Socks by Wendy Knits and am really pleased with the combination of yarn and pattern. The construction of the sock is almost identical to David's Toe up Sock Cookbook but without the maths so I'm using the pattern stitch & the maths from David's pattern. They fit really well which is great as I was starting to think that this yarn was jinxed!

Then as if one wasn't enough I've got another little pair on the go:


red baby socks in progress

These will be finished soon but not revealed fully until gifted.

Now the fun begins...

Toe up sock toes in purple Koigu

and I get to choose the pattern!

a real treat.....

I often wear socks that I've made myself and have made a few pairs for other people but have never had the chance to wear any made for me by someone else.

Until now that is:


Machine knitted Coral Snake socks

However there is something even more special about these socks. They were made in two & a half hours using a hand cranked sock machine!

I had in my stash 4 balls of a very soft yarn that is now discontinued so rather hard to find. It went in an aeroplane to America and in return I received Curlicue, Salem, Knitters Summer 2008 and the added bonus of course of these beautiful socks.


check out that short row heel!


For those interested in the construction the short rows on the heels and toes are done on the machine and the only part done by hand is the kitchener on the toes.

These machines were invented in the mid 1800's & then experienced a resurgence in popularity during the First World War. Popularised by the Red Cross they were used to provide troops with warm well fitting socks in an attempt to prevent the then killer 'Trench Foot'.

I wonder how long would it take me to use up my stash with one of these machines?

btw: If any of you have any Wendy Velvet Touch Chunky unloved in your stash and you'd like to give it a good home pm me via Ravelry and I'll put you in touch with a very willing recipient

Some knitting

I've been knitting a bit over the past month or so but DH has been so busy with the house that photos have been unavailable. However today he was a star took loads for me.

First up my failed February socks (again):


'Not to be' Embossed Leaves

My spi is 8.6 & my feet are 8.5" in circumference so with 10% deducted for negative ease it should have worked but it didn't :(


Embossed Leaves pattern

I knitted them together until the heel flaps were done & then separated them for the heel turn and gusset pick up. I just can't get them over my heel so back to the drawing board. This is the 2nd attempt at using this yarn (1st attempt here) but I'm not giving up. They'll be frogged very soon & I'm already searching for another pattern. Probably something from Charlene Schurch this time...

I'd also like to share something with you.

Last week whilst I was ill I was very surprised when a little parcel dropped through my letterbox. I hadn't ordered anything & was puzzled when I felt the soft package.

Gill from The Woolly Workshop had found out that I was ill & decided to send me a little Get Well Soon gift:


100g of Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett in Landscape Mist

She's admitted to a bit of blog surfing to work out which colourway I'd like & she chose well as I adore the combination of purple and brown. It was a lovely thing to do Gill & I was really touched, Thank You. :)

On that note the Chipmunk face has gone and I can see my cheekbones again. I'm a bit tired but otherwise ok. I was lucky that I didn't have a fever with it and know that it could have been far worse.

Mini Knits

My sock mojo had escaped me this month so I've busied myself with lots of little projects but before I reveal them I need to share some other small things that I've made & forgot to blog about:


Round Dishcloth

Pattern: Round Dishcloth
Yarn: Peaches & Creme Ombres Lilac Ombre
Needles: 4.5mm
Dates: 6th - 18th of October 2008 but it wasn't grafted until after Christmas.
I really enjoyed this very quick pattern. I had lots of things OTN at the time so the dates are a bit misleading.


Round Dishcloth

Next time I'll use a provisional cast on so that the grafting is easier & invisible.


Christmas Lace Dishcloth

Pattern: Christmas Lace Dishcloth
Yarn: Double Top cotton from Texere Yarns
Needles: 3.75mm
Dates: October 18th - December 28th 2008. Again this is a quick knit but it was abandoned for ages due to everything that was going on in my life and the fact that I had loads of WIP's.


Christmas Lace Dishcloth

Now onto January. My good friend CL in Canada had a beautiful baby boy on January 19th so obviously I had to make him a few things. She doesn't read my blog very often and is VERY busy at the moment so I think I'm safe to post them here.

Blue Garter Stripe Baby socks

Pattern: Garter Stripe Baby socks
Yarn: Regia Uni colour 1255
Needles: 2mm
Dates: January 7th - 16th 2009

Blue Garter Stripe Baby socks

I really didn't enjoy the YO short rowed heel so did my own toe as I couldn't face the YO's again. These socks aren't as stretchy as I'd like but they're very cute. The intended feet are smaller than these socks so they will fit but I don't know how long for.

Then I made him a hat however DD & I had had a huge row the evening I started these and I was feeling very stressed. This meant that I used the wrong sized needle as I got confused with the US sizing and chose the size intended for a preemie size with Baby Cashmerino.

Very small Cabled Baby Hat

Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in navy
Needles: 3.75mm
Dates: January 16th 2009

It's absolutely tiny and is modelled on a grapefruit in these photos. I can't give it to the local preemie until as although the yarn is machine washable it wouldn't stand up to the temperatures that the hospital would subject it to.

So does anybody know of a tiny preemie little boy that could do with a hat? If so please either leave a comment and a way of me getting in touch with you or alternatively pm me via Ravelry.

So then I made another one for CL's baby who was a healthy 8lb 10oz at birth:

Cabled Baby Hat

Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in navy
Needles: 5mm
Dates: January 19th - 23rd 2009

This shot shows the patterning better:

Cabled Baby Hat

and a comparison shot of the two sizes:


Cabled Baby Hats

Then yet another small knit. I was racing out of the door to go to the knitting club that I run & needed something small, portable & uncomplicated:


Baby Socks in Regia Mini Ringel

Pattern: Baby Socks
Yarn: Regia Mini Ringel in Rio
Needles: 2.5mm
Dates: 17th - 20th January 2009

The yarn was given to me by Littleberry in a swap last year.

Baby Socks

I absolutely adore these socks but unfortunately don't have anyone to give them too at the moment but I'm sure that will change soon.

Baby Socks

DH likened having small amounts of a new sock yarn to pick 'n' mix cheeses whereby you can sample just a little bit before committing yourself to buying a bigger amount. Well it's worked on me I enjoyed knitting with the colour combination and will treat myself to this colourway one day.

Then I made another pair for CL's baby in Canada:


Baby socks

Pattern: Baby socks
Yarn: Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett Landscape Storm
Needles: 2.5mm
Dates: 20th - 29th January 2009

Baby socks

This yarn was another 'pick 'n' mix' from Littleberry and pooled a bit but I think it just adds to their charm:


Baby socks

Then another hat:


Orange Ribbed Baby Hat

Pattern: 'Little Boy Blue' Baby Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Needles: 4.5mm
Dates: 30th - 31st January 2009 although in reality it was one day but I finished it after midnight.


Orange Ribbed Baby Hat

So two hats in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and two pairs of blue baby socks will be on their way to Canada on Monday......

ETA: the Rio baby socks have reached their new home with Baby Addy in Canada but I think she needs a bit of time to grow in them them :)

An update on knitting...

well almost.

So far this month I've been finishing stuff & knitting little things. Little things to be worn by little people, a very new little person to be exact. However two WIP's are still OTN and another yet to be cast on so photos will happen in another post.

In the meantime I have also decided to plan my knitting for the rest of year. A humongous task but I'm really not as organised as it sounds. I'm short of cash & have a lovely well populated stash so have decided to join my own Personal Sock Club. I went 'diving' and came up with sock yarns that I'd already wound up ready to use but hadn't touched since. 9 different 4 ply yarns are now ready and waiting:


My Personal Sock Club

There are some lovely yarns in there including Koigu, Lorna's Laces, Fyberspates & Opal, both solid and striped

I'm going to chose each pattern once I've swatched the yarn and see what appeals to me. I couldn't match the yarn up with a pattern so far in advance as I know I'll see a new pattern & love it. I can't wait for next Sunday to start my first pair!

I plan on making more than 9 pairs of socks in the year but the rest will happen as and when, I'm not that organised!

btw can anybody guess where a lot of my stash came from????

Ongoing stuff & a lesson learned

My life has been a bit complicated in the past few months & it's all starting to get a bit much. However I have resolved one 'drain' on my energy & found myself a new job
I now have just one week left in my current employment & then two weeks off before I start my new role. I have been unhappy for at least the past two years but as my job was so flexible around DD & very close to home it was hard to find another with the same 'flexibility'. I've done that now & after 4 hours of interviews in one day (phew!) left with a job offer & a big smile on my face.

I've told the 'big boss' exactly why I was leaving & the person concerned has had a 'talking to'. It's sad that he's continuing to make other people unhappy but at least the MD is aware of what's going on now.

DD has also been giving us grief but that's part of the territory with a teenager (or pre-teen as she doesn't turn 13 until October). We've been attending parent courses to learn how to deal with her behaviour but that has had the unpleasant side effect of dragging up all the 'crap' I endured as a child in the hands of my mother. DH has likened it to a deep festering wound long buried so I'm trying to bury it again maybe slightly healed if that can happen.

So this brings me onto the lesson learned:

Don't, whatever you do, start a sock (or pair of socks) when you're feeling down & depressed. My judgment must have been clouded as I had already swatched in ss & cast on the number of stitches accordingly but of course the socks weren't to be knit in ss!


Uptown Boot socks in KPPM: to be frogged :(

Pattern: Uptown Boot Socks
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM 044949
Needles: 2x 60cm 2.25mm Knitpicks circulars

Verdict: I adore the pattern & enjoyed learning how to cable without a cable needle. Equally the yarn is gorgeous but the two together don't work with my feet.


Uptown Boot pattern close up

The cabling pulled the fabric in too tight & if I increase the stitches to the required amount it doesn't work with the pattern. Ho hum....

So I think found another pattern for this yarn & will be casting on very soon. However I'll going to do a round of purl on the knitting I've already done & swatch the new pattern before I frog & cast on again.