My first attempt at an original pair of socks!

DH has been complaining for a while that whilst I've been knitting plenty of pairs of socks for myself he has to make do with shoddy shop bought pairs so I finally decided to be brave & knit him a pair. The strength was needed as he has big wide feet with long toes so I knew that they'd be a lot of stitches involved.

However before I could even get to that bit there was the small problem as to the choice of yarn. I decided to use DK yarn as that would mean less stitches & also that they would be walking socks as we'd just booked our summer holiday to the Highlands of Scotland. Stripes with any colour in them were deemed 'too girly' & I couldn't face the agony of pure black socks just yet. Eventually we settled on this:


Regia Country Style 6 ply in Korsar & Granite

Due to the size & breadth of his feet I decided that I had to go toe up & after my fiasco with the Yarn Over Cables I wanted to go toe up + two socks at the same time - gulp...

Yes, a totally new concept for me but Susoolu has assured me many times that it isn't that hard.

After an evening spent on the sofa, swatching with a variety of needles I ended up with 3mm which gave me the chance to play with the Knit Picks Classic Circulars that CL gave me at Christmas. These needles are 16" long so not quite long enough for two socks at once but are totally workable to start with.

The toes reminded me of an odd shaped bikini:


DH socks - toes

I had originally planned to use a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks but with 10 stitches per inch & a foot width of 10" the yarn didn't 'carry' any of the available 5 stitch patterns. The fleck dominated & the patterns just didn't work. So I settled on a boring 3x2 rib. However that didn't last long as I got bored after 5 rows so I threw a cable in for good measure & repeated it every 4th row.

Here we have the feet in progress:


DH socks - feet

The 5 stitch patterns in Sensational Knitted Socks are all cuff down but I wanted to go toe up, so reused the heel that I discovered when knitting my Oriel Socks as I have found them really comfortable. This meant a bit of tinkering on the heel but I got there in the end. There are no more in progress photos I'm afraid as our house move interfered with that. They were mainly knitted together on a 24" Knit Picks Classics Circular once I got past the toes but separated for the heels.


Toe Up Walking socks

I reinforced the heel by using a slip stitch so hopefully they'll last in his walking boots. The socks fit his wide feet perfectly & the cable serves to pull the fabric in on his slender calves!


Toe Up Walking socks

Pattern: My own made up with the aid of Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Regia Country 6ply in Granite
Gauge: 10 spi
Needles: 2x 3mm Knit Picks Classics Circulars
Technique: Toe up using the Turkish Cast On, two socks at once on circular needles. A reverse slip stitch heel flap & finished off with a stretchy bind off (scroll down to the red text).

Amazingly I even managed to get the stripes to match:


Matching stripes

These socks were finished about a month ago & DH has already worn them but proved to be a reluctant model. He loves the fact that they fit him so well & was so lavish with his praise that I've already started another pair for him!

Good bye Vince

Thanks for all the good wishes for DD. She is now encased in a blue cast & staggering around on crutches. We spent HOURS at the hospital today so I managed to get some knitting done which was the only good thing about it.

Vince went to the vets this afternoon & is now no more. DD was absolutely beside herself last night but took it really well today. She was a lovely little hamster & never bit any of us so we're all a bit sad tonight.


Vince

Knitting content soon I promise....

It never rains but it pours...

Poor DD her world is falling apart at the moment. She's had a repeated bout of ear infections recently & hasn't been able to swim for three weeks and was due to return to the pool next week. However today in a particularly energetic game of football she's managed to crack the metatarsal bones in her right foot & so we spent the afternoon at A&E (The Emergency Room for any o/s readers). She's hopping around on one foot tonight or scootering on her backside & tomorrow we're going back to the Fracture Clinic & she'll be fitted with a proper cast & hopefully crutches or a wheelchair.

No more swimming or football for at least 6 weeks & I really felt for her when the Doctor told her this as she just burst into tears. She's got some good swimming galas coming up in the next couple of months plus football practice, a sponsored fun run to raise money for the football club plus an athletics tournament for school & she's been chosen on the basis of her throwing (she beat all the boys by miles)and all are now not possible for her.

If this weren't enough Vince is dying. I think she's had a stroke & is swaying from side to side or lying flat on the floor of the cage. If I hadn't been occupied with DD this evening I would have taken her to the vets to be put down as I can't stand seeing her suffering so if she's still alive tomorrow will have do it after we've been to the hospital. DD is absolutely distraught & has been pulling herself apart saying that she wasn't a good owner (she often had to be 'reminded' to clean the cage, change water etc) but for an 11 year old with her first pet she's done pretty well.

So apart from killing her brain cells in front of the TV & knitting growing mountain of butterflies (read this to explain the insect reference) has anybody got any ideas to occupy an normally VERY active 11 year old? She'll read for a bit but gets bored after an hour or so, similarly the Xbox, doesn't have much homework as it's near the end of the school year & can't move very well. Arts & crafts activities (apart from knitting but I'm trying not to encourage too many more butterflies as we can't cope with any more) are a bit babyish for her now but I might be able to get her doing something if she gets really bored. Depending on how mobile she is I'm planning to take her to the WWKIP in the city centre on Saturday afternoon. For those who know where I live we're meeting in Starbucks from 1 til 4. See some of you there!

ETA: DD has requested that I knit her a cinnamon coloured hamster to remind her of Vince. Can anybody point me in the direction of a pattern?

Birthday yarn is revealed at last

Now that CL in Canada has celebrated her birthday I can finally reveal what I got for my birthday from DH:


Debbie Bliss: Pure Silk

I plan to knit Single Button Cardigan with the cream & either this shrug or Cozy with the purple (I have more of both colours than shown in the photo above).

I sent CL some of the cream plus a couple of skeins in a brilliant turquoise colour which I knew she'd love, some Cashmerino Chunky in Teal, two RYC books & a beautiful Swift the same as mine.

I throughly enjoyed spoiling her as always in fact I love to spoil other people & just wish that I could see her face as she opened her presents!

Before & After

Yesterday we were all very busy in blueadt land.


Annie using Blue as a pillow & watching with her one good eye

I was fed up with the dogs stinking so they visited the bath & the grooming table:


Annie & Blue

Blue protested as per usual but is now very happy with herself & spent her walk this morning prancing & trying to convince anyone she saw that she really needed a cuddle & a back rub but she was totally unsuccessful

DH & DD were also busy but in a very different way:


Kitchen ceiling showing marks from a leaking bathroom


Kitchen ceiling removed

DH is in the process of installing our new bathroom so that we will soon be able to have a shower but firstly had to reveal the plumbing & in doing so found out why the shower cubicle hadn't worked: the waste pipe went uphill!

It's very weird without a ceiling as even though we keep cleaning up piles of rubble mysteriously appear as if by magic. Plus you can speak to someone in the bath above you as if you're in the same room & DD enjoyed listening to my phone conversation when she was in the bath this evening.

Amongst all this knitting is going on & I even have a FO but DH is a reluctant model so no pics yet but I'm working on him. So instead a new project is revealed:


Two toes at once

Yipee!

I'm on the Knit Picks UK Trial

DH isn't so happy as now I have to buy yarn

Spoilt Rotten

I took delivery of some extra special birthday presents recently from CL in Canada. We had already treated each other at Christmas & agreed to do the same for our birthdays. This parcel arrived a couple of days late due to international post & although I tried to be good & wait so that a photo could be taken with the wrapping on I was weak & gave up trying as I knew some of the contents:


Knit Pick Options

I feel like the luckiest knitter alive! This set has already been put to good use as DD suffered from Starteristis at the Rowan Weekend but I was able to supply her with needles each time.

Then as if that weren't enough she also sent these:


Felting patterns & Knit Picks Memories in Yukon

Two absolutely gorgeous felting patterns & a skein of Knit Picks Memories in Yukon. Now just in case you're wondering I've also bought some lovely knitty presents for CL but it isn't her birthday until the 19th so I can't reveal what I've sent her yet. I hope it all arrives in time. The yarn has already been on the swift & balled up but first I have a quick project to do for another birthday coming up very soon using my fabulous needles:


Birthday present to-be

Thank you so much CL I love my presents & hope you love yours too