Crooked Cable Socks

I finished the "Crooked Cable Socks" by the Sock Bug a few weeks ago. I knit them in Koigu color P822 on 2, 2.5 mm circulars at a guage of 8 stitches to the inch. The pattern is "free". I will knit these again as I like them so much. Found lots of projects on Ravelry and a few said that they mirrored the cables. It never occured to me that they needed improving upon. The Crooked Bug's patterns are well written and fairly easy. I had exactly 9 yards left in the ball when done, I was sweating the last few inches.

Cat Bordhi is a genius

My friend Wendy invited me to go with her to the Kitchener Craft Fair last fall. I was tickled and happily accepted. Wendy had already lent me her copy of Cat's "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles". While we were at the Craft Fair I bought "A Treasury of Magical Knitting" and "A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting". Wendy introduced me to her friend Sharon who helped me with the cast on for the mobieus. I really found Cat's instructions for the cast on very difficult to understand. Sharon got me going. Well to make a long story short I ran out of yarn and trashed it. I would have had to wait a couple of weeks to get the right dye lot, not too patient me:). Shortly after that "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" was published and I ordered it posthaste. I was in awe, her brain moves in different ways, hooked I was. I tend not to dive right in, I read and reread until hopefully I understand. Fortunately for me I'd been searching for the perfect sock and found lots of information on the Internet. I don't really like short row heels but do like to start the sock toe up and I like the look of the reinforced heel and think it wears better in the long run. I have never in my life blocked a sock and it seems that everyone is doing it. After trying to get a picture of my finished Marie Antoinette last night I think I'm going to have to start blocking them. I think I'll order me some sock blockers from here. Check out their Sock Hop Yarn, I'm waiting for an order.



These are "Ocean Toes", I really enjoyed knitting these. I made them out of Fleece Artist Seacell which I bought at Colorsong Yarn.








These are the "Milkmaid Stockings", made from Blue Sky Alpacas in Alpaca Silk bought from here. These were also a delight to knit, never got bored knitting these. I need to block them so the rolled edging looks better. The cast on is done on the two circular needles and then you bring up the edge and knit 2 together. It really looks nice. You have to graft the two ends together.



The date for the 2008 Kitchener/Waterloo Knitting Fair is September 13th.
That's it for me today. The sun is shining and lots of work to do, not knitting:(

Not much done today

In absence of good knitting pictures I'll show you Sadie. She is a Border Collie and the greatest company.

I'm nearly finished Marie Antoinette, on the home stretch. Hopefully will have it done tomorrow.

I'm so jealous the Yarn Harlot sounds like she is having so much fun. Read about her adventures at Camp.

I'm off to bed.

Marie Antoinette

This is Marie Antoinette, I started it yesterday. I've just turned the heel. I'm doing them on 2.25 circulars. If you click on the pictures they will blow up a bit and hopefully show some of the detail. I nearly ripped it out as it is a bit snug going over the heel. I've read so many articles that say you really should do socks at a tighter gauge. They are supposed wear better. I was worried that the edging would be too loose. The pattern is well written, so far everything is at it says. I plan on wearing them with sandals. The patterning goes right down the heel. This is the first time I've knitted with Harmony from the Woolen Rabbit. It does pool a bit but not in an unpleasant way.

I'm going to have to figure out how to take good pictures of my own feet:)

That's it for today.

So many choices

This came in the mail last week. Sundara silky fingering and silk lace. The yarn is part of Sundara's "Flowers from my mother's garden - Tulip". This yarn was only available for the month of March. I had planned on making " A Luxurious Secret" from Summer 2002 IK in the lace. I have made it in the Jaggerspun Zephyr silk/merino. It turned out very nice. I thought for a nice present to myself to do it again and make a matching pair of socks in the fingering silk. I've started the swatch in the silk but not sure yet what I'm going to do.

I finished the Firestarter last night. I will definitely do these again.

I've started swatching for Ann Hanson's "Marie Antoinette" in one of the yarns she recomends "Harmony Superwash Merino/Nylon Sock Yarn" in colorway Tupelo Honey from "The Woolen Rabbit. Ann's patterns are unique and very well written. She also does some beautiful lace if your interested. Do go take a look. As soon as I cast on and have something to show will post a picture. Picture of yarn is below. The picture makes it look green but is like honey, wonderful shades of honey for the Queen Bee sock:)

Must go do some chores. Have a great day!

Put something down that is soft and cozy and what happens but a
cat appears. That is Garfield. I'm working on Firestarter. Once I had figured out how to go about it went fairly quickly. Second sock not so well. I guess I was getting cocky. I nearly finished eating up the last of the gusset stitches when I realized I'd forgotten to do the pattern on the back of the heel. Darn. Ripped it back and onwards I went. Things were going too well when I noticed a mistake. Decided best go to bed and sleep on it. Ripped it back again and am now on the last stretch. This is not a pattern for the faint of heart, whilst the pattern is free you can find help. If you have a membership to ravelry you can do a search for firestarter and see lots of projects with different yarns etc. I do have a chart that I got off ravelry but can't find where I got it. The yarn is Socks that Rock lightweight from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. There are lots of comments about the yarn pooling but it pools so nicely:) I really like this yarn.



I tried to get a detailed picture of the heel. They are made toe up,
using Judy Beckers magic cast on. If you have New Pathways for Sock Knitters, book one there is a detailed article showing how to do it. Also you will find links on her site to a video showing how it is done.
I cast on 10 stitches to two 2.5 mm circulars. I'm not really fond of short row heels and toes although I have done them.

Well that's it for today, Sadie and I are off for a walk.

First time blogger

I'm obsessed about knitting. At the moment I'm churning out socks like it's nobodies business.

Hi, my name is Terrol. I live in North Bay, Ontario and it's Spring, what more can anybody ask for. And by the way the sun is shining.

If you had told me that I would be spending hours on the internet perusing blogs I would have told you, you were crazy. How I found the Yarn Harlot I do not know but she's changed my life and many others I'm sure. I'm 52 (almost) and see my life going in a different direction. Martin and I run Torbay Cottages and we'd like to sell and Martin retire and I to design patterns and have a yarn store on line. Probably mostly sock yarn. Did I say I was obsessed about knitting socks:)

I've designed my first sock. It won't get any gasps, "wow" but it tickled me. And here's a picture.

Look up for picture:), having troubles putting them where I want them.

I bought the yarn at Yarn Forward in Ottawa. It is Lang Jawoll Cotton superwash. Basically there are 3 lines of fake cables up the front "K2, *replace stitches to left needle, K2 tog TBL, K1, repeat from *. If I have a choice I use 2 circulars and knit toe up. These were knit on 2 circulars and done toe up.

My other obsession is walking with my dog Sadie.

As I'm having some troubles putting pictures where I want them I'll leave that delight for another time. I walk with the previous owner of Torbay, Steve Landsberg and his dog Brandy.

More about knitting on my next post.

Toodles.