Have You Any Wool

socks, continued

I've been working diligently on whittling down the pile of socks in progress. I think Socktoberfest has renewed my sock-knitting desire, because it had disappeared for a short while. Clearly, it has returned, because socks are all I want to work on. Part of it has to do with the temperatures, but the biggest reason for the current sock streak is simplicity. Socks are so portable, which I need right now, and relatively mindless. At the end of the day, when I get a chance to knit, I don't want to have to think. Two of my socks in progress are fairly complicated patterns, which means they've been neglected. One pair was very close to completion, so I sat down last night and finished them up while watching a movie.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in Ruby Slippers
Needles: 2.25mm Plymouth Bamboo DPN
Notes:  These socks were knit from my own pattern, which I really don't consider a complete success. I was trying to design something that would work well with handpainted yarns, but I didn't really achieve my desired effect. The stitch pattern I used (I thought it was "Checkered Acre" from  Barbara Walker's first stitch dictionary, but upon closer inspection, it's not, so I don't know what the stitch pattern is, except something that I jumbled up) is highly textured. For this reason, I kept the patterning on the leg only, and went with a 3x3 ribbing on the foot. Otherwise, I think the socks would have been terribly uncomfortable in shoes.

While I don't consider these socks a complete success, I don't consider them a complete failure, either. I really needed a pair of red socks, and the color of this yarn is a perfect match for many items in my wardrobe. They are comfortable, and stay up reasonably well. So, while I feel the design is not that great, they are wearable, which is all that really matters.

Pattern: Waterfall by Miss Babs
Yarn: Miss Babs Yummy sportweight in Waterfall (from the Woolgirl sock club
Needles: 3.25mm Brittany birch double points
Notes: I've decided that though sportweight yarn knits up quickly, I don't like it for socks. The colors in this yarn are gorgeous, and the base yarn itself is very soft, but when used for socks, I find it too bulky. I prefer my socks knit at a gauge of 8 to 9 stitches per inch. My gauge was slightly off for this pattern (6.5 stitches per inch rather than the 6 spi called for), yet the socks are still loose and baggy. The only modification I made was to add an extra lace repeat to lengthen the leg of the sock, which is still a bit shorter than I would like.

The reason I joined the sock club was to break out of my comfort zone, and these socks helped me do that. I'm not crazy about them, but at least I gave it a shot.

I finished these socks up last night in between listing yarns in the shop.

There is a whole bunch of new sock yarns, as well as some handspun. I'm still waiting on a shipment of roving to arrive, but I'm hoping to update the spinning fiber in the next week or two.

socks for socktoberfest

Clockwise from top: Test-knit socks for another blogger, using Wollmeise in Rosenrot, Child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush using ShibuiKnits in Bark, socks of my own design using STR in Ruby Slippers, Winding Cable knee sock using Lorna's Laces in Manzanita, and simple stockinette socks using Vesper sock yarn in Neapolitan. Does anyone notice a theme here?

I took this photo on Tuesday, fully intending to post about my goals for this year's Socktoberfest. I went around the house and gathered up all of my socks in progress, and set them out all in one spot. This made me realize that I need to start finishing some projects before casting on for something new. I chose the pair that were closest to being finished, and focused my attention on those.

Pattern: Simple stockinette socks with picot cuff and round toe, knit over 64 stitches
Yarn: Knitterly Things Vesper sock yarn in Neapolitan
Needles: 2.5mm Addi circulars
Notes: I tried very hard to keep the striping sequence in order when I knit the heel flap and gusset, and on the first sock I got it right on the very first try. I started the second sock in the same place as the first, but I had to rip back the heel turn four times to get it right. Weird. I also had to rip back the toe decreases on the second sock. I thought I had started the toe decreases in the same exact place as the first sock, but on the last two rounds of toe decreases, there was a brown stripe showing up. I had to fix it, because I knew that little bit of brown would drive me crazy. I'm not usually such a perfectionist, but I've gotten to the point now where I want my self-striping socks to match exactly.

And just because it's been a while, I thought I'd throw in a shoe shot:

Now that I have one pair down, I should be working on the next closet pair to being finished, which would be the ones I designed in STR. I'm not in love with the pattern, and those have been lingering on my needles since June, so I'm not in a big rush. The Child's French Socks should be a main focus, because they are a gift for a good friend who will be moving very far away next month. The test knit socks should be a focus, too, because the designer will be releasing the pattern soon, but it's one of those patterns that need my undivided attention, which is something I haven't had time for lately. And the Winding Cable socks, well, I think those are just destined to be a very long-term project. What the hell was I thinking, knitting knee socks covered in traveling cables and twisted stitches? They're pretty, but tedious.

So with all of these socks, and *cough*threesweaters*cough* in progress, what do you think I did? Cast on for a new pair of socks, naturally. At least the new pair is in sportweight yarn, and even though I only started them this afternoon, I'm already at the heel flap on the first sock. I think I just need some instant gratification, and then I'll go back to finishing up what is already on the needles. Then again, maybe I won't :)

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

We returned from our holiday late last week. We spent 4 days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a ski resort town in the Alps. It was a nice, relaxing holiday, because we had been there before, therefore had already seen some of the local sights. This time, we did head to the top of the highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze, and also visited Neuschwanstein Castle. Other than that, we did a lot of shopping and ate at some wonderful restaurants, and had an all-around wonderful time. The kids behaved much better this time than they did the last time we were there, which makes life easier for all of us. If you are interested in seeing some of the pictures we took, click here.
The drive took 5 hours each way (not including the 40 km stau we got stuck in on the way home), so it made for some quality knitting time for me. When I wasn't retrieving snacks and juice, or changing DVD's, I managed to finish up the second Spiral Columns sock. This means I actually managed to finish a pair for Socktoberfest, after all.

Pattern: my own, tentatively named Spiral Columns socks (pattern may be available someday)
Yarn: Regia Canadian Classic Colors #4748 (Orion)
Needles: 2.5mm Addi circulars

These are intended to be gifted to my mother for Christmas. They are based on a stitch pattern I found in one of my stitch dictionaries, altered slightly and rewritten for knitting in the round. The photo isn't really very clear, but you may be able to see that the pattern does indeed spiral around the leg, rather than just go straight up and down. Because of this, I decided to discontinue the pattern on the foot, and stick with plain stockinette.

I have managed to get a bit of knitting done over the weekend, including finishing my second Forest Canopy Shawl, which is blocking as I write this.

Just a sneak peek.

Not long after casting off the Forest Canopy, I started a Diamond Fantasy Shawl, which I hope to finish in time to give to my mom for Christmas. She complained that her office is chilly, and she was going to get a fleece jacket or vest to leave at work. I decided I could do one better than that, by keeping her warm and stylish at the same time. I just hope I can finish it.

I also wanted to share the goodies that were waiting for me when we returned from our trip. A little while back, I won a contest on Beth's blog, and she sent me some wonderful goodies:

A very cute little bag that she made from a felted sweater. It's lined, has the great flower applique, and a magnetic clasp to hold everything in. Inside the bag was this:

Two skeins of Noro Kureyon, in two different colors (so I can start stashing and eventually knit a Lizard Ridge), some chocolate, Laura Ashley sticky notes, and fabulous stitch markers that are already in use on my DFS. Thanks so much, Beth!

A birthday, and a history of sock knitting

This week has been fairly busy, and I apologize for not answering comments from my last two posts. I want to thank all of you who left such nice comments about the knee highs and the Transitions sweater. I appreciate them so much.

Travis returned from his training in the US early yesterday morning, just in time for a big event. Yesterday was Zippy's first birthday. It's hard to believe that a year has already passed! Here is the birthday boy opening one of his gifts:

and wearing a new pair of pajamas in an interesting fashion:

We're also preparing to board a train bright and early tomorrow morning for a trip to Berlin, in an attempt to squeeze in as much travel as we can before Travis deploys at the beginning of November. *sigh*

In lieu of actual knitting content today, I wanted to answer Lolly's meme for Socktoberfest. I typically don't do the whole meme thing, but I've enjoyed reading about the history of other sock knitters, and I would like to share my own. Here goes:

    * When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?    
I started knitting socks in January of 2004. I saw some Lion Brand Magic Stripes sock yarn on sale at Hobby Lobby, and decided to give it a go. I got the yarn, and bought some size 3 Brittany Birch dpns, used the pattern on the label of the yarn, and taught myself how to knit socks.

* What was your first pair?  How have they "held up" over time?    
My first pair was the Magic Stripes socks. They haven't been worn much at all, due to poor fit (they are huge!), so the socks themselves have held up well. They sit in my sock drawer as a reminder to how far I've come as a sock knitter.

* What would you have done differently?
I would have used much smaller needles, and probably a different pattern. I have to admit, that I didn't really enjoy knitting socks at first. It wasn't until after my second or third pair that I became hooked. At that point, I discovered nicer sock yarns at my LYS, and smaller needles. I also bought the book Simple Socks, Plain and Fancy by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, and learned a lot about sock construction, making it easier to knit socks that actually fit.

* What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?    
There is a long list of yarns that I enjoy, each for different reasons. I like yarns like Regia and Opal for their durability, ease of care, and ease of knitting. Nothing beats having a pair of simple stockinette socks on the needles. I also like Sock Hop, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Socks That Rock, Lisa Souza Sock!, Lorna's Laces, etc., etc., etc. I could continue, but I think you probably get the point. A couple of  yarns that I really dislike are: Brown Sheep Wildfoote,  and Cascade Fixation. The Wildfoote is terribly splitty, and the Fixation I dislike because I don't enjoy wearing handknit cotton socks.

* Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?    
Knitting, all the way. I have very limited crochet skills, so I wouldn't even know how to begin crocheting a sock. I started out knitting socks with dpn's, but eventually discovered the 2 circulars technique. I've also tried magic loop, but found it frustrating. My method of choice is knitting one sock at a time on two circulars, hands down. I do still knit socks on dpns, but typically only if my circs are all in use.

* Which kind of heel do you prefer?  (flap? or short-row?)    
It seems to me that most knitters have a strong opinion about heels. For me, I enjoy both heel flaps and short-row heels.  They both fit equally well, and each has their place in my sock drawer. I tend to use the heel that I think fits the pattern the best, whether it be short-row, heel flap, or a band heel. I'm an equal-opportunity heel knitter :)

* How many pairs have you made?
At last count, I have knitted approximately 45 pairs of adult socks, plus a bunch of pairs of kids socks for the wee ones. A few have been for sock exchanges, some for my husband, and other family members, but the majority of socks have found their home in my sock drawer. What can I say? I love handknitted socks. I no longer wear any other kind.

In the comments a few days ago, Kimberly asked if I could share a picture of all of my socks. I don't really have time for an artsy setup, so I snapped a picture of them right in the drawer.

This picture shows 27 pairs of socks, with a few missing because they are either on my feet or in the laundry. I think I have a total of 30 pairs of socks for myself. The picture is a bit dark, but you may still be able to see that I'm not afraid of color on my feet. I normally dress rather conservatively, but love to wear brighly colored socks.

Is there anyone else up for showing their socks, in celebration of Socktoberfest? If you do take a picture, let me know. I'd love to see them! I'm not sure if we'll take the laptop with us this week, so I'll have to catch up when we get back. Until then, have a great weekend, and keep on knitting!

Kickin' off Socktoberfest in style

Today is the first of October. You know what that means? It's the start of Socktoberfest! What better way to start off the month celebrating sock knitting than by sharing a seriously cool pair of socks?

Pattern: Basic toe-up sock, using a Turkish cast-on and short row heel
Yarn: the fabulous handspun, hand-dyed Sock Hop yarn in Blue Suede Shoes, two skeins
Needles: 2.5mm Addi turbo circulars
Notes: I started these socks toe-up with the intention of using up all of the yarn I had. Each skein has about 210 yards, and I was hoping for at least an 8" leg. Once I turned the heel, it was apparent from the amount of yarn I had left that I would be able to knit a pair of knee highs (finally, a reason to embrace being short). I didn't follow a pattern, I just kept trying them on, doing increases and decreases to fit the shape of my calves. It worked, and they fit perfectly. I am so happy with these socks. Now, either I need to get a wheel and start spinning my own Sock Hop yarn, or get myself on the waiting list for more!

Next in line for Socktoberfest, I hope to finish the Spiral Columns socks I'm working on (by the way, is anyone interested in the pattern? I'll give pattern writing a shot if there is some interest), then I hope to restart my Norwegian Stockings. There is a pair that I started, shown in the In Progress album, but have since been ripped. They were knit in a sport-weight yarn, and I didn't like how they looked. I have purchased some sock weight yarn in solid colors and will attempt to start them again at some point. So, if you're part of Socktoberfest, what are your plans?