Socktoberfest Baby

 

Even though every post around here is about socks, I thought I would throw in one more. 

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

 

   I learned how to knit socks from Alison's ankle sock pattern. My first socks were also my first short row heel, the yo variety. I knit these out of some knit picks yarn I dyed with kool aid. These were my first and last pair of socks with a short row toe, I never want to graft that many stitches again.

What was your first pair?  How have they "held up" over time?
   

 Well, they have held up fine, besides the fact that I felted them. One day I threw them in the washer, I guess I forgot they weren't superwash. I only knit with superwash sock yarn now.

What would you have done differently?

   Well besides not felting them, I would have knit them at a tighter gauge. I think I knit these on 3. These days I prefer 2mm needles. Now if only I could find 2.25mm needles:) I still love these socks, I will always keep them around, because I remember when I was knitting them how the whole wide world of sock knitting clicked. And I have been hooked ever since.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

    Koigu, Yarn Pirate, Louet, Str. Varagated, stripes, solids. Especially the hand dyed.... I think sock yarn is my favorite thing to buy. 

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

    Knit only. I don't mind dpn's, I just love knitting both socks at the same time magic loop style. When you are done, you done with both. Then you can start a new pair! I have never used 2 cirs, too many needle points for me! 

Which kind of heel do you prefer?  (flap? or short-row?)

    Um, well I have only knit a heel flap once. I think my love for short row heels is well know. For me what I like about the short row heel is that it doesn't  break up my knitting. It seems like the process flows easier that way. This is not to say I will not knit a heel flap, actually I plan on knitting them all the time when I start  pair of socks, but then opps, I knit another short row heel. I would like to learn is a heel flap from the toe up, will I use it?Not sure!

How many pairs have you made?

    21 pairs in total, 3 of which which were gifts and 2 pairs were samples knit for Allison's store.  Out of those 21 pairs, 15 have been completed this year. Right now I have 2 pairs on the needles. I think my goal for the year is 20 pairs, let's see if i can do it! 

 

Everybody's working for the weekend....

I have been working hard, sewing like a crazy woman to offer this:

My handmade knitting pouches for sale at pureknits!

Perfect for carrying around your favorite sock project. Big enough to hold two full skeins of sock yarn and your needles. This shape has been a favorite of mine for sometime, and after a lot of tweaking and such, I finally think they are perfect. Each one has a handle and elastic loops on the inside to hold you needles and scissors. I carry one in my purse every day, so I always have my socks with me.

I am just thrilled to share them and I am so happy Yahaira wanted to carry them in her store.  At some point I will be selling here in my own little shop as well.  Tomorrow, more sock knitting....

October Goals

 October already seems to be a busy month. On top of my work deadlines, I have set a few for myself as well. It is starting to feel fallish and I want to be curled up inside with my knitting, my puppy and my fully healed husband. Yep, the cast is off, he is no longer broken, his ankle is a little weak but happy to be out!

Goals: 

1. Finish my Rosie kneehighs for Socktoberfest.

I still have a long way to go. But I am making progress!

 

I think I like how the colors knit up on the inside the best, is that weird? 

2. Make the Weekender Bag, from Amy Butler.

 

I want to have this done because at the end of them month I am taking a little plane ride to Colorado to visit Allison! I need to look stylish for my trip, and I think this bag is just amazing! I got started last night, but it looks I have a long road ahead of me.

3. But all these things are kinda on the back burner because I will be knitting a sample for Stefaine aka Ms. Glampyre. I am  just waiting for my yarn to arive, then the knitting will begin. So no pictures yet, but I will be posting little sneak peaks over the course of this month. She asked me for some help knitting up a new pattern, and I am just so excited. The pattern is great, I know everyone is going to love it, just like everything else she designs.

So the question is can I get all this done? Probably not, but maybe. The sweater is priority number one, than the bag so I may not finish the socks, but that's ok. I love seeing all the sock posts out there right now! I actually have a little something plan for Socktoberfest as well so stay tuned.   

Short Row Heel Tutorial

How to knit a short row heel or toe, without holes

For a while now I have wanted to do this tutorial, because I often get asked how I pick up and knit my wraps on my short row heel. Yahaira was nice enough to take these pictures for me, since I am " knit and photograph at the same time" challenged.  This is a double wrap short row, based of Wendy's Pattern for toe up socks.  In that pattern Wendy uses a short row toe and heel, the tutorial below works for both  the heels and the toes. I do all my heels this way. The secret is how you pick up the wraps. Instead of knitting the "wraps together" with the stitch; pick up the wraps, place them on the right needle, knit the stitch and the pass the slipped wraps over.

How about I show ya:)

 Once you have all your stitches wrapped (most people usually wrap 12/16 stitches on each side depending on your gauge and how deep you want your heel). You are ready to pick up the first wrap. Knit to the first wrap.

Pick up the wrap.  (The pictures show picking up the wrap from the bottom, I sometimes for a different look pick up the wraps from the top, either way works)**. The first row is the only time you will only have one wrap to pick up.

Now leave this wrap you picked up on the right needle and knit the wrapped stitch like normal.

You now have the knitted stitch, then the picked up wrap on your right needle.

Now take the slipped wrapped stitch, with you left needle and pass it over the knitted stitch. Kinda how you would do a psso. And tada, you have knitted your first wrap.

Here's where the double wraps come in. While still working knit side up, slip the next stitch which has been wrapped once and wrap it again.

Now you turn your work, you will have the purl side facing you.

Purl across this row till you reach the first wrapped stitch. This side is the exact same concept, except you will be picking up the wraps from the back side of your piece. So not the side where the purl bumps are, the "knit" side. Pick up this wrap from the bottom up and again hold it on your right needle.  (above is two views of the same "pick up")

Now you are going to do the same thing you did on the other side. Hold the wrap on the right needle and this time purl the wrapped stitch. Then pass the wrap over. Now do a second wrap on the next stitch and turn.

You are going to keep doing the same thing, row after row until all the wrapped stitches are incorporated. The only change you are going to make after the first two rows is you will be picking up two wraps on each stitch instead of one. 

This is what that will look like on the purl side:

Make sure you are picking up both wraps instead of just one... and continue on purling the wrapped stitch and passing the wraps over.

And that is how I pick up the wraps on my short row heel and have no holes!

Other side

"Look mom no holes!"

Thanks again to Yahaira for the great pictures. I couldn't have shared this without her. Please let me know if I am confusing or unclear (um as I tend to ramble:) or if you have any suggestions. I hope this helps you embrace the greatness that is the short row heel. Don't fear the short row any longer! You can have a short row with out holes and without knitting 3 together...

** Remember you can pick up the wraps from the bottom, as if to knit (shown above) or from the top, as if to purl. If you pick them up from the top your heel will look like this:

Just make sure you are doing the same thing on both the knit and purl side so your heels look the same on both sides.

Bits and Pieces

 

Still working on my sock, both pairs are at the point of the heel. I really want to try this heel from Julia for my yarntini socks. But I am not sure how it works. My rosies will have the traditional short row heel, sometimes simple is best.

Speaking of sock, who can resist Socktoberfest... go join. um only 853 people have so far.

I am thinking of joining "365", a group on flickr. The idea is to take a self portrait everyday, for a year. Can I handle that kind of commitment? Not sure, but it sounds like fun. And how amazing would it be to complete a whole year!

Georgia, The Yarn Pirate, will have more yarn soon, including rosie...

and yes, still working, working hard so I can revel my secret soon. Here is a peak.