Toe the (Sock) Line!

So, you've knitted around, and around, and around…and you've managed to stay awake.

 

Now that you've gotten the desired foot length, it’s time to do the toe!

 

Decrease for Toe:

Needle 1: K to last 2 stitches. K2tog.

Needle 2: ssk, k to last 2 stitches. K2tog.

Needle 3: ssk, k to end

 

Starting with 60 stitches - decrease every other round until you have 28  stiches.

Then, decrease EVERY round until you have 12 stitches. 

 

Now, join using the Kitchener Stitch:

Arrange your stitches so that there are 6 stitches on a back needle and 6 stitches on a front needle.  The Yarn feeds from the back needle, on the righthand side. 

 

Setup (leave): P front, K back

 

Front:  K off, P leave

Back:  P off, K leave

Repeat last 2 rows

 

Last 2 Stitches -

Front: K off

Back: P off

 

When you're done, weave in all the ends!  You can block your socks if desired.  

Round and Round and…

Yes, the next set of instructions for the sock are simple--just knit and knit and knit, around and around and…

 

ZZZZZZZ…

 

I find, at this point, that it works well to find things to do to occupy my brain while I'm knitting in the round endlessly on my DPNs.  Here are some ideas:

 

1. TV
2. Meetings where it's acceptable to craft while attending (ex. support groups)
3. Sporting events (many of my yarn peeps with children do this)
4. Listening to audio books
5. Listening to podcasts
6. Waiting for appointments
7. Waiting for a bus
8. On the bus (the Size 1 DPNs will probably scare people away…or make them more interested in you)
9. During your lunch break
10. During any work break
11. Concerts (Use common sense on this one.  Casual outdoor concert--yes.  The Philharmonic--probably not.)
12. Movies (If you are able to knit with Size 1 needles in the dark.  I'd be afraid of jabbing myself or dropping massive quantities of stitches.)

 

Times when it's probably NOT acceptable to knit:

 

1. Sex
2. Work (unless you have downtime, and even then I'd get permission)
3. Driving
4. While exercising (although some people swear you can knit riding an exercise bike)
5. Eating a meal (As it's just rude.  Also, you run the risk of dumping soup all over your Malabrigo yarn, which should be a felony punishable by life in Federal prison without parole.)

 

Anyway, getting back to the sock--you'd keep knitting in the round under you have 1 3/4" less than the desired length from heel to toe.  For example, for a 9 1/2" foot, you'd knit until 7 3/4" from the heel.

 

Happy Knitting!

 

Getting ahead of myself...

…or, I probably should have posted earlier!

I should tell on myself.  I’m actually on Sock #2, but I’m woefully behind in giving instructions to you all, so, without further ado:

The Heel Gusset Section!

On RS, knit across Heel Flap. Using the same needle, pick up and knit the stitches along the left side of the Heel Flap. Tip: use a small crochet hook to pick up the stitches and put them on the needle.

 

Using another needle, knit across Needles 2 and 3 (30 stitches).

 

Using another needle, pick up the stitches along the right side of the Heel Flap. Then knit the remaining stitches on Needle 1, up to the marker.

 

You should end up with:

Needle 1: 9 stitches and the left side picked-up stitches

Needle 2: 30 stitches

Needle 3: the right side picked-up stitches and 9 stitches.

 

 

Knit one row around.

 

Decrease the gusset stitches as follows:

Needle 1: knit to last 3 sts.  K2tog, k1.

Needle 2: knit

Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to the end of needle.

 

Keep decreasing the stitches on Needles 1 and 3 as above, until there are:

Needle 1: 15 stitches

Needle 2: 30 stitches

Needle 3: 15 stitches

 

You should end up with 60 stitches total.

 

Distraction!

July 19, 2014

I’ve been having one of those weeks, yarn-wise…

First of all, my stash totals are through the roof.  A friend of mine found yarn in his attic.  Yes, you guessed it—it’s now in a big box in my office.  I still need to go through it and figure out what I’m going to do with it.  It appears to be mainly acrylic, but nice, soft acrylic, so it might be nice for an afghan project I have in mind.  This is in addition to the many other projects I’m working on.

Back to my week of distraction.  I have had an entire week where I keep getting distracted and end up making dumb mistakes with my sock knitting. I’ve been knitting socks for AGES, for heaven’s sake, but this week you’d think I was a rank novice.  First of all, I was watching TV with people the other night and discovered that I’d forgotten to decrease the gusset stitches every other row, like I usually do.  THEN, the other night, we had a new member join the knitting group, and I was so busy chatting with her that I discovered that about an inch down, I’d dropped a stitch.  I picked it back up again, but now the sock is looking sort of odd and tight in that area.  I’m hoping that with a few washings, it will loosen up.  Lastly, I was at my beloved once-a-month knitting group and got distracted…again, I managed to lose track of the decrease rows.

Honestly, what is WRONG with me?  Granted, I’ve had a stressful week trying to work and pack up my belongings to move to a new office building.  DUH…you think that could be it???

In the meantime, I DID promise more steps to the sock process.  We last left off with the heel.  So:

TURNING THE HEEL

Row 1: (RS) Knit to 2 sts past center marker, k2tog, k1, turn. 

Row 2: (WS) Purl to 2 sts past center marker, p2tog, p1, turn. 

Row 3: (RS) Knit to 3 sts past center marker, k2tog, k1, turn. 

Row 4: (WS) Purl to 3 sts past center marker, p2tog, p1, turn. 

Row 5: (RS) Knit to 4 sts past center marker, k2tog, k1, turn. 

Row 6: (WS) Purl to 4 sts past center marker, p2tog, p1, turn. 

Row 7: (RS) Knit to 5 sts past center marker, k2tog, k1, turn. 

Row 8: (WS) Purl to 5 sts past center marker, p2tog, p1, turn. 

 

Continue decreasing like this until the last 2 sts at each end of the needle have been knitted or pulled together, ending in a WS row. 18 stitches left on Needle 1. 

 

Sock Chronicles 2 - Crisis du Jour

I've come to the SAD conclusion that I'm just a knitting crisis junkie. How else can you explain some of the crazy yarn dilemmas I find myself in?

Last night, we went to a wonderful outdoor concert and I, of course, brought my knitting.  Granted, I wasn't going to get a chance to knit, but I tend to tote a knitting bag around with me because - well, I probably need professional help, but let's be creative and say that my nickname should be Linus.  Anyway, we made the mistake of putting an item in my knitting bag that mated disastrously with my sock yarn, the end result being no more heel to my sock, which had been going so well up to that point. 

Now, someone normal would probably have set aside a little time this morning to put the stitches back onto the DPNs before I needed to bring my knitting to a 10:00 a.m. event.  Notice I say NEEDED.  Those of you who are fellow rabid knitters will understand that "wanted" would not have been a suitable substitute in that sentence. I unfortunately left this all to the last minute, when it was going to be quite impossible to fix the sock.  Instead, I rifled through my knitting magazines 15 minutes before I needed to be out the door, and hit upon a lovely cowl.  Do I wear cowls?  No.  Do I know anyone who does?  Of course not; however, with 10 minutes left, I decided this would be a WONDERFUL Christmas present...for someone.  I then ransacked all my yarn stash until I found a hunk of Vanna's Choice yarn (the only yarn I could find on short notice that would work for the pattern), grabbed some #9 needles, and raced out the door. 

This is all sort of a roundabout way to explain why I don't have installment #2 of my basic sock directions done yet.  However, when I finally fix the heel, this is what's next:

Place the next 30 stitches on Needle 1 for the heel flap. 

Distribute the remaining stitches evenly on the two remaining needles (15 on each).

Work the stitches on Needle 1 only (heel flap) as follows:

Row 1: (RS) *sl1, k1, repeat from * across. 

Row 2: (WS) sl 1 stitch, p across.

Repeat rows 1-2 until Heel Flap measures 2 1/2 inches. 

Place st marker at center of the Heel Flap. 

Next week I should have more to show you, plus I'll more than likely have some lame explanation for why I picked yarn for the cowl that's going to necessitate buying MORE yarn for the contrasting colors...

Sock it to 'em!

I’ve decided it's high time to resurrect the blog again.  I'm not sure why I even stopped, except that life (and continuous crafting) got in the way.  I can't let that continue, though, as I adore writing just as much as I do knitting and crocheting.

My latest knitting venture is to knit a pair of socks. Yes, I know…I've probably knit more socks than anything else.  However, I've never consistently followed one pattern.  I actually knit socks based on several instructions and patterns I've read, because no one pattern is completely comprehensible to me—especially any instructions for turning the heel.  To this end, I've decided to keep track of exactly what I'm doing over the course of knitting the socks I'm currently working on.

So, without further ado, here is my beginning.

I'm one of those people who likes to knit just plain old socks—no cables, no textured stitches, no nothing except ribbing and stockinette.  I find it's easier to have the sock be a true KIP project.  Also, while some may find this boring, I find there is something comforting about knitting stockinette stitch on DPNs.

Yarn: 2 skeins of Alpaca Feet from A Touch of Twist (70% alpaca, 30% nylon, 215 yards). Dye Lot AF7 which is sort of a maroon color.

Needles:  Size 1 DPNs (2.25 mm), Size 3 DPNs (3.25 mm)

1. Using the #3 DPNs, cast on 60 stitches.
2. Spread the stitches over 3 needles and connect, being careful NOT to twist.
3. K1, P1 for 1 round.
4. Switch to the #1 DPNs.
5. K1, P1 in the round, until you have 2" in length.
6. Then switch to ss and continue until you have 7" from the cast-on row.

In subsequent posts, I will update my progress!

The Yarn Fairies have been active...

A Happy New Year to all!

I'm happy to report that, lately, I seem to be charmed by the Yarn Fairies...

This would not be the same as the Yarn Sirens, who's sole purpose in life seems to be to lead me astray into the LYS and the Great Holy Trinity (Michaels, AC Moore, and Joann's).

To sum it up, PEOPLE KEEP GIVING ME YARN! I'm not sure, Karma-wise, what I've done to deserve this...

The first incident occurred several weeks ago, when a male friend of ours came up to me at an event and said, "Psst! Do you need yarn?" and led me out to his truck. Come to find out, his sister was giving away some Caron One Pounders she didn't want--it was a whole Hefty garbage bag-full.

Then, over Christmas, my sister gave me a Stop & Shop bag full of Patons Shetland Chunky, that she decided she didn't need. Originally, my plan was to take the yarn off her hands and make a sweater with it for her, but quickly realized she seems to prefer a thinner sweater. No sooner did I think this before a good friend contacted me...she had some Cascade 220 she was looking to get rid of. I offered to pay her, but she insisted she just wanted to make room for more stash. I went over to her place and was presented with TWO HUGE BAGS of tons of different types of yarn. The picture is what she gave me.

At this rate, we're going to need to add an addition onto the house...