Category Archives: Sock Knitting

July 9, 2018 · 2:42 pm

Back to my first knitting love – socks

Nighthawk Socks

I finally finished my hap (images once I have blocked it) and have returned to my first love – socks!

I was going to knit a version of Helen Stewart’s Fragment socks, but the pattern disappeared in the colour changes. So I have gone with an almost plain vanilla sock – it is knit 6, purl 1.

The yarn is Mad Tosh Night Hawk, which (sadly) has been discontinued.

I have knitted this from the top down, which is my preferred method, but I seem to have a holey gusset. Kate Atherley’s book Custom Socks has a few ideas about this, so I will try those on the second sock.

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July 2, 2018 · 2:31 pm

Stash Overload

Sample of the Stash

There are many talented independent yarn dyers (like Saltwater Yarns, Dingo Dye Works and Fiber Lily – just to list the Australian ones I know) and I am a sucker for a pretty sock yarn. Consequently my stash is large – 23 skeins. I know we all have different levels of tolerance for the size of our stashes, but I am starting to feel over-whelmed. I realise that socks are my first love – and I am going to spend July concentrating on knitting socks from my stash (this might mean avoiding the fabulous Calico and Ivy – they have a magnificent yarn collection and I never leave empty-handed.

I also like to buy souvenir sock yarn (three of the above skeins I bought on holiday) and I am not going to stop doing that, so I do need to stop buying pretty the rest of the time.

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May 8, 2018 · 3:22 pm

Winter Rose Socks Finished

Finished!

These are the Winter Rose socks from the Hand Made Sock Society – the toes are a bit pointy for my taste, so if the next pattern (Magnolia Socks) has the same shape I will alter it.

My plan was to knit Green Gables socks by Louise Tilbrook, but I think I will knit the Fragment socks from the latest Laine magazine.

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Tagged as handmade sock society, sock knitting, winter rose socks

April 10, 2018 · 2:58 pm

The Finishing Line is in Sight

Second Sock

The second sock is coming along nicely – although clearly I have missed my March 31st deadline!

I weighed the finished sock and the remaining yarn and there was 4 g difference (in my favour), so I am going to play a bit of yarn chicken.

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Tagged as winter rose socks

March 15, 2018 · 5:02 pm

Winter Rose Socks

This is the current progress on my Winter Rose socks – so far all is going well, the pattern is easy to remember and they are knitting up quickly.

I am knitting the large size, but only cast on 68 stitches (instead of 72) and I have altered the pattern accordingly – the pattern is amazingly detailed.

I am not sure I will finish these by the end of the month, which means I will fall behind in my goal of a pair of socks a month.

Next month I am going to knit Louise Tilbrook’s Green Gable socks.

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Tagged as handmade sock society, sock knitting, winter rose socks

March 2, 2018 · 5:30 pm

February Socks are Finished

Finished Socks!

I finished my February socks. These have an after thought heel, which at first I didn’t like, but now that I have finished and tried them on I like it.

Next time I do an after thought heel – I will place a marker where I want the heel to start, so I can make each sock identical.

I also like the wedge toe, which I found here – I need to write myself some notes, so I remember it.

Next up Winter Rose socks – As I want to use my Addi Crasy Trio needles, I will probably alter the pattern to suit whatever gauge I get.

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Tagged as after thought heel, sock knitting, winter rose socks

February 23, 2018 · 4:18 pm

Quaker Lady

Cross Stitch Progress

I have been working (slowly) on my Live Simply sampler and I have started work on my My Lady’s Quaker from here – it is big (for me) 160 stitches by 160 and so I shall be working on it for a long time.

I have continued on my sock and hope to have it finished by the end of the month – my aim is a pair of socks a month. There is a lot going on in the next month, so I might not get there, but then I am going to knit Winter Rose Socks – I have this yarn in mind – in colour 2170.

There is not enough time to stitch and knit all of the things… I suspect this is a nice problem to have.

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Tagged as cross stitch, live simply, my ladys quaker, winter rose socks

February 15, 2018 · 11:20 am

Multi-Project Update

Project Bags and a Sock

I have been rotating through my various crafting activities; knitting, sewing/quilting and embroidery.

I decided I needed to make project bags for my various projects – the image top right is my first attempt. It is great – my Live Simply cross stitch fits inside with the chart and my box of floss. However, my A4 pages (in a plastic slip) don’t fit easily inside, so I decided the next one needs to be 2.5cm bigger in both length and width. I have started another one (top left image). Check out the fabric, it’s sheep knitting! The front and the back are quilted and it is fully lined (no raw edges).

I finished one of my after thought heel socks – this is not my favourite technique and I will revert back to normal heels for my next sock (which is going to be Winter Rose Socks – I have joined the hand made sock society and they are going to send me a new pattern bimonthly.)

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Tagged as after thought heel, project bag, sock knitting

January 31, 2018 · 11:55 am

More Socks!

First Sock

I wanted a project I could easily do on the plane and I also wanted something that I hadn’t started so if my needles were confiscated it wouldn’t be a problem.

I decided on socks – plain vanilla socks – although I am going to attempt an afterthought heel. I bought this colour because it is the colour of my girls’ netball team, so either I will wear them when I coach or one of the girls will wear them (probably Miss P).

I am using my Addi Crasy Trio needles – the needles are 2.25mm -, the yarn is Fortissima Mexiko Cotton Stretch (Shade 59). It is quite rough so we will see what it is like as a sock.

The toe is a wedge toe and I used Kate Atherley’s 3/2/1/0 recipe – you can find more information on Knitty.

I have Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting without Tears, which discusses how to make an afterthought heel (essentially she knits another toe – and it is a basic toe a decrease round followed by a plain round until 20 stitches are left and then she grafts it).

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Tagged as after thought heel, sock knitting

January 20, 2018 · 5:14 pm