Thursday, September 28, 2006

Current Project,



These are my favorite tools that I use, size 2 needle, a row counter and knitting two socks at the same time. Koigu, 56 sts.

Monday, September 18, 2006

The anatomy of a Sock

What I've learned about sock knitting:

The smaller the needle the longer the sock will last. Finer the gauge the better it feels on my foot.

I prefer to use 5 double pointed needles and I like the shorties my favorites are the



Five Inch Double Points, they are a set of 5 needles 5" long and made of Surina wood. Surina wood is from the Lal Kohla (Elegant Tree) from India. So says the little brochure that came with the needles. It also tells me that "Highly skilled artisans craft this strong, lightweight, flexible wood into exceptional knitting needles."



Always keep a nail file handy though because the tips have a tendency to split and need a bit of touching up once in a while. Don't ask me why I like these but these feel nicer and have a more pointy tip then the bamboo needles or the little plastic needles. But as always it really depends on the yarn as to which kind of needle to use.

Casting on....for top down socks: I always use 2 or 3 size larger needle and I like to use the German twisted cast on method, this gihttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifves the top of the sock the stretchy feel.

I rather knit top down because it's easier for me to cast on a stretchy top then to cast off a streachy top. Somehow my cast off tightens up no matter what method I try. So it is just easier for me to cast on loose than to play with the cast off.

I'm kind of new to knitting socks, so I have been experimenting. When I tried to knit both socks at the same time it did seem like it took longer, for me there was more wasted time "handling" and sorting out which sock was which etc. I find that the first sock sort of goes in sections or mini challenges.

Casting on as for any new project is sort of fun and exciting because it's a new project! So the cast on and figuring out the gauge etc. is sort of the first challenge......

Then deciding on the pattern and how far to k2p2 ribbing on the top is the second little challenge......

Then settle in and knit and knit easy mindless round and round kind of fun because I don't have to pay attention kind of like mindless knitting.....

Now the heel! Woopie now I get to make the heel flap, paying special attention to make sure it's exactly the way I want it.....

Now for that little triangle bit of short rowing is kind of fun to see the three dimensional thing that appears.....

Then picking up the stitches on the side, making sure there are no holes and that both sides are even.......

Now the decrease to get back to 4 needles with the same amount of stitches on them.....

Then it's downhill... mindless knitting get to the length that I need....

The toe decreases is where the hill gets really steep and goes fast...decrease and I'm almost finished.....

Now for the grand finale the Kitchener Stitch

By the time I finish one sock the second one seems to go faster, I've figured out the gauge the pattern and I'm familiar so it is easier to knit......

the Kitchener Stitch here is my little cheat sheet for that:
front needle: pw, leave
back needle: kw, leave
fn, kw, pull off
fn, pw, leave on
b,pw,pull off
b,kw, leave

*f,kw,pull off
f,pw,leave
b,pw,pull
b,kw,leave*


Voila a sock is finished!

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Free Patterns online

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http://www.socknitters.com/sockpatterns/sockpatterns.htm

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Some other sock links:

Free Knitting Pattern-Joan's Socks-Lion Brand® Wool-Ease®
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kwe-joansSocks.html

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Sock Anxiety:http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/socks.html

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Michelle's Basic Socks: http://mimoknits.typepad.com/knitting/michelles_basic_socks.htm