I believe that this yarn is Trekking XXL but I can't verify it since it was missing the band. I like the rich color changes and the pattern is lovely. It is a waffle rib pattern which is done by knitting 2 rows, and then k2, p2 for two rows. So easy and effective.
My friend Perri gave me a kit for these socks from Sanguine Gryphon. (Thanks, Perri.) I just finished them up and they are very fancy and imaginative. The beads and leaf beads add a lot of bling to them.
I started out with size 1 needles over 80 stitches but was not getting gauge, so I switched to 0's. They are quite tight on my feet but still wearable, so maybe I should have used the 1's, at least on the leg sections.
They really are reminiscent of an oriental rug, aren't they?
Lucy asked if toe up socks were hard to knit. I think they are the easiest for me, because I have done so many. Any new technique seems difficult at first, but the more one practices, the easier it becomes.
Casting on for the toe was probably the hardest part for me. I normally use a figure-8 technique or Judy's Magic Cast On. Both can be found by googling.
There is a fabulous tutorial, with lots of pictures, techniques, and discussions on the socknitters site. Here is the link to Denise's Toe Up Socks upon which I base most of my toe-up socks. I find that short row heels do not fit my foot well, as I have a high instep (which I did not know prior to knitting socks.) For me, I much prefer the dutch heel which is explained in detail at the socknitter's site. One of the biggest problems I can see about toe-up is binding off too tightly. But it's easy to rectify that without too much trouble.
Another area which presents difficulties is deciding when to start the gusset increases. For my size 9 foot, I start increasing at 6 3/4" and normally increase about an inch worth of stitches on each side. In otherwords, at 8 stitches per inch, I increase 8 stitches. Once your sock fits correctly, you will know the right length for all your future socks.
So, it comes down to this: learn a new technique and use every last inch of your yarn, or continue working socks top down, and sweating all the while that you will run out of yarn! I think it's an easy choice!
This roving is from FiberOptics etsy shop and is the softest, most wonderful stuff. Comprised of 80% merino and 20% it should hold up for socks, which is a good thing since I am wearing them right now.
The socks started out as a wonderful roving, and then spun and made into a 2-ply. I only got 222 yards out of the 4 oz roving because my spinning was not fine enough, but they made great toe-up socks. You can see where the two socks are still attached to the skein, so that I could use up every last inch. The final picture shows the only yarn left over, and those are the pieces from the toes where I cast on, after I had woven the ends in.
Here we have a second pair of the Travelers Stockings, from Knitting on the Road, by Nancy Bush. Again, I have used Tess' Sock Yarn, which is 80% wool and 20% nylon for strength, but this time in black. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this yarn? Well, I do. It is wooly enough that I like it, but strong enough to last. These will be perfect for my black wool slacks.
I am most definitely in a pink phase. Most of the things I have been doing, are pink. I like pink. So, sue me.
These are the Traveler's Stockings from Nancy Bush's book, Knitting on the Road. I have been taken with the pictures of these socks in her book from the moment I saw them. And I am using the perfect yarn as well, one that is new to me - Tess's Designer sock yarn. It's 80% wool and 20% nylon and has excellent stitch definition. My friend Julia, told me that I simply had to try this yarn, that it is her favorite for socks, and now I know why!! Now it's my favorite as well.
Aren't these adorable? I came across this pattern, from Lagerman Knits, on ravelry and you have to be a member to purchase the pattern. It's the Mother May I? pattern from Phyll Lagerman and it was not only very easy to follow, but produced great results. She is a talented sock designer and you will find it difficult to decide which to start first.
Those of you who know me can probably figure out why I chose this motif - ACORNS!!! I'm nuts about them. So when I came across this chart I knew I had to knit socks. The chart is one of the afghan squares from a booklet called The Great American Afghan, by XRX books, and it was loads of fun to knit. I used a now discontinued yarn, Peter Pan St. Ives sock yarn, which I absolutely love and am saddened that it is no longer available.
Hot off the needles are these wonderful, interesting socks called "Dream Twister" by Mona Schmidt. If you are a member of ravelry, then you can also download the free pattern. It is gorgeous!! Thank you Mona! I used Zitron Trekking Pro Natura yarn but I am not crazy about it since it's quite thin and splitty. But I love the socks.
This is another stashbusting project, but I'm really happy with the finished socks! I did not have a whole lot of the dark burgundy yarn, after finishing a pair of socks, but I thought I would have enough for at least the leg and maybe more. I finished one leg of one sock, and then started the second. I could see that there would be enough for heels, so did one, and then the other, and then I could see there was enough remaining for some detail at the toe. These are from Red Bird Knits . The pattern is called Istanbul, and is just one of her many lovely patterns.
The sock is knit with 72 stitches on #0 dpns. I used Lorna's Laces sock yarn for the hot pink and some other yarn, I forget which, for the burgundy.
Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Cotton Tip & Top Color, color 4076, and is part cotton and part wool. It feels very nice.
Toe-up with dutch heel on 64 stitches. Leg is done in 2x2 garter stitch rib with last inch in normal 2x2 rib.
These are my usual, standard toe-up socks on 64 stitches, using #0 dpns. The yarn is a blue
Sock it to Me! Collection Harlequin yarn which is quite satisfactory and I did not try to match the yarn, preferring unmatched socks for this pair. The ribbing for the leg is a repeat of 7 knit, 1 purl, merging into the final ribbing of 2 knit, 2 purl. They were cast off using a suspended bindoff technique, with identical results of the crochet cast off.
These socks are just lovely and fit me well. Who knew that when I started knitting these I would love them so much? The pattern I was following called for pastel colors and I didn't have any in my stash. I first started with two shades of vivid pink and charcoal, but that went to the frog pond. Then tried these too-bright colors, and I LOVE them. It is also a very interesting heel too.
Here are the details about these wonderfully designed socks. I used Opal Uni in natural, and Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in Deco Green and Temple Turquoise. I knit them on #0 dpns and the leg was 80 stitches in circumference, as the pattern dictates.
I used #00 dpns for the start of the sock, which would be the facing of the hem at the top, so that they wouldn't flare around the picot edge, and switched to the #0 needles after the picot row.
From the wonderful sock book, 'Socks, Socks, Socks' comes this colorful stranded sock. The pattern in the book uses pale colors which I love, but I did not have them. Once again I was determined to use yarn from my stash, and I wondered why I had even purchased such bright colors, but I really like the result. I am halfway through the second one, and will post pictures soon.
This was my working project during my visit to my sister in San Diego. They were knit on #0 dpns, on 64 stitches toe up, out of Trekking Pro Natura 1602 yarn. They are very pretty but not flamboyant.
These are really gorgeous in person and the details the designer included are wonderful. They are the Embossed Leaves socks from Interweave Press Favorite Socks, knit on #1 needles from handpainted Wildfoote Sock yarn in the color Sonantina. I changed only a couple of things, one of which was the breaking of the yarn at the heel and reconnecting. Just seemed unnecessary to me. The toe has an echo of the leaf design done by judicious use of purls and decreases. Lovely design.
Our trusty Salty Acorn boat did not have any problems this year, as we made our way to Ocracoke, North Carolina. The weather was good, and I got in a lot of knitting time!!!! The blue striped socks are the Stashbuster Spirals, the pattern for which can be found online. The blue/tan socks were a new yarn for me: Jitterbug 100% wool, handpainted from Colinette and the yarn is wonderful - very firm and great stitch definition. The fair isle socks are a repeat of socks I have knit before: Bird Foot, designed by RedBirdKnits.
This is an older pattern from the Six Sox KAL, but one I have not knitted before. The technique of using leftover yarn in jogless spirals is intriguing, and appeals to my frugal nature. I used three different yarns, all blue variegated ones, but changed the pattern to have the heels, toes, and ribbing the same color. The pattern is here: Stashbusters Spiral Socks
I also chose to do my usual dutch heel, since short row heels don't fit my feet well. Just started the second sock in an attempt to keep myself busy while waiting for the next clue in the Mystery Stole #3 KAL.
My Kauni is dry after having blocked on the wooly blocker overnight, and I will now have to cut the front and add ribbing. More procrastination on my part since there are more decisions to be made. I plan on making the buttons for the sweater from polymer clay and have to do some sketches and color mixing.
My usual toe-up socks with dutch heel, knit on #0 dpns with 64 stitches, with crocheted bindoff in natural. Claudia's Handpainted toes, heels, and ribbing in Cotton Candy colorway, and Gems Pearl (not Opal as I previously stated) merino natural. These babies weigh in at 3 oz for the pair and are extremely cushy feeling. (They are 100% merino wool.) The stitch pattern is a simple 4 stitch, 4 row pattern repeat in openwork eyelet ribbing from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks and has great stretch to it.
Done toe-up, 72 stitches on #0 dpns, with my usual dutch heel and crochet bindoff. The yarn is from Joslyn's Fiber Farm, in superwash merino, and mohair, and is one of my favorites. The mohair gives it great strength.
