Possessed to Knit

Silkie STR Completed

I have been re-knitting my Silkie STR socks in the Walk on the Wild Tide colorway.  I tried the pattern that came with the socks, but it turned out to be too big.  I then decided to knit these Rib and Cable socks.  The cables didn't show up very well nor did the star toe, but I was glad to have finished them.  I wore them as Al and I packed for our trip to New Market in October.  I had them on for about half an hour and I couldn't take it any more.  They were way too big and kept falling down.  I unravelled the larger of the two socks, washed the skein, and brought it on our trip.  Once it dried, I casted on to make a smaller sock and I just didn't like how it was working out.  I ended up unknitting everything and re-skeining and washing the yarn.  I decided no more fancy patterns for this yarn.  I went back to my regular sock, 64 sts on 2.5 mm 40" Addi Turbo needles.  I used size 2.0 mm 40" Addi Turbo needles for the heels and toes.  I also have this yarn in the Lunasea colorway and I look forward to seeing these socks work out.

Firebird Socks Completed

I've finished my Firebird socks from the Rockin' Sock Club.  I thought the Solstice Slip pattern that came with it looked too loose so I gave Nancy Bush's Fancy Sock a try.  That turned out to be too big and then I casted on my usual sock of 64 sts on size 1 Addi Turbo 40" circular needles.  I used size 0s for the heel and toe.  I like their light weight sock yarn the best as I can knit a firm sock with it and wear it with my regular shoes.  I made this pair in the Scottish Highland colorway with size 0 needles for the entire sock.  Lucy Neatby says to knit socks with the smallest possible needle and they will wear like iron.  I like the springiness of the Firebird socks with the size 1 needle at a gauge of 8 sts and 11 rows per inch.  The Scottish Highland socks have a gauge of 9 sts and 12 rows per inch but are not as springy.  The tighter gauge appears to have taken the bounce out of the knitted fabric.  Now I know what needle size to use for my recently acquired skeins of light weight Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  I will still use 0s for the heel and toe as my disastrous Koigu socks (where I put holes in both heels in a very short time) remind me that the heel and toe require firmer knitting.

Firebird Sock

I've completed my first Firebird sock from the Rockin' Sock Club.  This delightfully bright yarn came with the Solstice Slip pattern, but it looked too loose for my particular taste.  I then attempted this Fancy Sock pattern by Nancy Bush, but it turned out to be too big.  I went back to my standard sock as this yarn is exciting enough on its own.  I cast on 64 sts using the German Twisted Cast On over two Addi Bamboo dpns held together.  I had always heard this was a stretchy cast on and wanted to do something new for these socks.  On size 1 Addi Turbo circular needles, I worked k2, p2 rib for 64 rounds or so followed by knitting for another 17 rounds.  I worked a short row heel down to 12 sts on size 0 Addi Turbo circular needles followed by 65 rounds of knitting on size 1 Addi Turbo circular needles.  I knitted 1 round on size 0 Addi Turbo circular needles and then proceeded to do my standard toe with these size 0 needles.  The sock fits very nicely and the cast on is stretchy.  I wore the sock for a bit and did not have to shorten it as I have had to do for my past few socks, so I am pleased.  I used this yarn in the Scottish Highland colorway on size 0 needles and 72 sts, but I think I like the drape and feel better with the size 1 needles.  I will know more after I wear them to work for a day.  I have more Blue Moon Fiber Arts sock yarn and want to determine the best needle size for their fine weight sock yarn.

Fancy Sock

Now that I have completed my Rib and Cable socks, I have moved on to yet another Nancy Bush pattern.  This is the "Fancy Silk Sock" pattern from her book Knitting Vintage Socks.  I am using my Firebird STR yarn (on 2.5 mm Addi Turbo needles) as I thought the pattern and yarn would work well together.  I have wanted to make these socks since I checked this book out of the library the first time.  It calls for Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock yarn and I do have some good candidates in my stash, but I decided to give this combination a try.  The Solstice Slip pattern that came with the yarn works very nicely with the vibrant colors.  I was concerned that it looked a little loose and I do really need a snug sock.  I had this problem when I attempted to make Jaywalker socks.  This pattern is entertaining to knit and looks good so far, I think it is a keeper.

Rib and Cable Socks Completed

I've finished my Rib and Cable Socks in STR Walk on the Wild Tide from the Rockin' Sock Club.  This is their Silkie Socks that Rock yarn which is 81% superwash merino and 19% silk.  I enjoyed knitting with this soft and silky yarn.  The pattern I chose might not have been the best pattern for this yarn as the cables do not stand out very well in the photo. They are comfortable socks none the less.  I used 2.75 mm Lantern Moon dpns for the first sock instep and 2.25 mm Lantern Moon dpns for the heel, toe, and sole.  It is important for me to have a tighter gauge for these high wear areas on my socks as I am not fond of sock repair.  To accomodate my larger left foot, I used my 3.0 mm Addi Turbo circular needle for the instep and my 2.5 mm Addi Turbo circular needle for the heel, toe, and sole.  I was under the impression that the slickness of the Addi Turbo 3.0 mm needle would make nearly the same gauge as 2.75 mm dpns.  It turns out that is not the case.  I can see a significant size difference in the cables for each sock, which is okay, I just wasn't expecting it.  I really like these socks and I hope they stay up when I wear them.  I will be sure to let you know how they work when our temps get below 70'F.

Rib and Cable Sock

I've completed my first sock using Walk on the Wild Tide from the Rockin' Sock Club.  My attempt with the Grasshopper sock pattern did not turn out so well so I am knitting the Cable and Rib sock by Nancy Bush from the Fall 2005 Interweave Knits.  The pattern calls for 2.25 mm needles and 60 sts with cabling involved.  I moved up to 2.75 mm needles as I would typically cast-on 64 sts on 2.5 mm needles for this weight of yarn.  I did the heel, toe, and sole with 2.25 mm needles.  It did get annoying to keep the instep on 2.75 mm needles and then switch to 2.25 mm needles for the sole.  This sock fits my right foot fine but could be just a little bigger for my left foot.  For my second sock, I will use 3.0 mm Addi turbo needles for the cabled parts and 2.5 mm Addi turbo needles for the heel, toe, and sole.  I am not fond a flap heel yet followed through with it on this pattern because I like how it lined up with the cables.  The toe is a bit different, too, with p2togs and even p3 togs and I think she refers to it as a star toe.  I realize this is not the best combination of yarn and patterning, but it makes for a very comfortable sock.

Rockin' Sock Club

I am catching up on my Rockin' Sock Club socks.  Here is Silkie Socks that Rock sock yarn in the Walk on the Wild Tide colorway.  I started knitting the toe-up Grasshopper pattern, using size 0 circulars for the toe and then size 1 circulars for the foot.  It turned out to be a bit too stretchy for me.  I really like the Rib and Cable Socks pattern by Nancy Bush in the Fall 2005 Interweave Knits so I started this sock.  I realize I have not quite gotten the hang of combining patterns and variegated sock yarns, but I am much happier with this sock.  I am using my Lantern Moon 2.75 mm dpns.  Once I get to the foot, I am planning on using my 2.25 mm dpns for the sole and the 2.75 mm dpns for the instep.  I need to order some KnitPicks circulars in all of my sock knitting sizes.  Wendy showed me that her 16" KnitPicks circulars were flexible enough for her sock knitting and they would be ideal for a situation like this where I want to use two different sizes.  I am really enjoying this yarn, it is wonderfully silky & soft.

Monsoon Socks Completed

I hope everyone is having a nice Easter today.  I focused on one knitting project this weekend and completed my pair of Monsoon socks from the Rockin' Sock Club.  They are the first reversible pair of socks I have ever knit.  I prefer the pattern on the right sock but it is nice to know I have another option.  I had never done garter stitch short-row toes and heels before either.  It took me a while to knit them as I used size 0 (2.0 mm) needles for the foot and then size 2 (3.0 mm) needles for the cabled leg part.  The Monsoon yarn came in medium weight (380 yds for 5.5 oz with 0.6 oz leftover) which was somewhat challenging for me to knit on size 0 needles.  It was worth it though as these socks have great arch support.  They might be a little bulky for my regular shoes but they will fit quite nicely in my Birkenstocks.  This fun project kept me occupied so now I only have 2 weeks till the next Rockin' Sock Club arrival.  I have already started another pair of socks so stay tuned!

First Monsoon Sock

I've completed my first Monsoon sock from the Rockin' Sock Club.  This is a fun to knit pattern and a new style for me, and it's even reversible.  I would have finished it last night but it turned out that my size 1 Addi turbo needle was not quite the right size.  I did the foot with a size 0 Addi turbo and didn't want to make a drastic needle size change so I went with size 1 for the cabled cuff.  I tried the sock on after 15 rounds or so and thought it fit fine with the cables.  Last night I had a bit of a struggle to get the sock on after 44 rounds.  I ripped back to the heel, winding the yarn a bit tightly around the ball and let it sit overnight.  I think this helps the yarn recover from having been knit up.  Today I re-knit the cuff with size 2 Addi turbo needles and the sock fits much better now, lesson learned!

Monsoon Inside Out Socks

Here is my progress so far on my first Rockin' Sock Club sock.  Each skein comes with a pattern designed for the yarn and I could not resist the temptation to start something new.  I have not done the short-row toe up before and this one is in garter stitch.  There is one ribbing pattern for the sole and another for the instep.  Plus, the sock is reversible!  I have knit many pairs of socks and am delighted with the new techniques this sock project has introduced me to already.  I debated over which size needles to use as I want a firm sock for maximum arch support.  I am using my size 0 circular 40" Addi turbo needles.  The ribbing is quite stretchy and it should work for my size 8 1/2 feet.  I did make one little adjustment to the pattern.  I prefer to start each side with a knit stitch and end with a purl stitch.  The pattern, as written, has each side starting and ending with a purl stitch.  I moved a purl stitch to the end of the previous needle (twice) and now I start with a knit stitch and end with a purl stitch.  I have notice I can more easily avoid the ladder stitches that result if I knit this way.  I just need to remember to adjust the stitches back for the heel. So far, so good!