Status Pics

Gawd, I'm feeling so boring today. Just get a load of that awful title. Oh well.

Finally, the Log Cabin finished and blocking. I had to lay down towels on the kid's bed just to have enough space. And here we are, all dry and ready to ship:
Big Whoop. However, I felt this odd sense of accomplishment that doesn't come with a pair of socks or a hat. Like I actually made something that will be around a while. Interesting.
WTS is progressing as could be expected. I guess you actually have to knit on a project for it to get done. What have I been doing instead? Swatching:
First I tried Jaywalker, then I tried winging a basketweave. But Shibui sock yarn, in Peacock, is thicker (and rougher!) than I expected (must be the overtwist) so when casting onto 2.25 mm needles Jaywalker was way out of proportion even at the smallest size. Basketweave on the fly, with a reduced number of stitches, still didn't work. So I actually swatched for once. I still may go up to 2.5 mm dpn's and back down to 64 (instead of 72) stitches to take advantage of the yarn's thickness. Here's what I worked out so far to start this sock:

Hell In A Handbasket Socks

C/O 64[72] st to 2.5 mm (size 1.5 US) [2.25 mm (size 1 US)] needles. Divide evenly, aiming for multi's of eight per needle. Knit cuff in 2x2 rib for 1 inch. Begin leg pattern.

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: *p5, k3, repeat from * 7[8] more times
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: as row 2
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: as row 2
Row 7: Knit
Row 8: p1, *k3, p5, repeat from * 6[7] more times, k3, p4
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: as row 8
Row 11: Knit
Row 12: as row 8

Repeat rows 1 through 12 until desired length is reached.

------

Heel to come.

No, It Isn't A Myth...

...finishitis is real. If you've been reading here, or here, you know what I mean. Is it fall coming closer by the minute having the opposite effect of spring? I don't know the answer, but I know it's either contagious or spontaneous.

Though I've acquired numbers 154, 102 and 40 in Kureyon for Lizard Ridge, some Dream In Color Smooshy, and three more skeins of Baby Ull for a "quad sock" brainstorm project in the last week, I haven't been casting on.

Instead, I finished that beasty Log Cabin blanket over the space of a couple days. I tore out the applied I-cord edge (that "I" really does stand for idiot, though not in the way EZ intended) and whipped up a simple and fast (i.e. perfect) single crochet border. The blanket softened way up with Eucalan, and now its all dry and waiting to be sent. Pictures to follow in future post.

I also pulled out a striped baby hat I knit up over a year ago and sewed in all the ends. Now to find someone to give it to. Suggestions?

Then I unearthed a wacky sweater I don't think ever got posted about made out of some awful acrylic and wool blend in colors I would never, ever pick for myself. (What else does one do with 1500 yds of handn-me-down yarn but self-teach?) I had originally thought to slog my way through a sweater with some basic knowledge and see what I learned. But now that I've finished the body and I can't imagine myself wearing the silly thing, I don't know if I should continue. At this point I don't think I can just hand it off to Goodwill - who would buy the half-baked thing with extra skeins in tow? I could whip up the sleeves then send it to a shelter. What would all of you do?

With all that under my belt in a few short days, I decided I needed to start a new pair of socks for an upcoming birthday. More to come on that. I've also managed past the heel on the first WTS. Specs:

WTS Men's Sock, Part Deux

At the beginning of the next round, assuming you've got the leg length you want, knit the first stitch of the first needle onto needle three. Now you're ready to fashion your heel flap.

Heel

Row 1: K across 32 st. Turn.
Row 2: K2, p28, K2
Row 3: K2, *sl1, K1, repeat from * until 2 st remain, K2

Repeat rows 2 & 3 until your heel flap is 31 rows long, including row 1, which should mean ending with a RS row. Begin turning.

Row 1(ws): K2, p15, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 2(rs): sl1, K3, K2tog, K1, turn.

Continue in this fashion until all heel stitches have been incorporated, ending on a right side row.
Gusset/Instep

I found on the Pig Tail Socks that picking up along a garter ridge on a heel flap looked nicer and was actually easier than slipped stitches, so I've continued that in this pattern.

Taking a spare needle, pick up 16 stitches (one for each ridge), then knit across with the heel flap needle. Continue across the top of the foot in this way:

Foot Pattern

Row 1: K1, *p1, K1, p1, K1, p2, K2 (K1 on final repeat), repeat from * three more times.
Row 2: K1, *p2, K1, p1, K1, p1, K2 (K1 on final repeat), repeat from * three more times.

Of course, you will need to adjust which row you start with based on where you ended the leg to keep the seed stitch pattern.

Then, pick up the other gusset ridges (hopefully sixteen in all), knit across and knit ten stitches from the heel flap. As you knit around the instep and gusset, reduce one stitch every other row at the beginning of each gusset. On needle one that would be a K2tog, on needle three a sl1, K1, psso. Continue in foot pattern as well.

When I get to the toe, my plan is to do a standard paired decrease every other row over stockinette and then Kitchener it shut once I reach 16.

It's All About Aquisition

You know you have startitis when....

- you go looking at colors of a sale yarn at your LYS without a pattern in mind, but quickly find a suitable project for said sale yarn.
- you leave the LYS with Kureyon for this.
- you immediately abandon the sock you've been slogging in order to start one of the above.



(I have actually finished that dark grey pair of socks for hub. I do accomplish things now and then.)

I thought I'd make the second pair of Baby Ull grey socks more interesting to knit, so I threw in some seed stitch panels. Way Too Slow. Thus, these will be the WTS socks. Here's the quick rundown if you're crazy like me:

WTS Men's Socks, Part Un

Needles: Size 2, four or five
Yarn: Dale of Norway Baby Ull ('cause it's bigger and smooshier than most sock yarns)

Cast 65 st onto 2 needles, then divide evenly and join. I tend toward the k2tog joins, which means you're knitting 64 st. Rib 2x2 for 1.5 to 2 inches. Knit leg pattern for 7 to 8 inches.

Leg pattern
Row 1: *K2, p1, K1, p1, K1, p2, repeat from * 7 more times.
Row 2: *K2, p2, K1, p1, K1, p1, repeat from * 7 more times.

(Okay, so that's only the first half of the pattern. Stick around, and I'll post the rest when I get to it. Any suggestions on which heel to use?)

Sometimes, I Even Get Things Done

It has been implied, by the author, no less, that this is a knitting blog. So occasionally, one expects among the stories about what the munchkin is up to and that fun little Thursday book diversion there might be posts whose content seems to have something to do with what projects are being worked on. However, no such content has been posted since June.

Ha. That's what we get for forming expectations.

Here you have it, dearies, real knitting! I've been working on the red/brown log cabin blanket (round 8 of 9 - woot), but I needed to be working on a project that could break up the monotony of garter stitch. My mom has been on me about making her a pair of socks, so when she last visited I took her to my new favorite LYS and she picked Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Purple Club. I designed a pattern that might keep my attention longer than a simple rib.

Here are the particulars:

Pig Tail Socks
Cast on 80 st to size 1 needles (a set of five is handy), divide and join w/o twisting.
Knit in 2x2 rib for 1.5 inches.
Work first two rounds in K6, p2 repeated 10 times.
Knit the rest of the leg as such:

Leg Pattern
Row 1: ^FC4, K2, p2, *K6, p2*, * is repeated 3 more times^, ^ is repeated once more.
Row 2 & 3: K6, p2 repeated 10 times total.
Row 4: ^K2, BC4, p2, *K6, p2* * is repeated 3 more times^, ^ is repeated once more.
Row 5 & 6: repeat rows 2 & 3.

Continue leg pattern until desired length (approx. 6 inches).
End leg repeats at row 4.
Knit in leg pattern across 23 st on one needle.
Now for turning the heel.

Heel Pattern
Row 1: Slip 1, K14, p2, K6, p2, K15
Row 2: Slip 1, K4, p10, K2, p6, K2, p10, K5
Row 3: Slip 1, K14, p2, FC4(knit), K2, p2, K15
Row 4: Slip 1, K4, p10, K2, p6, K2, p10, K5
Row 5: Slip 1, K14, p2, K6, p2, K15
Row 6: Slip 1, K4, p10, K2, BC4(purl), p2, K2, p10, K5

Repeat heel pattern for 36 rows, ending on ws row.
Slip one stitch, purl across 22 st, p2tog, p1. Turn.
Slip one st, K6, K2tog, K1. Turn.
S1, purl until one st left on needle, p2tog, p1. Turn.
S1, knit until one st left on needle, K2tog, K1. Turn.
Repeat heel turns until all stitches have been knit onto one needle, purling on ws and knitting on RS.
Divide heel stitches evenly onto two needles.
Pick up (what should be) 18 stitches along heel flap, then knit along the flap.
Top of instep (40 st) knit in rib pattern: p1, *K6, p2*, * repeated 3 more times, K6, p1.
Pick up 18 more stitches on heel flap, knit across picked up stitches and half the heel stitches.
At this point there should 3 needles: 1 for the top instep (#1) and two for the heel/gusset (#2 & #3).
Knit across needle #2.

Instep Pattern
Row 1: p1, *K6, p2*, * repeated 3 more times, K6, p1.
Row 2: p1, * repeated twice, FC4, K2, p2, * once more, K6, p1.
Row 3 & 4: same as row 1.
Row 5: p1, * repeated twice, K2, BC4, p2, * once more, K6, p1.
Row 6: same as Row 1.

Knit needle #1 according to Instep Pattern, then knit across needle #3.
Begin gusset redux: knit to last three st of needle #2, K2tog, K1.
Do needle #1, then (needle #3) K1, slip one knitwise, K1, and passed slipped stitch over.
Continue gussets and instep until 80 st remain.
Knit all st across needles #2 & #3 and continue to follow instep pattern across #1 until sock reaches desired length.

All toe st are knit.
Begin at end of #2, last 3 st are K2tog, K1; #2 K1, S1, K1, PSSO, K until 3 st left, K2tog, K1; #3 S1, K1, PSSO, K to end.
Knit w/o reducing every other row.
Reduce toe st until 7 st each on #2 & #3, and 14 st on #1 (or until toe reaches desired length).
Weave toe st using Kitchener stitch.