So I'm enjoying my first few days not working. It's very pleasant to wake up when I feel like it :)
However the boredom and lack of activity will be catching up with me shortly. A friend of mine (local knitter and dyer extraordinaire) is moving and got rid of a few one-shot dyes. She offered them- I accepted and am now bitten... This new hobby could get quite dangerous- especially since I have the desire to play with colors more and not knit! So far I've dyed two skeins of sock yarn- one a lovely blue-green, one a deep purple. Here they are:
Here's where it gets sticky... I loooove the purple (the photos do NOT do the intensity and depth of color justice). I've decided that this summer I want to really focus on color work and have a very cool pair of socks in mind. It's a fair isle pattern that uses self-striping yarn and a solid to create the effect of lots of different yarns. I've been searching for the perfect self-striping for a while. I dragged my poor mother to 6 yarn shops in the past 2 days!
Finally, at Lovelyarns in Hamden, I found the perfect BRIGHT striping yarn. Now I have to decide if I want to knit it against black, or the new purple I dyed... I had been walking around with the purple at the yarn shops- and several expressed interest in the yarn... Lovelyarns said if I wanted to dye and sell- she'd be happy to have some. And that's all the encouragement I needed. Now I'm doing all the research to see if this is a feasible adventure... Who knows! Next update will surely address this new idea...
Well... let's see. I survived my program. So now I have my Advanced Certificate (not in hand yet since the school printed it incorrectly!), I've accepted a part-time teaching job for next year... That's about it. Been teaching full time for about a month now- it's fun. I love the kids.
Yarn updates: Md Sheep & Wool treasures!!
Lots of pink this year. The red yarn and blue yarn next to it were presents for my mother and sister.
Not much else to say so I'll be off to keep knitting now!
I made up at least 2 patterns for Christmas presents... and managed to give them away before I had taken photos- nevermind writing up the patterns. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to make them again. The first was a hat with twisted rib brim and a purl ridge that spiraled around the hat. The second was a neckwarmer with a bias purl rib.
Nothing too exciting has been going on lately. I managed to squeak through the insanity that was January this year. Not much time for knitting or weaving or reading. I'm too scattered to write down much else. I'll try and come up with some patterns in the near future- at least pictures of what I've been working on... That's about all for now.
So I've been working on lots of things for friends with infants lately. No new patterns yet, but I have a few in mind. Unfortunately, only one of these brilliant ideas is destined to be a Christmas present, so the rest will take a backseat until I get the rest of these socks finished.
I'm making very few things for presents this year. It's taken a lot of pressure off. I actually only need to make 2 pairs of socks. Nothing is slated for my sweetie or my immediate family. But that could change at any moment.
Tumbling around in my head are designs for a funky, fowl scarf and socks inspired by the ever impressive Dumbledore :)
If something else comes to mind, I'll be sure to get it out and down here to share. But right now I need to restart my laptop- so thus ends another short entry.
I believe most people in this world can be classified as ninjas or pirates. It can vary from day to day, minute to minute even. But we all have a little of each inside us. Personally, I am a pirate until I get comfortable with a group. My sweetheart is definitely a ninja- through and through. These socks were designed with him in mind.
These silly socks are designed to let you announce to the world your mood of the day. There is a “Right” and “Left” sock, but which is which will be determined by how pirate-y or ninja-y you feel when you pull them on.
Designed to fit a US Men size 10 ½ , changes for US
Ladies size 9 ½ in ()
Gauge 8 st/inch
Materials:
US Size 2 dpns or size needed for gauge
App. 250- 300 yds Main Color (Black Knitpicks Essential Sock Yarn)
App. 75 yds Background Color (Auburn Knitpicks Essential Sock Yarn)
App. 10 yds Skull Color (Knitpicks Bare Merino Sock Yarn)
LEG:
Cast On 64(60) st Main Color join in round
Work k2 p2 ribbing for 10 rnds
Work 5 rnds Stockinette
Use chart for color work (the reds are supposed to be the same- the jpgs have really been fighting with me!)
*note- it is important to make sure your floats are long enough- try knitting inside out. Also- consider not carrying the black through and “sew” in the ninja mask later. I have done both- it looks fine either way.
After chart is completed, switch back to main color and work in st st for 20 rows.
Centering for HEEL:
(I use the “Ninja” as the visible pattern- so Ninja Right= ninja on the outside of right sock)
RIGHT Sock
Knit 16. Start new needle and knit 32- the remaining sts will wait.
Begin Heel Flap or Short Row Heel.
LEFT Sock
Knit 16(15). Turn and p 32(30) back across beginning of round.
Divide remaining 32(30) sts onto 2 dpns for instep.
BAND HEEL
My new favorite is Criminy Jickets’ Band Heel found here:
(Double check: Count the remaining stitches. It should be 24 (22).)
The turn.
R1: Sl 1, K 14(13), SSK, turn.
R2: Sl 1, P 6, P2tog, turn.
R3: Sl 1, K 6, SSK, turn.
Repeat R2 and R3 until 8 stitches remain.
Sl 1, K to end.
Pick up 12(11) stitches along side of flap (one in each slipped stitch). Knit across instep, and pick up 12(11) stitches along other side of flap. Knit 4.
Proceed to Toe Decrease
HEEL Flap, Turn, &Gusset
All wrong side rows sl 1 purl to end
Right side rows (sl k1) to end
Repeat 2 rows 15 times, about 2 ½”
End with Right Side Row
HEEL TURN
Row 1: Sl1 p17(16) p2tog p1
Row 2: Sl1 k5 k2tog k1
Row 3: Sl1 p6 p2tog p1
Repeat Rows 2-3 working one more st before decrease until all have been worked.
Pick-up Instep Stitches
With right side still facing, pick up sts in along left edge of heel flap (my happy number is 16 picked up sts). K across instep sts (top of foot) and combine needles 2 & 3 (new needle #2). Pick up same number of sts along right edge of heel as on left edge.
Knit even 1 round.
GUSSET
Round 1:
First needle: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Second needle: work even across
Third needle: k1 ssk, k to end of rnd.
Round 2: k
Repeat rnds 1 and 2 til st count is 64(60), 16(15) on needle 1, 32(30) on needle 2, 16(15) on needle 3.
Work in st st til sock measures app. I have found that 7” from heel fits most women, 8” most men.
Toe Decrease
Round 1:
First needle: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Second needle: k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Third needle: k1 ssk, k to end of rnd.
Round 2: k
Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 til 32 sts remain.
Work Round 1 until 12 sts remain.
Break yarn and turn sock inside out to work 3 needle BO.
For 64 st use full chart. For 60 st ignore first 2 columns (light gray).
