princessdeia

As I mentioned before one of the reason I loved the Socktopus Sock Club so much was the “interesting” construction of each of the socks. So when I saw a pattern with the most amazing heel, climbing up the ranks of the most popular pattern ranks on ravelry, I had to knit it!

As soon as I finished my Rumpled sock (photos to come), I cast on Skew! I normally don’t care too much about gauge on socks – but I read on ravelry it is extremely important in this sock – and I am glad I read that as I needed to go up a needle size to get the right tension.

In effect it is really just a stocking stitch sock with clever increases and decreases so it knits up pretty quickly, but I love the unusual construction – I keep stopping to try the sock on to see how it fits and get an idea of what part I am currently knitting!

Once I got to the heel – I was completely amazed – it is extremely clever the way to all fits together! One this I would add is before casting on this sock save the yard of yarn for the grafting stage, I didn’t and had to temporarily use another yarn which I will unpick and re-graft once I have finished knitting.

Tags: Knitty, Socks, WIP

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At least once a year I try and do Yarnharlot’s Knitters without Borders pledge, for one week, I forgo my cappuccinos, lunches out or that extra pint in the pub, just because giving up these little luxuries for week makes no differences to me can make an amazing difference for some one else. I still get amazed when I realise how much has been raised by this concept. (At the time of writing this is is over $600, 000).

I while ago I read about the idea of of paying for patterns by pennies per hour of pleasure (or p/hop), which is an extension of this concept. The idea is simple you knit one of the patterns from the site and then donate based on how much pleasure you got from making the project.

Over the last few month, in-between making my club socks I have been working on Joy‘s Hopsox pattern, I have been keeping a record of how many hours I have been working on this project, so far I think I am about 14 hours into the pattern. I have never really “timed” myself whilst knitting so it has been quiet enlightening for me.

Tags: malabrigo, p-hop, socktoberfest, WIP

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Over the past few year, I have been knitting my sister a pair of socks for her birthday. I thought I wouldn’t bother this year, but then my sister hinted she was looking forward to the socks. So with 8 days to go I set about the task of knitting some socks.

21st May – Skein.

27th May -Progress.

28th May – Finished Socks.

Tags: Cookie A, Finished Project, Monkey, Socks, socktopus

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Remember way back at the beginning of March I mentioned a KAL… well as hard as I tried I just could not finish these socks in the 31 days! In fact I only just managed to finish one sock by the 2nd of April.

When I tried the sock on, I realised it didn’t fit. The foot was too wide, the heel was too tight and I couldn’t get the sock past my ankle. I decided to set the sock aside and wait for my Sock(topus) Club parcel. But then fate stepped in as I had a long tube journey, so I picked up the sock and headed out. I am pretty use to knitting on the tube, however frogging was a new experience, although no one said anything, all the looks I got were shock!

I was making the 9 inch versions on 64 stitches, I ripped back to the heel, re-doing the short row on 38 stitches (I thought I would leave the foot a little baggy). Once I got to the heel I amended the pattern to add some extra stitches into the pattern (adding an extra 8 stitches).

Amendments are worked in the extra ribbing on the side of the pattern, starting on row 1 or 9

For size 9.0″:

Rnd 1 : k1, p1 * p1, k1, M1
Rnd 2: k1, p1 * p1, k2
Rnd 3: k1, p1*  p1, k1, M1, k1
Rnd 4: k1, p1 * p1, k4
Rnd 5: k1, p1 * p1, k2, M1 purlwise, k2
Rnd 6: k1, p1 * p1, k2, p1, k2
Rnd 7: k1, p1 * p1, k2, p1, M1 purlwise, k2
Rnd 8: k1, p1 * p1, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2

* See pattern for details.

Tags: malabrigomarch, Socks

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On Ravelry this month has been dubbed “Malabrigo March,” a chance to explore all the wonderful yarn produced by Malabrigo. Since Alice started stocking their sock yarn last autumn, I have collected a nice little stash.

On the Socktopus Board, we are having a mini malabrigo sock yarn, we selected a few patterns, then after a vote we decided on the Vinnland pattern. There is now a rebellion group that is knitting the Hourglass. I have opted to stick to the original plan and knit the Vinnland in Indiecita and hopefully if I have enough time I can cast on the Hourglass in Violeta Africana.

Tags: malabrigo, malabrigomarch, planning, Socks

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aka Socks the Rock Knit along….

I first about this knit along on the Socktopus Board on Ravelry and I fell in love with the concept rather than a normal KAL (one pattern and any type of yarn), this along only uses Sock the Rock yarn, with each person using a different colourway so you can see all the effects. I am using Thistle in Medium weight on 2.75mm needles.
 

The pattern is the amazingly simple Leyburn Socks, as Yarnharlot mentioned these socks practically knit themselves. With very little effort I have managed to nearly finish one sock.

I have started writing my 11 major (life changing) things to do in 101 days, I found a great support/encouragement group on Ravelry and it even inspired me with a few ideas for my own list (watching all the films in the AFI Top 100 list). Hopefully this weekend I will have a major push forward and achieve a goal or at least headway on something other that decreasing my stash.

Tags: 101things, KAL, Leyburn Socks, Socks, Socks the Rock

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I have to admit, I don’t use Ravelry to it’s full potential. Occasionally, I will test out a new feature (I am currently loving the twitter status updates), but there are tools I never use. I tend to just use the project or stash tabs, and the forums. This weekend I decided to export my stash into excel – all done with the one click. After adding a quick equation, I discovered I have six and a half miles of yarn!

As most of this is sock yarn and I am attempting to decrease this stash by mile, I figured four pairs of socks and a hat (mainly because of the cold snap in London this month) is about 1760 yards.

Rather than digging into my core stash, I opted to start knitting with my newest yarn acquisition, the Scarlet Fleece I got from my Sosesaswa pal. Speaking on Sosesaswa before Christmas, Jen set me an extra gift as part of the swap, a handmade DPN case, some needles and stitch markers.

Tags: 101things, planning, Socks, sosesaswa, WIP

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For the past month the buzz on ravelry has been all about the Ravelympics… When, it was announced on the socktopus board that they were putting together a team, I had to join in, I have decided to compete in two events, the Shawl Relay and Sock Put.

So this afternoon, whilst the thousands of athletes walked into the Birds Nest, I began to knit, casting on one sock and the shawl – although I have to say casting on 5 stitches for the Forest Canopy Shawl was pretty easy.

Tags: Ravelry, ravelympics, Socks, socktopus, team socktopus, WIP

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I seemed to have missed the boat a little with this element for Project Spectrum, I did manage to cast on some grey and white socks over a month ago… I started off amazing well knitting the leg whilst out with the Westenders Knitters. However since then SSS has set in.

I took this photo a few weeks ago but never got around to posting it… Originally, this plant was meant to be for the window sill but slowly it has grown and now it is taking over our flat roof. The flowers are now turning into wonderful little chills – they are still very small but some are turning red.

Tags: Air, chilli, PS3 - Elements, Socks, WIP

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Yarn: Knitwitches Sock Yarn in Lavender Sunset.
Pattern: Pomatomus from Knitty.
Needles: 2.75mm.
Notes: With my first pair of Pomatomus socks I suffered from SSS, even though I loved the pattern, this time around they knitted up amazingly well.

Published with wonder of WordPress, whilst I am away.

Tags: Cookie A, Finished Project, Pomatomus, Socks

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