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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Whilst I sit here still hoping the postman is going to deliver my Knit Love Sock club parcel, I thought it was the perfect time to post the details about the final package from last years Sock club.

The parcel actually arrived before Christmas (hence the pattern name), but I didn’t get a chance to cast them on until this year. The yarn is my favourite to date – a special cashmere blend from Nimu in the most amazing purple/blue colour! The pattern – Mince Pie Mayhem was designed by Alice, and the “extras” were some Soak and amazing labels to attch to your handmade goodies.

I was hoping to have these socks finished by today, but have only made it to the toe on the first sock. It seems a little silly knitting Mince Pie socks well after Christmas, so I have renamed they the blueberry pie socks as the yarn reminds me more of this!

Tags: mince pie mayhem, nimu, Socks, socktopusclub2009, 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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Sock knitters all know October means Socktoberfest! This year is no different, my aim this year is to try and finish all the socks I have on the needles and take part in the TTL Mystery Sock. Not too big a task, I was working on August’s Sock Club, and just had to make a partner for my p/hop sock. However, I forgot that the next instalment of the Sock Club was due (I will post about that soon – it is truly an amazing package), so of course I had to cast that on!

Then I hit a snag with the Scadenza, one of the joys of this pattern is the continuity of the pattern, the waves are carried from the toe to cuff, then new waves are started on the base of the foot carried over the heel and onto the leg. When I joined the back and front instead of pretty waves, I ended up with some lovely waves and one rough. Jason actually named it the drunk wave!

So I frogged the pattern, started again, then I notice I have dropped a stitch whilst frogging, so had to rip it back again. Third attempt, the drunk line once again appeared!

So this time I sat down with a pen and paper and drew the pattern as I saw it should be, realising I had no idea what I was doing, I scanned the chart and got to work in Photoshop linking the charts from the front and back. After about a week of this I discovered the pattern was meant to look like this, with the drunk wave.

Of course I was not content with this idea, when back to photoshop and eventually re-drew the chart on graph paper to insure I had all sober waves. So my sixth attempt at the pattern with the help of photoshop, pen and paper and had one completely lovely sock.

Tags: Scadenza, Socks, socktoberfest, socktopusclub2009, WIP, Wollmeise

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Last autumn, I got this Socktopus bag, when I helped Alice out at the Ally Pally Knitting Show, the bag has hung in our bedroom for months hidden inside has been works in progress and yarn. I have been too scared to venture into the bag as I know it contains my longest standing WIP! However hidden in the bottom of the bag was also this Crochet Flower Kits from House of Hemp.

I have been interested in working with “other” fibres for sometime now, so when I saw these kits at Ally Pally, I knew they were the perfect tester kit. Over this weekend, I sat down and began re-watching Battlestar Galactica and crocheted away. I ended up knocking out a one flower an episode!

A quick trip to the Bead Shop (more about that later) and a raid of my button jar and I have a whole bouquet of flowers. Of course I then had to add one to the Socktopus bag to remind me to use this bag and not be afraid of the WIP!

Tags: brooches, hemp, socktopus, WIP

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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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When we were children the lead up to Christmas started with the store brought chocolate advent calendar, each day you would have to struggle with the perforated door to get to the tiny chocolate bar behind. Here at Chez Princessdeia we have never really grown up and every November we buy two advent calendars (one each as we never did learn to share). Last year Jason was extremely disappointed to learn that whilst he makes do with this bite sized chocolate every day his niece and nephew where having fun sized mars bars. As at there house, they have a wooden advent calendar with mini drawers to hold treats (some days they might get a toy instead of chocolates).

Whilst on ravelry last year, I found a pattern for advent calendar made of mini knitted hats, I just loved this idea but thought all along I would prefer to make mini stocking (after all knitters love making socks!) My original plan was to use Carissaknits holiday stockings pattern, in fact I had the pattern in my ravelry queue for nearly a year. Last month, I figured it would be quicker and easier to make the baby booties from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

Tags: Cascade Yarn, christmas, knitting for the home, LMKG, WIP

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It seems Autumn decided to arrive last week… Along with the falling leaves, grey skies and rain… Autumn seems to have helped my find my knitting mojo! Of course all knitters know October means Socktoberfest, as seeing as I have still to finish my first Ravelympics socks, what better time to catch up on some sock knitting.

The interesting addition to Socktoberfest this year has been Through the Loops‘ Mystery Sock. I have always wanted to join on of the mystery knit-alongs but always seem to discover them too late or fear that I will end up with a shawl I will never use… But a sock seems so simple.

Each Wednesday I new section of the pattern will be posted on Ravelry, so far only the cuff has been published, I think the pattern will be best worked on circular needles two socks at a time – but I am planning on knitting them on DPN’s - but still knitting both socks within the week.

Of course, the best thing about Autumn is all the new programmes returning to our screens – more reasons to stay at home and knit! So yesterday, whilst watching Fringe I cast-on and completed section one of the first sock.

Tags: Ravelry, ravelympics, Socks, socktoberfest, ttl mystery sock, 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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