Butterfly socks - finally done!

I started these stocks on 28 November 2013 and they are now finally done!!!

The pattern is Butterfly Socks by Wendy D Johnson from her book "Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits" which I got in 2011.

This is what they are supposed to look like....

so I am super chuffed that my socks look the same! hahaha

I knitted them toe up, one at a time using the magic loop technique on a pair of Hiya Hiya 2.25 mm 60cm circular needles. The yarn is Stranded In Oz Stranded Silk Sock (4 ply 70% Wool, 20% Nylon, 10% Silk) so they are really soft to knit with. The colorway is called Le maquis, a lovely variegated green.

For the toes, I used Judy’s magic cast on toes. 

I made 4.5 lace repeats before starting the Fish Lips Kiss heel.  I love this heel technique, super easy to remember too. I don't know if I prefer this to the Tomato Heel cause these socks I made are super comfy too... just have to alternate my socks until I work that out! See what I just did there?! :)

Then I worked 1.5 lace repeats after heel before extending the lace pattern for both front and back of the socks.

I did 11 rounds of 2 by 2 ribs for the cuff  before binding off using Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off.

Look how stretching they are!

I just love how they have turned out and they feel so beautifully soft and squishy. These will be wonderful winter socks!

  

Stitch with love xx

First stripy sock

I got my first self-striping yarns recently from Knitterly Things which has been very exciting for me but it has also taken me a few weeks to choose a pattern for my very first stripy socks. In the end I chose Cat Bordhi's Sweet Coriolis socks from her Sweet Tomato Heel Socks ebook.

I broke the skein into two balls and made sure that they weighted the same with the same colours (and length) at the start and end. So fingers crossed that the stripes match up...

Anyway I am pleased to report that the sock is turning out like the pictures in the book (always promising!) and the tomato heel wedges have worked out nicely.

I used 2.5mm circular needles in magic loop. I am knitting the medium size (7.5cm circumference) and did 3.5 wedges. I am going to start the diagonal ribbing 3 inches (7.5cm) up the leg so they will be part of the cuffs. I have decided to make the two socks the same in opposite direction. This has progressed well as I took a week break from work to visit family in Brisbane so I am sure that progress will be slow now that the holiday is over but I am really enjoying this pattern.

Cat Bordhi's ebook is fantastic and I am so glad I purchased it. She also has really detailed videos on youtube which I am constantly referring to.

Good things come to those who wait... Glinda Socks

Good things come to those who wait... with hard work, and waited... and hard work and waited... I am not a fast knitter but these socks have taken me just shy of 6 months to complete. I didn't forget how I got here either...  The pattern is not a difficult one and it has been written well. These after all are my first cuff down after-thought heels socks so I am rather proud of them and I am glad I tried these techniques.  Whilst the results are pleasing, they certainly fit well, I now believe I am a toe up socks girl. I don't mind the after-thought heels even...

Just so happy that they are now a completed project!

Epic fail... Grrr

Grrr...

So my second sock is too short... I am not impressed how I could make such basic mistake... GRRR... but what's done is done and whilst I cursed the whole time I ripped back, it is now back to foot where I have to do another repeat (at least I think).

What I have learned from this? I have learned that:
1. always have the first sock in the same project bag
2. put notes in Ravelry project page
3. measure properly for goodness sake!
4. how to rip back purl stitches (I had no issues with putting back knit stitches but never did purl stitches, now I know...)

I definitely prefer knitting socks toe up rather than cuff down but I am going to persevere of course as I can never not finish something... so... onwards!

Been so long...

Whoa, it has been so long since I last blogged... I got distracted with experimenting different softie making techniques and then I went away to see the olds for week.

Here are some pics of a softie I am making and experimenting techniques with. Going slow but I think I am making progress...

Anyway am home now and have a finished project to show. I finished my first Norwegian baby hat by Djevellue. I followed Pennywenny’s notes to make the dinosaur ridges. I really enjoyed making this hat and just casted on another one since there are going to be two boy babies due in coming weeks within our group of friends.

Aside from this, I am still knitting the Lemongrass glittery Glinda socks by Stranded in Oz. I am at waste yarn row for the after-thought heel on the second sock. My first after-thought heel socks so I am going really slow...

Itching to get back to crafting and so happy that this is the Queen's birthday long weekend!

STITCH ON!

Progress on some knitting...

Here is some progress of the 198 yards of heaven shawl. I decided to make it bigger so instead of doing 2.5 repeats of the body of the scarf, I am going to do 4.5. I am currently at the first row of the 4th repeat. I am loving this pattern, it's easy to follow and modify.

I also started the Glinda Socks by Stranded in Oz. The yarn and pattern are from the October 2011 sock club. The green is striking and glittery, I had worried that it would be coarse but it is actually quite nice! So far the first sock is knitting up nicely. This is my first cuff down pattern and whilst I still prefer toe up, I am enjoying it.

Finally! the Moggy Doggy socks are done!!

Yay - the Moggy Doggy socks are finally done!!! I just hand-washed them and they are currently being dried but I couldn't wait to post the pics! I think the blue or purple might have run a little and got on to the white but I don't mind too much.

Phew - these have definitely been an experience. A good one even with all the mistakes I made and there were plenty. I learned a few different techniques from making these and I am really happy with that. They fit well and the paws on the heels are in the right place.

I am so glad they are done cause these have been the only yarny projects I had for weeks and I can't wait to start others.

Moggy Doggy socks - update

Taken a while but I have finished the 2nd Moggy Doggy sock. It fits!!!

I am not marking this project complete because the first sock didn't fit and I am going to fix it but I just so pleased with the outcome of this 2nd sock.

So the plan is to rip back the first sock to just before the heel and reknit. For the moment, I am just savouring the victory of this 2nd sock... SO HAPPY... I am a process crafter as I tend to enjoy the process and want to master whatever technique or skills the project has installed for me.

Cheers to more learning!

Moggy Doggy socks - one done but....

Well I finished the first sock and it looks great.... only if it fits!! : ( I am so gutted. I don't know what happened as I was doing fitting regularly up until the mosaic pattern where I thought if the foot fitted surely the rest would too... Well, that just shows my inexperience.

I even gone ahead and modified the ribbing cuff a little as I like them longer....

Last night after I picked myself up from the pit of failure, I casted on the second sock and with the hard learning I did on the first sock, I am using some larger needles when I get to the leg and make sure to fit as I go. I am planning to rip out the first sock (it pains me to say this....) when I am done with the second sock...

Let's put this down as a learning experience... SIGH....

While we were in Austinmer...

I did some knitting too!

The first of mine Moggy Doggy sock by Stranded in Oz is coming along nicely albeit slowly. I haven't been working on it a lot but it certainly got some love during on those rainy days.

Moggy Doggy socks by Stranded in Oz

I have been a little preoccupied with the Moggy Doggy socks by Stranded in Oz and I am very happy with how my first sock is turning out! The yarn is so soft and smooth and the semi solid colours are so pretty...

Like the shrug, I really want these socks to fit me properly and as I have particularly small feet for an adult, I made extra effort to test the gauge. I measured my feet and measured again, read up on how to do colour work, etc... I ended up purchasing a pair of 2mm Addi Turbo circular as I didn't feel confident adjusting the charts to fit me.

I am so excited to see that the doggy paw on the heel is looking like it should - yay! and the sock is fitting perfectly - double yay!

Next challenge is the leg charts... fingers crossed : )