Short row heel?

So the Nutkins have something new that I haven't encountered yet. The short row heel. I'm following the pattern but I think I keep screwing up the yos on the purl rows. It kind of looks like a hot mess right now but I'll keep going with it and hope that it starts to make sense soon.

See, don't these stitches look so...wack?





I'm not sure how this technique is better than the usual way heels are done but I'll stick with it until the end just in case I wind up liking it more. I think the toe is going to be short row too so no grafting at the end! I was just finally getting the hang of that too.

I may actually get this sock done in the next week or so, which is like some sort of record for me and sock knitting. Nice.

Nutkin Pt 1

So the Nutkins are coming along swimmingly! I'm really loving this pattern. I love that it's simple and easy to memorize. I don't have any problems putting it down and then picking it back up again. I can always tell where I am in the pattern. I love it when stitches are easy to read like that. I love the red color of this yarn. It makes me think of candy apples and cherries and suckers. I love the fact that I've knit this much of the first so and I've been working on it for less than a week. It took me like 3 months to do this much of the Hedera's. I think I'm discovering more of my pattern preferences when it comes to knitting. I really don't dig complicated patterns that require concentration. I don't like yoing after purling. I like simple patterns with minor interesting details in them to keep them from being a total stockinette snoozefest. But just a few details so I can still watch Psych and Project Runway without messing things up.

The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the folding over of the cuff and knitting it together. I'm not exactly sure what the point of that was.

Anyway, yay! I'm knitting again!

I think it's official...

I've come to the realization that I am a sock knitter. You know, what of those crazy broads who has dozens of handknit socks and almost every WIP is a sock of some sort. I didn't think I would like socks that much while working on my first practice sock. I found it kind of tedious and annoying, but I really wanted a pretty pair of socks for myself. So I knit it and learned the basics and started on a real pair. I had fun knitting that pair. The pattern was easy yet interesting. But still, I thought 'oh, these are  just socks. I can't wait to knit a shawl!' I thought for sure my next project would be some sort of lace shawl or stole or scarf.

Nope. Once I pulled both socks on my feet and let the pride wash over me and basked in the glow of compliments I was hooked. I had hand knit socks and I wanted more.

I really wanted to start a new pair last night, but the only sock yarn I had on hand was some boring knit picks pallet and some fair isle striping yarn which would only work in stockinette. I didn't want to do just straight stockinette so I just worked on Thrummed Mitten #2 for a bit while watching Dexter.

Today I went to the LYS and picked up two skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca fine weight yarn. One in a lovely charcoal color and the other the color of...fall? It isn't really one color. It's many colors. Inside it looks kind of like a boring brown but once you get it out into some sunlight the magic happens. It's made out of yellow and purple and green and orange and red yarn. Absolutely gorgeous. And it shimmers.

See for yourselves...










(the blue is knitpicks gloss yarn in Winter Night. It arrived yesterday w/my sock blockers and I meant to take it to the LYS to have it wound up but totally forgot.)

As soon as I got home I snapped a few pictures while the sun was bright just to catch all the pretty colors. Then I sat down and cast on for a pair of Synesthesia socks using the fall yarn. The pattern is like the Spring Forward in that it's pretty simple, w/an easy to remember lace chart. It should make for good travel knitting this weekend while we're on the road to Boston for Thanksgiving. Hopefully by this time next week I'll at least have one more sock under my belt.

The gray yarn I think will become a pair of nice cable socks. Just need to find a pattern I like. The blue? Not sure yet. Maybe some Monkeys or Nutkins.

And that is my story. I am now officially a sock knitter. I think this means eventually I'm going to have to learn the two at a time method. Ugh.

I have....SOCKS! TWO of 'em!

Finished the toe on sock two, not 10 minutes ago! I kitchenered and pulled those bad boys on as fast as I could. They actually fit better than I thought before. Definitely well enough for me to keep them (sorry Manda). I'm pretty pleased with them and man, they are comfy.

Lots of pictures, just so I can compare and contrast between the two of them.



Sock One.



Sock Two.



Sock One Heel Gusset.



Sock Two Heel Gusset. I got noticeably better at picking up the stitches for the gusset on sock two.



Sock One Kitchener Toe. Had a weird ridge of purl bumps halfway through (after the tutorial video ended).



Sock Two Kitchener Toe. No weird purl bumps. Did it spot on this time.



Aw, don't they look so happy?



The only thing I would change if I do them again is to make them taller. They are a we bit on the short side. I have quite a bit of the yarn left over. Maybe enough for a pair of ankle socks?

The second sock.

So the second sock seems to be moving along much faster than the first. I cast on my first sock around...10/13? 10/12? And was apparently working on the heel on 10/20. That's a week before getting to the heel. I cast on for the second sock on Saturday (11/7) and I started my heel flap last night  (11/11). That's only 5 days. I'll probably even finish the flap tonight and start working on the gusset decreases.

... or not. I just realized I have a test I need to take for my geography class by tomorrow. Aw crap.

Um so yeah, the sock knitting has been going swimmingly. Maybe I'll get back to it tomorrow after I fail miserably at that test.


***ETA*** Ok so maybe I did get some sock knitting done tonight. Finished the heel flap, turned it and picked up the gusset stitches. This bad boy is just flyin' on by.

Socks and disappointing revelations...

Spring Forward sock one is finished! After an eternity of knitting (aka, two weeks) I finally grafted my toe closed on my lunch break today. And as Tim Gunn would say "I'm concerned".  It is a little tight on my foot. It fits, but it's tight. I may or may not be able to block that out. I need a set of sock blockers first. Or at this point, just A sock blocker. Another thing that concerns me is they make my feet look fat and stubby. I have long narrow feet. How can they look so fat in these socks? Has anyone ever uttered the words "Do these socks make my feet look fat?" because I was totally thinking that when I was looking over the pictures.

Anyway, on to the pictures. You can judge for yourselves.




(You can kind of see the minor laddering I got between the two needles that I used to work the sole. Right in the middle of my foot.)

This is not a very good picture but I wanted to show off my holeless toe.





See?! My foot totally looks like chubby in this photo.

I love the pattern. I love the yarn. I'm just not sure if I love this sock on my foot. There's a distinct possibility that my Mom may get some socks as a Christmas gift this year...

Oh, and I finished one baby hat. This is the smallest of the hats that I need to make. I'm thinking the other hat I'm working on is gonna have to be ripped out. It just seems way too big for a 6 month old. Then again, I kept thinking this one was going to turn out too large and it seems appropriately baby sized.

Nearly there...

I'm so close to finishing that sock I can taste it. (or smell it, or see it or something...) All I have left is to kitchener the toe closed. I just hope I don't blow it like I did on my first sock. These babies are too pretty to have holey toes.

Pictures to come later tonight.

**ETA**

The Sock is finished! YAY!

Roving, thrumming, and cascade 220.

I got another package from the Loopy Ewe today. (yes, I know, I compulsively buy yarn) This yarn is destined for a specific project though (normally I just buy and figure out a pattern later). I've decided to make a pair of thrummed mittens for Kevin's Mom. What happened to the convertible mittens you ask? My ADD is what happened. That and I got scared at the idea of doing fingers. I figured she could use something that could keep her fingers nice and toasty while she's out walking on cold New England winter mornings. Kev said it would be different from what she already has so it would be a nice change of pace.

So I've got two cakes of Casecade 220. One in Alki beach and one in Persimmon. The Aliki beach looked a little more...beigey online. In person it is a little grayish but still works with the roving. The roving is Glenda the Good Witch from Perchance to Spin. It might be a bit nice for a thrummed mitten project, but I wanted pretty roving and I know nothing about buying it. I'm hoping to perhaps maybe find a lady at the LYS to spin it/teach me how to spin after I get my thrums just to get a taste of spinning. I haven't decided what color I'll do for Kevin's Mom yet. Probably the Persimmon, it is such a lovely color.

The sock is coming along nicely. I'm about halfway down the foot now, and my heel came together so much better this time around. I'm just dying to get it done but it's taking forever. I can only usually get about 10-12 rows knit a day. But I am working on a baby hat finally, so that is slowing me down a bit. I have a feeling it's going to be a bit big, but babies only get bigger so it'll grow into it eventually, right?

Finish!

So. That sock? I finished it. About goddamn time. Who knew it would take me WEEKS to knit one lil sock. Why did nobody warn me how long it takes to knit a sock? Seriously. WEEKS!

So here is the finished product. The heel on one side has some laddering. My kitchner stitch needs a lot of work. But it looks like a sock, it feels like a sock and it fits. Therefore, it is a sock.









Now, the question is. Do I knit the second sock the same exact way? Do I try a star toe with a gathered closure instead? Maybe a short row heel? Or do I knit it the same and try to perfect my skills? Orrr...do I just say fuck it and move on to something new? (Lace perhaps? Fancy socks?) Decisions!

Breakthrough!

I had a breakthrough with this stupid sock. I took a day off from working on it and picked it back up this evening. I finally got through the tedious gusset decreases and am now working my way down the foot, about halfway to where I need to be before starting the toe. I might actually finish this stupid thing!

Oh, and it fits!

FO Update

A few weeks ago I blogged about knitting Odessa. I finished it not long after that but did not get around to posting any pictures. Well, here is the finished result.

I didn't use beads because I didn't have beads and was too poor to buy them. Next time I make it I think I will do the beads, just to add a nice girly touch.

It's made out of the same yarn as the Evangeline's down below. Berroco Alpaca something or another. Apparently I had a ton of this stuff. I've made a purse, fingerless gloves and 2 hats with it. (Oddly enough, the other hat I made was the Divine Hat by Rheatheylia which I believe is the crocheted version of the Odessa.)

I screwed up my stitch count on the top as I was closing it up so it's a little jacked up but it's hardly noticeable and I'm rarely around people that are taller than me anyway. I think I've yet to complete a knitting project that doesn't have some sort of mistake in it. I just muddle through and keep going, I hate ripping back.

Speaking of mistakes, I'm still working on those damn socks. I did my heel flap but I kept losing count of my rows and every time I tried to count them I wound up getting different numbers. I think it wound up being a little too long but once again, I just muddled through and kept going. I probably picked up more stitches than necessary when turning the heel and the gusset decreases are slow going. I've realized it's going to take me a few weeks to finish both socks so to keep myself from going crazy I've started knitting the Sideways Grande Cloche from Boutique Knits to keep myself sane and to actually finish something in a reasonable amount of time. I'm a little nervous about it, it's my first hat worked sideways. I'm using the lovely Elegance Aegean from Knit Picks in one of my previous posts. It's going to look awesome with my new red hair. (I'm pretty sure I can only wear green hats now but that's ok because all of my hats are green!)

I plan on knocking this badboy out by this weekend so I'll have another FO to post. Now I just need to update my project page on ravelry. I'm way too unorganized to keep up with that.

Can I gush for a moment?

I recently discovered the website the Loopy Ewe and instantly made a wishlist of all the yummy, gorgeous yarns I wanted to try. Friday was payday so I naturally decided to place an order for some Dream in Color Smooshy in Go Go Grassy. I got my yarn on MONDAY. AND they wound it into a cake for me at no charge. How awesome is that? They included a personal little note with my package and it was wrapped oh so carefully in tissue paper. The yarn is gorgeous. See, pictures!





I'm dying to knit with it already but I'm making myself finish the first pair of socks before jumping into something more complicated and ruining such a gorgeous yarn. I'm thinking Go Go Grassy will pair well with Sunday Swing Socks (it looks relatively simple for a beginner) or Spring Forward if I'm feeling adventurous.

I also picked up a skein of sock yarn at A Good Yarn this weekend while we were in Baltimore (watching the Red Sox kick a little Oriole ass). It's variegated and supposed to create a fair isle pattern when knit. It's in some sort of Mexican color way so I expect it will look like a fiesta on my feet!

I'm getting ahead of myself. I still haven't even finished my first sock yet. My god, socks are slow going. This is my progress so far. Just got to creating the heel flap. I had to rip out a few rows because the instructions were so totally wrong. It wasn't much work but it takes a long time to get a little way when knitting with such tiny yarn and needles!



But at least I am making progress!

Knitpicks and Adventures in Sockland

So yesterday I got the package I was anxiously waiting for. It was from knit picks and it contained a)two lovely yarns and b) a set of their harmony 4" dpns. I placed the order last week after having been bitten by the 'omg I want to knit socks!!' bug. (The yarn isn't for socks, I just liked the colors.)

I was like a little kid on Christmas, ripping open the package and feeling up the yarn and nuzzling my face in it. The pictures really don't do the colors justice at all. I got two balls of blue and two balls of a lovely sea green color. The green kept showing up as blue in every picture I took of it, but I promise, it's green.

The harmonies are beautiful. They are a wonder to knit with too. I was afraid that knitting with such tiny needles with teeny tiny fingering weight yarn would be a total PITA but the harmonies ensure that every stitch is a pleasure. The yarn slides easily, yet I have no fear of it slipping off the needles. The points are nice but not painfully sharp.

I immediately cast on for my first pair of socks, using Teach Yourself Visually: Sock Knitting as my guide.

(as you can see the poor hat I had been working on was immediately discarded)

So far I've only done the 1" 1x1 ribbing and just started on the stockinette stitches. I will never, ever do 1x1 rib for a sock again. OMG, how tedious. I didn't swatch (I never do) but I'm casting on for the largest size women's sock, w/the recommended yarn/needle and just hoping for the best (like I said before, too impatient). I'm excited about my first sock, but I can tell it's going to take FOREVER to finish the first one (damn tiny yarn!). So expect plenty of progress pictures as the knitting comes along.

And, photos of the yarn. Not sure what will become of this yarn, but it's super soft so preferably something I'll wear close to my skin.





(seriously, it's green y'all)