Fifth Letter of the Alphabet

First things first; thanks for the compliments on my recent finished objects! I blog for myself, but it’s nice to know that someone else is reading it!

Right, on to the post proper.

Today, the blog is brought to you by the letter “e”.

More specifically the mathematical constant known as Euler’s number (this wikipedia page is very good for explaining everything. WARNING: CONTAINS CALCULUS).

So, what does this have to do with knitting?

Ta-da!

This is the start of a knee-high sock striped using the digits in “e”. So I could use all ten integers from 0 to 9 I add one to all the numbers so 0 = 1 round, 1 = 2 rounds and so on.

I cast on my usual toe with the yarn I’ll be using for both toes and both heels, switched to my bright yarn, knit 3 rounds (the first digit of “e” is 2), switched to my dark yarn and knit 8 rounds (the second number being 7), and so on.

These are all the yarns I’m planning on using for the socks.

For the second sock, I’ll keep the stripe sequence the same, but change the contrast colours.

The pattern I’m going to use is the gusset heel basic sock from WendyKnits (the same I used to make these socks) and this calf-shaping template.

This is my challenge for the December KAL over at the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry.  And boy is this going to be a challenge!

PS: I’ve caught yet another virus (it’s really odd, it feels like ‘flu but not) and I was all up to date with everyone’s blog postings before this.  I’ll get there soon, so if you haven’t heard from me I’m still here, but just not necessarily very vocal right now!

FO: Zombie Starflower socks

Pattern: Starflower Socks by Jeannie Cartmel [My Ravelry Project Page]
Yarn: Krafty Koala BFL/Nylon sock yarn in Gothic Rose colour.  70 g (280.0 yards/256.0m) used

Needles and knitting style: 2.5 mm Knit Picks Harmony DPNs and combination/continental style
Sock style: Toe up: wedge toe, garter stitch short row heel over 60% of foot stitches.

Dates: 1st October – 3oth November 2009
Modifications/notes:

• These socks were knit for the Ravelry group Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL for October 2009 as part of the designer challenge
• Pattern is more of a recipe than a line-by-line pattern so I used a short-row garter stitch heel over 60% of the foot stitches and used Judy’s Magic Cast on for the toe start
• I used a 2/2 rib for the top instead of a 1/1 as in the pattern

• When moving from the heel to the leg I knit the back half of the stitches plain for one pattern repeat.
• I cast off my knitting 2 sts, moving these sts back to the left hand needle and working a k2tog, purling the next stitch, moving the two sts from right to left needle and p2tog. I don’t know if it has a special name – can anyone enlighten me?

FO: Traditional Gansey Socks

Pattern: Traditional Gansey Socks by Wendy Johnson from the book “Socks From The Toe Up” [My Ravelry Project Page]
Yarn: Regia Silk 4-ply (wool/silk/nylon).  Approx. 400 yds/360 m used for both socks.
Needles and knitting style: One 2.5 mm Addi 100 cm long circular needle for Magic Loop.  Worked two-at-a-time.  Combination/Eastern Uncrossed style throughout.
Sock style: Toe up with gusset heel and wedge toe.
Dates: June 21st – September 28th 2009
Modifications/notes:

• Made size L (9.25 in circumference) for my mum’s feet.
• Leg height approx. 8 in/20 cm.

• Altered ribbing at top to continue garter stitch motif from pattern.

• Cast off cuff with 4 mm crochet hook to make it as non-binding as possible.
• Used the Magic Loop technique for the first time and really liked it.  It was easy to use with the toe-up pattern and casting on both socks at the same time was very simple.
• Used Judy’s Magic Cast On for the toes.  I really can’t see me using any other cast on for toe-up socks from now until the end of time.
• The fit of these socks is great (my mum nearly didn’t get to keep them) and the pattern is well written (as usual).  The stitch motif was pretty easy to memorise.

Old Red-eyes is Back

Oh hayfever, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways …

Can I count to negative 3 trillion?

So in between the allergies, the not sleeping, the random crying for no reason and Wimbledon (totally wrote Wibbledon there – subconscious slip or what?) I’ve been concentrating on two new knitting projects.

Thusly;

Aestlight Shawl by The Shetland Trader in my Mean Girls Yarn Club June shipment

Before and …

during!

I less-than-three this pattern greatly and can see myself making it again. And again.

A much less colourful project is a pair of socks for my mum in Regia Silk.

The pattern is The Traditional Gansey Socks from Socks from the Toe Up.  Yes, I may well be making every pattern from this book.

I’m cannibalising another sock to make these because I’d made it too short and instead of ripping the toe out and adding a few centimetres, I’m knitting a whole new one!

I think that’s what we call “Knitter’s Logic”?

Oh, and I finished the Leprecaun sweaters (thanks MrsDrWho for the name!)

I made those wire hangers myself while watching the series finale of CSI!

I’m a little behind on blog-reading again (always?) because I need to be in the right mood to make nice comments and that particular mood isn’t happening too frequently at the moment.  Oh, well, have to keep swimming, right?

FO: Gusset Heel Basic Socks

Pattern: (name, author, source) Gusset Heel Basic Socks (Ravelry project link) from Socks from the Toe Up by Wendyknits

Size(s): (to fit, finished size) Women’s Large to fit 9″ foot/ankle circumference

Yarn: (name, fibre, weight, colour) Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in “Devon”, wool/nylon fingering/sock-weight

Needles: (size, material, style) 2.25 mm bamboo dpns

Knitting style: (for stitch patterns) Combination/continental throughout

Heel and toe style: Toe-up, wedge toe, gusset heel

Modifications: None.

Notes: I may not be the fastest sock knitter in the world, but I get there eventually!

This was a well-written pattern and the fit is great.

I found two small errors, one in the heel instructions and one in the ribbing.  For the largest size, the heel turn sould read K33 not K35 and in the ribbing, if you don’t decrease or increase two stitches before starting the ribbing, you end up with 4 knit stitches at the start/end of round.

If I ever need a basic sock pattern, I think this is one I would gravitate towards automatically now.