Signing Up For More Sock Yarn!

Considering I have only managed to knit one pair of socks this year it's ridiculous that I keep adding to my sock yarn stash. And that one pair was only very recently. I have my sock mojo back though (to the detriment of my other ongoing projects) and my growing stash is the result. Having said that my recent purchase I bought with a plan. That book I mentioned in my last post has a lot of fabulous double knit socks with cables. I have one of those patterns on the pins just now. What I really wanted to see was a pair of cables in a solid cover. My poor mother is my guinea pig (I am sure she doesn't mind, she gets socks out of it). So I ordered some lovely red DK yarn from Wool Warehouse. I also ordered a 4ply red yarn for a nice lacey pattern I haven't even picked out yet.

I very rarely recommend yarn or crafty online stores other than those my friends have. I would recommend Wool Warehouse. Not only did it arrive very quickly. It also arrived in this mesh bag which will make a very handy project bag.

The problem with my talented friend Lisa is that she keeps coming up with these fab ideas and I can't say know. I blame lovely Lisa for my growing stash. I also blame my sock knitting friend Ginnie. When I was first learning to knit socks my friend (also known as the sock lady) would love to try different sock yarns. She would go out of her way to find the most unusual. She came across quite a few made from things you wouldn't believe and they always turned out lovely socks. One of those was the gradient yarn. I'm not sure it was called that from the place she got hers but basically it's a blanket of knitted yarn which is then painted. You then re-knit it into socks making it a surprise as to how it will turn out.

I was always going to do this but I left it so long that the place that my friend got hers from had very few colour selections none of which appealed to me. It comes back to me every now and then that I should go back and check but I never do. Then the lovely Lisa posts her knew yarn club and low and behold. It's a gradient yarn club. How could I say no? The good thing is that I always love Lisa's colourways so there will be no disappointment. I did steel this image from her facebook page. You can sign up for it there if you are interested.

Death by Sock!

For the first time ever I contemplated not starting a second sock. I never get one sock syndrome. Occasionally I might not enjoy knitting socks but finishing a pair is incentive enough to keep going. I was so bored with this pair I wanted to toss it out the window and never see it again. Which would have been a shame as these are for my gran's birthday and I really couldn't afford the time to start again. Plus it is nice sock yarn. It would be a shame to waste it. Even if it is boring the pants off me.

There is actually no reason why I should be bored by it. I normally love a lace pattern. While it isn't a difficult pattern it's certainly more complex than the socks I have finished (and enjoyed knitting) of late.

Mind you, the pattern was difficult to see until you put the sock on (as modelled by my lovely Mother with the tiny feet). It's from The Sock Club by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott. The pattern itself is called Rainbow over Lahaina by Adrienne Fong. It works over four rounds which is fairly easy to remember so no need to constantly refer back to the book. I did have to up the needle size from 2.25mm to 2.75mm. I started with the smaller needles but I could tell straight away that it was going to be too small for the yarn. Even then I feel that the sock is a little neat at the ankle and my gran has quite slim feet. My mum is the same and she managed to get them on so it worked out okay in the end. If you are knitting it for an average person I would recommend going up a sock size.

The pattern did have one of my pet peeves and that's making the heel more complicated than it needs to be. I've lost count of the number of times I have forgot to follow the pattern and just did the heel the way I normally do. I wish I had done that with this. If I had the pattern would still have worked out and I would have been left feeling slightly less frustrated. It came down to dividing the stitches and after three attempts I still got it wrong. Of course the fact that I wasn't enjoying knitting them (which was all down to me) would have contributed to that.

Now that they are finished though I am pleased with the way they turned out and I think my gran will like them. The yarn I used was zauberball again by Schoppel. This one is called flowers. Which is funny because friends at my knitting group commented that they reminded them of flowers (hence the garden photograph). It isn't as thick as the crazy zauberball and it does have variances in thickness throughout. It can also get a little fluffy. If you can cope with all that it is a lovely yarn to knit with and does make for lovely socks. I did try to make both socks match. Unlike last time it's my fault. I should have started further on in the pink when casting on the second sock. I don't think it matters though.

If you are thinking of knitting this pattern please don't be put off by me. I was clearly in a mood when knitting these socks.

Lazy Week.

One week off so far and only one lovely day. Which is typical. I did get to spend it in the garden and I cast on a new pair of socks. This yarn has been sitting in my stash for so long I actually forgot I had it. I vaguely remember starting some socks with it when I first got it but it didn't quite show off the pattern. I've chosen a simple lace pattern for it this time. I am knitting it up for my gran whose birthday isn't too far away. The yarn is another zauberball which I like. However, I'm not sure about the pattern I've chosen. I'm sticking with it though as with this particular yarn there is only so many times you can get away with taking it back.

As well as sitting out in my mum's lovely garden I also managed to get myself to my knitting group. First time in a few months. It was nice to catch up with everyone and see what projects are being worked on. If you are interested in seeing our group blog you will find it under Glasgow Fort Stitch N Bitch. I've still to update it mind you so you will only see Helen's posts over the last few weeks who kindly took it over.

There are a few baby showers coming up and I have been working on projects for that. I can't show it though as the recipients might see it. So instead here is some coffee and cake because there has been a lot of coffee and cake.

There has also been library visits where I spotted a yarny book corner. Next to a small shelf of books there are knitted blankets and pillows. Two things I love the most. Yarny goodness and books. Everyone should have a reading nook and blankets to cosy up with.

Other than that I have been very lazy. Mainly curled up reading, sleeping or watching DVDs. I had a few bits and bobs I planned to do and none of it got done. Including some some changes to this blog. I have a few days left though. It will get done.

Sock Club - Book Review

I normally like to try at least one pattern from a book before I review it. In this case I have felt the need to try several patterns before I got to the review. In fact I am in the middle of another one although it's turned into a UFO as I have to finish a few other things. It might be Christmas before this review was posted if I waited until that pair of socks got finished. I think the reason I have felt the need to try more is that each of the patterns are actually designed by different people. The authors are really the editors who compiled the patterns. Although, I know that Charlene Schurch is a sock designer in her own right as I am pretty sure I have another of her books on my shelf. The theme of the collection is there in the title. Each of the patterns were at one time sent out as part of a sock club.

The types of patterns range greatly from intricate lace to colour work to cables. I don't know if you can see it in the above picture but there is also one pattern with beads. The difficulty level ranges from intermediate to expert. It doesn't contain a basic sock pattern although some are more simple than others. So if you haven't knitted socks before I maybe wouldn't recommend the book until you have.

Having said that, this book contains the mosaic sock pattern that I fell in love with. It is one of the more difficult designs. Yet a friend of min who hadn't knitted socks before managed it with just a little guidance. So if you are determined enough and have someone to help you with the technical parts I would say go for it.

I have just one little bug bear about the book and it's really about the layout of the pattern itself. I like a pattern to be systematic. That's just me and the kind of person I am. Start off with the cast on, then the cuff and so on. You can't really get lost with that. These patterns all start with the design of the sock itself and then the cast on and the cuff. In some cases it's even more mixed up than that. The mosaic pattern was particularly mixed with no real logical order. It made making mistakes very easy and made teaching the pattern difficult. My two friends who were learning to make them also found this frustrating but they had me to keep them right as I had knitted them twice already and was used to it.

Other than that it's a great books. Not a lot of designs in it compared to some I think, However, there is a pattern in there to suit every taste. For most of the patterns I would recommend a solid sock yarn but there are some that need a variegated yarn.

Mosaic Socks (and learning something new)!

I know you have seen these socks before. I promise the images below are new. Or at least new to the blog. I have a tendency the last year or so to find a pattern that I like and want to knit again and again. The result is that everyone gets a pair for their Christmas. Last year it was the spiral sock pattern. A very easy pattern which was perfect considering I had placement then. But also one that changed when using different sock wools. This year it's the mosaic sock pattern. It's actually called "Tea Time" and was designed by Adrienne Fang found in "Sock Club". The first pair I knitted for my knitting group challenge which I have already talked about a month or so ago. I may not have worn them yet but they are my pride and joy and I love them.

The green sock yarn was actually a birthday gift from my sister and it came with instructions to make something with myself. I had a ball left over and decided to use them on my sister. As most people know my arty sister likes the strangest colour combinations which always seem to work. I had seen a pair of socks knitted up in green and pink (different pattern) and I decided to give that a go. I think they worked well together and my sister loves them. The colour combination suits her to a T.

My friend Helen is a sock knitter too. She actually picked up the sock needles before I did. Helen is always working on different things so knits a pair of plain socks when she wants something she doesn't need to think about. Seeing my mosaic socks though made her decided to try something with a pattern for the first time. So I decided I would knit a pair at the same time. It's one of those patterns I find is easier to talk through with someone if you are knitting them together. The end result was this pair done in shades of purple for my gran. I think they are probably my favourite.

Apologies for this photo. These socks are now planked away. I normally declutter the area before taking photo's. Anyway, my friend Isabel then wanted to learn so I knitted up this pair for my mum. She was on holiday at the time so I could knit them up without her seeing them.

My dad was next. I chose different shades of grey. Isabel had experimented with different needle sizes to get the right size of sock and so I did the same. The pattern can knit up quite tight and although I knitted the larger size I felt that it might be too tight. Using a bigger needle size worked out perfectly.

More importantly my friends finished their socks too. Isabel did the bigger size (which explains the size difference). Helen did the pink and white ones for a friend but she has another pair on the pins for herself. Isabel also has another pair started but I'm not sure who they are for.

Clearly both ladies like a challenge. Helen had never done anything beyond the basic sock and chose a difficult pattern for her first one. Isabel was very familiar with colour work. However, she knitted a pair of toe-up baby socks once about 5 years ago and that's it. So I was teaching her how to knit an actual sock rather than the mosaic pattern. At one point she also had a sock going from each end of the balls of yarn (too impatient to wait for the next lesson). I honestly don't know how she didn't end up in a fankle.

As I was teaching her the kitchener stitch she mentioned that it was invented by Kitchener himself. He designed it because the feet of his soldiers were being damaged by the seems of their socks. All these years of knitting socks and I didn't know that.

I still have Christmas socks to knit for my sister and my gran as they now have their mosaic socks. Will have to hunt out a pattern for them. However, I don't think this will be the last time I knit this pattern.

(all of these socks were knitted using regia solid sock yarn).

Knitting Group Challenge!

A while ago now my knitting group held its annual challenge. The group had been running for five years and this challenge was set up as part of our celebrations. We basically had to make something using a method we had learned whilst at the group. Bonus points if the number five was included in there somewhere. Since I am known for my sock knitting and I learned that at the group it felt that it was only right that I once again submitted socks. This time I did five different pairs each using a technique that was new to me.

The first pair of socks completed was these ones. I can't remember their name but I think they were from one of the Around the World in socks books (I have a couple of those with differing titles but they come down to the same thing. It involved knitting the socks on the straight and then using the Kitchener stitch to bring them together. I quite liked the affect of them. However, having to use the Kitchener stitch along the side of the sock is a lot different from just the toe. Felt like I was never getting to the end. They also knitted up far too small for the average person. So these went to my sister with the tiny feet.

The second pair I knitted I hated with a passion. I just didn't enjoy crocheting socks. I didn't like the affect and I thought it wasted the beautiful sock yarn that I used for it. My sister liked them but they were far too big so I gave them away to charity. The pattern I got off ravelry. My dislike for it had nothing to do with the pattern. I just hated doing it. More challenging knitting them I think.

These socks were by far my favourite. They are mosaic socks and were from "Sock Club". I won't say too much about them as I have knitted more of them and no doubt they will get a post of their own. This particular pair I kept for myself although I have yet to wear them. Too pretty!

I also enjoyed knitting these. These are beaded socks which I tried for the first time. I liked the plain colour with the beading. It knitted up a little narrow but as I had intended them for my mum all along it worked out fine. I can see myself knitting more of them. The pattern is called Beaded Lattice and also came from "Sock Club".

The final pair were a sample pattern from a two at a time sock book that I bought a while ago and this was the perfect excuse to finally get around to trying it. The book starts by showing how the two at a time method with baby socks. I used two different colours to make it easier for myself. It was the most awkward sock I have ever attempted. I doubt I will be doing more from this book.

I didn't win anything but I had fun trying out these patterns and I have begun teaching a few people my favourite of the bunch. If you want to see who did win you can see it on the knitting group blog.

I am a little biased in that the blanket my mum did was my favourite. It had a Cath Kidston feel to it which was one of the reasons why I loved it. She also made a cushion to match. I am determined to sneak it away from her. See if she notices.