Sock Monkey

Blue Slippers

2012-01-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

I don't think these slippers qualify as socks, but I will be wearing them on my feet! HA! I knitted this pair this week, and I really like them. I like the design and the fit. I like the soft cotton yarn.

What I don't like is the seam down the front of the slipper. It's not a design problem. It's a sewing problem. I can sew by hand wonderfully with thread on fabric, but with yarn, I'm a disaster. I plan to knit another pair of slippers, but I will knit the foot part on dpn's in the round. That will eliminate the seam and save time.

If you would like to knit a pair of these slippers, you will find the pattern at Sailing Knitter. Just click on FREE PATTERNS and it will be listed as Mystery Slippers. Happy Knitting!

Christmas Stocking #2

2011-11-09T10:07:00.001-08:00

I was looking through some of my Christmas crafting books, and I came across this picture of Christmas stockings:

I liked the green and red striped one and decided to make one with that color design. I didn't use the pattern in the book because I couldn't understand the heel instructions. I made it like a giant sock. It looks a little different because of the way the heel is made, but I like it.
I am going to try that other kind of heel construction because I think it looks better when using two colors of yarn. I always learning new things.

Christmas Stocking

2011-07-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

I made my first Christmas stocking this week. I realize it's not a real sock, but it's actually made like a real sock! The only difference in the construction is that this stocking is knitted flat to just below the snowflake and then joined in the round. From that point on, it's made just like a real sock.

This is my first experience with fair isle knitting, and it was a challenge for me. I'm sure I will do more fair isle projects in the future. I learned a lot making this project.

Stretchy Socks

2011-04-26T05:02:00.001-07:00

I started another pair of socks last Monday at Sit 'n Knit. This time, I'm trying something completely new. I'm using Patons Stretch Socks yarn in colorway Taffy Bonbon Caramel.

This is one of the first sock yarns that I bought way back before I even learned to knit socks. I had a basket of needles and yarn ready for the time I had the courage to actually learn sock knitting. HA! It's funny now to think about it!
This yarn is 41% cotton, 39% wool, 13% nylon, and 7% elastic. Wow, I think that about covers anything you could want in a sock yarn! It's surprisingly easy to knit, but I'm careful not to stretch the yarn while I'm knitting. It also knits up very soft. Of course the real test is wearing and washing. I'll save making a judgment until the socks have been through several wearings and launderings. But so far, so good!

Mulberry Socks

2011-03-31T04:59:00.001-07:00

I finished the Mulberry Socks last night while listening to an audiobook. This was after making a trip to Hobby Lobby to purchase my new OTT Light. I'm so happy to finally have one of those wonderful little portable lamps!

First Mulberry Sock Finished!

2011-03-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

I've completed the first Mulberry Sock and I'm working on the body of the second sock. Actually, I have that backwards. The sock I'm working on now is the first one. Oh well....

Progress on Mulberry Socks

2011-03-29T05:41:00.001-07:00

I'm making progress on the Mulberry Socks. I'm almost done with the body of the second sock. A few more rounds and I'll be doing the toe decreases. Sock #1 is patiently waiting for me to get back to work on it.

Second sock

2011-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't made much progress on my socks, but I have started the second sock.

The first sock is waiting patiently on my Rosewood needles until sock #2 catches up.

First Sock Progress

2011-03-16T12:42:00.001-07:00

Now I've worked through the turning of the heel on the first sock. Tomorrow I will cast on the second sock and work to this point. The reason I worked this far before starting the second sock is because my needles are not exactly the same size (there's a 1/4 size difference) and I have to move stitches to the rosewood needles while I work on the other sock. It's easier to get as much done with the metal needles as I can.

Mulberry Socks

2011-03-16T09:03:00.001-07:00

Sock Monkey and I are hard at work on the Mulberry socks. We're knitting this pair on size 2 needles by the same pattern that we used for the last two pair. Pretty!

Free Yarn!

2011-03-15T09:57:00.001-07:00

My friend gave me some sock yarn yesterday, and now I'm ready to cast on another pair of socks. I'm getting so spoiled by wearing hand knit socks every day. It's such a luxury!

This pair will be a 7-stitches per inch sock with a four inch ribbed cuff. I'll make this pair two at a time. I had a good time with that method with the last pair I knitted. Aren't these colors pretty!?

Grey Socks are finished!

2011-02-24T19:44:00.001-08:00

I got a lot of knitting done today while I waited in the Dr. office. I was working on the body of the sock, which is easy. Then I finished the toe decreases at home, and another pair is done! I really like this yarn! It knits up so pretty and is easy to work with.

I'm glad I tried the two at a time method on dpn's. It seems like it went faster, although that has to be my imagination. It's still the same amount of knitting no matter what order it's done in. It just seems to be faster because when I finished the first sock, the second one was half done. I imagine I will use this method from now on.

In the home stretch

2011-02-22T12:37:00.001-08:00

I've finished the gusset decreases, so now it's time to knit the body of the sock. Yipee! I'm in the home stretch now!

Half-way through

2011-02-21T03:33:00.000-08:00

I'm making progress on my socks. I think I'm about half way through. Next, I'll pick up stitches for the gusset. Ugh!

I'm on a roll!

2011-02-19T10:23:00.001-08:00

In my efforts to always have a pair of socks on the needles, I have already cast on another pair. I'm using Marks & Kattens Clown sock yarn that I bought a few months ago at Yarn and Stitches, a yarn shop in north Dallas. I really like this yarn. It feels just like Sockotta, my favorite sock yarn. The fiber content is the same - a wool/cotton blend with a touch of nylon. I think this is the perfect yarn for socks: wool for warmth, cotton for comfort and absorbency, and nylon for stability. You just can't beat it!

This is the first time I've knitted a pair of socks from two balls of yarn, so I'm trying something different. I'm going to knit both socks at the same time, not on circular needles, but on dpn's. I'll knit the cuff of one sock, then the cuff of the second sock, and then knit each part of each sock. I think maybe this will help me to not feel so frustrated by having to start the second sock. I always feel like I should be finished when I finish the first sock, and I'm only half through. So it's really an experiment in emotions, not quality of sock knitting. Anyway, I'm breaking out of a rut.

I wasn't too impressed with the looks of this yarn until I started knitting. It's interesting how the stripes are coming out. I didn't know that grey and white could be so pretty!

The socks are finished!

2011-02-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

It took me almost six months to knit the first sock and four days to knit the second one. I don't know why I just couldn't get motivated with the first sock. I got tired of it being on my mind as a UFO and forced myself to finish the pair. The second sock almost flew off the needles!

Now I'm glad I finished them, because now I have a fresh, new pair of socks to wear!

A better picture

2011-02-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a better picture of the finished sock on one of the sock blockers that I've been working on. Yes, I do wood working, too, weather permitting. I haven't done the sanding or finishing on the sock blockers, so I'll post more about them when they are finished. I'm just waiting for some warm weather!

I like how the sock looks on the blocker.

Second Sock

2011-02-14T04:39:00.001-08:00

I've cast on my second sock, so I'm on my way!
I was looking at the first sock this morning, and I saw a dropped stitch! That's never happened before. It was about 1/2 inch from the toe decreases, so it wasn't a catastrophe. I got my trusty little crochet hook and picked up the stitches. Then I used the yarn needle to "sew" it down from the inside. It isn't visible, so the problem is fixed. I just wonder why I didn't see it when it happened.

Sock finished!

2011-02-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished the first sock of the pair that I've been working on for almost six months. I'm going to try my best to finish the second one within a week. This socks fits great, and this is the first time I've used size 1 needles to knit a pair of socks. I don't like the yarn much. It has nylon running through it which will strengthen the sock, but the nylon is white. It's very visible. I won't buy this yarn again unless it's a very light color.

Sock Knitting

2011-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

I've neglected my sock knitting long enough! I've picked up the sock I was knitting several months ago, and I'm sock knitting again. I don't wear socks during warm weather, but it's been pretty cold here the last couple of months, so I've been wearing my hand knit socks every day. I so enjoy wearing them. They feel wonderful on my feet and I'm proud to wear something I made myself.
I have realized that I don't have enough pairs of hand knit socks! That's really a shame since I have a whole basket of sock yarn. So I'm hoping to knit up a storm this summer with the sock needles. Summer's a good time to knit socks because they are small, and I don't have to have something hot and heavy in my lap. Next winter, I will have enough socks!

Frankensocks

2010-10-12T11:07:00.001-07:00

I have completed my Frankensocks. Instead of making a matching pair, I made a Frankensock and a Bride of Frankensock. I think you will be able to see which is which. HA!

For the "girl" sock, I used more feminine colors and a cabled cuff. There's also a simple lace pattern in the pink section. This was a very fun project. Sometimes I think it's good to make something that's outlandish and crazy. Knitting these socks was very relaxing because I didn't have to worry about getting the stitches perfect. After all, aren't they made out of parts of dead socks?

Frankensocks

2010-10-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

I've finished the first sock for the KAL for the Frankensocks group on Ravelry. This is just too much fun!

Instead of using leftover sock yarn, I'm using worsted weight yarn and size 5 needles. This is the basic 5 stitches per inch sock pattern in Ann Budd's book, Getting Started Knitting Socks. This sock was fun and easy to knit because I didn't have to be careful to make it just perfect.

I watched the movie Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and after seeing how the monster was "put together," I decided to put my socks together the same way. I knitted one or two rows of red yarn between the colors for "cuts" and sewed black "stitches" over them, and I think it looks a lot like the monster in the movie. For the mate sock, I think I will make a Bride of Frankenstein sock using more feminine colors and maybe some lace. HA!

Socktoberfest and Frankensock!

2010-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

October is just around the corner, and that means it's time for SOCKTOBERFEST !!! This year I hope to be a little bit daring and knit socks with a cable or lace pattern. I think I've had enough practice with the plain jane socks.

I've also joined a Ravelry group called Frankensock. It is all about knitting socks out of left-over bits and pieces of sock yarn (just like Victor Frankenstein made his monster out of bits and pieces of human bodies.) I don't have much left-over sock yarn, so I might just make mine out of worsted weight yarn. I need to think of a way to make them look really scary. Hmmm...

Here's what I have to get started with for Socktoberfest.

Not counting the pair below that I already started, I have enough sock yarn for four pairs. I think I'll use the white yarn for a pair with a lace pattern. I have other expensive sock yarn in my stash but it is designated for lace shawls.

I'm looking forward to October and lots of sock knitting!!!

Socktoberfest

2010-08-26T13:12:00.001-07:00

I realize it's been a while since we posted. We've been busy learning how to knit lace, but in October we will be back in full force because we'll be participating in Socktoberfest! on Ravelry.

More socks

2010-06-24T08:09:00.001-07:00

After an absence of a few months from this blog, Sock Monkey and I are back to knitting socks. I think I need to have a pair on the needles at all times just so I don't forget how to knit them!

This pair is made on size 1 needles. This is the first time I've used size 1's. My socks always turn out a little baggy, so I think going down another needle size will fix that problem.

The yarn is Endurance Socks and I have to say I'm not crazy about it. It's wormy and has a white thread running through it. You'd think if they just had to put a thread in there for stability they could make it match the rest of the yarn.

I'm using this little box for this project. It's really a kids meal box from Pancho's Mexican Buffet. It's perfect - big enough to hold the yarn and sock but not so big that it's cumbersome.

Everything fits perfectly and can't fall out. This will be nice when I want to take a project in the car.

Maroon Socks are finished!

2010-03-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

The socks are finished! It's amazing how fast a pair can be knit in worsted weight yarn on size 5 needles.

I couldn't wait to try on the first sock. It fits very well.

Now I have another pair to wear around the house or with my hiking boots. The yarn is Red Heart Super Saver in colorway Claret. I really like this yarn to make items that need to be durable. It's very pretty, soft, and wears like iron. I know I'm going to enjoy wearing these socks, winter and summer.

Maroon Worsted Socks

2010-03-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

The first pair of socks that I made was out of worsted weight yarn. I wear them all the time! They are so comfortable to wear around the house. They're really too thick to wear with shoes, but I wear them with my hiking boots that are about 1/2 size too big.

I was thinking that I need another pair so I can have warm feet when the first pair are being washed. I'm making this pair out of Red Heart Super Saver in colorway Claret. This yarn is surprisingly soft and luxurious for acrylic yarn. It's the yarn I bought to make #1 grandson's winter hat because it's his school color. It's a dark maroon and is a little hard on the eyes, but I know it will be worth it because I will enjoy wearing these socks. I'm using the 5 stitches per inch pattern in the book Getting Started Knitting Socks.

I have already tried on the sock even though it isn't finished. It feels great! The first pair is a little big and I used size 7 needles. This time I'm using size 5 needles, and the sock is very thick and tightly knit. I really can't wait to wear these socks!

Yuppy Socks

2010-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

The second Yuppy sock is finished. I'll just put it in the sock drawer till after the Dallas Quilt Show. I really like this yarn. It's very soft and so easy to knit. I know these socks are going to keep my feet warm! The color design is looking better all the time!

Yuppy Sock on display

2010-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

I'm now working on the second Yuppy sock, and it's a little bit lonely. Its' mate is on loan to the Dallas Handknitter's Guild. At the meeting last night, I showed the first sock during Show and Tell, and I was asked if they could use it in their booth at the Dallas Quilt Show. They said they will have a black background behind the booth, and they need some very colorful knitted items to display. This sock surely fits the bill! I was very honored to be asked!

I was feeling a little bit down, and it just made my day...or week...or maybe even month!

Yuppy sock the first

2010-02-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

The first Yuppy sock is finished! It was so easy to knit with this soft yarn. The stitches just glide on the KnitPicks needles, and I was able to knit very fast.

The jury's still out about this colorway. It's so strange that I'm not sure I'm ever going to like it. Maybe when both socks are finished and I actually wear them, I will like the way they look. Maybe comfort will make up for beauty. We'll see.

A New Yarn

2010-02-24T10:31:00.001-08:00

I'm trying a new yarn named Adriafil Yuppy Trends that I bought on my last visit to The Sassy Spinster. It's 70% wool and 30% acrylic and is made in Italy. It's a very soft yarn and very easy to knit. The colors are kinda strange; I would never have thought to put these colors together, and the stripes are very random (not in any particular order like I'm used to.) I suppose I will get used to that, and it's always interesting to try a new yarn adventure.

I'm also trying a new technique - a K3P1 ribbing. I liked using this ribbing pattern on the hats that I knit for the Boy Scouts. It's almost invisible until it's stretched out, and it's VERY stretchy. That's what I need for my socks. I hope this ribbing scheme works. If it does, I might just use it on all my socks in the future.

So far, I've finished the heel turn on the first sock. It's going well so far! Tomorrow I will be meeting with my friends at The Sassy Spinster, and I'll get some feedback from them. I'm really looking forward to it.

Cool Colors Socks are finished!

2010-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

This is my best pair yet! The stitches look really good, and the socks fit perfectly.

Sock Monkey likes them, too. Of course we have to give a lot of the credit to the yarn. It's so pretty and such a pleasure to work with. I'm sad that this is my last ball of Sockotta yarn.

I'm wearing hand knit socks just about every day. I'm getting so spoiled since I have so many pairs of comfortable socks to wear. I have a whole drawer of store bought socks and I don't know what to do with them!

Cool Colors

2010-02-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

The first sock is finished! I think this is my best one yet. I really like the way the stripes look. There is a small bit of grey/white between the colored stripes that really sets them off nicely.

Cool Colors Socks

2010-02-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'm calling this pair Cool Colors because the colors of green, blue, and purple are cool colors, and they have bits of white and grey in between the stripes. The colors are beautiful. I like the narrow stripes, too. This is my last ball of Sockotta yarn, and that makes me sad. I hope I can find a place to buy more.

Sock Monkey likes the colors, too.

I'm using size 2's for this pair. The heel flap looks very nice.

What a great looking heel! I think I'm going to enjoy wearing these colorful socks!

Another pair finished!

2010-02-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

I finished the socks! I can't believe I made the second sock in two days! I have enjoyed using the Sockotta yarn. It feels so good in my hands and is easy to work. I only have one ball left, and I'll be starting on it today. I will have to find out where to buy more Sockotta. I think the stripes on this pair of socks are way too wide, but they are very comfy and fit perfectly. I am happy with them! Each pair of socks that I knit turns out a little better than the last. Hmmm...I wonder when/if I will ever be able to call myself an accomplished sock knitter?

First sock almost done!

2010-02-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished with the first sock!

Just a few more stockinette rounds, and then I will begin the toe decreases!

New socks

2010-01-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy wearing my hand knit socks. I find that I'm wearing a pair almost every day. They are so much more comfy than the store bought socks because they don't have elastic that digs into my ankles and legs. So I thought I'd better get busy knitting more socks because the ones I have are bound to wear out some day.

Sock Monkey and I are now working on a new pair in Sockotta Pink/Red. I don't know if these will have wide or narrow stripes. It will be a surprise!

I also made some project bags out of "retired" shirts. This one is the perfect size for socks. It even has a pocket!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

to everyone from

all the sock monkeys at our house!

Lipstick Stockings

2009-12-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

I knitted these stocking ornaments for myself and two friends. They hold a tube of lip balm, for an extra special little present. Read more about them on my regular blog. Just click on Square Grannie in the right sidebar!

Santa Socks

2009-12-16T11:20:00.001-08:00

I knitted "Santa" a pair of socks to wear around the house. I used various worsted weight Christmas yarns. This is the first time I've knitted socks with multiple yarns. They turned out really cute!

They are nice and warm, and "Santa" will enjoy wearing them on these long winter nights!

Christmas Socks

2009-12-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

We're back, and now we're knitting Christmas socks! I can't believe I almost forgot how to knit socks in just a little over a month. I've been busy with other knitting projects, but now I want to knit some socks in Christmas colors. This pair will be for hubby. He likes the worsted weight socks to wear around the house.

I'm using the 5 Stitches per Inch pattern in Getting Started Knitting Socks. The red and green yarn is Red Heart Super Saver, and the stripe is Merry Pop'n Christmas Yarn. I'm having fun with this sock. I plan to knit a pair for myself with a different color design.

My favorite socks

2009-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Today I'm wearing my favorite hand knit socks to the Knit Together at the Sassy Spinster. The colors don't show up very well but these are very pretty socks. I'll let you know what my friends think of them.

2009-10-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

BOO!!

Today is Halloween and the last day of October. That means that Socktoberfest is officially over today. I would like to share some of my thoughts about it. I am very glad I participated in Socktoberfest and I am thankful to the organizers and other sock knitters who participated. Because I focused (mostly) on sock knitting for a whole month, I have become a better sock knitter. I didn't really set a goal because I usually set goals too high and then I'm disappointed when I can't reach them. This month I completed four pairs of socks and four mini socks. One pair was made with worsted yarn on size 7 needles for hubby. The other three pairs were made for myself on size 3's and 2's with regular sock yarn. I think this surpasses any goals I would have set for myself. I have to admit that all four pairs were made from a very basic and simple pattern, but I am still a beginning sock knitter.

I have heard that "Experience is the best teacher" and "Practice makes perfect." I have more confidence in my sock knitting now, and I am ready to "graduate" to knitting socks with different stitch patterns. I learned a lot from working with different yarns and different kinds of needles. I learned that the sock that fits me the best is made with ribbing all the way down to the heel flap. I also learned a lot from looking at the work of other knitters. They were a constant inspiration to me all month! One thing that I haven't learned is how to take a good picture of my own feet! I have included here some more pictures of some of the socks that I made this month thanks to hubby's camera.

My friend and I have some leftover sock yarn that we will probably use to make more mini socks for Christmas.

I'm finished!

2009-10-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have finished pair #4 for Socktoberfest!! I had a lot of trouble with this pair of socks, and I'm so glad to be done with it. They actually look very beautiful, and I'm very proud of them. This is the pair made from Walk Away sock yarn from Hobby Lobby. I really love the vibrant colors of this yarn, but I don't think I will be buying any more. It's "wormy" and splits easily. I've already detailed the dye problem that I had with it. It is, however, very soft and feels good. I hope it wears well. I learned one lesson about needles making these socks. I made the first sock on rosewood needles. Then I received my KnitPicks needles, so I used them for the second sock. They were both size 2, but the nickel plated KnitPicks sock is noticeably smaller than the rosewood needle sock. Who knew?!?! My right foot is noticeably smaller than my left, so it won't really be a problem with fitting. I just never expected this to happen!

This is the mini sock that was made with the Walk Away. I like how the stripes turned out - with four colors. I knitted a K2P2 ribbing with size 2 needles on this one, but otherwise it's made by the pattern.

Here you can see all four of the mini socks I made. It's amazing how different they look. The two on top were knitted on size 3's, and the other two were knitted on size 2's. They are fun to knit, and with self-striping yarn, I never know how the strips are going to come out. That's the fun of it! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these. They would look cute on the Christmas tree or I could make a garland out of them.

Tomorrow is the last day of October. I hope to post some better pictures and recap this month's adventures (and mis-adventures) in Socktoberfest. Hubby will help with taking some good pictures. Have you ever taken pictures of your own feet? It's not easy?!?!

Mini Sock #3

2009-10-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here is mini sock #3. It matches Socktoberfest pair #3. It turned out to be all the same color without stripes because the Sockotta yarn for pair #3 has such wide stripes! It's amazing how the three mini socks look so different. I'll post a picture of all of them together at the end of the month.

Frustration!

2009-10-28T08:16:00.001-07:00

I am getting very frustrated with this pair of socks. I wrote before about starting over three times with this yarn because I couldn't get the ribbing right. I finally finished the first sock, and now I am stuck on the second. I stayed up late last night working on it which turned out to be a mistake because I goofed up on the heel flap. I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I ripped back. I'm going to do the whole heel flap over.

I really goofed up twice on the heel flap. First, I decided I'd try doing the slip stitches on the purl side instead of the knit side. I didn't think it would make any difference. It does make a little bit of difference in the way the stitches look. I should have tried this experiment on a new pair, making the heel flaps the same on both socks. Since I made the first sock with the slips on the knit side, I should have done the same on the second sock. DUH! The second goof-up was an incomplete stitch - you know where you don't pull the loop completely over the needle and it leaves an extra loop? - and so I had one too many stitches which I didn't discover till the next row. I thought I could improvise but it just didn't look right. So I asked myself if I'd be happy with this goofed up heel flap and the answer was "NO!" I knew every time I wore this pair I'd think about that heel flap and cringe. I guess talking to myself is the result of not enough sleep and too much sock knitting!?!? So now I'll continue very carefully and maybe I'll be able to finish this pair before the end of the month. Oh yeah, then I'll have to knit the matching ornament mini sock!!!

Third Socktoberfest Pair Finished!

2009-10-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

I finished pair #3! I really like them. I'm glad I made the decision to knit ribbing all the way down to the heel flap. I think I'll do that from now on. It sure makes the sock fit better around the ankle.

I enjoyed working with this yarn, but I am surprised that the stripes are so wide. The other pair I knitted from Sockotta had very narrow stripes. When you use self-striping yarn, you are always in for surprises. Even the second sock will be different from the first. I guess that's what makes it interesting. Everything considered, I like this pair more than any pair I've made so far!

Now it's time to cast on the second sock with the Walk Away yarn. Oh yeah....I have to make a mini sock out of this yarn too! I wonder if I will really be able to finish four pairs of socks in a month?

Beautiful Socks!

2009-10-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

These socks are turning out so nice! I think that maybe I finally have the size down right. The first sock fits perfectly. The yarn is so nice and feels so good on my foot.

Aren't they pretty? I'll post more pics when they're finished!

New needles, new sock

2009-10-22T12:57:00.001-07:00

I am going to knit the second sock from the Walk Away yarn, but I received my Knit Picks set of dpn's and just had to try them on this new yarn. They are really nice! They are sharp and slick but not so slick that I lose stitches. I enjoy knitting with them, and they are well worth the money.

This pair is knitted from Sockotta yarn in colorway peach/purple. The colors are very pretty but the stripes are very wide! I'm curious to see what the completed sock will look like. I like wide stripes as well as narrow stripes. I'm putting a very long ribbing on this sock - all the way to the heel flap!

My answer to Sock Disasters

2009-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have to 'fess up! I figured out why the yarn broke in the cast on row of the blue socks. It is because I knitted the first row instead of doing the K2, P2 ribbing. It's so hard to get the first row going in ribbing, so I thought I'd cheat a little and just knit the first row. Now I am paying for my mistake. I promise I will never do that again! I'm sure that's the reason it broke, and even though I fixed it, it still doesn't look very good. So I have learned a valuable lesson - don't think you know more than experienced knitters who have been doing this for years! (like I didn't already know that?!?!)

The yarn dye problem wasn't my fault!

Mini Sock #2

2009-10-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

I knitted another mini sock for the Christmas tree. This is the yarn left from the last pair of socks I made. This is fun!

The sock crisis is over!

2009-10-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

The sock crisis seems to be over, for now anyway. I fixed the blue/green sock. I just threaded some yarn on the tapestry needle and sewed along the top of the sock, catching all the open stitches in the yarn. I does look like a patch job, but it will be OK. At least I can wear the socks. I hope it was a case of having just one weak spot in the yarn.

Then I worked on fixing the dye problem in the sock I'm making out of Walk Away yarn. My friend, Joy told me how to cut the yarn and fold the two pieces over and knit it in. It makes a double thickness for several inches, but that definitely won't be as bad as a knot. So then I was knitting along and a few rounds later, there was a knot in the yarn! I did the same thing again. By this time, I was really not happy with the yarn. I think they just tied the end of one lot to the beginning of another and didn't care what kind of duress it would cause the sock knitter! Anyway, I finished the sock and it turned out nice. It is very comfortable to wear. You can see where the dyes overlapped in some places. I don't know if I should consider that to be sloppy or part of the charm of the sock.

If I didn't know better, I'd say this yarn is jinxed. I bought it several months ago and frogged it 3 times because I just couldn't get the ribbing right! I was determined to knit a pair of socks with it during Socktoberfest. So this time, I just made 10 rows of garter stitch where the ribbing should be. It worked! I don't really have enough experience knitting socks to know ahead of time if this is a bad idea or not. It must be OK because I can get the sock over my foot and it fits snugly enough on my ankle. I'll probably start sock #2 tomorrow.

The reason I bought this yarn is because I wanted to knit one pair of wild and crazy looking socks with vibrant colors. This yarn definitely fits that bill! I hope you don't need sunglasses to look at the sock! HA!

Sock disasters!!!

2009-10-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

I am really bummed out because yesterday, I had two sock disasters! I was getting ready to go to the Tuesday night knit together and I decided to wear my new socks and show them off to my friends. I was straightening up one of the socks on my leg, and the yarn in the cast on row just popped! I couldn't believe it! After all that hard work, the yarn just broke and the stitches started to unravel! I was feeling so good about my sock knitting since participating in Socktoberfest. My confidence level just soared until this happened. So...I went on to the meeting sans socks.

Even my friend can't stand to look at it!

I took this sock with me to the knit together. It's the first sock of my third pair. I was knitting along, drinking coffee, and talking....and the yarn just turned ugly! I don't know how else to describe it. There's a section in the yarn about eight yards long that didn't get dyed properly, and it's just UGLY! In the picture, it's the pale looking section.

It's supposed to look like this.....

Eight yards is a lot if you are knitting a sock. I can't put this messy section in the sock because I want the stripes to be in the proper order, and I want them to be at least PRETTY!! I'm not sure what to do about this. One of my friends showed me a possible way to splice the yarn without making a knot, and I'm going to try that. I just hate to cut it!

Well.....I'm taking a day off from sock knitting to get my wits together. I'm going to work on some no-brainer project like wash cloths today, and catch up on my reading. I need to get back to Casting Off anyway. It's a very good book.

Back to sock knitting tomorrow!

Second pair finished!

2009-10-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

I finished the second pair of Socktoberfest socks! I made this pair for myself out of Plymouth Yarn Sockotta in colorway Blue/Gray. This yarn is 40% wool, 45% cotton, and 15% nylon. It makes a very comfortable sock. I made these socks on size 3 needles, and they are a little too big, so I will make the next pair a little smaller.

I think they turned out very nice!

My friend seems to like them too.

Socktoberfest!

2009-10-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

My knitting friend has been helping me all week on the Socktoberfest socks. We've had a good time knitting together!

BOO!

First Socktoberfest pair is finished!

2009-10-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

I have finished the first pair of Socktoberfest socks. These are Hubby Socks #2 made of Fishermen's Wool on size 7 needles. Hubby really loves these socks and knows his feet will be really warm this winter.

They are very easy to knit and don't take very long. I knew knitting these socks would make me feel as if I'm making progress and want to keep going!

I've also cast on the second sock of the socks I'm making for myself. I really like this Sockotta yarn.

This is try number four for this yarn. I have frogged it three times because I kept messing up the ribbing. So this time I just knitted 10 rows of garter stitch at the beginning. I know it won't stretch like ribbing, but the alternative was to give the yarn away. I was determined not to let it beat me. Hopefully I will be able to get it over my foot.

This yarn is a little hard to work with because there's a thread that runs through it that doesn't seem to be spun into the yarn. This causes the yarn to slide a little, and this is annoying. I don't think I will be buying this brand of yarn again, but I might change my mind upon finishing the socks. I do have to say that the colors are brilliant! I'm also using the rosewood needles that I bought last week. The yarn doesn't slide as well on them as it does on the metal needles, but I like using them.

My "reward" for finishing the first pair of socks is to knit a Christmas tree ornament sock. I saw the pattern last week on Ravelry, but I was determined not to start something new until I finished at least one pair. So....here it is. Isn't it cute? It's a teeny-tiny REAL sock! It's made just like a real sock. It took over three hours to knit. I don't know how many of these I will make, but it is really irresistable.

This little sock could be enjoyed all year round. It could be put on a keychain or hung from the car mirror. I will probably think of other uses. It's just too pretty to be put away.

Now, isn't that just precious!

I'm on a roll!

2009-10-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've already finished one of each pair of socks I'm working on. Of course, hubby's lounge socks are much easier and faster to knit than mine. His turned out to be a perfect fit, but mine is too big. I just can't get the gauge right! I will go ahead and knit the second sock the same as the first in hopes they might shrink just a little with washing. The sock is really pretty and I love the colors!

For Socktoberfest, I have treated myself to a new pair of dpn's (like I really need a reason). Even with the 40% off coupon, these are very expensive needles. I sure hope I like them. I will cast on the 3rd pair on these new needles as soon as I finish hubby's second sock.

Socktoberfest!

2009-10-01T10:34:00.001-07:00

It's October 1st and time for Socktoberfest to get underway. I have to admit I started a little early, on Monday, because I was so excited to be participating. I have started a pair of socks for myself made from Sockotta yarn on size 3 needles. I'm using the 7 stitches per inch pattern in Getting Started Knitting Socks. I really like this yarn. It's 45% cotton, 45% wool, and 5% nylon. The cotton makes it very easy to work with as it doesn't slide on the needles much. The colors are beautiful, and I'm very happy with how the sock is coming along. I'm not sure how it will feel on my feet, but it will probably soften up quite a bit after washing. I'm sure glad this is washable yarn!

I've also started another pair of lounge socks for hubby. He liked the first ones so much and asked for more! It will be good to have 2 pair since they have to be hand washed and take a long time to dry. They are turning out nicely. I'm using the 5 stitches per inch pattern on size 7 needles. Of course this pair is working up much faster than my pair!

Ready for Socktoberfest

2009-09-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

Now that we've completed all our gift items, my knitting friend and I are eager to get started on our sock projects for Socktoberfest. You can see that we have everything ready.

This is a lot of sock yarn! We don't plan to use ALL of this yarn in one month - just make a dent in it.

I still need to get one skein of Fishermen's Wool. One of my major sock projects will be to knit hubby another pair of lounge socks. I also want to knit a Christmas stocking for each of us. What fun! I am really looking forward to Socktoberfest!

Soctoberfest

2009-08-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have joined the Ravelry group SOCTOBERFEST. I will be knitting only socks during the month of October. I should have all my gift knitting done by then. Now I am getting my sock yarn, needles, and books organized for the October challenge. It's not really a contest. The participants just concentrate their efforts on sock knitting for one month, share pictures and ideas, and encourage each other. I am really looking forward to it! I hope to learn a lot about sock knitting!

Hubby socks

2009-08-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

I couldn't wait to give hubby his socks. I was thinking if they didn't fit, then I wouldn't have another gift to give him, so I just went ahead and gave them to him. He loves them! They fit perfectly and are very comfortable. I am really proud of how they turned out.

Hubby's lounge socks

2009-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

The socks are finished and I really like how they turned out. I'm glad I used two colors and textures of yarns. The dark brown fisherman's wool is worsted weight, and the white wool is lace weight. I like the tweed look, and I think it's manly enough. These socks should keep hubby's feet warm this winter while he watches TV in the evenings. Now, I can hardly wait till our anniversary to give them to him!

Another pair of socks

2009-08-03T06:30:00.001-07:00

I frogged the first sock I was making out of this yarn and started over. That sock had some mistakes that just didn't look right. So then I just couldn't get the ribbing right. Either I would knit when I should have purled, or I would drop stitches. I tried three times to do the ribbing and then gave up. I decided to make this pair without ribbing. I am making them for myself anyway. These socks just aren't meant to have ribbing. So now I have a few inches of the leg made on the first sock. It's good to be back to knitting socks!

Lounge socks for hubby

2009-08-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hubby asked me to knit him a pair of socks that he could wear around the house in the evenings and I said I could probably do that. So I am knitting him a pair out of fisherman's wool and a strand of a thinner white wool. This makes a tweed look and a very thick and cushiony yarn. I am going to give them to him for our anniversary this month. I know that's not a very romantic gift, but we've been married for a while. HA!

I hope he likes them. I just held the first sock up to a store bought sock and guessed at how big to make it. This sock is the same length as the bought sock but is wider. Since it doesn't stretch much, I think it'll be OK. I am almost to the point of doing the toe decreases for the second sock.

The first sock turned out fine. I am anxious to see what he thinks of these socks. The only problem is that I will have to wash them by hand.

Sock Monkey has a new sweater, knitted out of one of the little sample skeins that I won at Whirled Fibers. He is the "keeper" of my tapestry needle. I always know where it is when I need it! What a great knitting friend!

The socks are finished!

2009-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

The socks are finished. They look good and feel good on my feet. They are too big, but I will still wear them. I really like the colors in this yarn. It splits easily, though, making it a little hard to work with for a beginning sock knitter.

I will have to do some work on my gauge so the next pair will not be too big. I also have a lot of yarn left, but I don't know if it's enough to knit another pair.

Sock Blockers

2009-07-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

I purchased a pair of Sock Blockers at Whirled Fibers. After hand washing socks, they are put on the blockers to dry.

I am still working on the second sock!

Second sock

2009-07-02T15:50:00.001-07:00

I have finished the first sock of the first "real" pair I've knitted. I'm not counting the two pairs I knitted in worsted weight. They are just for practice and learning the techniques of sock knitting. I met with my sock knitting friend/teacher today and she approved of the first sock. There are a couple of mistakes in the back of the sock where I didn't stitch correctly the purl stitches when changing from one needle to another. They are very small, and I didn't think it was worth frogging the sock and starting over just for that. Anyway, I learned from my mistake and won't do it again. I'll probably just make different mistakes from now on. HA!

The sock is really too big but I can still wear it. It just isn't very snug against my foot. I will wear it with sandals. Next pair will be made one size smaller, at least.

Now I am working on the second sock. I have the ribbed band completed, and I'm working on the stockinette rows above the heel flap. Soon, I'll have my first "real" pair of socks! YIPEE!!

We're back!

2009-06-29T08:50:00.001-07:00

Sock Monkey is glad to be back to work on socks. I have gotten side-tracked lately working on other projects, but now I'm back to the socks. Maybe it's just an excuse because I'm having so much trouble learning to knit socks, or maybe I just need an easy project to work on to rest my brain. I can say that each sock gets easier, and I think I have the "picking up stitches" part down now, thanks to a generous friend who looked at my work and made some suggestions. Now we're almost through with the first sock.

Berroco Sox

2009-06-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have started another pair of socks using size 3 needles and Berroco Sox yarn. It's 75% wool and 25% nylon. It feels great to work with, and I know these socks will feel great on my feet, too!

Second worsted sock

2009-06-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

Now I am ready to knit the second sock. I will show each step. First, I knit the cuff.

Next, I made the heel flap.

Then, I turned the heel.

After I turned the heel, I re-positioned the needles so that the center heel would be the starting point of all rows hereafter.

Then, I picked up the stitches on both sides of the sock. I made the gusset by decreasing on both sides until I was back to the original stitch count of 40 that I cast on.

I then knitted even in the round until it was time to start decreasing for the toe. I just held the sock up to the first sock for measurement.

My knitting friend helped me sew the toe shut with the grafting stitches.

I decided to take a picture of the socks outside in the sunshine. I guess my neighbors think I am really a looney bird now.

I need some very brightly colored shoes to go with these socks!

Another worsted sock

2009-06-09T09:39:00.001-07:00

Last night I bought some yarn that I thought would make beautiful socks. It's Bernat Baby Jacquards and is a #3 weight yarn. I think it would be better for blankets or sweaters since the color repeats are so far apart. It's also 90% acrylic and 10% nylon, so it wouldn't be great to wear with shoes all day. But these socks will be nice to wear with sandals. The colors are beautiful!

I used the 4 stitches per inch pattern in the Getting Started Knitting Socks book by Ann Budd. There are actually 4 1/2 stitches per inch but I like stretchy socks.

Isn't this pretty yarn? I just love the colors. Self-striping yarn is so much fun!

Here's the finished product. It fits pretty well. My feet are short and wide, so I made it to fit. I understand all the steps except for the picking up stitches part after the heel turn. I just can't get it. On this sock, I ended up with more than the pattern said I should have. That meant that I just did more decrease rows, but I'd really like to get all the numbers right just once. Well...now it's time to start sock #2. Then I will be going back to the teeny-tiny yarn and the teeny-tiny needles. I will finish that pair, too.............someday!

Turning the heel

2009-06-08T06:41:00.001-07:00

Turning the heel isn't very hard although I think I knitted all the way to the end of one row by mistake so I probably have one row too many. Also, I'm confused about what to do if I don't end up with a wrong side row. I've got to learn to concentrate harder when making socks. This isn't a scarf that I could probably knit in my sleep!

Next comes the picking up of stitches on the side. I am dreading that because I really haven't figured out the math, and it's what I really had trouble with on the first pair of socks.

I might cast on another sock on the size 7's and worsted weight yarn. It's so much easier to work with while learning, and I could use another big pair of sock to wear around the house.

Heel Flap

2009-06-08T06:34:00.001-07:00

After taking a break from sock knitting and making a hat and bag, I am back and have done the heel flap. It isn't too hard. I figured out the heel flap is a square and is the same number of rows as the number of stitches on a row. If I can figure out the mathematics of sock knitting, I think I will have it kicked.

I really like the S1, K1 stitch pattern in the heel flap. It makes a very thick and durable fabric. This gives me ideas for making belts, hair bands, and other items that need to be very thick.

The colors are so pretty. It's so fun to see the next color come out of the middle of the skein.

More stripes

2009-05-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

The sock is really coming along. I'm to the point that the stripe colors are starting to repeat. These aren't colors that I would have thought to put together, but they are turning out really nice. Now I can't wait to see the completed sock.

Look at those stripes!

2009-05-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all. Look at those beautiful stripes!

Another pair of socks

2009-05-26T10:19:00.001-07:00

I have begun another pair of socks. I know, I thought I'd work on the bag and start another pair next week. I was just thinking about that self-striping yarn and how long it had been in my basket and how I wanted to see the stripes forming as I knit.....Well here I am again. This is SO hard! I am using size 4 needles and sock yarn. I've only knit about 6 rows, but it took a while. We are both exhausted! Please tell me it gets better.

I am also working on the bag (pink yarn). I need a no-brainer project to work on when I get frusted with the socks and need a break.

First pair completed!

2009-05-25T13:36:00.001-07:00

I have finished the first pair, and while I am really proud of the accomplishment, I think they look really funny! The yarn is a heavy worsted weight, and the socks are the biggest, chunkiest socks I've ever seen. They could probably stand up by themselves. But they are very comfy. This was really a learning experience. I really had trouble with the picking up of stitches after the heel turn. It was just an accident that I got it right, and I don't think I really did in the second sock. Oh, well. I'm still not sure about the ssk decrease, too. I need more practice on that.

It's time to put my feet up and work on something easy and give my brain a rest. I think I'll make a tote bag next, and then return to sock making (with a much thinner yarn!)

I'm glad to have my friend to knit with. There were times I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration, so I took a break and made him a sweater. Sometimes we need to be a little silly and be a kid again. He helps me not take things too seriously. After all, knitting is supposed to be fun!

It seems that he is ready to get going on the next pair of socks! Well, maybe in about a week.

My first sock!

2009-05-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

It took two days, but I finally did it! I knitted my first sock! It is really big and stiff because it's made of worsted weight yarn, but I can wear these socks with my work boots. I got through the heel flap and turning of the heel OK, but I had trouble getting the side stitches back onto the needles for the decreasing. I knitted them on although the book said just to slip them on. I guess it turned out OK. By some miracle the number came out right and then I did the decrease rows to bring the count back to the original cast on count. It worked out fine! This is the first time I have ever used double pointed needles, and I think they are hard to use. I suppose it will get easier with time. Now, the challenge is to knit another sock just like it! I figure if a person can knit socks, she can knit anything! HA!

My knitting friend wishes everyone a HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

Lessons Learned

2009-05-23T09:16:00.001-07:00

After unraveling my first attempt, I remembered I had some Knitty Gritty episodes recorded on my DVR and I thought one of them had been about sock making. Sure enough, there was one episode in which Vickie Howell and Stephanie Pearl McPhee, the Yarn Harlot, made a sock step-by-step. I watched and the lights went on. Suddenly I understood what the book was trying to tell me. It made so much more sense when I could see it actually done instead of just looking at still pictures. There is nothing wrong with the instructions in the book. I re-read them and they are exactly what Stephanie demonstrated. I just couldn't understand the written instructions. So my knitting friend and I will be starting over on another sock.

One thing I did wrong on the first sock is I didn't do a slip one, knit one on the heel flap. It was there in the instructions, sure enough, but I just didn't see it. DUH! I also messed up the short rows on the heel flap because I had never done short rows before and didn't even know what they were. It had been a while since I saw that episode of Knitty Gritty, long before I became interested in sock knitting, so I didn't pay much attention. So I have learned two new techniques: short rowing and ssk decreasing. Well, you live and learn.

First attempt

2009-05-23T07:30:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd use some old Christmas yarn for my learning pair of socks. I wanted a pair knitted in worsted weight to wear with my yard work boots that are a little big anyway. I did OK until I got to the heel flap. I just couldn't understand the directions in the book. I stayed up till midnight trying to figure it out. So the only thing to do is start over.

My knitting partner took a look at my work. He wasn't too impressed.

He couldn't even stand to look at it. I can't really say I blame him.

I'll just start over and watch the videos on internet. Surely I will be able to figure out the heel flap.

Knitting Socks

2009-05-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my sock knitting blog. I have been knitting for about five months and have learned to make scarves, caps, and other easy projects. It's time now to get down to business and do some serious knitting. I have all the necessary supplies to knit socks, so let's get started!