I'm in a sock knitting rut

I am on a sock knitting jag. These are patterned after the "Reverse Pod Socks" of Bad Cat Designs Summer Swatch Me Knit-Along. Knit with dear daughter's hand-dyed commercial yarn. The colors remind me of violets one can find growing in the woods. The yarn is a wee bit thicker than the average commercial sock yarn. Since the pattern used 64 stitches and I needed only 60 stitches for a snug fitting sock, I decreased each pattern repeat by 1 stitch. This change made the pattern look more asymmetrical. Now I need to knit the second sock.

The other pair of socks were also knit with daughter's hand-dyed yarn. The pattern came from a 99 page downloaded book called "The Sole Solution 2003/2004 Collection." The patterns will pop up in PDF form if you google the title. It's an easy pattern to remember. The pattern is knit with a multiple of seven stitches. I cast on 64, knit the cuff, and then decreased one stitch. First row: Knit, Second row: k1, y/o, p1, p3tog., p1, y/0, k1. Third and Fourth row: Knit. Repeat ad finitum. You can decide on your own cuff, heel and toe.

Knit on merrily!

Memories while knitting socks

One of the patterns in the "Summer Swatch Me Knit-Along" by Bad Cat Designs is Trails. As I knit the socks designed by Andrea, I was reminded of my beloved Black Forest and the many trails I used to haunt as a child, some times alone and some times with my cousin. We spent hours in the woods with no one ever having to worry whether or not we were save. When we weren't goofing around, we would pick blueberries or bring the wagon and collect pine cones which were used as fire starter in the winter.

Thanks to Google mixed in with the photos of the socks just finished are photos of the old haunts around the spa Bad Teinach.

Bad Teinach

And here are the socks. Knit from Opal Uni, Forest Green on US 1-1/2 (2.25 mm) needles. This is closest to the actual color of the yarn, with the yarn having a slightly less blue tinge.

The Teinach brook

A better look at the pattern and the heel.

Forest path

Oh how I wish these were my legs. The truth is it's a plastic one. It does, however, show the pattern well.

And another spot I knew well. Here gnomes and trolls dwell.

Continue to knit on, merrily.

When you are seventy...

...you are allowed to wear wildly colored socks without having to explain why.

50 grams of Regia Cotton Surf Color
2.5 mm needles

OK, so don't look at the mess on the floor. Our two cats were playing their favorite game, racing through the house and knocking things off the shelves.

Knit on merrily!

Another Knit-Along

A lazy summer knit-along, just like the days of summer. This sampler shawl/scarf is from Andrea at Bad Cat Designs. With each weekly sampler pattern Andrea provides another one, such as fingerless mitts, hats, scarves, etc. featuring the sampler pattern. I am using Regia Silk sock yarn which is a joy to knit with. I have made a pair of fingerless gloves and a hat with the third design. Photos will have to wait until I wash and block them.

Knit Along, Merrily!

My first Christmas stocking....

...ever! I did not grow up with the tradition of a Christmas stocking hanging by an open fire. First, we didn't have fireplaces. Second the Christchild brought Christmas gifts and Santa was relegated to December 6, St. Niklaus Day. Instead of stockings, we put our shoes by the front door and St. Niklaus and his helper would place a piece of fruit into one shoe and a stick in the other. In retrospect, an excellent lesson of the fact that children, and as an extension, all humans are both good and bad. In some areas of Germany the stick was replaced by a piece of coal. At the time we were too poor for such a luxury.

Thanks to Terry Morris and the Yahoo Group "holidaymysterygifts" this deficit in my education has been corrected. Terry designed three Christmas stockings, a stranded, an Intarsia, and a Gansey-style version. Since I found two very old skeins of Simply Soft by Caron in a beautiful Christmas green in our stash of yarns, I used it. Needle size used was 3.25 mm. The pattern suggested US 7, but the 3.25 mm needles gave me just the right texture. Now I suppose I'll have to make a second one. The question is which to make: the stranded version or the Intarsia version?

Knit on merrily!

No other explanation needed!

Found at: http://www.knitprincess.com/

Sock Mojo

I finally have my sock knitting mojo back. It kind of left me after battling some Panda Bamboo/Elastic yarn. So far I have knit 3-1/2 pairs of socks in June and with all of the matches of the World Cup being televised, I should get considerable knitting done between now and July 11. Right now some serious "real football" (Ok soccer) watching is going to be done. Germany vs. Australia. May the German team win. It is expected by the German Nation. At least I am going to be a nervous wreck for the next 90 or so minutes.

The loading of pictures of the socks knitted will have to wait until the game is finished.

Germany 4, Australia 0. Unfortunately, the Australian team seemed to be outmatched.

So here are the pics.

I have knit this particular pattern before. It comes from a German sock knitting group. The photo doesn't show the main color very well, but imagine a very dark green with lighter greens. The yarn used is Regia Line Steps color; needle size was US 1-1/2 or 2.5 mm.

The pattern is called "Nine-to-Five" and can be found on Ravelry. I am almost certain I have knit this pattern before, albeit with a different name. The pattern is quite simple. Knit 2 tog., leave on left needle and knit stitch again x 2, then purl 2 stitches. Yarn used is ON Line Supersocke 100 Cotton Stretch. Needles used were size US 1, or 2.25 mm.

The heel is knit with a version of the linen stitch: knit 1, slip 1 with yarn in front. Return row purl.

And finally my least favorite yarn, Regia Cotton. In my opinion, the yarn looks and feels cheap. Basically, the yarn is so busy that I just did the sock in stockinette stitch.

Knit on, merrily.