A 'why bother' sock

I traveled over 500 miles earlier today. My daughter's school term is over and they required everyone to be moved out this weekend. So today was the day that her father (ex-husband) and I went up to get her stuff. He invited me to ride along with him to load her stuff and bring it home. So I got to knit!! and look out the window!!! A rare treat since I have been the official driver in my household for many years now. Anyway, I started these socks on the trip, if you can call them socks. They will have a short leg and no toe. I think of them as my 'why bother' socks. I am knitting a pair to protect my heels from drying and cracking this summer. I will be able to wear them with flip flops and sandals. I like the way the stripes get wider on the heel flap.

I am almost done with the sock I am knitting as a class sample (I will be teaching the 'magic loop' method top down). Each section of the sock is a different color. I am one color short and so I have to do some stash diving. T.K. asked what size needle I am using on the Telemark. I like a dense fabric and so I am using a size US 3 AddiTurbo circular needle, but since the Telemark is not a squishy yarn I probably could have gone up to a size 4. I find that, after washing and wearing, the wool relaxes and softens a little, and my opinion is that the tighter fabric makes them wear longer/better.

I am sooooo challenged by the saddles on the seamless hybrid. I do not see how they connect with the body while I knit them back and forth. I see several seamless hybrids knitted on the Zimmermania KAL, but I do not see anyone having a problem with the saddle, so it is just me. I am going to try to pump up my brain cells and figure it out tonight.

Good Natured Ribbing listed some of the knitting videos on You Tube. She has links listed to a few of them. Worth checking out.

It is nice that I got back in time to have a little bit of my day off. Yay!

I don't normally do these but.......

I got this knitting meme from Tingletangle:

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffitti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone elses handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Hybrid decreases

I think this shoulder decrease will stick. I have done the double decrease in the Jaywalker socks and had no trouble, but I could not get it to work right in the shoulders. This is my third go at it, but this time I kept it simple by doing a K2tog on one side and SSK on the other to form the double decrease.


I noticed the first few SSK's were wavy next to the K2tog, so I started using a modified SSK and it seems to lay next to the K2tog better. The modified SSK I am using is slip the first stitch knit-wise, slip the next stitch purl-wise, and then knit through the back loop.


I ordered yarn for a sock sample for my sock knitting class. I needed a different color for each part of the sock construction. I chose KnitPicks Telemark because I think it will have good stitch definition and the price was great. I snuck a needle for my lace knitting in the order too. I look forward to starting my first lace shawl.


Evergreen clematis blooms

Need a shawl pattern?

Check out the list of shawl patterns that JennyRae made and is sharing on her blog.

I have nothing to show and nothing of interest to say. I finished a shop sample - Jaywalker sock in Mountain Colors sock yarn. No picture and it is already at the LYS. Then I knitted some knucks for my daughter's friend at college which had to be done ASAP because school finals are this week. I did not get a picture of those either. Then I knitted the shoulder decreases after the arm and body joins on the EZ seamless hybrid. Then I ripped out the shoulder decreases on the EZ seamless hybrid. Then I knitted again. Then I ripped it out again. Now I am trying it a third time, but I am doing the decreases my way this time. So a lot of knitting there but nothing to show for it. Hmmmm. See, not much. But check out that list of shawl patterns!

Holey clog

They lasted less than a year, but I wore the felted clogs constantly and even threw them in the washer, so I think they can pass on with dignity. Time to gather up my leftover wool and plan my next pair.

Sunny Sunday

There have been many times that I longed to take advantage of the sale prices on yarn at Little Knits and up until recently I have had to resist. I ordered yarn for my first lace shawl, the Sun Ray Shawl; I ordered the Peru DK Luxury (70% merino, 20% alpaca, 10% silk). The sock yarn was not only tweedy but also a bargain and I wanted it all but I settled for 2. I look forward to knitting the socks this fall.

These poor socks have been staring at me from my knitting case - kind of like a fish laying on its side looking at you with its eye. They were finished and destined never to know the joy of being worn and appreciated because of the wonky heels I gave them. So I took one sock and jumped in.


There is a part of me encouraging me "Do it... Do it... Do it!" But then after I jump in there is inevitably another part of me saying "I wish I knew what I was doing". I did my best to secure the stitches on the needles, and then I put it back into the knitting case. They will think twice before looking at me that way again.



I am ready to join all 3 pieces (body and 2 sleeves). I am a little intimidated by the shirt back yoke thing, but I have EZ holding my hand through her book 'Knitting Without Tears'. I have seen so many success stories on the Zimmermaniacs knitalong that I am hopeful of success for myself.

One of my knitting buddies (Hi!) recently asked me if and where I order on line, and I said that other than the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed I do not really order on line. Now that I think about it I believe I unintentionally told a lie. I try hard to support my LYS but sometimes I will also buy from KnitPicks. There are times when I cannot afford to knit a project unless I buy inexpensive wool yarn, and KnitPicks yarn is good for the price. Okay, now I un-lied.

Views from my knitting porch

picture heavy post

















Have a blessed Easter.

stitchmarkers

I found some wonderful stitchmarkers. I was meandering through the knitting blogs on bloglines, and someone mentioned these not-so-dangly stitchmarkers that are beautiful. So I followed the link. They are beautiful and reasonably priced. I was able to buy three sets! (I already gave one set away) And the customer service was great. This is the link... Entrelac Stitch Markers & Yarn


Just a sleeve.....

The sleeve belongs to the seamless hybrid. Just a few more inches and then I can start the second sleeve. Not much to see.

My daughter was home for spring break last week and I enjoyed our time together. I showed her the Rogue sweater and asked her if she would like me to knit it for her. So once I finish one of the current WIPs (WsIP?) ..... why are there so many things I want to knit? I have to knit faster.

Oh, yah..... I was asked to teach a sock knitting class. Go figure! I do not know if it is general knowledge at the LYS yet, but they want me to submit my lesson plan in time for the newsletter. I feel like an adventurous knitter disguised as someone who looks like they know what they are doing. I just had a thought - this might give me yarn money. woo hoo.