Persnickety Knitter - Gallery

Pattern:: Frost sleeveless turtleneck from Rowan Knitting Magazine Number 30 (Autumn/Winter 2001)
Yarn:: Classic Elite Spotlight [100% matte cotton]
color: 5734
Needles:: US 7?
Size:: ???
Modifications:: Knit in the round up to the armhole.
Finished:: Summer 2006
Comments:: Very soft yarn. Nice pattern.
This is the second Frost tank I have knit for Daughter#2. I made the first one in 2005, but it came out a little small and did not fit for long. It has been passed on to Niece#3. This time I knit a much bigger size, but it still came out tighter than I would like. Sigh.

new and old Frost Tanks, as modeled by Daughter#2 (left) and Niece#3 (right)

Debbie Bliss Molly Bolero

2005-12-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Molly Bolero from Debbie Bliss Junior Knits
Yarn:: Laines Du Nord Dolly Maxi (from Elann.com) [100% merino wool],
color: 0906 (Dusty Rose), 9 balls
Needles:: US 9 (and US 8 for edging)
Size:: biggest size (ages 9-10)
Modifications:: The body and sleeves of this bolero are knit as one piece (see diagram below) and then the edging is picked up and knit. I used short rows to shape the sleeves rather than using the stair-step cast-on and bind-off specified in the pattern. I used a provisional cast for the sleeves and kitchenered them together to avoid seams. I then knit the ribbed edging on the sleeves in the round (instead of flat, as per pattern). I sewed the short side seams before working on the body edging so I could knit that in the round too (yes, I'm an "in the round" freak, apparently). The edging around the neck uses short rows and the pattern did not say anything about wrapping the turns, but I did it anyway (and I found that it is not easy to hide the wrap in ribbing -- which is probably why the pattern ignored the wraps).
Finished:: November 2005
Comments:: This bolero came out rather large, but it seems that Debbie Bliss sizes many of her children's patterns to be oversized, and I guess I forgot that. My daughter is 9 and it is pretty big on her (in fact, it fits me, except that the sleeves are a little too short). I probably should have made the ages 8-9 size.

The Dolly Maxi yarn was soooo soft. I enjoyed working with it, although it did have a tendency to split.

Rowan Flood Pullover

2005-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

(real photos coming soon)

Pattern:: Flood from Rowan Plaid Collection
Yarn:: Rowan Plaid [42% merino wool/30% acrylic/28% superfine alpaca]
color: 168 Stormy Night
Needles:: US 11
Size:: small
Modifications:: Knit body in round up to armhole. Knit sleeves in round.
Finished:: September 2005
Comments:: I LOVE this sweater. It is extremely warm and cozy and was a very quick knit. However, it is very bulky and doesn't fit well under my coat; it's more of hanging-out-at-home kind of sweater. Also, the bottoms of the sleeves are kind of wide and tend to get in the way of things -- but they go with the loose style of the sweater.

Orlando Ajoure & Cable Sweater

2005-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

(real photos coming soon)

Pattern:: Orlando Ajoure & Cable Sweater from a free pattern at elann.com (originally from Spring/Summer 2003 issue of ONline Magazine)
Yarn:: ONline Linie 15 - Orlando [39% cotton/39% acrylic/22% nylon] (wide ribbon)
color: 002, Faded Denim
9 balls
Needles:: US 15
Size:: small (6-8)
Modifications:: Converted to knit the body in round up to armhole to avoid having a seam in the middle of the lacy side panel. I knit the sleeves in round for the same reason. I knit the cuffs flat, but grafted them together to avoid a seam there.
Finished:: July 2005
Comments:: I normally don't really like working with ribbon, but when I saw this sweater on elann's web site, it just called out to me. I really like how it came out. It's great for a cool summer evening with a camisole.
Also, I liked working with this ribbon. It was very soft and fabric-like and pleasant to work with.

One Skein Wonder

2005-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: One Skein Wonder (mini shrug) purchased from glampyre knits.
Yarn:: Classic Elite Beatrice [100% merino wool]
color: 3202, Crayon
Needles:: US 10
Size:: 15" shoulder-to-shoulder size
Modifications:: none
Finished:: July 2005
Comments:: As you can probably guess from the picture above (modeled by Nephew#1), this project was NOT what I would call a 'success' (at least in terms of wearabilty). I was trying to use up this yarn that I had only 3 small balls of, but the yarn was just too COLORFUL for this project. It feels too small on me, but actually, I would say it fits me about the same way it does on Glampyre in her pics. I guess I'm just not the kind of gal who can pull off a mini-shrug. However, the pattern was great and it was a super-fast knit.
This yarn is really soft, and I'm sure I'd like it better in another color. I don't know WHAT possessed me to buy this color.

I think I like it better this way (as modeled by Niece#1).

Rowan Frost Sleeveless Turtleneck

2005-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Frost sleeveless turtleneck from Rowan Knitting Magazine Number 30 (Autumn/Winter 2001)
Yarn:: Classic Elite Spotlight [100% matte cotton]
color: 5734
Needles:: US 7?
Size:: 9-10 yrs?
Modifications:: Knit in the round up to the armhole.
Finished:: July 2005
Comments:: I made this for Daughter#2 and she loves it. In retrospect, I should have made it a little bigger, so it would fit her longer. I think it is designed to be rather snug (based on the picture of the girl in the magazine).

I loved working with this yarn. It's very soft because of the matte finish it has. It was easy to work with (unlike some other cottons I've tried).

Rowan Nightfall Sleeveless Top

2005-12-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

(real photos coming soon)

Pattern:: Nightfall sleeveless top (keyhole back version) from Rowan Knitting Magazine Number 30 (Autumn/Winter 2001)
Yarn:: Rowan Lurex Shimmer [80% rayon/20% polyester]
color: 331, Claret
Needles:: US 3
Size:: small
Modifications:: none
Finished:: June 2005
Comments:: This sleeveless top came out well. I love the subtle sparkle of this yarn, but it wore out my fingertips while making it. However, it is not scratchy when I'm wearing it. I think I might make the V-neck version of this in another color.

This model has strange bony shoulders...

Debbie Bliss Aran Pullover #2

2005-12-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Cotton/Silk Aran from Debbie Bliss Cotton Knits for All Seasons
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino Aran [100% merino wool]
color: 701 purplish dark blue
Needles:: US ?
Size:: small
Modifications:: Converted to a bottom-up in-the-round construction. Knit body in round up to armhole. Knit sleeves in round, slipped underarm stitches to holder, put sleeves on one long circular ndl with body and knit the rest as one piece (which was slightly unwieldy). Then grafted underarm stitches together.

I also had to knit 1 more 'V' center panel repeat than pictured in the book to get the length specified for the body.
Finished:: March/April 2005
Comments:: This was my second sweater knit from this pattern. I originally made it in a different yarn for Sister#1. This one I made for myself. I wanted a fitted-style sweater, so I made the small size (in both cases). However, the raglan style of this sweater is really not conducive to a fitted style; the sweater rides up in the front when you raise your arms, which is kind of irritating.

Although I really like how this sweater came out, I ended up giving it to Daughter#1 (pictured above). It was just a touch short for me, even after blocking, and it kept riding up when I raised my arms at all. No more fitted raglans for me -- lesson learned.

Here is a detail view of the cables.

Niece#3's Retro Poncho

2005-12-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Retro Poncho from Knitter's Magazine, Summer 2003
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% wool],
color: 4009 (blue & teal heather),
9345? (purple heather),
4147 (pale yellow),
9407? (light green heather),
8400? (charcoal gray heather)
Needles:: US 7?
Size:: medium or large?
Modifications:: Made the poncho much longer than specified in the pattern. I think I changed the increase rate at some point, to slow down the increases so it wouldn't be too wide.
Finished:: January 2005
Comments:: I made this as a Christmas present for Niece#3. I really like the way the colors mix in the seed stitch border on this poncho.

that's a lot of knitting

detailed shot of the edge of the poncho

Child's Guernsey Sweater

2005-12-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Child's Guernsey Sweater from a Design by Louise pattern booklet, Design #23 (purchased at WEBS)
Yarn:: Dale Free Style [100% wool, machine washable]
color: 5364 (purplish dark blue)
Needles:: US7
Size:: 4 yrs
Modifications:: none
Finished:: September 2004
Comments:: This was my FIRST sweater (awwwww). I did not yet know how to seam and I had a miserable time doing so in such a dark yarn. Since then I've had seaming lessons with a great teacher, and I don't completely dread seaming like I used to (well, maybe just a little). I made this for Nephew#4, who was 1 1/2 yrs old at the time. I made a size 4 so it would fit for a while, but it came out smaller than I expected. However, it still fits him and he is now 3.

I had to cast off with a US9 because the neck opening came out too tight when I cast off with a US7.

I was not thrilled with this yarn, since it split a lot. But it was soft and machine washable and has held up well.

I also made a matching hat from this pattern booklet.

Daughter#1's Retro Poncho

2005-12-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Retro Poncho from Knitter's Magazine, Summer 2003
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% wool],
color: 9336? (teal heather),
9460? (light green heather),
???
8400? (charcoal gray heather)
Needles:: US 7?
Size:: large?
Modifications:: Made the poncho much longer than specified in the pattern. I think I changed the increase rate at some point, to slow down the increases so it wouldn't be too wide.
Finished:: August 2004
Comments:: I made this for Daugher#1. I really like the way the colors mix in the seed stitch border on this poncho.

detailed shot of the edge of the poncho

Debbie Bliss Aran Pullover

2005-12-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Cotton/Silk Aran from Debbie Bliss Cotton Knits for All Seasons
Yarn:: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted [85% wool/15% mohair]
color: M-77, Blue Magic
Needles:: US 8
Size:: small
Modifications:: Converted to a bottom-up in-the-round construction. Knit body in round up to armhole. Knit sleeves in round, slipped underarm stitches to holder, put sleeves on one long circular ndl with body and knit the rest as one piece (which was slightly unwieldy). Then grafted underarm stitches together.

I also had to knit 1 more 'V' center panel repeat than pictured in the book to get the length specified for the body.
Finished:: February 2005
Comments:: I made this sweater for Sister#1 (pictured above). I enjoyed making it so much that I made it a second time for myself (in a different yarn). I wanted a fitted-style sweater, so I made the small size (in both cases). However, the raglan style of this sweater is really not conducive to a fitted style; the sweater rides up in the front when you raise your arms, which is kind of irritating.

Above the sweater is picture post-blocking on it's recipient, Sister#1.

Here I am modeling it pre-blocking. The neck was a little big (fixed by washing & blocking) and it was a little short. I stretched it a bit during blocking, but Sister#1 is a little shorter than me so I think it worked out OK.

Gigi Sleeveless Crop Top

2005-12-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Gigi sleeveless crop top from a Sirdir pattern leaflet #2003.
Yarn:: Sirdar Gigi [100% nylon]
color: 044, Pigalle Purple
Needles:: US 3
Size:: 3-4 or 5-6 yrs
Modifications:: none
Finished:: May/June 2004
Comments:: I made this for Daughter#1. I'm not much of a novelty yarn fan, but this pattern & yarn was an impulse buy at my LYS one day when I saw the pattern near the register and fell in love with its cuteness. I think it came out well and my daughter loves it. I remember having problems with sizing. Daughter#1 was almost 8 at the time, but had to make like a size 3-4 or 5-6 in order to get the body not to be huge.

I don't have a good picture of this. Here is Daughter#1 wearing it to decorate the Christmas tree. Doesn't everyone wear tank tops in the middle of winter?

Scarf Gallery

2005-09-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here are all of the scarves I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

21. Cashmere Wavy Scarf Variation

(page still under construction)

20. Crocheted Garden Scarf

19. Forbes Forest Scarf

17. Never-ending Cable Scarf

16. Zigzag Lace Scarf

15. Backyard Leaves Scarf

14. Brioche Stitch Ritratto Scarf

13. Alien Illusion Scarf

12. Lopi Lace Scarf

11. Brioche Gaiter in Camel Hair

10. Jo Sharp Thandi Scarf

09. Colinette Enigma Scarf

(page still under construction)

08. Ugly Purple & White Scarf

(page still under construction)

07. Wavy Scarf Variation

(page still under construction)

05 & 06. Two Tinsel Scarves

(page still under construction)

04. Oceany-Colored Scarf

03. Griffindor Scarf

(page still under construction)

02. Slytherin Scarf

(page still under construction)

01. Pink Fluffy Scarf

(page still under construction)

Crocheted Garden Scarf

2005-09-17T08:29:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Garden Scarf by Michelle Ameron from The Happy Hooker
Yarn:: Cascade 220, [100% wool],
colors: purple (7811), green (2445), mustard yellow (4010), <1 ball each
Hook:: H/8 (5.0mm)
Size:
Modifications:: I made 19 flowers, each about 3.5" in diameter. The pattern said to make 14 4.5" diam flowers, but mine were much smaller so I had to make more.
Finished:: March 2006
Comments:: This was my first crochet project (not counting the ugly dishcloth). I enjoyed making the flowers at first, but then I stopped looking at the directions as much and immediately got into trouble. Since there are two types of flowers that are made differently, I kept losing track of whether I was doing 2 dc or a dc, tr, dc in the petal area. I found that switching to assembly-line style and making all of one type of flower first and then all of the other type, helped it go quicker with less confusion. Then I did the joining parts at the end. And what a drag it was sewing in all those ends. But, I do think that weaving in ends is easier in crochet than knitting. At least you have a thicker fabric in which to hide to the yarn.

I think there's an error in this pattern. I looked in the errata online and it wasn't there though. The written-out directions for the joining round of Flower C are missing two instances of "sc, hdc" that are shown in the chart for the flower. I went with the chart, because it was consistent with the rest of the flower.

Daughter#1 modeling the Garden Scarf

Forbes Forest Scarf

2005-09-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Forbes Forest by Kathy Zimmerman, from Scarf Style
Yarn:: Jo Sharp DK Wool, [100% wool],
color: 908 (glade), 5.5 balls
Needles:: US 6
Modifications:: none
Finished:: February 2006
Comments:: At first I didn't think I would like this pattern. There was just too much going on with all the cables and bobbles and whatnot. However, after memorizing the pattern & bobble technique, I really started to enjoy making this scarf. It is rather slow knitting since there are cables to cross or bobbles to make on every right-side row, but cabling without a needle can really help your speed. [I like Grumperina's instructions.] And the technique works really well here because the cables are so narrow.

This was my first project with bobbles, and I have to say that I think I am now a bobble convert. Previously, I poo-pooed all bobble-containing patterns. But now I'm a fan. I found that knitting backwards on the second row of the bobble (instead of turning) really made bobbling much more enjoyable. Here are some links with instructions on how to knit backwards English style and continental style, in case you are not familiar with this technique.

I really like this Jo Sharp DK Wool. It's soft and the colors are interesting. I bought a bunch of it on sale at WEBS a while ago, but I may need to buy more.

Never-Ending Cable Scarf

2005-09-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: My own (to be posted later)
Yarn:: Peruvian Collection Sierra Aran [80% highland wool/20%alpaca]
color: 0721, Walnut
Needles:: US 7
Size:: 58" long (25 cable repeats)
Finished:: January 2006
Comments:: I designed this as a Christmas present for my father-in-law. It seemed to take forever to knit this (hence the name). I think I might tweak the pattern a little if I make it again.

This yarn felt soft at first, but after knitting cables with it for several hours a day my fingertips became very sore. I made hand warmers out of the same yarn and did not have this problem, but maybe that was because the hand warmers were so fast to make that my fingers didn't have time to get sore. Or maybe it was the extra yarn manipulation needed for the cables (or maybe just that particular color??).

Thanks to my MIL for the photos of the finished scarf.

Zigzag Lace Scarf

2005-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Zigzag Lace Scarf (my own pattern, available free here)
Yarn:: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky [100% wool], 2 skeins
color: 104, dark red
Needles:: US 10
Size:: about 7.5" wide and 72" long
Finished:: January 2006
Comments:: I designed this scarf as a Christmas present for my husband's aunt. I enjoyed knitting this scarf. That lace pattern is pretty easy and the chunky yarn makes it go fast.

I love the color of this yarn with its slight color variations.

Backyard Leaves Scarf

2005-09-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Backyard Leaves Scarf by Annie Modesitt (from Scarf Style)
Yarn:: Laines Du Nord Dolly Maxi, (from Elann.com) [100% merino wool],
color: 3000 (Eggplant), 4 balls
Needles:: US 9
Size:: Completed 10 leaves on each half of the scarf, which left me with just enough yarn to seam the halves together.
Modifications:: none
Finished:: December 25, 2005
(in the car, Christmas day, on the way to Sister#2's house -- how's that for cutting it close?)
Comments:: The Dolly Maxi yarn was very soft. I enjoyed working with it, although it did have a tendency to split. Also, this yarn is composed of many thin, smooth, little strands and if one of them gets caught on something, good luck getting it worked back in neatly. This has happened a couple of times on this scarf already.

This scarf was a Christmas present for Sister#2 (shown above in her cute new shirt). It was a fun scarf to make once you get used to the lace pattern. I really liked the way the edges were self-finishing with an i-cord-like edge.
The one thing I did not like about this pattern was the way the two halves are seamed together at the end. The scarf is made in two halves (worked from the center to the ends) and then you sew together the cast-on edges. This would have been fine if the instructions had you use some kind of looser cast on that was easier to seam (especially since the initial cast-on is combined with the later cast-on at row 3). My seaming job was not great. It does fall behind your neck, but still.... Could have been a lot neater.

Also, I was kind of disappointed by the way the points of my scarf came out -- kind of stubby.

Brioche Stitch Ritratto Scarf

2005-09-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Just basic brioche stitch. Here's what I did:
Cast on a multiple of 3 stitches + 2 edge stitches (I did 38).
All Rows: k1, [yo, sl 1 purlwise, k2tog], rep to last st, k1.
Yarn:: Stacy Charles Ritratto [28% mohair/53% rayon/10% nylon/9% polyester], 1.5 balls
color: 85, brown-gold-orange-blue-green mix
Needles:: US 8
Size:: ?
Finished:: January 2006
Comments:: I made this scarf as a Christmas present for my mother. I think the brioche stitch on a big needle really shows of the colors in this yarn.

Alien Illusion Scarf

2005-09-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Alien Illusion Scarf from Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% Peruvian highland wool],
color: red and black, 1 skein of each
Needles:: US 7?
Size:: ?
Modifications:: none
Finished:: December 2005
Comments:: This is a 'shadow knit' scarf which looks like simple stripes when viewed from straight on. However, when viewed from an angle, a pattern appears from the purl bumps (ooooooh, spooky).

This is the COOLEST scarf ever. I made it as a Christmas present for Nephew#3 and he really liked it.

It was kind of slow going, having to consult the chart on every other row, but it is soooo worth it. However, I highly recommend using a magnetic board to keep your place on this chart.

I will definitely be making more of these with different designs.

This is the scarf viewed from above (or straight on).

This the back of the scarf.

Lopi Lace Scarf

2005-09-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Lopi Lace Scarf from Weekend Knitting
Yarn:: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted [85% wool/15% mohair]
main color: M-77 (Blue Magic), about 1.5 skeins? contrasting color: M-03 (Grey Heather)
Needles:: US 8?
Size:: ?
Modifications:: none
Finished:: December 2005
Comments:: This was an easy lace pattern that was fun to knit. I loved the way it looked when it was first blocked. However, after having been worn a bit the edges have curled up and I don't think it looks quite as nice.

This scarf was a Christmas present for Sister#1. Here she is modeling it with Daughter#2.

Brioche Gaiter in Camel Hair

2005-09-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Brioche Gaiter in Camel Hair by Ann Budd, from Interweave Knits Magazine, Fall 2003
Yarn:: Classic Elite Blithe, [100% baby camel],
color: cinnamon, 1 skein
Needles:: US 7
Modifications:: none
Finished:: October 2005
Comments:: I made this for Daughter #1. She bought this yarn on sale (with her allowance, how cute) because it was so soft. However, we had a hard time finding something appropriate to do with just 1 skein of it. Luckily I stumbled across this pattern in IK which calls for this exact yarn. She tried the brioche stitch, but quickly got tired of it so I ended up knitting the majority of this item.

This is sized to fit over an adult-sized head, and would therefore be a little loose around an adult-sized neck (and even more loose around my daughter's neck, see pic above). You could probably tuck it in behind to make less gappy in front though.

This yarn is unbelievably soft. But it is also extremely fragile. It broke several times while I was knitting with it (and I was being extra gentle). It is like knitting with yarn made of dryer fluff, but in a good way. ;-)

This gaiter is basically just a tube of brioche stitch worked in the round. When worked in the round, brioche stitch is a little more complicated than when knit flat. Here you have to alternate two different rows: one being the normal brioche st (yo, sl 1 purlwise, k2tog) and the other being (p2tog, yo, sl 1 purlwise).

Thandi Scarf

2005-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Thandi Scarf from Jo Sharp Gathering (Book 5)
Yarn:: Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Kid Mohair [80% kid mohair/5% wool/15% polyamid],
colors: 602 Romany (dark brown), 610 Millet (tan), 606 Swamp (green), and 603 Velvet (purple),
about 1.5 balls of each
Needles:: US 8
Modifications:: Did an extra half of a repeat of the pattern in each color band to make the stripes wider.
Finished:: October 2005
Comments:: I like the way this scarf turned out, although I think the millet color contrasts with the others too much (see pic below).

I wear this scarf a lot and it is surprisingly warm. However, after wearing it for an extended amount of time the mohair can get a bit uncomfortable on my neck.

Also, I was a little disappointed that the lace pattern is really not visible in the darker colors unless you hold the scarf up to the light.

Here it is modeled by Daughter #1.

Oceany-Colored Scarf

2005-09-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: My own
Yarn:: 2 full balls ribbon yarn, 2.5 balls eyelash yarn, <1 ball fluffy yarn (I don't remember what yarns I used and I can't find the ball bands)
Needles:: US ?
Finished:: December 2003
Comments:: Has the style of a decorative scarf, but the width of a wintery scarf. Hmmm, I'm not sure that's a good thing.
This scarf has a border of fluffy blue yarn (4 rows garter st at top and bottom, and 1 st in garter along edge). The center of the scarf was knit in seed stitch with the ribbon and eyelash held together. I had to twist the fluffy yarn with the ribbon/eyelash yarns at the start and end of every stinking row. Not fun.

This scarf was a Christmas present for Sister#2. She asked for "oceany" colors, and this was the best I could do at the time.
I did not enjoy making it since I had too many balls going at once and they kept getting tangled. Also, this was my first time knitting with ribbon and I found it highly annoying the way it got all twisted.

Shawl/Stole/Wrap Gallery

2005-07-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here are all of the shawls and wraps I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

CHECK BACK SOON.

04. Super Spiral Shawl

(page still under construction)

03. Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole

(page still under construction)

02. Kiri Shawl

(page still under construction)

01. Lacy Poodle Shawl

(page still under construction)

Hat/Headband Gallery

2005-06-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here are all of the hats and headbands I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

11. Silk Garden Ribbed Hat

10. Arrowhead Lace Headband

09. Saving Grace Headband

05-08. Hats for Dulaan

(page still under construction)

04. Kureyon Ribbed Hat

03. Candy Cane Hat Variation

02. Candy Cane Hat

01. Child's Tree-Pattern Hat

Silk Garden Ribbed Hat

2005-06-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Ribbed Cap, from Caps & Hats Two: Vogue Knitting on the Go
Yarn:: Noro Silk Garden, [45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lambswool],
color: ???, 1 ball
Needles:: US 7?
Modifications:: none?
Finished:: November 2006?
Comments:: I was a little disappointed with this particular ball of Silk Garden. The bottom of the hat has interesting, vibrant colors, but at the top of the hat the colors are all gray and washed out.
Also, I think this yarn is just too scratchy for a hat. It bothers me when I wear it and I'm not usually sensitive to scratchy wool. Maybe washing it would help.
Also, I think I made this hat about 1 inch too long. I should probably rip back the top of the hat and start the decreases earlier. However, since the hat is scratchy I may not bother with that.

pretty colors on bottom of hat

drab, faded colors on top of hat

Kureyon Ribbed Hat

2005-06-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Ribbed Cap, from Caps & Hats Two: Vogue Knitting on the Go
Yarn:: Noro Kureyon [100% wool], 1 skein
color: 163
Needles:: US7 (pattern called for 8's but hat was coming out much too large, so had to rip and and redo with 7's)
Size:: one size fits most
Modifications:: None
Finished:: November 2005
Comments:: The single skein of Kureyon was just barely enough to make this hat. I was running on fumes at the end.
I've never used Kureyon before and I really like the color I picked, but I will not rush out to get more -- at least, not for a project in ribbing. The yarn is a little scratchy and rather uneven and it left my left middle finger kind of sore after knitting for a while. I normally hold the yarn in my right hand, but I find that my ribbing is neater (specifically the purl stitch after a knit stitch) and a little faster when I knit continental. However, this was just painful with this yarn because I guess I was squeezing my fingers to get better tension or something. By the end of the project I had a big groove in my middle finger.

This hat was a Christmas present for Nephew#1. I had to tie him up to get a picture of him in it.

OK, no. Really he's just a weirdo who likes to be tied up. Anyhow, he loves his hat and that makes me a happy auntie.

Arrowhead Lace Headband

2005-06-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: my own, available here
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% wool],
color: 9455 (turquoise heather)
Needles:: US 7
Finished:: June 2006
Comments:: I made this headband for Daughter#2.

Saving Grace Headband

2005-06-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Saving Grace headband, a free online pattern by Dawn at Wild Yarn
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% wool],
color: 7811 (purple heather)
Needles:: US 7
Modifications:: none
Finished:: June 2006
Comments:: I made this headband for Daughter#1. It was a great project -- super fast and easy, and yet quite lovely when done.

Candy Cane Hat Variation

2005-06-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Variation of the Candy Cane Hat from Handknit Holidays
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% Peruvian highland wool], leftovers
colors: ??
Needles:: US7
Size:: hmmm...
Modifications:: I added a little checkerboard strip to the bottom, surrounded by more of those braid things (explanation here).

I also put a pompom on top, instead of the I-cord in the pattern.

I ran out of the navy blue yarn halfway through and had to switch to gray for the top of the hat. This didn't turn out so great because the gray doesn't have enough contrast with the heathery blue so you can't really see the swirl on the top. But, hey, I used up leftover yarn, and that was the goal.
Finished:: December 2005
Comments:: This was the very first pompom I have ever made. Not sure I enjoy making those. I did learn that more yarn is better when it comes to pompoms.

Candy Cane Hat

2005-06-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Candy Cane Hat, from Handknit Holidays
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% Peruvian highland wool], leftovers
colors: ??
Needles:: US7
Size:: hmmm...
Modifications:: I only did a nubbin at the top, instead of the long knotted umbilical cord sort of thing in the pattern.
I also added the braid sort of thing at the bottom of the stripes. This is done by purling while alternating colors and stranding the unused color on the right side so it forms little slanting lines. I can't find my notes, but it looks like I did two rows of this, stranding the colors the opposite way in the 2nd row. This is a cool technique I learned at a great Annie Modesitt class at WEBS.
Finished:: December 2005
Comments:: This hat was a Christmas present for Niece#4. It was fun to make and I love the way it came out.

In fact, I liked it so much I made a variation of it for Daughter#2.

Child's Tree-Pattern Hat

2005-06-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Hat from Child's Guernsey Sweater & Hat pattern booklet (Design by Louise, Design #23, purchased at WEBS)
Yarn:: Dale Free Style [100% wool, machine washable]
color: 5364 (purplish dark blue)
Needles:: US 7
Size:: 6 yrs
Modifications:: I knit this in the round, instead of flat.

I was making this for a 1 1/2 year old, but I made a size 6 because I wanted it to fit for a while. However, the picture in the pattern makes it look like a really tall hat, so I shortened it by making only 1 one purl ridge at the top and bottom, and by knitting only 27 rows of the chart (instead of 30).
Finished:: September 2004
Comments:: This was my FIRST hat (awwwww). I made for Nephew#4 to go with his sweater.

I was not thrilled with this yarn, since it split a lot. But it was soft and machine washable and has held up well.

Mitten/Glove/Handwarmer Gallery

2005-05-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here are all of the mittens, gloves, and handwarmers I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

08. Cashmere Fingerless Gloves

07. Chipman's Block Mittens

06. More Brown Fingerless Mitts

05. Malabrigo Fingerless Mitts

(page still under construction)

04. Austrian Mittens

03. Brown Fingerless Mitts

02. Gray Fingerless Mitts

01. Teal Fingerless Mitts

Chipman's Block Mittens

2005-05-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: my own, using the Chipman's Block stitch pattern I found in Knit Mittens
Yarn:: Cascade 220 [100% Peruvian highland wool]
colors: 2419 (pink heather), ??9345 (purple heather)
Needles:: ?? US 4 and US 3 (ribbing)
Finished:: Feb 2007
Comments:: I made these mittens for Daughter#2 in colors that would match her winter coat.

inside of mitten

Cashmere Fingerless Gloves

2005-05-07T03:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: my own<
Yarn:: DK-weight double twist cashmere from ColourMart.com, [100% cashmere],
color: brume (light gray)
Needles:: US 3
Gauge:: before washing = 7sts/inch and 10rows/inch
after washing & drying = 7sts/inch and 10.5rows/inch
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: April 2007
Comments:: I made these fingerless gloves for a friend of mine, to keep her hands warm during the cold spring softball games that our daughters are in. I was hoping that they would encourage her to bring her knitting to the games (they would allow her knit and be warm at the same time), but it hasn't worked so far. I am the lone softball game knitter. :(
This cashmere from ColourMart is fabulous. It is so very, very soft. It comes on a cone and still contains oil from the mill. At first it seems kind of stringy and not really anything special, but after you wash and dry it the cashmere blooms and becomes lovely.
I didn't find the oiled yarn at all unpleasant to knit with. It didn't smell or feel oily or anything. After you knit with it, you wash it with a dish-washing detergent like Dawn in hot water to remove the oil. Then you put it in the dryer (yes, the dryer) to fluff up the cashmere. This causes the yarn to shrink up a little, but not as much as you might expect.
This makes knitting with this yarn a little tricky, in that you must knit a large swatch and wash and dry it to see how your gauge will change. However, the result is well worth the hassle.

modeled by Daughter#1

detail of cuff

More Brown Fingerless Mitts

2005-05-07T01:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Interweave Knits, Fall 2005, Yarn Spotlight section
Yarn:: elann.com Peruvian Sierra Aran [80% highland wool/20%alpaca]
colors: 0783? (Russet), 1.5 balls.
0683? (Chestnut), scraps for trim.
Needles:: US 8 DPN's
Finished:: Feb 2007
Comments:: This was my fourth pair of handwarmers made using this pattern. I made these for my sister in law. She saw the ones I made for my mother in law and decided to knit herself a pair. However, she did not finish them before she decided to give up knitting (SHOCKING -- yes, I know), so I told her I would finish them for her.

Austrian Mittens

2005-05-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Austrian Mittens, designed by Candace Eisner Strick (provided as part of her Strickmuster class that I took at Webs)
Yarn:: ReynoldsWhiskey, [100% wool],
color: 16 (dark red & black mix)
Needles:: US 3 (and US 4 for the i-cord at the bottom)
Gauge:: 7.5 sts/inch in stockinette, about 9 sts/inch in pattern
Size:: women's medium
Modifications:: My gauge with this yarn was a little tighter than that specified in the pattern, but I did not change the number of stitches for the hand since the sample mittens made from the pattern (which Candace brought to class) were a little big on me. I started with the i-cord edge, but I kitchenered the i-cord together at the ends, instead of having extra i-cord hanging down (kind of like tassels). Also, I did not want to include the gauntlet part of the cuffs, so I cast on just enough stitches for the hand of the mitten. I widened the thumb and knit the inner part of it (the part toward the palm) in reverse stockinette, instead of twisted ribbing.
Finished:: November 2006?
Comments:: I really enjoyed making these mittens, although it did require me to pay a lot of attention to the chart. Once I got about halfway through the first mitten, all of the manipulation of the stitches started to come more easily, and the project moved along more quickly. I really like the way this pattern had you start with an i-cord edge and then pick up stitches from the side of that to start the hand. That makes a nice, clean bottom edge for the mitten. I used Reynolds Whiskey for these mittens because it was one of the few yarns then available at Webs that was the right fiber content and roughly the right gauge for this pattern. It really doesn't show off the stitch pattern to its best advantage (a lighter color and a smoother yarn would probably have been better), but my choices were limited and I do like the color. I would definitely use this yarn again for a different sort of pattern. I love these mittens and they fit great. I intend to make another pair of them sometime, but using a yarn like Louet Gems Merino (the recommended yarn for the pattern).

Brown Fingerless Mitts

2005-05-06T02:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Interweave Knits, Fall 2005, Yarn Spotlight section
Yarn:: elann.com Peruvian Sierra Aran [80% highland wool/20%alpaca]
colors: 0683 (Chestnut), 1.5 balls.
0783 (Russet), scraps for trim.
Needles:: US 8 DPN's
Finished:: Jan 2006
Comments:: This was my third pair of handwarmers made using this pattern. I made these as a slightly late Christmas present for my mother in law.
I really like the colors of this yarn, but after knitting with it for a long time (as I did on this scarf) it started to really irritate my fingertips. It could definitely stand to be a little bit softer.

As modeled by Daughter#1

Gray Fingerless Mitts

2005-05-06T01:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Interweave Knits, Fall 2005, Yarn Spotlight section
Yarn:: Laines Du Nord Dolly Maxi, (from Elann.com) [100% merino wool],
colors: 0320 (Wolf Grey), 2 balls.
3000 (Eggplant), scraps for edging
Needles:: US 8 DPN's
Finished:: Jan 2006
Comments:: This was my second pair of handwarmers made using this pattern. I really like this pattern since it is easy and quick.
This yarn is really soft and I like the way these turned out. I wear them a lot in the winter when my hands get cold when I am working on the computer.

As modeled by Daughter#1

Teal Fingerless Mitts

2005-05-05T01:00:00.000-04:00

Pattern:: Interweave Knits, Fall 2005, Yarn Spotlight section
Yarn:: elann.com Peruvian Sierra Aran [80% highland wool/20%alpaca]
colors: 0795 (Jasper), 1.5 balls.
0786 (Plum Heather), scraps for trim.
Needles:: US 8 DPN's
Finished:: Dec 2005
Comments:: This is a great handwarmer pattern that you might overlook since it is in the beginning of the magazine (not in the patterns section). These were fun to make, and, oh, so fast and easy. In fact my 9-year old daughter has now made a pair of these for herself (with a little assistance).
I made these as a Christmas present for Niece#1 (pictured above). She does not appear to get the whole "handwarmer concept", so I'm not sure they will get much use. I thought they would be perfect since she has cut holes in the cuffs of some of her long sleeve t-shirts so she can stick her thumb through and keep her hands warm. But something specifically made to keep your hands warm while leaving your fingers free? Well, apparently that's just "weird." Oh well, . . . teenagers.
I really like the colors of this yarn. However, it is a little bit scratchier than I would like.

Sock Gallery

2005-03-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here are all of the socks I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

61. Black/Green/Blue Sockotta Peds

(page still under construction)

60. Blue Bearfoot Cabled Socks

(page still under construction)

59. Gray Tweed Socks

(page still under construction)

58. Blue Sockotta Peds

(page still under construction)

57. Regia Bamboo Peds

(page still under construction)

56. Cascading Leaves Socks #2

55. Ugly Purple Jaywalkers

54. Orange & Yellow Striped Socks

53. Greenish Brown Trekking XXL Socks

52. Franklin Sample Socks

51. Gray Trekking XXL Socks

50. Brown Trekking XXL Sample Socks

49. Blue/Green Regia 6-Ply Socks

48. Fibonacci-Striped Socks

47. Maria's Cabled Bearfoot Socks

46. Orange Crazy-Patterned Socks

45. Trekking Green/Orange/Yellow Socks

44. Blue Trekking American Girl Doll Socks

43. Socks of Doom

42. Mistake Lace American Girl Doll Socks

40 & 41. Mother/Daughter Simple Stripes Socks

39. Farmhouse Socks That Rock

38. Blue Trekking Socks

37. IK Simply Lovely MISTAKE Lace Socks

36. Blue & White Jaywalkers

35. Purple Trekking Socks

34. Handspun Socks

33. Thick Red Sox Socks

32. Red Bearfoot Socks

31. Argyle Socks

30. Log Cabin Socks

29. Denim-Colored Socks

28. Sister#2's Mexiko Socks

27. Red Sox Socks #1

26. Niece#1's Sockotta Socks

25. Daughter#2's Stonewashed Blue Magic Stripes Socks

24. Daughter#1's Fluffy Sockotta Socks

23. Daughter#1's Lumberjack Magic Stripe Socks

22. Mom's Jelly Bean Magic Stripe Socks

21. American Girl Doll Socks #1

20. Cascading Leaves Socks

19. Magic Stripe Lumberjack Socks

18. Blue-Green Sockotta Socks

17. Men's Worsted-Weight Brown/Natural Socks

16. Men's Brown/Blue Magic Stripe Socks

15. Blue/White Magic Stripe Socks

14. Brown/Natural Fair Isle Socks

13. Red/Orange/Yellow Sockotta Socks

12. Mexiko Socks

11. Red Swizzle Socks

10. Kid's DK-Weight Green/Purple Fair Isle Socks

09. Ugly Green/Blue Striped Socks

08. Kid's DK-Weight Purple/Green Socks

07. Kid's DK-Weight Purple/Gray Socks

06. Purple & Gray DK-Weight Socks

05. Purple, Gray, & Green Aran-Weight Socks

04. Purple & Gray Aran-Weight Socks

03. Yellow & Green DK-Weight Socks

02. Kid's Blue & Yellow DK-weight Socks

01. Blue & Yellow DK-Weight Socks

Cascading Leaves Socks #2

2005-03-07T05:30:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Cascading Leaves Socks by Jeanie Townsend,
pattern available by joining the Townsend Socks Knitalong group on Yahoo
Yarn:: Froehliche Wolle Special Blauband, [80% wool, 20% nylon],
color: 69 (dark olive green), <2 balls
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Modifications:: I modified the ribbing at the cuff to flow more smoothly into the lace pattern. Also, I expanded the lace pattern by 2 stitches and 2 rows per repeat to make the sock wider.
Gauge:: 9 sts/inch in stockinette
Finished:: May 2007
Comments:: This is the second time I have knit this pattern, and I really like it. I made these for my step mother. I think I need to knit myself a pair.

as modeled by Daughter#1

Ugly Purple Jaywalkers

2005-03-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Jaywalker by Grumperina, from MagKnits Sept 2005
Yarn:: Plymouth Sockotta, [45%cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon],
color: 26 (purple with black & brown), <1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Size:: large size in the pattern
Modifications:: I added an extra decrease round to the gusset to make the foot part narrower. I also changed the toe slightly to make the transition from the pattern section to the stockinette toe section smoother. Also, I used my asymmetrical toe shaping.
Finished:: May 2007
Comments:: I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this yarn. It is truly hideous. I thought the Jaywalker pattern might make the yarn look better, but no such luck. Anyhow, I pawned them off on Sister#2. She said they weren't too bad. I think she was just being nice.

as modeled by Daughter#1

here you can see the heel stitch on the heel flap

detail view of the cuff, which flares slightly where the ribbing meets the stitch pattern (but it is not really noticeable when worn)

Greenish-Brown Trekking XXL Socks

2005-03-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks, but with an Italian/round/tubular cast on, using directions from Lana Grossa's knitting tips section
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 69? (greenish brown mix), <1 ball
Needles:: base row for cast on using US0, rest on US1
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: March 2007
Comments:: I made these socks for Uncool Guy.
I love the colors of Trekking XXL. They have some good colors that are "manly" enough for a guy, but are still interesting to knit.
I used the tubular cast on here just for kicks. The Lana Grossa instructions worked fine, but I think I like the finished result better on the socks I made using the instructions in The Principles of Knitting. However, that cast on was more of a pain in the butt.

Franklin Sample Socks

2005-03-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Sugar Maple Socks from 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Yarn:: Valley Yarns Franklin, [75% wool/25% nylon],
color: chutney, <1 ball
Needles:: US1.5 (2.5mm) (I can't find my notes, but it looks like I'm using Addi Turbos in the picture below.)
Size:: women's small?
Finished:: Feb 2007
Comments:: I made these mock cable rib socks as samples for Melissa's book, which should be released in Dec 2007, I think.
This Franklin yarn was very pleasant to knit with.

pretty socks

The picture below shows what a difference the number of stitches makes to how a variegated yarn knits up. The sock on the left was knit on 72 sts, while the one on the right was knit on 60 sts. I really like the diagonal flashing the yarn does on the 60-st sock. Too bad that size is way too narrow for my foot.

flashing

Gray Trekking XXL Socks

2005-03-07T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks, but with a tubular cast on using directions in The Principles of Knitting
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 62 (gray/black mix), <1 ball
Needles:: US 1 (US 000 for the cast on)
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: February 2007

Brown Trekking XXL Sample Socks

2005-03-07T01:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: The Classic Sock from 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 69 (brown mix), ALL of 1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: January 2007
Comments:: I knit these as sample socks for Melissa's book.

Blue/Green Regia 6-Ply Socks

2005-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks
Yarn:: Schachenmayr Regia 6-Ply Color, [75% wool,25% nylon],
color: 1960 (blue/green), < 2 balls
Needles:: 3.0mm (US 2.5)
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: Jan 2007
Comments:: I made these socks as a birthday gift for my mother.
This is DK-weight sock yarn, so it knits up very quickly. I wish it came in more colors and was easier to find.

Fibonacci Striped Socks

2005-03-06T19:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: my own
Yarn:: Accessories Unlimited Yarn for Sox [80% wool, 20% nylon],
color: Red Mix and Blue Jean (<1 skein of each)
Needles:: US 4?
Gauge:: 4.25 sts/inch at ankle, 5 sts/inch on foot (hmmm)
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: December 2006
Comments:: I usually hate stripes, but after reading an article on Fibonacci stripes in the Fall 2003 issue of Cast On (one of the very few times I've found anything helpful in that magazine) I decided to give them a try. [The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that starts with 0, 1, and then every following number is the sum of the two previous numbers. So the sequence is: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.]
Apparently, there are many, many ways you can make use of this sequence in knitting. I decided to use just two alternating colored stripes, but to let the sequence determine how many rows of each color to knit (up to a max of 5 rows). So my pattern went: 1 red, 1 blue, 2 red, 3 blue, 5 red, 1 blue, 1 red, 2 blue, 3 red, 5 blue (repeated).
To add even more interest, I used a two-color corrugated ribbing at the cuff, and I made one sock with a red cuff and toe and the other with a blue cuff and toe. I like funky socks.

I loosely carried the yarn along the "seam" for the narrow stripes, but cut the yarn when I got to the widest stripes. There were still plenty of ends to weave in, believe me.

I used this technique to try to camouflage the color jogs at the end of the rounds. I've used this method successfully several times before, but it didn't work as well with such thick, rough yarn. Well, I think it still looks better than not doing anything, and it's at the back of my ankle and the bottom of the foot so it doesn't really matter.

I'm not a big fan of this yarn. I like that it is a worsted weight yarn that is made with some nylon content so it will wear well when made into socks, but it's just too rough and "au naturel" for me. It has bits of vegetation still in it that must be picked out (but not as much as a Noro yarn). It sure makes really thick socks though.

Maria's Cabled Bearfoot Socks

2005-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: my own: basic stockinette socks, with a narrow cable running down each side
Yarn:: Mountain Colors Bearfoot, [60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon],
color: Steelhead, <1 ball
Needles:: Addi 2.5mm?
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: November 2006
Comments:: I made these as a gift for my friend Maria. I really love this yarn. It is very warm and cozy and seems to hold up well.
In retrospect, I should have made the cable a little wider and maybe given up on the idea of trying to have the cable split and go down the side of the heel flap as well as the foot, since that part ended up looking a little awkward. Maybe I'll try these again sometime with a modified cable pattern.

Orange Crazy-Patterned Socks

2005-03-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: no real pattern, just plain stockinette socks
Yarn:: ZwergerGarn Opal [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 1230 (orange/red/blue/green/yellow/white pattern), <1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: October 2006?
Comments:: I made these socks as a Christmas present for SisterInLaw#1. When I bought this yarn, I had no idea it would turn out this 'funky'. However, SisterInLaw#1 seems to like them (or maybe she's just being polite).

As you can see, I made no attempt to match up the color repeats on these socks. Actually, it looks like I worked from the other end of the ball for the second sock, since the color repeat is reversed. I think that makes the socks more fun that way. After all, if you're going to wear crazy-patterned socks, they might as well not match.

Trekking Green/Orange/Yellow Socks

2005-03-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: no real pattern, just plain stockinette socks with my anatomically correct toe shaping
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 100 (green/orange/yellow mix), <1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: October 2006?
Comments:: I just love the colors of these socks. However, the Trekking yarn is kind of splitty and not as soft as some other sock yarns (but some of the colors are great).

Blue Trekking American Girl Doll Socks

2005-03-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: a slightly modified version of the knee socks in Basic Sock Pattern for American Girl Dolls by Judy Gibson
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL [75% wool, 25% nylon]
color: color 71 (variegated blue), small amount leftover from making a pair of adult socks
Needles:: US 1 DPNs
Gauge:: 9.5 sts and 12.5-13 rows/inch
Finished:: October 2006?
Modifications:: I cast on 40sts (instead of 32) to account for my tighter gauge. I also did a twisted ribbing at the top and a slightly deeper heel flap.
Comments:: I made these socks for Daughter#1's American Girl doll (Kirsten). I really like this pattern. The socks fit the American Girl dolls great and they are quick to make. However, they can be a touch fiddly with those few stitches on DPNs.

This is a great way to use up leftover sock yarn. In the future, I might even adjust the pattern and make a pair with laceweight yarn. That way the socks would fit better into the doll's shoes.

Socks of Doom

2005-03-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Socks of Doom pattern from Sock Wars 2006
Yarn:: Cleckheaton Country 8-ply, [100% washable wool],
color: ??? (dusty blue), 2 balls
Needles:: US 5
Gauge:: 5.5 sts and 7.5 rows/inch
Size:: women's large
Finished:: September 25, 2006
Comments:: I made these DK-weight socks to "kill" my assigned victim in Sock Wars. It took me approximately 9 hours of knitting time to complete these, with time taken out for correcting an error in the heel turn and waiting a couple days to receive the shoe size of my victim. I will NEVER again try to knit socks this quickly (at least not ribbed socks), because I temporarily injured my hand in the process.
I was killed by my assassin a couple of days later, so my participation in Sock Wars was rather short, but it was fun.

Mistake Lace American Girl Doll Socks

2005-03-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Mistake Lace American Girl Doll Knee Socks (my own pattern, available soon).
Yarn:: Regia plus Cotton, [38% wool, 37% cotton, 25% nylon],
color: 71 (dark green twisted with a lighter green), leftover yarn from these socks
Needles:: US 1 DPNs
Gauge:: 9 sts/inch
Finished:: September 2006
Comments:: These socks are my attempt to apply my mistake lace from these socks to the basic American Girl Doll knee sock (available here). I intend to write this pattern up soon and make it available on my blog.

sock close-up

Here is Josephina modelling the socks.

Mother/Daughter Simple Stripes Socks

2005-03-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: no real pattern, just plain stockinette socks
Yarn:: Knit Picks Simple Stripes, [75% superwash wool, 25% nylon],
color: 23547 (brown, tan, dark mauve stripes), <3 balls
Needles:: US 1
Gauge:: 9 sts and 12 rows/inch
Size:: women's medium, child's
Finished:: Aug/Sept 2006
Comments:: I made the larger pair of these socks for Sister#2 for her birthday. I had another ball and a half left over, so I decided to make a matching pair for her daughter, Niece#4.
Yes, I know, one of Sister#2's socks has the color pattern reversed. I'm pretty sure that was the way the yarn was on the ball, since I usually use the yarn coming from the inside of the ball. Oh well, at least I got Niece#4's socks to line up nicely.

Niece#4 in her socks with Number 1 Bunny (her name, not mine)

Gratuitous close-up of Number 1 Bunny

Farmhouse Socks That Rock

2005-03-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: No real pattern, just reverse stockinette socks
Yarn:: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock, mediumweight [100% superwash merino],
color: Farmhouse
Needles:: US 2
Gauge:: 7.5 sts/inch
Finished:: September 2006
Comments:: This was the first time I've used STR yarn and I have to say, I can see what all the commotion is about. This yarn is great. Very boing-y and soft. I wonder how it will hold up to wear though? It seems to be getting fuzzy rather quickly.
You may be wondering why it looks like my socks are inside out. Well, that's because they are. I decided I liked the way the colors mixed better on the reverse stockinette side of the sock, so I decided to make that the outside. I knit them normally (with the knit side out) and just turned them inside out at the end before weaving in the ends. All I did differently was to pick up the stitches on the sides of the heel flap as to purl instead of as to knit.

the interesting reverse stockinette side

the boring stockinette side

I was unable to achieve the recommended stitch gauge for this yarn. Usually I like my gauge for socks to be a little tighter than the label recommends, but I found it IMPOSSIBLE to get the recommended 8 sts/inch with this yarn, no matter what needles I used or how tightly I knit. Oh well, I think they are fine at 7.5sts/inch. I just think it's weird...

There was a bit of color pooling during the gusset decreases (as you can see in the pictures below) but it doesn't really bother me very much.

red/yellow pooling on one side

blue pooling on the opposite side

Blue Trekking Socks

2005-03-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: No real pattern, just plain stockinette socks with a picot hem at the ankle
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL [75% wool, 25% nylon]
color: color 71 (variegated blue stripes), 1 ball
Needles:: 2.5mm Addis
Finished:: July 2006
Comments:: I made these socks for Sister#1's birthday. I had to rip them out because my first attempt was way too narrow.

IK Simply Lovely MISTAKE Lace Socks

2005-03-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Simply Lovely Lace Socks by Karen Baumer, from Interweave Knits, Spring 2006
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% superwash wool, 25% nylon],
color: 76 (black, brown, red), <1 ball
Needles:: Addi 2.5mm, toes done on Addi 2.0mm
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: July 2006?
Modifications:: I made the fingering-weight version with the picot edge, but, since I hate a tight-fitting cuff, I cast on six extra stitches to have one more lace repeat at the top of the ankle. After completing the picot edge hem, I slowly decreased away the extra stitches (see picture to the right).
I made another modification, but I did not do so intentionally. I accidentally skipped a row of the lace repeat, which I did not discover until I had several inches of the ankle completed. At that point I decided my 3-row repeat (instead of 4-row) didn't look so bad, so I just perpetuated the mistake throughout the rest of both socks. The pattern as written would have resulted in a less open pattern (with yarnovers every 4th row, instead of every 3rd row), which I probably would have liked better. Oh well.
Comments:: In the right yarn, I'm sure these socks would be quite nice. However, this is not that yarn. It is far too dark for lace socks. When you wear them your pale skin shows through and the effect is not attractive (in my opinion). However, Daughter#1 likes them so I gave them to her.

blech!

Blue & White Jaywalkers

2005-03-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: Jaywalker by Grumperina, from MagKnits Sept 2005
Yarn:: ZwergerGarn Opal, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 5 (blue & white patterned), <1 ball
Needles:: US XX
Size:: large size in the pattern
Finished:: July 2006?
Modifications:: I used an eye-of-partridge stitch on the heel flap instead of the specified heel stitch. I added an extra decrease round to the gusset to make the foot part narrower. I also changed the toe slightly to make the transition from the pattern section to the stockinette toe section smoother. Also, I used my asymmetrical toe shaping.
Comments:: I made these socks as a gift for my mom. They were much more successful than my first attempt at the Jaywalker pattern, which was using Sockotta yarn. That yarn is part cotton and is far too non-stretchy for this pattern. This yarn worked much better.

Jaywalkers modeled by my mom

Purple Trekking Socks

2005-03-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks
Yarn:: Zitron Trekking XXL, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 109 (variegated purple stripes)
Needles:: ankles done on 2.5mm, heel & foot done on 2.0mm, top of foot done on 2.25mm & 2.0mm. (Yeah, I like to make good use of my needle collection.)
Gauge:: 8.5 - 9.5 sts/inch
Finished:: June 2006
Size:: women's small
Comments:: I made these socks as a graduation present for Niece #1, aka Oh, Jane. She has tiny little muchkin feet so I had to rip back a little to make them smaller at her graduation party, which just happened to be on Knit in Public Day. I guess that sort of counts as knitting in public. There were certainly several people there who were amazed by the whole sock-knitting process.

Oooh, the pretty purpleness -- as modeled by Sister#1, who, like her offspring, also has petite munchkin feet with dainty little ankles.
(Who, me? Jealous?)

Handspun Socks

2005-03-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Plain stockinette socks, with an eye-of-partridge heel and my asymmetrically shaped toes
Yarn:: Wool yarn that was handspun and handdyed by Anne of knitspot
Needles:: 2.5mm Addis
Gauge:: 8.5 sts/inch
Finished:: May 2006
Comments:: I love the colors of this yarn and the way it blends from one shade to the next. There did not seem to be any real color repeat here, so it's a good thing I like nonmatching socks. ;-)

Left Sock

Right Sock

I knit these socks top-down, and things were a little tense for me as I was finishing up the second sock. See if you can guess why by looking at the photo below.

I was totally running on fumes at the end of these socks. I had less than 3yds of yarn left -- a little too close for comfort. I guess I can now appreciate the need for toe-up socks in certain circumstances.

Thick Red Sox Socks

2005-03-06T04:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: my own
Yarn:: Accessories Unlimited Yarn for Sox [80% wool, 20% nylon],
color: Red Mix (just slightly over 1 skein), and Ecru (about 1/4 of a skein?)
Needles:: US 4
Gauge:: 5.25 sts and 7.75 rows/inch
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: April 2006
Comments:: I made these socks for my husband, who is a big Red Sox fan. This yarn is very thick and a little rough, but it has softened up with washing. I really like this heathery red color. It's much darker in person than it appears in the online picture at WEBS.

Red Bearfoot Socks

2005-03-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: basic stockinette socks, with an eye-of-partridge heel and asymmetrical toes
Yarn:: Mountain Colors Bearfoot, [60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon],
color: Rosehip, <1 ball
Needles:: 2.5mm Addis
Gauge:: 7.75-8sts and 10.5 rows = 1"
Finished:: March 2006
Comments:: I just love the color of this yarn and its softness. It seems a little thicker than some other socks yarns I've used, but it's nice because the socks are thick and warm (maybe that's due to the mohair content?). They seem to be holding up pretty well, without too much pilling. I will definitely make more socks with this yarn.

The only interesting thing on these socks is that I used the Eye of Partridge stitch on the heel flap. This was my first time using it and I think it's a keeper, especially with variegated yarn. It's basically the heel stitch, but with the slipped stitches offset on every right-side row to form more of a checkerboard look (compared with the columns look that you get with the normal heel stitch.)

Argyle Socks

2005-03-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: My own
Yarn:: main color = Froehlich Wolle Special Blauband, color 10 (black), [80% wool, 20% nylon], 2 balls,
contrast color = Stahlsche Wolle Socka 50 Sport & Strumpf (apparently 'strumpf' means sock in german), color 9443 (gray/black/white twist), [75% wool, 25% nylon], 1/2 ball
Needles:: Inox US1 (2.25mm) and Addi 2.5mm circs
Size:: Made for a man's size 9 feet
Finished:: February 2006
Comments:: I was inspired to make these socks after seeing the argyle picture in Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (p91). I mostly just stranded the yarn at the back, but I did weave in the longer floats (anything longer than 5sts). The weaving-in might have made the pattern a touch more puckery, but I didn't want any toes getting caught on the floats.

I made these socks as a birthday present for my father. It only took me a year to finish them. (Lame, huh?) It took so long because I had to rip and reknit them three times (or maybe more, I stopping counting). I had problems getting the stranded argyle part to be wide enough to fit over the heel, but not be too baggy around the ankle. Here's what I ended up doing:
I used 80 sts on 2.5mm ndls for the ribbing (3K2P) and the black part above the pattern. I switched to 2.25mm ndls for the pattern part, then back to 2.5mm for an inch or so of the black. Then, to make the lower part of the ankle fit tighter, I switched back to 2.25mm (and used those for the rest of the sock). In retrospect, I should also have decreased a few sts at the back of the ankle because they are still a little loose there. At the gusset I decreased down to 74sts for the foot part.

I really like the Special Blauband yarn. It's much softer and smoother than the contrast color yarn (the gray). However, I like the marled look of the gray yarn.

Log Cabin Socks

2005-03-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays
Yarn:: Rowan Cork [95% merino wool, 5% nylon]
color: color 045 (Snuggle), about 2.5 skeins
Needles:: US6 DPNs
Size:: Men's (although made for a woman's size 8.5 feet)
The Cork label recommends a gauge of 14st=4" (on a US11), but this pattern calls for it to be knit at 24sts=4" for the women's size. I found it impossible to obtain this tiny gauge no matter what size needle I used, and I am generally a TIGHT knitter. Instead, since I have large-ish ankles, I decided to go with the directions for the men's size (which was about the gauge I was getting anyway, 20st=4")
Modifications:: Picked up 12 st (inst of 11) on each side of heel flap (to help prevent the dreaded gap at the gusset corner). Also, since I was making the large size but only wanted a large ankle and a normal foot, I decreased until I had 24 sts left on the sole (inst of 28).

The pattern has you knit the toe in stockinette, but in the book the toe looks too floppy (because of the change in gauge from the cable part). So, instead I knit the toe part in ribbing -- continuing the pattern but without the cables. On the first foot (shown on the right) I continued the cable column of stitches as stockinette -- but it got puffy, so I dropped the middle 2 stitches back on one of the cables and purled them (for a more ribbed effect). I was too lazy to do the same for the other cable section because I would have had to undo my decreases. On the second sock, I finished both cables that way.)

I also made the decreases for the toe in such a way as to make them more anatomically correct (at least for me and my large big toes). This does make one sock a 'dedicated' left sock and the other a 'dedicated' right, but they fit me sooo much better that way. Here are my directions for making anatomically correct sock toes.
Finished:: January 2006
Comments:: I am NOT a big fan of this yarn -- at least not when knit at this ridiculous gauge. My fingers were sore from knitting so tightly, especially with the cables. Also, I don't know WHY I knit these socks in a HANDWASH ONLY yarn. WHAT was I thinking? I think I got caught up in all of the excitement over these socks over at the Handknit Holidays Knitalong (and the fact that Cork was on sale at WEBS at the time).

Also, I had promised myself to not knit any more socks out of non-sock yarn, and these only have 5% nylon which doesn't quite cut it. I'm sure they will wear out instantly and I will be annoyed at the wasted effort. Sigh.

On a more postive note, the pattern is pretty cool, and they do fit well. I may make them again, but with a different yarn -- something much thinner. Although then I'd have to adjust the pattern for the new gauge.

Denim-Colored Socks

2005-03-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Just a plain old top-down sock, but the cuff is from the Fancy Silk Sock pattern from the book Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
This pattern used to be available on About.com, but I can no longer find it there.
Yarn:: Lang Jawoll Cotton Superwash, [49% wool, 35% cotton, 16% nylon],
color: 88.0134 (dark denimy blue), <2 balls
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: November 2005
Comments:: I love the denimy color of this yarn. It has held up well so far.
I can't remember why I only did the cuff from this sock pattern. I think I was just looking for a non-ribbing, non-rolling cuff to try out. Anyhow, I think it turned out well. These socks fit great.

detail of the fancy cuff

Mexiko Socks #2

2005-03-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: Just normal top-down stockinette socks
Yarn:: Schoeller Stahl Mexiko Color, [75% superwash wool, 25% nylon],
color: 9070 (sombrero)
Needles:: US 1?
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: August 2005
Comments:: I made these for Sister#2 for her birthday.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of them.

Red Sox Socks

2005-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: My own
Yarn:: Lang Jawoll [75% wool, 18% nylon, 7% acrylic]
color: color 8361 (dark red) and 8394 (natural)
Needles:: Addi Turbo US0
Size:: Made to fit a man's size 8.5 feet.
Finished:: June 2005
Comments:: This yarn is nice and soft, and has has held up quite well so far. However, the red has bled just a bit into the natural-colored sections. This may be due to the way I wash them -- by just throwing them in a cool water wash with rest of the other dark clothes. I cannot be bothered to handwash socks. Bah.

I made these for my husband to celebrate the Red Sox winning the World Series (he is a big fan). It took a while to find a red color that seemed right.

Update, Jan. '07: These socks have now worn through on the ball of the foot. Interestingly, the natural color on the heel is still fine -- just the red has worn out.

Niece#1's Sockotta Socks

2005-03-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: Just plain stockinette socks
Yarn:: Plymouth Sockotta, [45%cotton, 45% superwash wool, 15% nylon],
color: ??? (blue/red/green/yellow stripes), <1 ball
Needles:: Addi 2.5mm
Gauge:: ~8.25 sts/inch, 11 rows/inch
Size:: women's small
Finished:: May 2005
Comments:: I made these for Niece#1.
Unfortunately, I have no picture of them.

Daughter#2's Stonewashed Blue Magic Stripe Socks

2005-03-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks, with a short-row heel
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 208 (Stonewashed Blue Pattern), <1 ball
Needles:: Addi 2.5mm
Gauge:: ~7.5 sts/inch
Size:: child's
Finished:: Spring 2005
Comments:: These are the second pair of socks I made with a short-row heel. Although I am not anti- short-row heels, I still think that a heel flap gives a better fit.

Daughter#1's Fluffy Sockotta Socks

2005-03-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks with a ribbed cuff and fun fur trim
Yarn:: Plymouth Sockotta, [45% cotton, 45% superwash wool, 15% nylon],
color: 617 (red/orange/yellow stripes), leftover yarn from a pair of women's socks
for trim: Stylecraft Eskimo [100% polyester],
color: 5486 (SherbertFizz)
Needles:: US 1
Gauge:: 8.5-8.75 sts/inch
Size:: child's
Finished:: January 2005
Comments:: To make the fluffy edge to the cuff, I cast on with the fun fur and knit 3 rounds in K1P1 ribbing. Then I switched to the sock yarn for the rest of the sock.
I really like Sockotta yarn. However, it does seem to fade quite a bit with washing and wear. Also, this yarn is very inelastic and so is not good for patterns that need a lot of stretch (like Jaywalkers -- I learned that the hard way).

Daughter#1 modeling the up and down cuff positions

Maybe I should call these the Heat Miser Socks.

Daughter#1's Magic Stripe Lumberjack Socks

2005-03-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: plain stockinette socks with purl ridges at the ankle
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 206 (Lumberjack Black Pattern), made with yarn leftover from a pair of men's socks
Needles:: Addi 2.5mm
Gauge:: 7.5 sts and 10 rows/inch
Size:: child
Finished:: January 2005
Comments:: In an attempt to make these socks a little more fun, I incorporated purl ridges into alternate bands of red at the ankle. When the yarn changed to red, I knit one complete round and then started purling. When the red section ended, I stopped purling and switched back to knitting. This resulted in having every other red stripe being raised. It's hard to see this in the pictures here, but it is much more obvious when they are worn.

Every other red stripe was purled instead of knit.

Although not the most exciting yarn around, Magic Stripe is sufficiently soft and does seem to hold up fairly well. It does pill somewhat, but not excessively.

Magic Stripes Jelly Bean Socks

2005-03-05T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Top-down sock, with my first short-row heel
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 200 (Jelly Bean Stripe), 1 ball
Needles:: US 2
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: January 2005
Comments:: I made these socks for my mother. Unfortunately, she lost them.

American Girl Socks #1

2005-03-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: a slightly modified version of the knee socks in Basic Sock Pattern for American Girl Dolls by Judy Gibson
Yarn:: Brown Sheep Wildfoote, [75% washable wool, 25% nylon],
color: SY19, temple turquoise
Needles:: US 1?
Modifications:: ???
Finished:: January 2005
Comments:: I made these socks for Daughter#2's American Girl doll.

Cascading Leaves Socks

2005-03-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Cascading Leaves Socks by Jeanie Townsend,
pattern available by joining the Townsend Socks Knitalong group on Yahoo
Yarn:: Regia plus Cotton, [38% wool, 37% cotton, 25% nylon],
color: 71 (dark green twisted with a lighter green), 1.5 balls
Needles:: US 1 (2.25mm)
Modifications:: None
Finished:: December 2004
Comments:: I love the pattern on these socks.

I made these socks as a Christmas present for my MIL. I ended up having to knit the foot of the second one twice because I had just gotten my first Addi Turbos (in so-called size 1) and was so excited to try them that I switched mid-sock. What a bad idea. After knitting the foot and wondering why the second sock came out so much longer than the first, I measured the Addi's and discovered they were 2.5mm (more like a US1.5). Very annoying. Well, I learned that lesson the hard way.

Men's Magic Stripe Lumberjack Socks

2005-03-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: Just basic stockinette socks
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 206 (lumberjack black pattern, 1 ball
Needles:: US 1?
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: December 2004
Comments:: I made these socks for my father-in-law.

Blue/Green Sockotta Socks

2005-03-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Plymouth Sockotta, [45%cotton, 45% superwash wool, 15% nylon],
color: 74 (lt blue/green mix), 1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: October 2004
Comments:: Made for my sister-in-law.

Men's Brown/Natural Socks

2005-03-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks with K2P2 ribbing at cuff
Yarn:: Unnamed worsted-weight yarn bought at an inn in New Hampshire in 2003 [100% wool],
color: dark brown and natural
Needles:: US 6
Gauge:: 4.5 sts/inch?
Finished:: Fall 2004
Size:: men's medium
Comments:: Since this yarn was 100% wool, it did not last long as socks. I duplicate-stitched the soles of these with a sock yarn containing nylon in an attempt to extend their life. This would have looked better if I had used a matching color of yarn, but I didn't have any at the time.

You can see my patch job at the heel and ball of the foot.

Men's Brown/Blue Magic Stripe Socks

2005-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic sock with 2x2 ribbed ankle and stockinette foot
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 205 (brown/blue pattern), 1 ball
Needles:: US 2 (ankle), US 1 (foot)
Gauge:: 8.25 sts/inch
Size:: men's medium
Finished:: Fall 2004
Comments:: Not a thrilling sock yarn, but it has held up well. The socks are over two years old and have gotten a lot of use, and they are still looking fine (with a little pilling).
Update on Feb '07: These have now developed a hole.

Blue/White Magic Stripe Socks

2005-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Adapted from the Magic Stripes Basic Sock pattern on the yarn ball band, but with no ribbing at the cuff and my shaped toes
Yarn:: Lion Brand Magic Stripes, [75% wool, 25% nylon],
color: 202 (sea blue pattern), 1 ball
Needles:: US 2 (ankle) and US 1 (foot)
Gauge:: 7.5 sts/inch
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: Summer 2004
Comments:: These were my first pair of Magic Stripe socks and they have gotten A LOT of wear. They have held up well over the past 2.5 years (no sign of holes), but they do have a lot of pilling.

Natural/Brown Fair Isle Socks

2005-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from the Ukrainian Socks pattern in Folk Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn:: Sandnes Smart Superwash, [100% superwash wool,
color: 2523 (beige tweed) and ??? (brown tweed)
Needles:: US 3?
Size:: women's medium
Modifications:: I used only 2 colors instead of the 5 colors shown in the pattern. Also, I did my normal heel flap instead of the Peasant Heel, and a solid toe instead of the patterned toe in the pattern.
I started these socks in 2003, but then abandoned them for about a year, before finally finishing them. That must be why I totally messed up the repeat pattern of the stitch pattern on the second sock (see picture below). Oh well, that just gives them more folksy charm, right?
Finished:: Summer 2004
Comments:: I love the colors of this yarn, but having no nylon content, it was not the best choice for socks. The yarn has worn out at the heel and the ball of the foot. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see where I duplicate stitched these areas with a brown sock yarn.

Yeah, they are not the same, but we are calling them folksy.

Red/Orange/Yellow Sockotta Socks

2005-03-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic stockinette socks with my shaped toe
Yarn:: Plymouth Sockotta, [45%cotton, 45% superwash wool, 15% nylon],
color: 617 (red/orange/yellow stripes), 1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Gauge:: 8.5-9 sts/inch
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: May 2004?
Comments:: The color of this yarn has faded a lot with washing and wear, but I still really like this yarn.

Mexiko Socks

2005-03-04T04:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Schoeller Stahl Mexiko Color, [75% superwash wool, 25% nylon],
color: 9072? Sundown
Needles:: US 1
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: May 2004?
Comments:: I love the colors in this yarn.

These socks were several years old when I got around to taking this picture, hence the pilling.

Red Swizzle Socks

2005-03-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Swizzle Socks pattern from the yarn ball band
Yarn:: Reynolds Swizzle, [75% merino superwash wool, 25% nylon],
color: 4009 (Rust), 1 ball
Needles:: US 1
Gauge:: 9 sts/inch
Finished:: Spring 2004
Modifications:: I worked these at a tighter gauge than specified in the pattern. I also made a shorter ankle with no ribbing and substituted my anatomically correct toes.
Comments:: These were my second pair of fingering-weight socks. I used the pattern on the inside of the ball band and it worked out pretty well. These socks have been worn a lot in the past 2+ years and they have held up pretty well. They have developed some pills, but there are no signs of any holes.

You can see some of the pilling in this picture.

Child's Green Socks with Purple Details

2005-03-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: My own
Yarn:: Shepherd Colour 4 Me, [100% superwash wool],
color: 4022? (green) and ??? (purple),
Needles:: US 3?
Size:: child's
Finished:: February 2004

Ugly Green/Blue Striped Socks

2005-03-04T01:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: No pattern, sadly
Yarn:: Lana Grossa Meilenweit Fun & Stripes, [80% superwash wool, 20% nylon],
color: 615 (blue & green stripes), 1 ball
Needles:: US 2
Gauge:: 7.5 sts/inch
Finished:: Feb 2004?
Comments:: These were my first pair of fingering-weight socks and they came out CRAPPY. I didn't use a pattern, I just adapted a pattern that I had been using for DK-weight yarn. This resulted in a too-loose ankle, a too-long foot, and a generally badly fitting pair of socks. Oh well, at least I learned from my mistakes.
This yarn is also rather awful. It is scratchy and stiff. It has softened up a little after many washings, but it is still remains the most unpleasant sock yarn I've ever used. The yarn comes with some reinforcing yarn, which I used in the toe and heel (you can see that those sections have different colored flecks in the pictures below). However, I don't think the reinforcing yarn was really necessary. I'm actually kind of hoping these socks develop a hole so I can throw them out. However, I only wear them when all my other handknitted socks are dirty, so they don't get much use.

They may not seem so bad in this picture...

but they are really ugly, misshapen socks

Kid's DK-Weight Purple/Green Socks

2005-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Shepherd Colour 4 Me, [100% superwash wool],
color: 4022? (green) and ??? (purple),
Needles:: US 3?
Size:: kid's
Finished:: early in 2004?

Kid's DK-weight Purple/Gray Socks

2005-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply (DK), [100% wool (machine washable)],
color: 0216 (gray), 2181 (purple)
Needles:: US 3
Size:: kid's
Finished:: December 2003
Comments:: This yarn made nice cozy socks, but they didn't last long since they were 100% wool. They wore out in the heel and ball of the foot rather quickly. The ball of the foot was so far gone that I just ripped it out and reknit it with some leftover sock yarn. I was able to duplicate stitch the heel with another sock yarn.

These socks started out purple and gray, but they have been massively patched.

Purple & Gray DK-weight Socks

2005-03-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply (DK), [100% wool (machine washable)],
color: 0216 (gray), 2181 (purple)
Needles:: US 3
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: December 2003
Comments:: I made these socks for my MIL. The yarn made nice cozy socks, but they didn't last long. They wore out in the heel and ball of the foot rather quickly.

Purple, Gray, & Green Aran-weight Socks

2005-03-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman, but made using heavier yarn and with my shaped toes
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino Aran, [100% merino wool, machine washable],
color: 702 (purple), 301 (charcoal gray), ??? (pale green)
Needles:: US 4
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: December 2003
Comments:: I made these socks with yarn leftover from other projects, hence the strange color combination. They were very warm and cozy but developed big hole at the heel and ball of the foot very quickly. I've had to patch them several times.

These socks have a weird color combination because I used up scraps from other projects.

Wonderful patching job, huh?

Purple & Gray Aran-weight Socks

2005-03-01T04:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino Aran, [100% merino wool (machine washable)],
color: 702 (purple), 301 (charcoal gray)
Needles:: US 4
Size:: women's medium
Finished:: November 2003
Comments:: This yarn made very cozy and warm socks, but they did not last long. Holes formed in the heels and the ball of the foot after only a few months of wear. But they were great while they lasted.

Yellow & Green DK-Weight Socks

2005-03-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino DK, [100% merino wool (machine washable)],
color: green and yellow
Needles:: US 3
Size:: women's small
Finished:: Summer 2003
Comments:: I made these socks for Sister#1. She wore them proudly, although I have to admit that they were kind of ugly (bad color choice).

Kid's Blue & Yellow DK-weight Socks

2005-03-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: adapted from Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino DK, [100% merino wool (machine washable)],
color: yellow and blue
Needles:: US 3
Gauge:: 6.25 sts/inch
Modifications:: I just modified the pattern to fit a child's foot.
Finished:: March 2003
Comments:: I made these socks with the leftover yarn from my first pair of socks. These socks were cute while they lasted, but, unfortunately, they did not last long.

Blue & Yellow DK-Weight Socks

2005-03-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern:: Basic Socks from Learn to Knit Socks by Edie Eckman
Yarn:: Debbie Bliss Merino DK, [100% merino wool (machine washable)],
color: yellow and blue
Needles:: US 3
Gauge:: 6.25 sts/inch
Finished:: March 2003
Comments:: This was my very first pair of socks. For fun, I knit one sock in yellow with blue stripes and one in blue with yellow stripes. This yarn was very soft and cozy, but unfortunately it wore out almost INSTANTLY. As you can see from the picture below, I repaired holes in the heels on both socks. I started to repair the ball of the foot on the blue sock via duplicate stitch, but I gave up since it was taking so long. I think I cut the toe off with the plan of just reknitting it with fresh yarn, but I never got around to that. I decided I'd rather just knit new socks out of yarn that would hold up better.

Massive repairs needed.
I think this book was a very good introduction to knitting socks. And starting out with DK-weight yarn was certainly better than using fingering-weight yarn for a first pair. I just wish the book had given a little more guidance as to which types of DK-weight yarn would be a good choice for socks (i.e., yarn with some nylon content).

Sad socks - totally worn through.
They were nice while they lasted though.

Bag Gallery

2005-02-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here are all of the knitted bags I have made. Click on a picture for details and a bigger picture.

03. Komi Patterned Bag

02. Evergreen Gift Bag

01. Christmas Rose Gift Bag