FO Friday- Squeezy box socks

I am still lacking photos of finished knitting projects, so today I am sharing something I can take a quick snap of. Will try to do some pictures this weekend.

 

In the mean time, I have been knitting socks. 

 

Yarn: Regia 4 ply
Pattern: Circle socks by Anne Campbell
Needles: 2.5mm dpns
Mods: Worked over 56 sts, garter stitch short row heel

I had this pattern in my Ravelry favourites for ages. When I found the pattern I didn't read the details and assumed it involved colourwork. It actually is an illusion created by the self striping yarn (more effective on the original sample).

 

The pattern is simple, easy to work and easy to remember. I am really enjoying combining self patterning yarn with plain knit socks- the leg section made the knitting more interesting, the foot just flew off the needles. 

 

This sock is similar to the V junkie socks by Alice Yu, although I think this pattern actually came first.

 

Why squeezy box socks? Because before they were blocked the leg was all squashed together, looking like an accordion or squeeze box. Definitely one improved by blocking!

FO Friday- Yakkity yak

Last year I was gifted some unusual fibres, including yak and crab. I had a go at spinning the yak before, but found it very challenging. The staple length is about an inch and it wants to spin really thin.

 

I had another go recently, using a higher ratio on my wheel and not letting it go quite so thin.

The finished single was plyed with itself using the handy plying method to give a two ply yarn. It is a bit overtwisted in places due to the high twist in the singles.

 

The finished yarn is not quite as soft as I would have liked due to the overtwisted bits. The carded fibre was possibly the softest fibre I have ever felt. It is still a nice, useable yarn, I think it might become a cowl or mitts.

 

FO Friday- Super bright square

I am totally addicted to the barn raising blanket square. It is the perfect knitting for watching TV as it requires just a tiny bit of concentration. The YOs every other round are just enough to stop it being mind numbing.

 

I have another one to share this week, this time made from some eye searing orange and yellow Trekking XXL.

I have been looking through my sock yarn leftovers for larger quantities of these tough machine washable yarns, Regia, Opal, Trekking etc. A square takes about 13g of yarn, better to have 14g just to be sure!

 

There are a couple more squares made, but not blocked yet, and the ends need weaving in. I am saving those for another day.

4KCBWDAY7- Looking forward

4kcbwday7- Looking Forward One year from now, when the 5th Knitting & Crochet Blog Week rolls around, where do you hope your crafting will have taken you to? What new skills, projects and experiences do you hope you might have conquered or tried?

 

I have lots of plans, so this is a good topic today. Hopefully next year I can look back at this post and see how many of the things I have achieved (that is the first plan I guess).

 

I would like to do more. More of everything, but in particular spinning. I would like to spin and knit a sweater. I know I can do this, I almost have (come back next Friday and you might see proof), but I would like to do it a little faster.

 

I want to steek a cardigan. I have not picked a pattern, or any yarn yet.  

 

I should probably swatch more, although I suspect I will not. Maybe I will learn to swatch for designs.

Which leads me to the next looking forward, I want to get more designs written up. My head and needles are full of designs that I want to publish. I would like to do a mixture of self-published (easier) and in print published (much, much harder). Need to work on the print published thing.

 

The notebook above is meant to illustrate designing, but it also supports the next one- to take better photos. I have improved somewhat over the last year, but would like to get better. Learning to use a tripod and timer function would be good, then I can take action shots of my finished projects, even when there is no one else around to wield the camera.

Final planned thing- I would like to blog more. I have kept up with FO Friday each week, but often that is the only post I do. I would like to aim to do one other post each week.

Lots to do, I love making plans, although procrastination and indecisiveness often alter them :D.

4KCBWDAY6- A tool to covet

Write about your favourite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.

Is it an item that you would recommend to others, and if so for which applications/tasks do you think it is most suited. Conversely, do you have a tool/accessory that you regret buying? Why does it not work for you?

 

For the most part my taste in knitting and spinning tools is quite simple. I make my socks on cheap metal dpns and am happy with those, although I would like to give some of the fancier ones a try.

 

Knitpro (knitpicks) interchangables are also good for when I am using larger needles. They don't go down to sock sizes. I have the acrylic set and a few metal tips. I prefer the metal ones but don't use larger sizes very much so will stick with the acrylics until I break them.

My biggest crafting purchase, and possibly my favourite, is my spinning wheel.

 

A Kromski Sonata. I researched wheels for ages to work out which one I wanted. This one has the advantage of folding in half, but being full sized when it is open. It is lovely, decorative but simple and spins everything I want it to. I was lucky enough to find one second hand, which made it more affordable.

 

The are a few squeaks, but a little oil fixes that. I also don't typically use the inbuilt lazy kate, I have one made out of a shoe box and three knitting needles.

It works just fine, and lets me make 3 ply yarns (the wheel only has two holders).

 

I am also a big fan of my swift, you can wind balls by hand or winder, but the swift makes both ways so much easier.

 

Although ball winders are awesome, mine is a little off. Unless it is set up perfectly the balls come out oddly, sort of rugby ball shape with loose strands. I will probably buy a new one at some point (my original one was second hand).

4KCBWDAY5- Something a bit different

I had planned to be all prepared and do something super creative for the "something different" day of blog week. However, I am disorganised and flying by the seat of my pants on this one (an odd phrase, I wonder where it is from?!)

So, something different, hmmmmm.

I know the idea is the do a different style, wordless or cartoons or something, but instead I thought I would vary the content a little.

Instead of banging on about what I have been crafting I thought I would like to say thank you to everyone who comes by and reads. It is lovely chatting with you. Here's a fleecy heart for you all:

Thought I would share some of my favourite online goodies with you all too, a kind of digital gift (three of each type, there are lots of others that are also superb).

 

Podcasts:

The Knitmore Girls

Knit 1 Geek 2

Craftlit

 

Websites:

Ravelry (although I figure you probably all know about that one)

Knitting Help

Craftsy

 

Patterns:

Brandywine shawl by Rosemary Hill

Hamster beans by Emily Stoneking

Nine to five socks by Nicole Hindes

This is just 3 of many thank I think are great.

 

Blogs:
Wisdom begins in Wonder
Epbot
Useless Beauty

Online shops:
McA Direct
Kemps
Modern knitting

I have changed the font too, does that count? (I know right, that's feeble!)

FO Friday- Sock yarn blanket take 2 (one square)

In still have my mitred sock yarn blanket on the go. It has not seen much attention recently, but will, eventually, get finished (in 5 years or so). In the meantime I wanted to get through some of the sock yarn leftovers a little faster.

 

I have started a barn raising blanket. Each square uses about 20g of yarn, so 100g gives a pair of socks, a big blanket square and loads left for tiny squares.

I am going to use machine washable sock yarn for this, so it can be thrown into the machine. I am thinking I will back it with fleece when it is done, the knitted fabric is not overly thick.

 

I did discover that I don't really like using five dpns, the fourth needle always seems to get in the way!

 

Two mods made to the pattern were using the Emily Ocker cast on, so the centre closes up and adding an extra round of increases to make it a little larger.

 

When it came to blocking I used the dpns, they made great blocking wires, just the right size.

Although as you can see my dpns are not exactly straight any more.