………Sock Scarves (part 2)

6.  After you have knitted a series of heels and toes end with knitting a toe.  Knit a few rows of waste yarn and remove it from the sock machine.  You will have something that looks like this:

7. I turn the whole thing inside out so that I can weave in ends as well as close the foot by grafting on the wrong side. Here:

For handknitting I close the foot from the right side of the fabric with the knitting still on the needles. With most traditional sock patterns  you  close the toe at the tip of the toe. Since I’m doing short row toes I close the toe at the ball of the foot instead. You graft it the same way but you have more stitches and the grafting is under your foot when you are done. It looks like this on the needles:

8. I usually steam block my scarves to straighten them out and make all the heels and toes lie flat.

That’s it! Its fun to dress up your sock scarves with beads on the picot hem or change colors randomly or at the heels and toes. You can make them wider by using a larger csm cylinder, and longer or shorter by changing your row count. Its fun to experiment with the way the heels and toes create curves in the scarf.  Instructions will be on my website under Patterns. Here’s a few  from my collection:

What do you get when…..(part 1)

What do you get when … you get carried away with heels and toes? Whimsy, a sock scarf. I used to demonstrate antique circular sock machines at fiber and knitting events. I found that like at most public demonstrations you get many of the same questions over and over from each group of people passing by. On a sock machine most people really want to see how you knit a heel or a toe. After many hours of knitting heels and toes you end up with a wonderful Dr Suess-ish scarf. I can’t tell you how many of these I have made over the years but I can share with you how I knit them. After repeated requests for a pattern, I’ve finally written it out so you can hand knit along with me. Whimsy  If you happen to have an antique circular sock machine, here’s my method: (written csm instructions in a pdf format will be available soon too!)

1. Make a cup of tea, choose carefully.

2. Set up your sock machine and cast on in the usual way. I’ve got my Money Maker A right here:

3. Knit 5-7 rows, turn a picot row, knit 5-7 more rows and rehang your hem.

4. Start knitting again. Knit as you would for the leg of a sock.  Then you are going to turn a heel.

5. Now after your heel, knit some more rounds for the foot of the sock. Make toe but don’t csat off.

That’s the basic idea. Heels and toes, toes and heels, on and on.  Stay tuned for part 2 for details and the finished results.

Sock time!

I’m so excited to be a part of the new Fall 2011 Knitcircus issue. Not only is this issue packed full of great articles and gorgeous photographs but the patterns are show stoppers too! I can’t decide which to do first, continue reading “How to Design a Lace Cowl”, the essay on “Bad Attitude” (great advice here!) or the interview with Jared Flood…….or start baking the “Candy Apple Scones” while casting on with my favorite sock yarn!

Candace Eisner Strick designed these lovelies in So-Soft Sock, Peach Blush for this issue:

Honeysuckle Project

If you were at Sock Summit then you already know about the new charity to raise awareness for breast cancer, The Honeysuckle Project, knitting for a cure.

What you might not know is the single sock , Montara, on the edge of the table in the middle looks like this:

and the yarn looks like this:

Patterns and yarn are available directly from The Honeysuckle Project. Individual patterns may also be available from the designers who participated in this initial launch.  I’ll be offering Montara through Ravelry and Handwerkstextiles.com with a portion of the proceeds being donated to breast cancer research.

Inlay KAL

Since Hunter is having an Inlay KAL on Ravelry in the Silk Road Socks group, I decided to offer 20% off on all colors of Sock Plus 8. Just enter the word: inlay in the coupon code box at check out to receive the discount.  Enjoy and happy Knitty knitting!

Inlay

I’m honored again to have the talented designer, Hunter Hammersen, use Sock Plus 8 in the new sock pattern, Inlay. Inlay is available in latest issue of  Knitty, First Fall 2011.  I’ve added this to my que, lovely!

Knee-Highs

I’ve been trying to think of how to describe Barb Brown‘s new book since I received it a couple of days ago. I had a lot of fun dyeing a couple of custom colors (sumac, chamomile, mulberries and berry bramble) for Barb about a year ago. Now as  I keep looking through it, I keep finding new things that I like about it. I sat down earlier today to write about it, but had trouble finding just the right words that sounded sincere and not cliché. Its wonderful, lovely, nice, great, interesting, gorgeous patterns, looks fun to knit, current styling, wearable, …… then I had to get up and go get a latte because that always helps!

Coffee is kicking in better description : easy to follow clear charts, straightforward format, bonus section with information about sizing socks, adapting knee-highs to shorter versions, as well as great tips on custom fitting……and gorgeous yarns! 

Better yet get a copy and page through it.

Knitting Knee-Highs, Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary by Barb Brown. Read more about it at WildGeeseFibres.com

Silk Road Socks

I’m excited- Hunter Hammersen’s new book Silk Road Socks is now available.  Not only, can you purchase the book in the standard paper format but its also be offered in a digital form. I think that’s so cool – so for those who like to have eveything at the ready on their laptops or e-readers there it is! In addition, for those who want to curl up on the couch with good old paper you can have that too!

Either way the photos are stunning and I love the historical information about the Silk Road and the amazing carpets.  Hunter’s patterns are, as always, are easy to follow and the socks are fabulous. Ok, you can see I love this book, I love socks, I love sock yarn!

I’m offering a promotion on my Sock Plus 8 in honor of this book.  “Salor” uses this yarn and I am so thrilled to be included in this wonderful book!  Just enter the promo code

SilkRd20

to receive 20% off Sock Plus 8  from now until Feb 15, 2011.

Happy Sock Knitting to All!

Gramercy

Hunter Hammersen just released a new sock pattern using Handwerks Sock Plus 8. Its offered at http://www.violentlydomestic.com/

Not only is it free but there is a contest for a free skein of yarn to go with the pattern. Follow the link and read the blog to find out all the details.

I always get so excited when I see my yarns knit up. I love them in the dye pot and skeined up but it’s particularily thrilling to see what someone’s creative mind and nimble fingers can knit with them! Hunter’s sock patterns are lovely. They are so knitable and wearable.  I’m anxious to get started on my own pair of Gramery……..Thanks Hunter!

Off to knit-

P.S. – This is perfect timing  since new stock of Sock Plus 8 is on its way in larger 120 gram skeins.

Sock Progress

I finally finished one – just one of the pair- of the Vilai socks I am working on from Sock Innovation by Cookie A. 

Its in Silky Sock, colorway Monterey Cypress. The lustre in this yarn really shows off  the intricate  patterning.  I have 8 new colors of Silky Sock waiting and ready to be knit up into socks to pamper your feet.  One skein is enough for most pairs. 

I played off the color forecast for some of the new colorways and some are just colors I like.