From the Library's Shelves

Have you been admiring your sock? Well you should be!!

It's very easy to get bitten by the sock-knitting bug. Soon you will find yourself wondering how you could have lived without hand-knit lace socks or wildly-funky colored socks. Once you get started using self-striping yarn there may be no turning back. Why would you let that special man in your life wear socks without mock cables or yes, even argyle socks? 

If you are hooked, here's another book to check out of the library. This is another one you will want to have in your own collection. It begins with a history of hand-knit socks and then goes into construction detail for both toe-up and top-down socks. There is a
 great chart that  provides all the numbers you need to
 knit socks from a  baby to an adult XL . . . and in
3 different weights of yarn no less!
 

When you are ready to start designing your

socks there are guidelines and suggested stitches to

use. Patterns are also included if you would rather follow directions than write them!

click here to place a hold

I confess . . . this is my favorite sock book so far. Check it out from the library and let me know what you think.



Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Sock Knit-a-Long #9

Are you ready to finish your sock?!


I have finished all my toe decreases and I have 16 stitches left.

Using needle #3, knit across the 4 stitches on needle #1.

You now have only 2 needles, with 8 stitches on each one.

Cut your yarn from the skein leaving about a 15" tail. Thread the end through a blunt end tapestry needle.
(My favorite are Chibi by Clover).


Next go someplace where you will be left alone for about 15 minutes. You will be glad that you did.


Hold the two needles in your left hand (I insert my index finger between the two needles to keep them stable an separate). Using your right hand,




- insert the needle into the first stitch on the first needle as if to knit and then slip the stitch off the needle.










-insert the needle into the second stitch on the first needle as if to purl, but leave the stitch on the needle.







-insert the needle into the first stitch on the rear needle as if to purl and slip it off.









-insert the needle into the next stich on the rear needle as if to knit, but leave it on the needle







Repeat these four steps until all the stitches have been joined. (This is why I told you to go someplace quiet. It's much easier to do this if you just repeat the directions in your head as you do it. Sometime the words come out of my head and I find I am talking to myself. If you are alone, well people won't know).

Too loose . . .

Just right.

 Do not pull your yarn too tight. I tend to work a little loose. I think it's easier to adjust the stitches afterwards using my Chibi needle.




It's much harder to adjust stiches that are too tight.

Fasten off the end of your yarn inside and also weave in the cast-on tail.

Put your sock on and dance around the house and say "Look what I made, look what I made!"

Then quickly sit down again . . . I think the Patriots are playing at 4:30 . . . you can cast-on for your second sock and work on the leg ribbing during the game!
 

Sock Knit-a-Long #8

Almost done!!

I have finished the body of my sock and I am ready to start my toe decreases.

Here goes . . . 

Row 1: Knit to the last 3 stitches on needle #1, K2tog, K1 On needle #2, K1, SSK, knit to the last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 and lastly, on needle #3, K1 SSK, knit to the end.

Row 2: Knit evenly across.

Repeat these two rows until you have decreased to about half of your original stitch count. I had 64 stitches so I will decrease to 32 stitches. 


Next, repeat only Row 1 until you have 16 stitches left . . . 4 stitches on needle #1, 8 stitches on needle #2 and another 4 stitches on needle #3.

(If you are making a man's or a large woman's sock, just watch how long your toe length is. You may want to work only Row 1 sooner to decrease down to 16 stitches without adding too much length.)

Hey, look what you have created and you are almost done!  Can you stand it?! Aren't you excited?!  Come back for the ending directions.

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Sock Knit-a-Long #7

Time for the instep!

Using another needle, pick up stitches along the left side of your heel flap. Pick up half as many stitches as rows worked on the heel flap, or pick up one stitch into each of your slipped stitches.

I had 32 heel stitches and 32 rows in my heel flap, so I should pick up 16 stitches along the side.




There, by picking up a
 couple more stitches
  I am right next to the stitch
 on the next needle.

See the gap? I would
have a hole in my sock!

Use this number as a guide . . . when I picked up 16 stitches I found a gap between the last picked up stitch and the stitches being held on the other needle. . . . so I picked up another two. (Just make sure you make it even and pick up the same number on the other side of the heel flap).











Next knit across the stitches that were being held on the other needle.
Then pick up stitches along the right side of the heel flap, again make sure you pick up the same amount as you did on the left side.










You now have stitches on 4 needles, but we'll go back down to three . . . just knit half of the stiches off the needle holding the heel flap stitches.

If that sounds confusing - using needle #2 ,knit half of the stitches on needle #1.

Here's the K2tog
 slanting to the right. 

It's time to shape the instep!!
Knit across the remaining heel stitches and then knit to the last 3 stitches on needle #4, K2tog, K1.

Knit across the next needle.
On the last needle, K1, SSK, knit to the end.

Next row, Knit across.

(Remember my post about decreasing? Using the K2tog and the SSK in the same row will make a nice line on your sock instep).




Keep repeating these two rows until you have decreased back down to your original amount of stitches that were cast on.

I had 64 stitches, I still have 1/2 of my stitches on the middle needle (the ones held there while I did my heel flap), so I want to decrease on each of the other needles until I have 16 stitches left on each.





Phew!! That was a lot to do  . . . make sure you have your coffee before you attempt it! Once you have the instep done, continue working evenly until the length of the foot is about 2 1/2 inches less than the desired length of the sock.

Oh . . . don't forget to tell your friends you made a gusset . . . . they'll be so impressed with you.

Tomorrow we'll make room for our piggy toes.

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

 

Sock Knit-a-Long #6

Okay, our heel flap is done . . . now let's turn the heel!!
(we'll still ignore the stitches on the other needle and only work on the stitches at the end of the heel flap).

Row 1: Purl halfway across the row, plus 2 stitches, P2tog, P1 turn.
           (In my case, I had 32 heel stitches, so I purled 18 stitches, then purled
           2tog, then purled 1).
Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, K5, SSK, K1 turn
Row 3; slip 1 stitch as if to purl, P6, P2tog*, P1 turn
Row 4: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, K7, SSK, K1 turn
Row 5: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, P8, P2tog, P1 turn
Row 6: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, K9, SSK, K1 turn

Continue working in this manner until all the stitches have been worked. Drop the K1/P1 at the end when you run out of stitches.

*You should be 1 stitch before the 'gap' created so that when you P2tog you are closing the gap and creating a new one with the next P1 - that will be closed on the next row with the SSK.


The result is a cute little heel like this!



Go ahead and turn your heel. Tomorrow we'll work on the instep - also known as the gusset. (I don't like to call it the gusset . . .doesn't it sound intimidating? Instep sounds much friendlier!).

Here's another great sock book at the library.

More patterns to inspire you . . . If you don't have a lot of sock yarn in your stash, you may want to go shopping. I think you are going to love your socks so much that you won't wear any others. . . . and just think what a great gift they would be!

click here to place a hold

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Sock Knit-a-Long #5

Finally! I have worked the K2P2 ribbing for 7" for my leg . . . I am ready to start the fun stuff! First is the heel. Are you ready too?





   
Before you start your heel, you want to have 25% of your stitches on the first needle, 50% on the second needle and 25% on the third needle.

I have 64 stitches - so I put 16 stitches on needle #1, 32 on needle #2 and the last 16 on needle #3.







So far so good!




Next I'm going to knit across the stitches on needle #1 with needle #3. I will end up with just two needles and
50% of my stitches on each needle.

In my case I have 32 stitches on each needle.

(If you find it too awkward to knit across using needle #3, use your fourth needle and then just slide them onto needle #3 when you finish the row).


Okay, time for the heel flap!

Row 1: Slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to the end.
Row 2: *Slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit 1 stitch*. Repeat from * to * to the end of the row. (slipping the first stitch will make it easier to pick up stitches along the edge later).

Here is the front of my
heel flap.

This is the back side of my
heel flap.

Work as many heel rows as you have stitches for the flap. In my case, I have 32 stitches, so I will work 32 heel rows. (Or, 16 repeats of Row 1 & Row 2).

End with a knit row. 








Okay, go ahead and do yours . . . tomorrow we'll turn the heel!

Until then, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Sock Knit-a-Long #3

I've been knitting on my sock in the morning while I have my coffee. I have about 2 inches done.

 How about you? Do you have a few inches on your needles? Are you nervous that it might not fit? 

Here's a tip -
     Place all your stitches on a piece of scrap yarn. Tie the ends of the scrap yarn in a knot.





Now put your foot through it. If your ankle won't make it through, then you need to rip it out and start again with more stitches. (Better to find out now than when your sock is all done!) If your ankle fits through - put the stitches back on your needles and knit on without any worries!



 


Go ahead and keep knitting in the round in a K2P2 pattern for 6"-7", depending on how long you want you sock leg to be.

While you're knitting I thought I'd show you some of the sock books we have at the library.

Here's an excellent one. Nice basic instructions (with great photos). It's a great reference book if you are just starting with socks, but it also has some patterns with lace and cables if you want to be a little fancy!



to place a hold click here



More instructions for our sock knit-a-long and sock books to follow!

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Sock Knit-a-Long #1

Well it seems fall is officially here. The leaves are changing, it's getting darker earlier, and the nights are certainly cooler. I guess it's also time to pack away the sandals and think about breaking out the socks.

I admit I am a little spoiled when it comes to socks. I have a draw full of socks in every color imaginable - all hand-knit by my mother. Every year around this time I am asked "How is your sock supply? Do you need anymore?"  Let's face it - there is nothing like wearing a pair of hand-knit socks on a cold day. (They kept my toes warm during many of my son's youth hockey games!)

I'm not sure why many knitters are intimidated by the thought of making socks. Is it because the directions refer to heel flaps and gussets? Perhaps it's the thought of doing the Kitchener stitch for the first time? I'm not sure. I only know I love to wear them.

Here's an idea - let's take the fear away and make a pair together . . .  a simple top down pair with a ribbed leg. We'll have our own knit-a-long. First step is to head out to your local yarn shop and pick up a skein of sock yarn and a set of double-pointed needles.

We'll start tomorrow.

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.