Once More, With Feeling

(I couldn't resist, sorry.)


The Bunny kerchief again, this time for me... in a lovely, springy shade of green Feeling. Feeling is a terrific yarn, a smooth and fabulously soft wool/silk/cashmere blend from Needful Yarns. A single ball is 140m, which is enough to provide a nice little kerchief to go with my spring coats.

I rather like this design, if I do say so myself. This design solves two problems at once: a nice little showcase for a fabulous little yarn, and a quick and interesting-but-not-too-challenging project.

Don't tell me you haven't fallen in love with an luxurious (and expensive) yarn and craved a single-skein project for it? Don't tell me you haven't wished for a bit of light relief in the middle or a larger project? The bunny kerchief is a delicious distraction.

I've got several other things on the go at the moment -- and two of them have deadlines. So I'm trying not to be distracted with my own distraction project. To make it less tempting, I put it onto straight needles....

Sock Ness Monster/"Good for you"

Finished! 1 pair plain and simple socks in Socks that Rock Loch Ness.

Loving the yarn so far. Great hand, with a nice bit of squishiness for comfort. I look forward to wearing them... once I've woven in the ends, of course.

I was knitting on the subway the other day, as I am wont to do. I could see, out of the corner of my eye, an older man watching me. I was well into this second sock, at the stage where it was clearly identifiable as a sock. After a few minutes, he came up to me.

"If you don't mind me asking, how long does it take to make a pair?"

"About six hours a sock." An educated guess on my part, but a reasonable one.

"Huh." He paused.

I attempted to keep the conversation going... "I enjoy it. They're my design, my choice of colour, and they fit like they're made for me."

"They are made for you..."

I just smiled. I guess I shouldn't try to be poetic on the subway.

He took a good look at the sock one more time, nodded, and said simply "good for you."

I'm honestly not sure what he was trying to say, but whatever it was, it was nice.

Has It Come to This?

At the Sheep last night, Emily and I were chatting about the wonders of Elizabeth Zimmerman's work.

And Emily reminded me that in EZ's Opinionated Knitter book, there is a pattern for long underwear. (Pic of completed baby version.) For adults, she does a strap under the foot that reminds me of the stirrup pants I wore in the 1980s. (Yes, I admit it, and I don't care who knows.)

And you know, given the never-ending nightmare of a winter we're having, I think I may well cast on for a set. She recommends a worsted weight, so they wouldn't take that long. And maybe spring will have come by the time they're finished....

As I Feared/If The Needles Don't Fit...

After one evening gamely working away on the world's loudest sweater... tinkle tinkle tinkle of the metal dpns... I've given up again.

I need 5mm bamboo dpns.

It's not just that the needles are noisy, it's that they're slippery and hard to handle, and strangely unforgiving. It really is quite startling to me how different the experience can be.

I often talk in my classes about how swatching is a useful exercise to determine whether you're going to enjoy working with a particular yarn. But the point applies just as well for the needles, too.

Will be needle shopping later today.

It's not all socks...

I've picked up an abandoned project, Handmaiden's Jane sweater.

It's a neat idea -- worked in one piece, with an origami sorta construction. You work the back sideways, and construct the sleeves from the top half of the back stitches, and the two fronts from the lower half. You fold the two fronts up and across the front, for a wrap-around effect.

The colour really isn't reading in the picture, but it's a nice bright but not too garish lime green.

Working on it the other night, I remembered why I'd put it down. I modified the sleeves to be worked in the round (of course), and my only appropriately sized (5mm) dpns are metal. And the tinkling is driving me insane. (Not to mention poor Norman who was trying to pay attention to the television.) I might have to get new needles to finish it.

It will be just the thing for those not-quite-freezing-cold but-still-not-very-warm days of spring.

Basic Ribbed Sock for Men

By popular demand! I am very flattered that people are using and enjoying this pattern.

I have a few variations in mind... watch this space over the next month or so. I'll also compile all the size variations into one post, so it's a bit easier to read.

In the meantime...

Basic Ribbed Sock Sized for Men
Refer to basic pattern here. Notes on resizing for women here.

Cast on 64 sts for a smaller man's foot, 68 sts for a larger man's foot.

Work 8 ins/20 cm for leg.

Work heel on first 31 (35) sts of round. Work 23 (25) heel rows.

Work the heel turn as follows:
RS: K21 (23) , skp, turn.
WS: P11, p2tog, turn.
RS: K11, skp, turn.

and repeat the last two rows to turn the heel. You’ll have 13 left over, and pick up 16 (17) sts for the gusset. Then decrease the gusset down to 64 (68) sts for the foot.

And of course, lengthen the foot to suit – toe decreases start 5cm/2 ins short of your foot length.

(For those who are doing the math, the only really tricky bit is making sure that the ribbing lines up nicely on the foot. That is, you want to work the heel sts on the first 4x+3 sts so that the heel sts start and end with three knit sts, and there's a purl st running down each side of the instep sts.)

Mmmm... Bunny....

Despite not being a pink sorta girl, nor really an angora girl, have fallen quietly in love...

Cottage Craft Angora, in pink. One skein! I chose a traditional, reversible Shetland lace pattern, and worked until I'd just about run out of yarn, then cast off.

It's just the sort of thing to combat the winter blahs. Ideal for cheering up that winter coat you're seriously tired of wearing by now.

Pattern available from Patternfish, Ravelry, and at The Purple Purl.

This pattern uses one skein (120-150m) of the softest, most luxurious fibre you have in your stash. Come on, you know you have something in the bottom of a box somewhere, something you couldn't afford to buy more than one of?

More Socks

.5000001 of a pair of Socks That Rock in "Loch Ness".

That is, one full sock and the cast-on for the second.

Seriously good travelling project, which was good, because I was travelling. Compact, interesting, yet can be worked with little attention and even the barest of holds on the handrail in the subway car. (I suspect the Beastie Boys weren't thinking of knitting as they sang "Doing fine on the 1 and 9 line", but I was, and I couldn't help but sing it to myself.)

Anyway, yes. Simple stocking stitch body.

Confession time, though... I bought this colourway more because of the name than the actual colours itself. Yeah, loving the lime, and it's a cool finished effect, but if you'd described the yarn to me (browns and light blue and some greens and yellows) I would have said no.

Anyone else been sucked in? Bought a colourway because it had a great name? The Sweet Georgia sock yarns are particularly well named -- for characters in my favourite TV show, for movies, for music references.

Will be interested to see how these wear...

It's Not Just Socks, Y'Know/Email Address Change

A design project underway.


Pink angora lace to chase away the winter blahs. I don't even like pink and it's cheering me up.

Swatches show a bunch of different ideas in development. The plastic bag is to try to keep the yarn nice and clean, and to minimize the shedding all over the rest of my darker coloured knitting-in-progress. Angora is lovely, but it does shed.

If you're trying to get hold of me using the sympatico.ca email address, note that it's going away. If you need to contact me, there's a link at the bottom of this page, or use firstname at wisehildaknits dot com.

FO: The Tweedy Socks/Ribbing Needles

Stash sock yarn... not really sure what it is, the ball band disappeared. It's traditional sock yarn, with nylon. Using my standard sock recipe as per the Knitty article. 2.5mm needles.

I've been teaching a few sock classes of late, and we use my standard sock recipe as the basis for designing custom-fit socks. My standard sock recipe calls for the use of smaller needles for the ribbing. I am a filthy hypocrite on this point... I long ago abandoned the use of ribbing needles for socks.

It's partially because socks are my favourite travelling project, and if I'm travelling (whether on a streetcar, subway or a plane), I don't want to bother with any unnecessary equipment.

Plus I'm not sure they're required, strictly speaking. Smaller needles for ribbing allow the ribbing to pull in more, and mitigate the stretching out. For sweaters, when you want a tighter cuff/lower edge, this makes sense.

But for socks, I don't bother. Two reasons: I tend not to do a ton of ribbing at the cuff -- as per my Basic Ribbed Sock design, I find k1 p1 ribbing very tedious.

And perhaps -- more to the point -- if you design your sock well, it fits your leg and doesn't fall down so you don't need the tighter ribbing to keep it up.

Yes, that's right! A sock that actually fits. Back to my point in the Knitty article, if you're going to make socks you may as well make 'em to fit. I'm modestly sized -- not very tall, small feet, narrow ankles -- and I find that one-size-fits-all socks are always too big, and even the smaller size of a multi-size pattern is often a bit big. So I make 'em to fit. (I refer you back to my standard sock recipe .)

And they don't fall down! And therefore I don't need tighter ribbing! And so I don't use ribbing needles. Now, I do use a slightly smaller needle for the entire thing -- 2.5mm rather than 3mm.

There are knitters out there who might disagree with me violently. And this is the great part about this sort of thing -- we're ultimately designing and working to suit our own needs. I just don't happen to need to work my ribbing on smaller needles.

Just Socks Excerpt Online: Free Slipper Pattern

Free Moccasin Slipper Pattern

Excerpted from "Lion Brand® Yarn Just Socks" edited by Shannon Okey. Photography by Jack Deutsch. Copyright © 2007. Reprinted by permission of Potter Craft.

FO: Basic Ribbed Sock; More on Sock Yarn

Hey, that's convenient! I've just finished a pair of my own Basic Ribbed Socks, worked using the instructions for the smaller size.

Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn. It comes as a kit, but I ignore the pattern because it's awful. (See previous post on this topic.)

I've used this yarn several times before. Other than concerns about wear (which aren't really the fault of the yarn, it's all about the appropriateness of the application), I've been happy with it.

But look at this...

these are the same yarn, same skein, and there's a fairly big difference in the colouring. It's ok, it's not the end of the world, but one part of the skein is definitely lighter. It's not how the yarn was stored, as it was stored in the skein, and I only wound it into a ball shortly before I began to knit. And in the store, it wasn't anywhere near a window. It's impossible that this is fading, it's a manufacturing problem.

I'm disappointed.

Another nudge back towards "commercial" sock yarn?

Resizing the Basic Ribbed Sock

From a request on Ravelry... I'm easy to find there, BTW... like the Harlot, my ID is basically my blog address.

The sock at the standard 60 sts fits women's shoe sizes 6 to 8 1/2 no problems.

For a smaller foot -- up to size 6 1/2 or so -- cast on and work 56 sts for the leg. The rest remains much the same -- heel is worked on 27 sts (therefore you're putting 29 sts on hold for the instep), 21 heel rows (although I'd go down to 19 if you're working for a very small foot) pick up 15 (again, 14 for a very small foot) for the gusset. Work gusset decreases so you're back down to 56 stitches. And start the toe decreases 5cm/2 inches short of the desired foot length.

For a larger foot -- size 9 or above -- cast on 64 sts. Work an additional 1-3cm/1/2 - 1 in for the leg.

Work the heel on 31 sts and work 23 heel rows. The heel turn would go like this....

RS: K21, skp, turn.
WS: P11, p2tog, turn.
RS: K11, skp, turn.

and repeat the last two rows to turn the heel. You’ll have 13 left over, and pick up 16 sts for the gusset. Then decrease the gusset down to 64 sts for the foot.

And of course, lengthen the foot to suit – toe decreases start 5cm/2 ins short of your foot length.

Anyone want a men's version?

Because he loved Lizard Ridge as much as I do

I always considered Nathan an honourary knitter.

If I believed in this sort of thing, I would hope that kitty heaven is staffed with knitters working on large blanket projects that can be lain about upon. He deserves it.

On Sock Yarn

All this sock knitting (and teaching of sock knitting) of late has caused me to bring out all my handknitted socks.

And I've noticed something.

Something I've always sorta suspected, but I've been trying to ignore the evidence for some months now. The filthy truth about all these small-producer, hand-dyed, 100% merino sock yarns we drool over.

Oh yes, they're lovely. Great colourways, cool names, nice feel to work with. All very alluring and fun.

But they just don't wear as well as old-school, commercial 75% wool/25% nylon sock yarn.

Oh, I'm not happy about it, trust me.

But look... the evidence is there for us all to see.

These socks are about 2 years old, made of Fleece Artist 100% merino:












These socks are more than 10 years old, made of good old nylon blend sock yarn -- Regia, I believe:












Compare the pilling:




vs.
(It's not extreme in either case, but it's definitely there. Click to embiggen the pictures. And given the relative ages of the two socks, the Fleece Artist pair are aging faster.)

Now, even more worrying, look at this... the inside of a heel of socks in Collinette Jitterbug. These socks aren't even a year old.

They're FELTING.

This is what 100% animal fibres gets you. The damn stuff is behaving like good wool -- it's pilling and felting and generally wearing out.

But I don't want my socks to wear out. I spend a lot of time and money on a pair of hand-knit socks. I want to wear them forever.

I've experienced a bit of a rapprochement with old-school sock yarn of late -- I tend to recommend it for my beginner sock classes, because it's less expensive. And I've been using it myself for samples. And you know, I like it.

Oh, I agree, it's not as soft as 100% merino products, no question. But, seriously, how delicate are most people's feet? (Diabetics are an exception, absolutely.) Sure, it feels nicer to wear 100% merino, but are the blended yarns really uncomfortable? (The wool-sensitive are excluded from this discussion.)

But it wears like steel. Look at those stripey black socks above. They're more than 10 years old, worn year-round, in boots in the winter, and look at them. A few pills on the heel, but otherwise perfect.

Yes, yes, I know, there are natural-fibre purists out there that shun any thought of a man-made fibre. I do, too, for the vast majority of applications. Life is too short to knit with acrylic. However, this ain't 100% acrylic, people. The man-made fibre is always in the minority in a sock yarn, rarely more than 25%... think of it as helper thread.

I will admit that the machine-made products aren't always as interesting. Yes, absolutely, you can get great solid colours and tweeds, and stripes. And sure, if the faux fair-isle thing is to your taste...

you can't go wrong.

But they're always a bit too... engineered. A bit too perfect. I dearly love the slightly irregular, perhaps even ramshackle nature of the colouring in hand-dyed yarns. And somehow, the hand-dyed colourways (even the really wacky ones) are still more tasteful than many of the "commercial" ones

Now, there are exceptions to this rule -- Lorna's Laces' Shepherd Sock is a terrific hand-dyed, fun sock yarn that comes in excellent colourways and has nylon in the blend. I've been very happy with this, no complaints.

And I've noticed that some other smaller producers are starting to put nylon in their mixes, which is terrific. Thank you! I look forward to more of them doing it.

Socks that Rock blends, PLEEEEEASE???? I want to be able to wear these socks forever.

And now, my heart soars at the prospect of Noro Kureyon sock yarn. Fabulous colourways, great striping effects, and it's got nylon in it. My hopes are high.

I'll keep you posted.

It's Still Ugly

But it is a hat.

Forest and Trees; On Leftover Sock Yarn

I talk about this in my classes, particularly in sock classes... when you're knitting, you tend to focus on your immediate problem --- your next stitch.

And it's possible that your stitches are all correct, but your larger knitting has gone sideways. It's fairly common in a group of 6 or 8 learning to knit in the round for the first time that at least one will turn the sock inside out at some point. This is a classic example a knitter getting so focused on the short game that the long game is forgotten.

Sometimes, you need to step back and think more broadly about what you're doing.

And sometimes, I need to pay attention to my own lessons...

I've been bitching and moaning about that Clown sock yarn for a while now. I finally finished the sample, and didn't even bother taking a photograph. I took it to where it needed to be, and I'm done with it.

But I still had the yarn on my desk.

M. came over last night for takeout and a movie. She brought a knitting book she'd found in a bargain bin somewhere.... She had a baby to knit for, and wanted my advice on a particular design and suggestions for which yarn to use.

I leafed through it -- there are some very cute patterns, easy to knit and attractive. It's called "Quick to Knit(TM)" Knitting for Babies, by PIL Publications. (No author listed, and it's clearly a "Quick to Publish", too.)

And right there, on page 46, I find it!

The obvious honourable solution to the horror of the Clown sock yarn. A baby's hat knitted in a sock yarn.

And because we were watching a movie, and M. had not brought any knitting with her, I immediately handed her the yarn and needles.

What might look horrible on my feet is going to look pretty damn fabulous on the head of a baby, no?

And just before I drift off to sleep last night, it occurs to me...

How many socks have I knitted in my life?

And how many partial balls and skeins of sock yarn have passed through my life? Some have been passed onto other knitters, some have disappeared into the mists of time, yet others remain in my cupboard, with the loose idea that one day I might make multicoloured socks. And yet never have I once thought about doing something else with the leftovers.

Sure, I'd read about making sweaters with sock yarn, but a) that's insane and b) it's not a project for leftovers. And I've seen really wonderful blanket projects using sock yarn. And sure, great for leftovers, but you'd need a heck of a lot, and it's a big big project. Plus I have Lizard Ridge, and I don't think I'll need another blanket ever again.

But for some reason, despite the baby hat knitting classes I've taught, the hat designs I've written, the hats I've made for myself (even with small gauge yarn), it never occurred to me to make a hat with the sock yarn.

A forest of hats, maybe?

Three Small Words

You know when someone casually says something that changes your world forever?...

A simple statement that changes the way you look at life and everything around you?

Three words. Three simple words.

The words I have been waiting to hear for many, many years.

Noro sock yarn.

I may never knit anything else again.

Progress with the Scurvy Shawl, More Socks, Other Applications of the Lifeline

With all this frantic sock knitting going on...


(I've hit a new personal high. Or low, depending on how you look at it. I've got three sock projects on the go. I've got one each of a pair in orange and the red & black tweedy yarn, and half of a first clown sock. Although the clown sock will probably remain an orphan. It's a sample for display. If I had more than two sets of sock needles, the second red & black tweedy one would be on the needles, but having only two pairs is keeping me focused on getting the ugly one done.)

... there hasn't been much work on the scurvy shawl...

Although I did use it as a cautionary tale and a demonstration of the value of a lifeline in lace knitting in a class on Sunday.

On the topic of lifelines....

I've been working with E. on sock knitting. She was having trouble with picking up stitches for the gusset. The heel turn is without problem for her (yay for E.!), but picking up stitches has proven to be challenging. She's needed to pull back a few times while working the gusset.

While talking her through this on the phone. (Yes, the phone. This is not the first time I have talked someone through a sock over the phone.) I had a brainwave... I had her thread a lifeline, before the gusset stitches are picked up -- so through the heel after the turn, and the held instep sts. That way, E. can pick up and pull out the gusset stitches as many times as she wants, and the sock is all safe.

A Clown May Have Died

Ok, this wasn't what I was expecting either, but this time not in a good way...

Yes, that's beige and yellow and light blue and orangey-red and purple. All together.

I mean, ok, I like strong colour combinations as much as the next sock knitter, but this one fails spectactularly, IMHO, because the colours aren't bright enough to compete with each other. It's a mess of mid-range colours that are neither bright or muted.

Ack.