Friday, 30 December 2011

Pocketful of Posies...

This beautiful colourway Pocketful of Posies, is a hand dyed sock yarn from one of my favourite websites - Flamboyance Yarns.  The colours are subtle and muted...


I finished the Pocketful of Posies socks just before Christmas.  I love the way this yarn knitted up.  So beautiful the way the colours swirl around the sock.


I took a few photographs of the skein in daylight before I wound it into balls ready for knitting.

I have started knitting a pair of socks.  These two photographs were taken at night and it always interests me how different hues can look with different light sources...


It is a lovely sock yarn to knit with from one of my favourite ranges Splendour - 80% Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Nylon, and 10% Cashmere in a sock/4 ply weight...  The knitted fabric feels wonderfully soft to the touch and is a dream to work with.



Wednesday, 28 December 2011

Stormlit...

Now and again, a yarn arrives, and I just cannot wait to photograph it, I immediately whip out my yarn winder and have it turned into balls immediately...  Stormlit was one of these yarns...  Again, this is from Flamboyance Yarns...  I just love how she works with colour...


Stormlit is from her Hero range and is 100% Superwash British Falkland Merino Wool.  It is a high twist 4 ply sock wool and is wonderful to work with...


The richness and depth of hue in this yarn is amazing and the deep shades just seem to glow as the socks are knitted...  


I love how Stormlit looked when they were finished.  I finished knitting them just before Christmas.  They are comfortable and warm.  I have worn and washed these socks many times now and the colour is staying very true.


Tuesday, 12 July 2011

Flower Power Socks...

Flower Power is a beautiful 4 ply sock wool that I bought from The Knitting Goddess recently.


Hand dyed in colourway Flower Power.  Beautiful rich colours of pinks, magenta, greens, turquoise and mauve.  Gorgeous colours.


The 4 ply sock yarn is very soft and silky to the touch.  50% superwash merino and 50% tencel yarn (100g/333m).  I haven't knit with tencel before but my sister says it is very comfortable for socks.


The skein looked beautiful when it arrived


The yarn knits with a spiral pattern emerging so I decided that I would knit these with an afterthought heel.  I am deciding which to use at the moment.


I know that I will use the round toe for these socks as I like wearing them so much.  I did read about a round toe for the heel but I don't think it would be comfortable if the last 8 stitches were gathered but I think it would be more comfortable to kitchener stitch the last stitches.  Thinking about this at the moment.


The royal blue line is the waste wool that I have put in to show where the afterthought heel will be worked.


I finished these socks a few months ago and never actually photographed them at that time.  So I thought I'd photograph them now.  They have been worn and washed many times.  The yarn has, I think stood up well to general wear.  The after thought heels are comfortable although I do prefer wearing socks with a traditional heel flap.  But these socks were quick and easy to knit.


As I would have expected, the colour has faded a little, over time with washing.  But I think, if anything, they are even prettier than they were when they were first made.  I rather like the colours as they have softened.



Sunday, 10 July 2011

Basic Sock Pattern 1

This is one of my basic sock knitting patterns, it has a heel flap and turned heel, gusset and a round toe.  Very comfortable to wear.  I find that it works well with a plain yarn, or a self striping yarn.


Materials:

100 g of 4 ply sock yarn
2.75mm set of 5 double pointed needles (dpn's)
3.25mm double pointed needle for casting on
tapestry needle

Abbreviations:  

k - knit;  p - purl;  ssk - slip, slip, knit;  p2tog - purl 2 sts together;  sl 1 - slip 1 stitch;  st - stitch; 

Cuff and Leg

Cast on 60 sts using the 3.25mm needle.  (I always use a larger needle to cast on).
On the first row using 2.75mm needles, divide over 4 needles, 15 sts on each.  Join into a circle, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Work 14 rounds of k1, p1 rib.
K 42 rounds (or as long as you want your sock to be).

Heel Flap

Preparation - place the sts from needles 1 and 2 onto one needle (30 sts) then, 

Row 1:  k2, (sl 1, p1, across to last two sts), k2, turn
Row 2:  k, turn

Rep these two rows a total of 16 times (32 rows)

Turn Heel:

Row 1:  p17, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2:  sl 1, k5, ssk, k1, turn
Row 3:  sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 4:  sl 1, k7, ssk, k1, turn
Row 5:  sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 6:  sl 1, k9, ssk, k1, turn
Row 7:  sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 8:  sl 1, k11, ssk, k1, turn
Row 9:  sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 10:  sl 1, k13, ssk, k1, turn
Row 11:  sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 12:  k16, ssk, k1  (18 sts)

Instep:

Pick up and knit 17 sts along side of heel flap, k30 sts across the top of the sock (needles 2 and 3), pick up  and knit 17 sts along side of heel flap, then k9 across sole (bottom of sock).  

(Needle 1:  26 sts, Needle 2:  15 sts, Needle 3:  15 sts, Needle 4:  26 sts)

K 2 rounds (starting and ending at the centre bottom of sock).  On the first round k into back of each of the 17 picked up and knitted sts as this creates a twist in the st and stops any little gaps forming).

Gusset Decreases:

Round 1:  k to 3 sts before end of needle 1, k2tog, k 1, k30 sts across needles 2 & 3, k1, ssk, k to end of needle 4.
Round 2:  k

Rep these rounds until there are 15 sts on each needle.

Foot:

(For UK size 5 or 6, European size 38 or 39)

Work 42 rounds.

Round Toe:  Evenly spread decreases during the decrease round.

Round 1:  k4, (k2tog, k5) 8 times.
K 2 rounds
Round 4:  k4, (k2tog, k4) 8 times.
K 2 rounds
Round 7:  k4, (k2tog, k3) 8 times.
K 2 rounds
Round 10:  (k2, k2tog) 9 times
K 2 rounds
Round 13:  (k1, k2tog) 9 times
K 1 round
Round 15:  k2tog to end (9 sts)

Finishing:
Cut yarn, leaving a 12" (30 cm) tail.  Thread the tail onto the tapestry needle and draw it through the remaining sts.  Tighten and fasten off.  Weave in ends.



Saturday, 9 July 2011

Heather Socks...

This gorgeous sock yarn is hand dyed in the Heather colourway by The Knitting Goddess...  I really like the shades of purple and the mint and sage green.  These colours work well together.


It is very soft to the touch.  a 4ply sock yarn in 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.  (100g/425m).


I bought this from a lady who was selling part of her personal sock wool collection on Ravelry.  


I knit this pair of socks at the same time on two sets of dpn's.  It is my favourite sock pattern.  I find all the elements very comfortable to wear.  A basic ribbed cuff, followed by 40 rounds of stocking stitch, then turning the heel, working the gusset and...


Finishing with a round toe.  I find that this style of toe with even decreases every third round is very comfortable to wear.


I am really looking forward to wearing these socks as they feel so very soft to the touch.  I opted for the plain pattern because the yarn has such a rich colour palette and fine stripes I felt that patterning would be lost.


I love using bamboo dpn's.  I used to get severe pain in my wrists and thumb joints when I was doing a lot of knitting and I find that using the bamboo needles really helps to stop this happening.

I finished knitting these socks surprisingly quickly.  Decided I just couldn't wait to start wearing them, then of course, I bought a great pair of Birkenstock sandals for the summer weather (yep, the first day I wore them, the rain pelted down on me and I really wished I was wearing shoes and cosy hand knit socks).  


But I do think that it will be nice to have a few new pairs of socks for the autumn.  


Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Woodland Glade...

Flamboyance Pageant - Woodland Glade

I bought this beautiful sock wool from one of my favourite hand dyers a few months ago...  Adore how this yarn knitted up in the sample...  so now I need to decide what I would like to create using this beautiful yarn.  


The touch of russet, grey and taupe is beautiful and softens the lovely sage greens...


I absolutely adore the colours in this sock wool...  It is funny how often I find myself with another beautiful green toned wool...  this one is particularly beautiful...


I twisted it into a nest shape so that I could gain a different view on the beautiful colours...


The yarn has a beautiful repeat that would work well in the small scale knitwear for Sasha Dolls.   


It would work beautifully with the colours I am using for the new Marmalade Compote Collection that I am creating for Sasha Doll Style.