Binding Off: February Update

I finished one Binding Off project earlier this month, the ribbed socks. Then I took a detour into some gifts for others, so I’m currently still in Giftland. I present the latest in Gift Knitting; these simple socks are for an auntie.


Pattern: Plain stockinette, worked over 72 sts. with a 2x2 ribbed cuff
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks FX, Copper Colors
Needles: DPNs US size 1 (2.25 mm)


A couple of people commented on this yarn earlier and I can see why. I wasn’t completely sold on it when I looked at the skein – this was one of those times I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised as I got to work. I bought this at one of the big box stores; Joann or Hobby Lobby, I can’t remember which. It was  inexpensive, which is another plus. I love the colors; no yucky pooling in a bad way and they just blended so well. As I mentioned before, I used a short row heel and my basic grafted toe – these socks are very straightforward.


Since these socks aren’t for me and they’re not on my feet, I don’t know how this yarn wears or washes, but they certainly feel durable. Not the softest, but I think a couple of washes with fabric softener can fix that. As usual with colorful sock yarn, I let the yarn do the work so that I can zone out. These socks traveled to sports practice and school car lines. Now I’m getting kind of spoiled and feel like I should always carry simple socks with me wherever I go!

One note about the yardage: there’s approximately 166 yards (152 m) per skein. This isn’t a whole lot. These socks were on the smallish side and I had only a little bit left over in each of my two skeins, so if you knit socks on the larger end, you’ll need at least one more skein.


One other note (file this one under Ding Dong Del): Once I started on sock number two, I kept staring at the color, wondering why it looked so different from sock number one. I lost the band to the first skein, so I couldn't even check to see if I had the same dye lot. To be honest, I'm pretty sure I didn't pick up the same dye lot! I never try to match multi-tonal socks anyway, but instead of fraternal twins, these socks are more like cousins. Oh well.

I still have several hats I want to finish and send off before I get back to my cable cardigan, but that’s still earmarked as my next Binding Off project.

I noticed that of my four completed knit projects this year, three have been pairs of socks. Hmm, maybe I should get out more...

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On Books and Shops

The only Borders bookstore in my city is closing soon. **saddest of sad faces** I've spent a lot of time (and money) over the past couple of decades at this store, so this is especially sad to me. Not to mention the loss of jobs. Not to mention no bookstore close to my boys' school when I have time to browse around and have a cup of coffee.

The only good I've gotten out of this is $1 books. I tried so hard to find more than these four in the racks -- I'll definitely go back before the doors shut for good.

I'm not so sure about Death by Cashmere, mainly because I've had no luck so far with knitting novels. I didn't even care for The Friday Night Knitting Club due to (SPOILER ALERT) that death that came out of nowhere at the end. That Obvious Plot Device really disappointed me. (SPOILER OVER)

But hey, Death only cost me $1. If I don't like it, I can always pass it on with no pang over the cost.

Monday will be my Binding Off February update, so I’ll “see” you then. Happy weekend, all!

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Anatomy of a Sock: Tips

After knitting many socks over the years, I’ve learned some things along the way, including how much I dislike lugging a tape measure around all the time when I want to know if my cuff is sufficient or how long the leg is.

You get to a point where you know how long you prefer your cuffs or legs. For me, it’s about 1 3/4 to 2 inches (4.4 to 5 cm) for the cuffs and 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm) for the leg. Instead of using a tape measure, I decided to just use my hands – once you become familiar with your hand’s measurements, this is easy.





For cuffs, I knit until the length measures the same as my finger to the second knuckle joint, which is about 1 3/4 inches.











For the leg, I knit until the length measures from the bottom of my hand to the mid-point of my middle finger, about 6 1/2 inches. Yes, this is small. I have small hands and small feet. I am petite. My nickname will always be Shortie, which is better than some nicknames, so I shouldn’t complain. I went to school with a girl whose nickname was Jock Strap, so I really can’t complain.







If these socks were for me, I could just hold them against my feet as I knit the foot and stop right below my big toe joint to start toe shaping, so see? No need for tape measures! These socks aren't for me so I consulted Sensational Knitted Socks to see where I should stop knitting the foot for a woman's size 6.5 shoe (there's a handy chart in the book).

This is only my second time knitting short row heels. The first time, I wasn’t happy with the results, but since then, I've used another short row heel tutorial that I found easier and more satisfying. What I added to the tutorial was using stitch markers when knitting to one stitch before the end, then two stitches and so on. This eliminates counting or keeping an eagle eye out for a gap that's not always readily apparent -- so I can kind of zone out while I’m doing this.


I’m working these socks over 72 stitches instead of my usual 64. The heel flap is worked over 36, so I left 10 stitches unworked on either side – the live stitches are in the middle between the markers.


And I just continue from here. I hope any of these little tips can help someone out there. You know how sometimes, you do something and you assume everyone knows it already? Well, don't assume. I think we all have tips, tricks and hints that could benefit at least one person out there.

Each One Teach One, you know?

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Step One

Thanks to your input on my last post, I decided to go with placemats as a first sewing project (thank you to everyone for your opinions!).

Step one: Buy the fabric. This was the hardest step for me and I knew it would be because I tend to get overwhelmed when faced with so many choices.


That’s why I went to the small craft store near my house instead of the huge superstore – had I gone there, I probably would’ve been there all day instead of one hour. As it is, after wandering around like a lost puppy, finally making a decision and getting someone to cut the fabric for me, I noticed the whole back of the store which had even more fabric choices. Time to go!

I picked up some nice scissors, though, which were 50-percent off and some thread. Now for step two: washing, drying and pressing.

I'm going to have to lie down for a while before continuing...

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Moving Past Fear

I’m embarrassed to admit this (but what’s the point of blogging if you don’t embarrass yourself now and then) but I haven’t touched my sewing machine in over a month because…I’m scared. I am so afraid of messing up some fabric that I’ve stayed away altogether. (I know. Insane.)

Unfortunately, I think people avoid all kinds of things in their lives out of fear, so I think the absolutely trivial act of my avoiding sewing is kind of ridiculous when compared to someone’s fear of going outside or calling their sister after not speaking for twenty-five years.

I’ve been wandering the aisles of my craft store lately, leaving empty-handed with the exception of yarn. No fabric, no fabric scissors, no patterns.

It’s about time I pulled on my Big Girl britches, though, don’t you think?

I have some ideas I thought would be good for my beginner status, so please tell me what you think.

There’s a bib
Or a bag
Or placemats

If you have any other suggestions, I’d love love love them! I have a weekend looming ahead of me with little responsibility and plenty of time to shake off this fear. Any help is appreciated!

Of course, if worse comes to worst, I can always go back to something that inspires no fear…


I'll probably be spending more of my time outside than in anyway, enjoying the view.


Happy weekend, all!

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Grateful People

On this Wednesday, as I have a moment to pause and reflect, I'm feeling so full of love and gratitude -- it's a feeling I wish on all of you, really all the world.

Monday, Valentine's Day (I'm bummed I didn't get to do a What I'm Loving Today post, but I was so swamped), turned out to be really nice, although I spent more time working than I normally do. My family had a delicious dinner and though it wasn't exactly what I'd call romantic (there was no dinner music, just the sound of kids kicking a soccer ball around in an indoor game), Weedinator and I still sat together and talked over my baked scallops. Romance comes Saturday, when we go out and celebrate our anniversary (tomorrow, fifteen years of wedded bliss -- yay). So this is our annual week of love, I guess I'd say, where Valentine's Day stretches into our anniversary and there are no flowers or balloons because we don't need it. There was chocolate, though -- there's always chocolate.

In my attempt to remember to be thankful every day, I know I do better some days than others. But on good days, on what I feel are my best days, I look at the sky when I'm heading out on my first school run and I take note of the color. Sometimes it's pink and blue, other times it's bluish gray, still others it's streaked with orange and so very bright. And I say a simple "thank you" for that bit of beauty that's totally free.

That's usually just the start. I then spend the rest of the day finding more things to be thankful for and really, it turns out to be more things than I can count.

Even little things like the dollop of whipped cream that makes hot chocolate that much better.


Don't forget to say "Thank you" today. I wish I could remember where I heard this quote, but I'll repeat it here anyway: Grateful people are happy people.

I'm happy.

What are you grateful for today?

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What’s New

I've never been much for spray paint. Before today, I just didn't have much use for it. Then Animal Magnet needed a trident to go with his Poseidon costume for school and naturally, I didn't find out about it until two days beforehand. So, time is of the essence and I don't have time for brushing on paint.

Sometimes I think, I went to school for this?? Creating tridents out of corrugated cardboard and wooden sticks? And then spray painting with gold metallic paint? The fumes must have gotten to me because I actually like how it turned out. So did he -- he said it was "cool." From a 12 year-old, that's pretty high praise.

Add "trident making" to my list of talents.

Yarn, though? That's something I'm intimately familiar with. This past Christmas, I received several requests for an Op Top, after some relatives saw the green and white one I made for #1 Girl. Fortunately, everyone had her own color preferences and they were all different -- I don't think I could knit the exact same pattern in the exact same colors three more times and not lose it.

So this is Op Top hat #2 in neutrals.

For an auntie who admired some of my handknit socks -- and when I say admired,  I mean she pulled my pants leg up and examined the entire sock from cuff to toe, oohing and aahing the whole time -- well, who better than she to get handknit socks of her own?

I think this color will suit her very well.


All of this unselfish knitting pushes my binding off projects aside for the time being, which is fine with me -- once I'm done with this stack of hats and easy socks, I'll be able to get back to my own WIPs.

Unless of course, new projects call...and who am I kidding? New projects call me like my name is "Bee" and theirs is "Honey." I'm weak like that.

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Two of a Kind

My first Binding Off project completed!

Yarn: Premier, Deborah Norville Collection, Serenity sock weight
Pattern: Nothing fancy, just 2x2 rib over 64 stitches, perfect for a traveling project
Needles: US size 1 DPNs, 2.25 mm


The past few days have been full of rain. A soft rain for the most part, no major thunderstorms...just the gentle to insistent tap-tap-tap on the windows, on the roof. Days full of hot cocoa, books, fireplace cozying and knitted socks.


These are the devilish gussets. They don't look like trouble-makers here, do they?

 

Socks snuggling: I love you. No, I love you. I love you more.

I never, ever tire of knitting socks. The heel turn is still magical to me, and even though these gussets gave me trouble for unknown reasons, I'm already looking for a pattern for my next pair.

Few things are as satisfying as weaving in those last few ends and slipping soft goodness right onto your feet, goodness that you made with the work of your hands. Sure, I can buy dime-a-dozen socks for way less than what this inexpensive sock yarn cost, but for me, the value is in the creating.

Cold rain is no match for these babies. Tap away, rain, tap away.

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