KWCG Sock of the Month - Vacation Announcement

I am taking a hiatus from sock knitting. I figure I can do this because it is a self-imposed club of one.

I am backed up with class projects and must-deliver-early Christmas gifts that have to be finished and mailed.

Some of these secret gift projects will make good car projects and when they are done I can return to my sock in the car projects without panic or fretting.

KWCG Sock of the Month - July Update

I am finally into the foot of the second July sock. I hope to have it done by next week. Currently, the last sock is not getting a lot of love because I had to drop everything to finish the Tunisian crochet vest. When that is done, I will be back to my standard house and car projects.

I really like this sock pattern. It shows off the yarn nicely and fits really well with the pattern acting as a ribbing all the way through. I think I will have enough yarn left over to make wrist warmers with the same pattern in it.

I hope everyone is finding fun projects to do~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - July Update

I am almost to the toe of the first July Sock. This one is knit from the Froot Loops pattern in Austermann Step yarn in a denim colorway.

I really like this pattern, might even use it for a pair of handwarmer this year. It has a lot of interest and behaves like ribbing when you wear it.

I had to CO 70 stitches and do 35 on each needle to accomodate the pattern repeats on two circs, no other modifications necessary.

Happy July Knitting~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - July Has Begun

Over the camping weekend I reviewed the pattern and yarn I wanted to do for July. The pattern will require a little adjustment to be able to knit it on 2 circs, so I calculated that as well. It calls for repeats of 7 over three dpns, that does not work to half it so I added a repeat and will do it over 70 stitches instead of 63.

I cast on Monday and got them started. I am doing the Froot Loop pattern by Kristi Geraci from Knitty Spring 2008 out of Austermann Step in colorway #16 which is a tonal denim. I think this will be a very fun knit. They are cuff down on size 1US (2.25mm).

I will keep you posted on my progress. Happy summer knitting to all~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - May/June Update

I finished the May/June socks today.  They turned out beautifully and I really like this pattern. I will be using it again.

It is the Wollmeise Sock by Monica Jines, a free pattern at Sheri's Loopy Ewe blog. I knit them out of Socks that Rock in Lemongrass, a skein I was gifted by CatWithCats.

She is doing the same pair with me as a KAL and I understand so are some of her knit buddies in Denver because they fell in love with the pattern as well.

I hope to see finished projects from there as well, soon.

Happy finishing to all~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - May/June Update

I am to this point with the second sock for the May/now into June sock.

I really like this pattern - Wollmeise Sock by Monica Jines. I found it free at the Loopy Ewe blog site. It adds just a little texture which makes the yarn really pop.

The adjustments I made to the pattern have worked for me. I have high hopes to get this one off the needles by the end of next week.

Then it is back to the sock box to pick out one for July.

I hope everyone has great projects to keep their minds jumping and their fingers working~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club - May Update

It looks like this month's sock project is going to get extended into June. In fact, I think it is for the best.

I love the yarn and the pattern. I overcommitted myself this month to doing several other projects and got sick for about two weeks where I did not even feel like picking up my needles.

Now that it is all better and most of the "extra" projects are to their prescribed stopping points I can concentrate again on the socks. I am an inch of pattern repeat away from starting the toe of the first sock. I outdid myself this week -- the sock is finished. I am casting on the second one.

So, CatWithCats, the pressure is off. Just relax and knit, we have at least another five weeks to go. Whew! Get out the umbrella drinks and the Rockies radio and Knit On! (Don't worry, it will take me another month to get the second one done, I will bet.)

KWCG Sock of the Month - May Progress

Finally, I am into the foot of the first sock. I finished the heel and turn, ready to pick up the gussets. With this pattern, I have made an adjustment from the initial cast on number of stitches (72) and the foot stitch count (64). This is because I know that the foot will be too big for me if I do it in 72 stitches.

So, I decided to do the decrease to the 64 stitches when I got to the last row of the pattern repeat just before I started the heel flap. For me the leg required the stated cuff number of 16 rows, then 10 full repeats of the pattern (aka 60 rows). The decrease I did was four stitches decreased over each needle (two circs) until I had 32 stitches on each.

Now I am working on 32 stitches for the instep pattern. Since the pattern calls for multiples of 6 stitches, I have marked the first stitch at the beginning and at the end to be knit, using a stitch marker so I cannot forget and working five repeats of the stitch pattern across the instep. It should not be too far off of the established pattern to be noticed (I hope).

I will be updating again once I get the first sock finished so I know my adjustments were correct. Not sure if I will get this pair done by end of month because I have four other projects going at the same time. That is a bit over my normal productive list.

KWCG Sock of the Month - May Begins

After an illness delay, I think I can say that I have gotten the May socks off to a good start. I completed the cuff of the first sock today and will be reviewing the patterned portion before I begin it. This one may be one that I have to use stitch markers to stay on track at the beginning but I am not sure yet.

I have decided to knit this pattern , Wollmeise Sock by Monica Jines ( a free pattern from the Loopy Ewe) exactly as it is written and see what I end up with. I may have to decrease the foot to over 64 stitches because my memory of socks over 72 stitches is that they are too big in the foot for me, again, we shall see.

I am loving the feel of the Socks that Rock (again) and the color is so yummy. It looks like a really good glass of lemonade sitting in the fresh green grass.

Watch here for updates this month as CatWithCats and I do this knit-a-long.

KWCG Sock of the Month - April Update

I am halfway down the foot of the second sock and am planning to finish it in St. Louis this week.

The fun part will be putting in the heels with the extra two stitches each side to see if that takes care of the holes.

I will let you know.

Happy Sock Knitting~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - April Update

This is a really fun knit for the self-striping or handpainted yarn that needs only a simple pattern to show off the yarn.

The pattern is a plain tube topped with an inch-and-a-half of K2, P2 rib (or 2x2 rib) and a plain toe. I am going to knit the second one and then put in the heels.

After my first attempt on the second of the March socks, I realized that I need to pick up the live heel stitches plus a couple on each side to avoid the sneaky "hole".

The sock yarn for this pair is Red Heart: Heart&Sole in Green Envy, which at first I called a Spring color but, I decided,  is really for if/when the radiation cloud gets here, it will match with my "glow".

I hope everyone has a fun project going on that helps them get through all these days of worry and concern~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - April Begins

Before I announce my April Sock, I must say a few final words about my March socks. 1st, the afterthought heel is brilliant. I had some reservations however I was pleasantly surprised that blind faith paid off. The fraternal twins look good together.

Next on the needles is - you guessed it - a plain jane pair with the afterthought heel (have to practice) because this month is just crazy busy for me. These will be out of Red Heart - Heart and Sole sock yarn in Green Envy. So far the color is very springlike. My goal is to get the first sock done and the second started so I can finish it at Spring Fling.

In May I am considering a KAL with matching skein. We will have to negotiate on the pattern, I am leaning towards the Wollemeise Sock designed by Monica Jines  that I found on the Loopy Ewe blog for free. I love the patterning with the handpaint. Anyway, by May, we will have a decision and I can tell you more.

Anyway, off to knit the April socks. Happy Knitting to All~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club - March Update

Almost done with the second sock. It has been fun to knit just a rib-top tube. I can hardly wait to set in the afterthought heel.

All of this done while preparing for the knitting retreat. Not bad.

My next dilemma, what sock to start for April?!

I hope everyone has fun projects planned for the first full month of Spring~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club - March Update

The first March sock is complete. I have started the second sock however it will be a fraternal twin as the first sock has an attitude about being duplicated. Something about cloning and Frankenstein and a crime against nature.

Actually, it is more about me not really liking this stitch pattern. I guess because I had to tinker with it to get the size I needed I just don't want to have to sit and figure it out again for the second sock.

So, I am taking advantage of this situation to knit my first afterthought heel sock. I am using the Totally Tubular pattern by Samantha Roshak with the variation of knitting the heel placement marking with waste yarn at the 7-inch mark then knitting the foot to total 9 inches = 16-inch tube knitting.

I will keep you posted on my progress. I want to see if this method goes faster for sock knitting or if I am just crazy like that. I hope everyone is enjoying their March~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club: March Update

The Broadripple for March socks are coming along nicely. I am almost done with the decrease on the first sock. These are not going as fast for me because I am not spending any at-home time kntting on them. They have just been car knitting.

I like the ripple effect however may only knit this pattern once. This pattern is more meant for a tonal variegated yarn than a striping effect one. I think it would look better that way.

I hope everyone is having a fun March project~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - March Update

I cast on the March Socks and after reading the pattern again I realized that this pattern and this yarn were not a match made in heaven. So I rethought the idea and had to modify the pattern to make up for the fact that this yarn is not elasticized.

The cast on number for a women's medium (what the pattern is written for) is 56 on size 1US (2.25 mm). That will never go around my leg. So I reviewed the Broadripple stitch pattern and calculated I needed 70 stitches cast on. Once I did that I realized that I now had an odd number of pattern repeats that would not fit over one needle. So I opted to separate the two repeats that do fit on each cable to have the middle stitches be a knit one, purl one rib pattern.

This idea worked well and I knit the Garter Broadripple pattern for the prescribed 12 rounds, then switched to the Ripple Stitch and knit it for 2 1/12 inches. At this point I realized that 70 stitches around was going to make the foot of the sock too big (sloppy) for my foot. That is when I decided to decrease three out of each K1, P1, section so now it is over 4 stitches with the pattern being p1, k2, p1 between the two pattern repeats on each cable. This brings the sock down to 64 total stitches, 32 on each cable. At this point, I am at the regular stitch requirement for a sock that fits, and an easy way to do the heel flap.

I turned the stitches 90-degress on the cables so I have the added stitch section split at either end and the two repeats of ripple pattern separated by the started and end two knit stitches that is part of their pattern. This brings the look of the ripple pattern closer together and will look better going down the foot.

At this time I am halfway down the leg and hope to be knitting the heel flap by the first of week on the first sock. I realized I made this sock more complicated than it needed to be but I hope I will have utilized the pattern to my best efforts and get a wearable pair out of it. However, this will not be my favorite pattern choice for future socks.

I hope everyone is preparing for fun projects for the Spring~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club - March Socks Announced

**drum roll please**  Announcing the third pair of socks for 2011 - knitting for March - (crowd is cheering and clapping) - the Broadripple Socks from Knitty.com, Summer 2003, by Rob Matyska.

I am happy to say that he wrote up the translation for 2 circs which took some of the work out of it for me. Thank you, thank you.

I will be casting these on size 1US (2.25mm) with a candy stripe sock yarn I found on sale this weekend. I know, I said it would be from stash, but March demanded something bright and off the usual color scheme I had going, so this yarn became stash as soon as I bought it at 50% off. Enough justification, on to knitting.

The yarn is Indulgence Narrow with Aloe in colorway 113. It is superwash merino wool with nylon. It looks like it will be yummy to knit and should show off the ripple pattern with some fun colors.

I will keep you posted on the progress. I am parking Dad's sock for a couple days, it is 6 inches down the foot (need 9 inches before I do the toe).

I hope everyone has fun things to start for March~!

KWCG Sock of the Month Club - February Sock Finale

Another pair finished, this time well within the deadline, kitchenered the toe closed on Feb 21st.

I picked up the pair I am knitting for dad with the Ski Tracks pattern and have about 4 inches done on the first leg. They are being done with the Knit One, Crochet Too Soxx Appeal in tan with chocolate cuffs, heels and toes. They will make a nice, fast car knit for the rest of February.

March is next. I will let you know what I picked soon. Happy knitting~!

KCWG Sock of the Month Club - February Update

The first sock is done as of February 9th. The second one is on the needles.

One thing I am learning about this yarn, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Lightweight, is that the next time I knit socks with it I will try size 1US in 2.5mm instead of 2.25mm. So far the finished sock is beautiful and crisp, but a wee tight for me knit in this pattern and over 64 stitches.

They are still wearable and will be worn because the yarn is so yummy and beautiful. Now I just have to find some more, searching, searching.....

I hope everyone is making good progress on their projects this month~!

KWCG Sock of the Month - February Update

For this week's update I have good news, I am through the heel turn and ready to do the decreases on the first sock. I love this yarn! It is the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock lightweight and is wonderful to knit with. It does not split on sharp points, the pattern technique really pops and the color changes make it interesting no matter what part of the sock you look at.

I knit this pattern, Mock Cable Rib, over 64 stitches on size 1US (2.25mm), all the way around the leg for 6 inches, did the 2.5 inch heel flap and picked up a total of 20 stitches on each side for the gusset. The leg is stretchy while maintaining a crisp patterned look.

These socks are car project for the month until it is done. I am tracking my progress on Ravelry with the start date of February 1st. It will be interesting to see how fast they do go this time. k

I hope everyone has a fun project they are working on this month~!