Floret Socks - Cast On!

So yesterday I cast on the Floret Socks by Makenzie Alvarez.  This is the first pattern of this designer that I have knitted, but she has some really beautiful patterns in her Ravelry store.  I am through the ribbed cuff and a few rounds in to the chart.  The pattern is well written.  This skein is one of the Spring’s Promise trio.  The yarn might be a little dark for the patterning, but I’m good with it, even if it is a bit challenging to the old eyeballs.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Moderne Socks - Finished!

I finished up my Moderne Socks yesterday morning while watching the rest of the Fleece & Harmony wool cast, and the latest John Arbon Textiles vlog, and then random classical guitar and lute videos.  This is it for the Janel Laidman sock patterns.  I do have one more skein of club yarn, but I think I will use it for  a Cookie A sock pattern instead.  I looked at the Janel Laidman pattern that it was intended for and it just didn’t excite me at all.  This skein of Expression Fiber Arts came as part of a trio called Spring’s Promise and when I was putting the remnants of this skein back in the box I pulled out the other two skeins and decided that they really need to become socks, so I caked them up and went pattern searching and found patterns, that were already in my library, for both.  So even though Socktober is over, I will continue with the sock knitting.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Moderne Sock - Second Sock - Heel Turned!

And here is proof that I have not forgotten the second Moderne Sock.  I did actually cast on pretty much as soon as I had finished the first sock, and I’ve completed the leg and turned the heel and am working the foot.  I have just started the gusset decreases, which are all on the top of the foot.  Now that I have the Tahari Tank through all the interesting parts I can turn my attention back to this project and get it finished up so I can start the last Janel Laidman sock club sock in my stash.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Tahari Tank - Armhole and Neck Ribbing Done!

I have not forgotten about the second Moderne Sock, but I did get just a bit distracted by this project, which I cast on back on October 28.  The first breed of sheep that I spun in my Breedschool was Rambouillet, and it was a delightful spin, resulting in three pretty consistent skeins of sport weight yarn and one smaller skein approaching fingering weight.

Last month I dyed the three larger skeins up, first in Lilac, and then because I really didn’t like the pale color, I overdyed them in Eggplant.  I had been searching for the perfect pattern and when I finally found it I immediately cast on.  So far the knitting has gone extremely well, I was able to get gauge using a larger needle than that called for in the pattern, but my yarn is also a bit heavier than that called for in the pattern (which calls for a fingering weight).  The fabric is wonderful, and the fit is pretty darn good.  The pattern instructions are extremely well written and easy to follow, and I was just having so much fun knitting that I didn’t want to do anything else.  Now I have this to the point where I’m just knitting in endless rounds (until I decide it is long enough and start the ribbing), so it is perfect mindless TV and reading knitting.

The ribbing is 1x1, and is bound off using the Tubular bind off.

Pattern:  Tahari Tank by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn:  Rambouillet handspun and dyed by me

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm - for the ribbing)

Moderne Socks - One Sock Done!

I finished up the first sock last night, but it was not without some challenges.  There is a chart for the toe, and you have to pick the right spot to start it.  I had seen comments on project pages about the fit of the toe so I was a bit concerned about starting that last chart in the “right” spot.  My first attempt started the chart too early, and I ended up with too much toe left at the end of the chart.  No problem, I thought, I can just work a few more rows and decreases and it will be fine.  Well, it wasn’t fine, for a couple of reasons.

Yeah, no toe should look like that.  And it doesn’t work any better on a foot.

At this point it was time to exercise, so I put it back in the project bag and went downstairs for my daily workout.  While exercising I pondered my next move and decided to just rip back and try again, which I did, at which point I noticed another mistake that I had made way back when I started working the gusset.

See that column of purl 1, knit 2, purl 1 near the bottom of the foot?  Yeah, it shouldn’t be there.  That should just be knit.  Don’t ask, I don’t understand how I messed it up, but I did.  So, I dropped down those columns of purl stitches (they are on both sides of the foot) and picked them back up as knit stitches.  Pretty easy, really.  And then I got back to that toe.  I worked a few more rounds before starting the final chart and everything was going great until I decided to check my stitch counts and discovered that I had one less stitch on the top of the foot than I was supposed to have.  I checked my knitting and discovered that I had done an extra decrease way earlier in the chart.  I thought about it for a few minutes and decided I was not going to go back and fix that one as I had already ripped back once.  I just did an extra decrease on the same side on the bottom of the foot and called it good.  I’ll repeat the mistake on the other sock, but do it on other side so that whichever way I put them on both mistakes will either be on the inside or the outside of my foot.  Now I will go cast on sock two.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Sylvan Socks - Finished!

My Sylvan Socks have also come off the sock blockers.  I love how they came out, and am so glad that I was able to use the original club yarn, the subtle color variations are really beautiful.  The fit is also excellent.

Pattern:  Sylvan Socks by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Moderne Socks - One Leg Done!

I have been making good progress on my Moderne Sock, completing the leg of the first sock yesterday afternoon.  I like the patterning, Janel could design really cool socks, and I’m glad that I did the twisted knit stitches in chart one instead of regular knit stitches.  I do think it looks better.  There was an error in this pattern as well when it came to shifting the stitches prior to working the heel flap to center the design so that it continues onto the top of the foot correctly.  Fortunately another knitter had already noted the issue, and it wasn’t hard to figure it out just from looking at the charts.  I am also really enjoying the yarn.  This is the first time I have actually knit with Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock, although I have used some of their other yarns.  I love the colors, especially that yellow spiral going around the leg.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)