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)

Pan’s Shawl: Cast On!

Last week I decided that I needed a mindless knit to work on while watching football games so I cast on one of my one-skein garter stitch boomerang shawls using this wild skein of yarn.  I’ve had this skein caked up for a while now, with the intention of using it in one of my one-skein garter stitch boomerang shawls.  It was purchased back in 2020 during the Coved pandemic craziness by Laura of the Unique Sheep.  She made a set of colors, this multicolor one, plus solid colors that go with it.  The colorway name is, imaginatively enough, Pandemic 2020.  In picking the name for the project I went back to the origin of the word, the god Pan.  There is a dark red solid skein in the set that I will probably use as the border.

Pattern:  Improvised (garter stitch boomerang)

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Moderne Socks - Cast On!

I finished up the Sylvan Socks yesterday afternoon, so last night I cast on the last of the Art & Sole Sock Club sock patterns - Moderne.  The original club yarn was destroyed by carpet beetles, and all that I have left is the yarn label.

The yarn is discontinued, and I had no luck in finding a replacement, so I went to the Yarn Substitution website and found a substitution.  The very first yarn listed as a possible substitute, with a 99% match, was Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock.  Now I have a fair bit of Expression Fiber Arts yarn in my stash, including several skeins of Resilient Sock.  So I did a quick search on my Stash page and came up with the skein above.  It is even orange (the original color was Slice of Orange).  I do not know the color name for this skein as it came as part of a trio called Spring’s Promise, and the original bag it came in is gone.  I am making a modification to the pattern - the first chart is a lot of purls and knits that are forming a sort of broken rib, which then flows into Chart 2 which has twisted rib (knit through the back loop, purl) and it just seemed odd to me that I was not knitting those stitches in Chart 1 through the back loop, so I decided to make that change.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Sylvan Socks - Sock One Done, Sock Two Cast On…and More!

These socks have been a very quick knit.  I finished up the first sock Saturday afternoon.  I have taken to working the Kitchener stitch on the toes while I am wearing the sock, that way I can pull the yarn snug and not worry about things being too tight.  It really does make that part easier, in some respects, although you do have to be flexible enough to get your knee to your chest (not something I have a problem with).  After finishing it up and weaving in all the ends I immediately cast on the second sock.  By early Sunday afternoon I had finished up the leg.

I worked the heel flap, turned the heel and started on Chart 3 Sunday evening, and finished up Chart 3 this morning.

I’ll finish up this sock in pretty short order and then I think I will do another sock (it is Socktober, after all).  I have one more sock pattern in this club to make, and even though the original yarn was destroyed by carpet beetles I did find an excellent substitute in my stash and it is all caked up and ready to go.

Pattern:  Sylvan Socks by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Garnet Cassie - Finished!

My Garnet Cassie came off the blocking mats yesterday afternoon.  I do love this pattern, this color, and this yarn.  It really is wonderful when all the factors come together so beautifully.  I did forget to switch to the US 6 needle when I got to the bottom ribbing, but I didn’t realize it until I had already worked several rounds and I wasn’t going to tink back, or change partway through, and I really don’t think it matters.

I wore my Foxglove Cassie this past Friday for a Fruity Knitting Knit and Chat.   The hosts didn’t show up (they are in the middle of retreats they are also hosting), but the Shetland patrons that did show up had a nice visit that went for 2 hours!  It was actually more fun just because it was more relaxed.  It is a warm top, even worn on its own, and very comfy.

Pattern:  Cassie Slipover by Sarah Kaub

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Aran Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm neck & armhole edging), US 7 (4.5 mm, body and bottom ribbing)

Sylvan Socks - Cast On!…And More!

I finished my Garnet Cassie on October 16 - it is now blocking - so I decided to knit the next Janel Laidman sock pattern in my unofficial queue - the Sylvan Socks.  I had the yarn already caked up and in my sock project bag, along with needles of the correct size, so it was all ready to go.  Full disclosure, I actually cast on back on October 8 because I had finished the bodice of the Garnet Cassie and wanted to take photos before moving on to the body, but it was too late for photos, but not too late for more knitting.  The yarn is the original club yarn - Abstract Fibers Might Sock - and is 50% superwash merino and 50% tencel, which is probably what saved it from the predation of the carpet beetles that destroyed much of the other club yarns.  I have only found two thin spots that I had to break and rejoin so far (keeping fingers crossed that my luck continues to hold).  I will confess that I had my doubts about the yarn, but it has grown on me.  I do like the shine, and the very subtle coloring.  The above photo was actually taken on the morning of October 10, and that was all that I did on this project until I had cast off my Garnet Cassie.

After finishing one repeat of Chart 1, I took a quick picture this past Thursday (October 16), my Garnet Cassie having been finished and laid out for blocking.

I finished up the leg that evening.

Friday morning found me working the heel flap and turning the heel while catching up on my Long Thread Media podcasts, although I redid the pick up of the stitches along the heel flap later that afternoon.

By Friday evening I had finished up Chart 3 (Chart 2 being the rib pattern for the heel flap).  Chart 3 presented the first issue.  As you can see the gusset decreases are actually on the top of the foot, and are part of Chart 3, which has you decrease at the beginning and end of every other row, but the first row requires 35 stitches, and you only have 33.  I just omitted the decreases on that first row, and everything worked out fine after that.  At some point I shifted stitches from the bottom of the foot needle to the top of the foot needle so that all of my bottom of the foot stitches were knit stitches, and the ribbed portion was on the top of the foot needle.  For the last 6 rows of Chart 3, you start working lifted increases on the sole of the foot, as the decreases on the top of the foot are taking you below the starting stitch count for the sock.  The pattern does not indicate which lifted increase (left or right) to use before and after the 3 stitches that you do them on either side of, and for those three increases I did them on the first and last of the 3 stitches.  When I got to Chart 4 I changed that to the stitches before and after the 3 stitches, which looks better, but I did not go back and fix those first increases.  I will do them consistently on sock two.

Chart 4 presented the next challenge because there were several errors.  For Chart 4 you continue decreasing 2 stitches on the top of the foot, and increasing 2 stitches on the bottom of the foot, and yet Chart 4 has a constant stitch count, and the stitch count is 33 stitches.  The only way to do that is if you keep slipping stitches from the bottom of the sock to the top of the sock, and who wants to do that every other row?  The pattern does not include any instructions to that effect, either, although you can infer that something is going on by the fact that when you get done with Chart 4 the instructions tell you to slip 1 stitch from the top of the sock to the sole so that you have 32 stitches on each needle.  In any case, I did not do any slipping of stitches until I had finished Chart 4, which I finished up this morning.  In knitCompanion I un-highlighted the extra knit stitches in Chart 4 so that I had a consistent 7 knit stitches before and after the patterning.  I also kept the central double decrease in knit (there are two rows where it looks to be purled), so that entire line of stitches is knit stitches.  The purl columns from the heel flap are gradually consumed in Chart 4 until only 2 purl columns remain.

And here is the sock after Chart 4 is completed.  I have to say, the fit is really good.

And here is a look at the patterning on the top of the foot.  All I need to do now are the rounds until I get to the toe decreases.

Pattern:  Sylvan Socks by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Abstract Fibers Might Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Garnet Cassie - Neck and Armhole Edging Done!

This weekend I reached the end of my second skein, so I grabbed another skein and worked the neck ribbing and the I-cord edging for the armholes.  That way, when I’m done with the body, I’m done.

At this point I have worked 24 of the 67 rows I need to work on the body before I work the bottom ribbing.  I’m already planning my next garment project, which will be made out of some of my handspun yarn.

Pattern:  Cassie Slipover by Sarah Kaub

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Aran Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm - ribbing and armhole edging), US 7 (4.5 mm - body)

Garnet Cassie - Bodice Done!

Last night I finished up the two charts that complete the bodice and get you to the underarm join.

As with my Foxglove Cassie, I extended the straight section before the increases to give me more armhole depth.  The knitting is easy, the yarn is wonderful, and the color is great.

Pattern:  Cassie Slipover by Sarah Kaub

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Aran Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4,0 mm) & US 7 (4.5 mm)

Garnet Cassie - Yoke Done!

I have not been completely neglecting my Garnet Cassie, and last night I finished up the yoke.  This part involves five charts - knitCompanion to the rescue on that score!  At this point I am ready to switch to the front bodice chart, joining the two front pieces and casting on stitches to bridge the gap between them.  The pattern actually has you start the front bodice chart immediately after binding off the shoulder stitches  with the right front piece.  I am not doing this.  I did not do this on my Foxglove Cassie, and I am not doing it here.  I suppose it is to avoid cutting your yarn and reattaching, but I don’t mind weaving in an extra end or two.  What I do mind is a missing row and a missing increase on the right front, especially when there is a cable design involved, or any stitch pattern other than straight stockinette.  Well, actually, I just object on principle.  It is the engineer in me.  So I completed 32 rows on both front pieces, and they have the same number of stitches, so when I work the first row of the front bodice chart I will only cast on 6 stitches instead of 7, as the pattern calls for.  One benefit of having that tail between the two front pieces is that I can use it along with my working yarn to work a long tail cast on, which has the happy side effect of securing that end.

Pattern:  Cassie Slipover by Sarah Kaub

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Aran Merino

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 for the ribbing, when I get there), US 7 (4.5 mm)

Off With Their Heads - Finished!

The past couple of weeks I have been taking the odd hour or two to stash my latest yarn acquisitions and catalog them in my Ravelry stash.  Some years ago I did a major stashing operation in which I got the majority of my massive stash up on Ravelry and boxed up and organized by yarn weight, but after that initial effort, I have not been going to that extent, so now I have collections of stash by dyer, or yarn company, or mixes based more or less on when they came in to the house.  Now that I’m retired, I do need to slow down the acquistion of yarn, and focus on making.  Anyway, while I was stashing I came across a kit for this hat nicely sealed up in a plastic zip lock bag.  I do like it when the yarn comes sealed up in a nice plastic zip lock bag as it protects it from nasty little bugs that like to eat beautiful fiber.

According to the printed pattern that came with the kit it appears that it came out back in 2018, although I bought the kit in early February of 2024 - it was probably a Valentine’s Day thing.  As I was looking at the pattern I noticed a Ravelry download code on the back of the page and gave it a try, and it worked!  So kudos to the designer for that, sometimes those codes expire, which is sad as I much prefer to work from knitCompanion as opposed to paper.

I know that I said I was trying to be a more monogamous knitter, but this kit was just begging to be knit up so I decided that a snack knit was just the thing.  A snack knit is a quick little project that does not require a major time commitment but satisfies the itch to cast on something new, as well as giving you the satisfaction of finishing something.  Best off all, they are zero calories.

So this past Friday I caked up the two skeins of yarn that were in the kit and cast on, finishing the hat Saturday morning.  Colorwork in the round is just so potato-chippy.  For blocking I used my medium metal mixing bowl.  It was the perfect size and has a flat base which allowed it to sit nicely on the flat top of the post that comes out of the top of my dress maker dummy.

Of course I also had to make a Pom-pom for it.  I have never made a Pom-pom before, but of course I have a Pom-Pom maker because if you want to make all of the things, you have to have all of the tools.  I knit the second size (19.75 inch circumference) but my hat came out a bit smaller as my gauge is a bit tighter than what is called for in the pattern.  No, I did not knit a gauge swatch.  After knitting the ribbing I attached a Barber Cord to my needle tips and tried it on and it fit, so I went with it.  It all worked out, the hat fits me perfectly.  The original is modeled as a slouchy hat, but mine does not slouch, which is great because I’m just not a fan of the slouchy. 

Pattern:  Off With Their Heads by Faye Kennington

Yarn:  Polka Dot Sheep Whitefish Worsted

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm) for the ribbing, US 7 (4.5 mm) for the colorwork

Rosemary - Finished!

After finishing up my Purple Haze Tredegar Scarflette, I did work some on my Garnet Cassie Slipover, but I decided to finish up my Rosemary socks.  I cast these on back in June, about four months ago, and I just wanted to get them done.  I finished up the first sock back on September 25 and finished up the second sock on October 2, so one week for one sock.  Of course, these do have a lot of cabling, so they are not as quick a knit as a less ornate sock might be.

The fit is perfect and I’m very happy with how they came out.  These were one of the sock patterns from Janel Laidman’s Knitterati club, from over a decade ago.  She has since pretty much vanished from the knitting scene.  I still have two more sock patterns in this club to knit, and have the yarn caked up and in my sock project bag, and the pattern set up in knitCompanion for the next one that I’m going to do when I’m ready to cast on.

Pattern:  Rosemary by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Alpha B Yarns Elite B

Needle:  US 1 (2.25 mm)