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)

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)

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)

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)

Mackintosh Socks - Finished!

I finished up the second sock on Halloween, while we were watching The Abominable Dr. Phibes with Vincent Price.  It is a very campy movie, but I love Vincent Price.  I haven’t cast on my next pair of socks, but I do have the yarn caked up and I have the pattern mostly set up in knitCompanion.

Pattern:  Mackintosh by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Mackintosh Socks - Take Two

I was working on the cuff of the second sock when I decided to give up.  Really, I should have known better.  As you may recall, this skein of yarn had taken bug damage (carpet beetles), but I thought I had enough to make it worth while to try to use it.  I had one join in the first sock, but when I got to the eighth join on the second sock (two in the foot, three in the heel, two already in the cuff) I decided enough was enough.  I wasn’t sure what yarn I would pick from my stash to replace the club yarn (Alisha Goes Around Tracks of Bison Fingering), but as I was cataloging (relatively) recent stash acquisitions, I came across this lonely skein of Cascade Yarns Heritage in this lovely blue.  It is knitting up at a slightly tighter gauge than the club yarn, so I added two more increases to bring the stitch count up to 64 (splitting the difference between the small at 60 stitches and the large at 68).  I am working an asymmetrical toe, so it actually mirrors the shape of my foot.  So far I am happy with the fit and it feels much nicer than the club yarn, and is easier to knit with.

Pattern:  Mackintosh by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Heritage

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Mackintosh Sock - One Sock Done!

I finished up the first sock yesterday afternoon.  The cuff is not super long, so there were no issues with the fit - it never got up to my muscular calf.  Overall I’m very pleased with the fit.  I think the reason the yarn feels different from other sock yarns I’ve used is the fact that it does not have any nylon, it just feels springier.

Pattern:  Mackintosh by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Alisha Goes Around Tracks of the Bison Fingering

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Mackintosh Socks - One Foot Done!

I finished up the foot of my right sock last night.  There is an error in the pattern on the heel turn, as it states to “Continue in this manner, decreasing the number of stitches worked before the M1 on each row until you p8 (12) M1p,” but on the purl rows you’re working an odd number of stitches, and you have to go until you p7 (11) if you want to get the required stitch count of 30 stitches between the markers.  Initially I was working wraps on my turns, and when I started working the last rows where you work the wraps I tried an experiment where I worked the wrap with the next stitch, instead of the stitch that it wraps, which often looks messy on the wrong side.  I did like the look better on the wrong side, but then I had that last wrapped stitch before the marker and I couldn’t figure out what to do with that one.  So I ripped back to the start of the heel turn and did German Short Rows instead.  I found the double stitches easier to see than the wraps and they work in beautifully.  I also did lifted increases for all of my make ones, working them on the stitch before the stitch that I turned on.

I have been neglecting some of my other projects, apparently socks can make me an (almost) monogamous knitter.  I have a nice little collection of hand knit socks, and for a while a vanilla self-striping sock project was my work project, but I haven’t been wearing them much, until lately.  I like having colorful, unusual socks to wear, and it is getting harder to find what are now called novelty socks that aren’t mostly synthetic fibers, and I really don’t like wearing synthetic fibers (they irritate my skin), so I have been wearing more of my hand knit socks.  I had forgotten how comfortable they are.  I see a lot more socks in my future, which is good, because I have a lot of sock yarn, and a lot of sock patterns (there was a time when I was joining a lot of sock clubs).

Pattern:  Mackintosh Socks by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Alisha Goes Around Tracks of Bison Fingering

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Mackintosh Socks - Cast On!

This one took a couple of tries to get a result that I was happy with.  This is another pattern from the Art &  Sole Sock club by Janel Laidman.  As can be seen, it is knit from the toe up, and it comes in two sizes small (8” circumference) and large (10” circumference).  I started out working as per the pattern, with a symmetrical toe, casting on 24 stitches (12 on each needle), and working the increases to get to the stitch count of the large size (based on my experience with the Damselfly socks).

But when I started working the foot after completing all of the increases I was just not happy with how it was fitting.  This yarn is a bit different from other sock yarns that I have worked with.  It is Alisha Goes Around Tracks of Bison Fingering, and it contains no nylon.  It is 90% Merino, 10% Bison, and it just behaves a bit differently.   So I frogged and started over.  This time I decided that I would tackle the asymmetrical toe shaping, so I pulled out my notes from Damselfly and cast on on 34 stitches (17 on each needle) and then worked two sets of increases where I increased on both ends, and then continued with increasing only on the right, as this will be for my right foot.  When I got to 30 stitches on each needle I stopped working any increases, having determined that for my foot (at least) the small size was going to fit me perfectly.  I will see what happens when I get to the cuff, I may need to do some increases there, but fortunately the cuff charts make it easy for me to do that.

This is the club yarn that came with the pattern, and it did take some damage from bugs, but I decided to cake it up and see how bad the damage was.  It turned out to not be too bad.  I have two good sized cakes (40 grams & 30 grams), plus some smaller balls.  Given how much yarn a typical sock takes, and the fact that this pattern is toe up, I decided to use the yarn.

Pattern:  Mackintosh by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Alisha Goes Around Tracks of Bison Fingering

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Damselfly Socks - FInished!

The second sock went quickly and I am very happy with how they came out.  I reversed the shaping on the first sock for the second sock, so there is a left and right sock and the fit is perfect.  Because the toes are asymmetrical, blocking is a bit odd - the toes don’t quite fit on the blocker but it is close enough.  It turns out that I was mistaken and that I did get a digital copy of the pattern, it just was not provided as a standalone file, it was in the Art & Sole Patterns file that contained three other patterns as well.

Pattern:  Damselfly by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Kelpie Fibers Taliesin MCN Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Damselfly Socks - One Sock Done!

I came down with some sort of bug over the weekend, so took most of yesterday off and finished up the first sock.  It was not without its adventures.  First there was the heel chart.  The way the stitches are worked on the cuff you start with the instep stitches, so when you get to the part where you need to start working the heel flap you have just finished knitting the stitches on the back of the leg.  It is implied from the instructions that you start working the heel stitches with a right side row, but that means that you need to work across the instep stitches first, which is not mentioned.  In addition, the chart for the heel stitches has all of the row numbers on the right hand side of the chart, as it would be if you were knitting that chart in the round, instead of back and forth as required.  It was also stated in the instructions that you need to slip the first stitch of each row, but that was not reflected in the chart.

I decided to start with a wrong side row on the heel stitches, just turning my work and starting the chart.  I also only worked 31 rows, instead of 32 so that I would end after working a wrong side row, as required.  The instructions for row 2 of turning the heel also seemed a bit off to me when I started working it, so I used the instructions for the small size.

When I pick up stitches for the gusset I always just pick up as many as I can (ignoring the instructions) to ensure that there are no holes and then decrease them away as appropriate.  I did consider decreasing even further, down to 66 stitches, as without the cables to pull the knitting in I was a little concerned that the sock might end up a tad loose on my foot.  In the end I kept the 70 stitches and it all worked out fine.  

My next little hiccup was when I got to the toe decreases, the pattern instructions are definitely wrong there - they don’t have any decreases for the instep stitches, at all.  With this pair of socks I also decided to do the toes a little different.  Instead of symmetrical decreases I decided to work the decreases to match the actual slope of my toes.  I totally free styled the decreases, trying the sock on every other row to check what I was doing, but did write them down so that I can replicate them on my right sock.  I also did the Kitchener stitch grafting while I was wearing the sock.  It was a tad awkward, but doing that let me snug the yarn right away and the tension of the graft came out perfect, without having to go back and snug the stitches with the darning needle afterwards, as did the fit of the sock.

I have already cast on the second sock.

Pattern:  Damselfly by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Kelpie Fibers Taliesin MCN Sock in Tara

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Damselfly Socks - One Cuff Done!

I have actually knit the cuff twice.  This pattern comes in two sizes, small (8 inch circumference) and large (10 inch circumference).  Based on the fit of the Danube sock I decided to start out with the small size, which has you cast on 66 stitches (I cast on 68 stitches for my Danube socks - with my modifications).  I used a single circular needle for the first cuff, which meant that I could not try it on as I was knitting.  When I finished the cuff I discovered that it was tight and hard to get on and off my foot.  I should have realized that with all of the cable stitches it would come out tighter.  So, I ripped it all out and started over again with the large size, which has you cast on 70 stitches.  It is still snug, but it is easier to get on and off.  As a side note, I don’t see how casting on an extra 4 stitches is going to get you from an 8 inch circumference to a 10 inch circumference.  This time I knit on two circular needles, my favored sock knitting set up.  When I got to the section that has cable stitches that required a stitch from each needle I shifted that stitch to the other needle, shifting it back when I had completed all four of those cables.

Pattern:  Damselfly by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Kelpie Taliesin Sock in Tara

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Lotus Garden Scarf - Chart 1

So, remember the Charleston Socks that I knit earlier this year?  Well, this is the other pattern that came with the club shipment.  I actually picked out the yarn and even wound it into a cake while I was working on the socks.  I even cast on and knit the set up row.  And then it sat.  I finally got back to it a week or so ago.  The yarn is Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 (70% Superwash Merino, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon) in Baltic Sea.  I am adding beads at the central double decreases.  Now just 5 repeats of Chart 2 and the scarf will be halfway done.  For the complete scarf - repeat and graft.  The pattern is by Janel Laidman, Art & Sole Sock Club.

Charleston Socks - Finished!

My first pair of toe-up socks.  I love the construction technique - minimal finishing - and the fit is perfect.  This is the first pattern of Janel Laidman's Art & Sole Sock Club for 2011.  I already have the second shipment, and the third will be on its way soon.  I went a bit sock club crazy this year.  Not only did I join Janel's club, but I also joined Cookie A's club and Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club.  I also joined the Zen Yarn Garden Art Walk Sock Club that sends me a skein of hand painted sock yarn each month inspired by a work of art.  And let's not even talk about all of the sock knitting books that I have bought...

The pattern is Charleston by Janel Laidman, the yarn is Pigeonroof Studios Siren Two (80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon) in tomato comfit.