September 2007 Archives

  

Yarn: 1 skein Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (50g; 175 yards) in #856 dyelot 17. It's a variegated violet.
Needles: US1 bamboo dpns
Pattern: None. These are the techniques I use: Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on (featured in Knitty), short-row heel, 1x1 tubular bind-off.

I'm calling these my Koigu template socks. I brought along a bunch of Koigu with me so that I could finally knit with it, as opposed to admiring its colors and then putting it back in the yarn box. With my first skein, I arrived at a desirable set of measurements that will be the template for the next 5 pairs. I like a nice fit around the foot; not too snug, but not loose, either.

I love that a single skein can make a pair of anklets! Knitting to the anklet is about the same time that I start losing interest in socks, what a coincidence.

Most of the time I'm wearing my cork-soled Steggies because I can't be bothered to lace up a pair of sneakers. BFF thinks the bit of colored sock that peeks out when I'm walking in them is cute. (I don't know if he's saying that I'm a walking color disaster, since nothing I have seems to match, hmmm.)

We all know Koigu is color. *sigh* Lovely, lovely color. I'm looking forward to knitting the rest of my little stash up!

I-know-you're-not-interested-in-Laika-so-here-are-other Links:
◊ David Leibovitz on The Man Purse.
◊ Crochet yourself a cute Pomeranian.
◊ Via Craftzine, the shop Saucy Louise, where you can buy Japanese craft/knit books and magazines.

Laika (the dog, not the band) Links:
◊ First dog in space died within hours.
◊ Wikipedia on the first animal in space.
◊ Mockup of Laika's space cabin.
◊ More info on Laika; private site.
◊ CNN story on Laika's actual fate.

If you're looking for the Liesel lace scarf pattern pdf, I've taken it off the site. The pattern is now located here.

Yarn: 2 balls Baruffa/Lane Borgosesia Aerobic (100% Extra Fine Merinos; 60g, 165m; 1.75 oz, 180 yds), in #61816. This yarn has been discontinued, so use another fingering weight yarn that will give you the gauge specified.
Needles: Set of 5 2.25mm or US1 double-pointed needles, or size to obtain gauge
Notions: Waste yarn; crochet hook; 2 extra double-pointed needles, same size as working needles or smaller; tapestry needle

Gauge: 29 sts = 4" in stockinette stitch

Size: 8.5" around the widest part (the ball) of the foot

Level: Some experience with knitting socks toe-up, short rows, cabling without a cable needle

Notes
◊ Please refer to the image below for pattern and abbreviations.
◊ This sock pattern uses the yarn-over short-row method. More detailed instructions and images can be found at Nona Knits, Purly Whites, and the Blue Blog.
◊ If you are still unsure of this yarn-over method, use whatever method that you're comfortable with. You should have a total of 56 sts after the toe, increasing 1 st on the front side during the setup row.

Using waste yarn, crochet a chain 30 sts long. Draw yarn end through the last loop on your hook, and tie a knot at the end. This end is where you'll unravel the chain eventually. Turn the chain over and identify the back bumps. Pick up 28 sts through these back bumps. Purl 1 row. Turn.

Toe
Row 1 (right side): Knit 27 sts, turn.
Row 2: Byo, p 26 sts, turn.
Row 3: Yo, k to the st before the yo, turn.
Row 4: Byo, p to the st before the yo, turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until you have 14 sts between yos, ending on the wrong side. Turn.

Row 1 (right side): Yo, k to the first yo. Correct the twist of the yo and k2tog with the following st. Turn.
Row 2: Byo, purl to the yo, ssp. Turn.
Row 3: Yo, k to the 2 yos. Correct their twists and k3 tog with the following st. Turn.
Row 4: Byo, p to the 2 yos, sssp, turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all toe sts have been worked. On your last purl (wrong side) yo row, you will do a byo and knit to the end, 29 sts on this needle. On the waste yarn, undo the end with the knot and unzip to expose live sts, picking them up on a spare needle. Pick up 28 sts on another needle.

Setup Row
Yo, place marker, k28. You will come to the yo from your last short row. P this yo with the first picked up st (p2tog). P1, k2, p2, k8, m1, k8, p2, k2, p1, p the next st with the yo before the marker (p2tog). 57 sts total.

Begin knitting in the round. The first 28 sts are the sole stitches, the last 29 are the pattern sts: 6 sts pattern A, 17 sts pattern B, 6 sts pattern A.

Work in pattern until sock, when lightly stretched, reaches the ankle bone.

Heel
Work heel shaping using short rows in the same manner as the toe. Work on the 28 sole sts (or less for a wider heel).

Leg
You now have 2 choices for the leg of the sock. For the back of the leg, you can continue with stockinette stitch, or you can repeat the pattern. If you choose to repeat the pattern, on your last heel shaping round, inc 1 st in the middle of your sts. 29 sts in the back. On your next round, begin with the corresponding row of pattern to match your front pattern sts: 6 sts pattern A, 17 sts pattern B, 6 sts pattern A.

Knit until the desired length, at least 6 more pattern repeats.

Cuff
If you knit the pattern straight with a stockinette back, you will decrease 1 st in the middle of pattern B on your first 1x1 rib row (57 sts decreases to 56 sts).
If you knit the pattern on the front and the back of the leg, work 1x1 rib (58 sts).

Work 1x1 rib for 8 rows.

Cast Off
For a finished look, use the 1x1 tubular bind-off. I used this pictorial guide. Work this cast off 1 needle (14 sts) at a time.

Step 1: Cut yarn, leaving a long tail about 2-3 feet long. Using your two extra dpns, slip all k sts to one needle, slip all p sts to another needle. Your k sts should be on the front needle, your p sts on the back needle. Thread your tail onto the tapestry needle.
Step 2: Insert needle into the first k st as if to p.
Step 3: Insert needle into the first p st as if to k.
Step 4: Insert needle into the k st as if to k, drop this st. Insert needle into the next k st as if to p.
Step 5: Insert needle into the p st as if to p, drop this st. Insert needle into the next p st as if to k.

Every 2-4 sts, stop and stretch out the previous dropped sts to make sure that your bind-off is indeed stretchy. If it isn't, this means you are pulling the yarn tail taut against the sts. Keep your weaving loose so the bind-off remains stretchy. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you get to the last k and p sts.

Step 6: Insert needle into the last k st as if to k, drop this st. Insert needle into the first bound-off k st as if to p.
Step 7: Insert needle into the last p st as if to p, drop this st. Insert needle into the first bound-off p st as if to k.

Finishing
Weave in tail end using tapestry needle. Socks don't need blocking as the pattern stretches.

© 2008 Mary Joy Gumayagay and Indus3ous.com. All rights reserved. This pattern may be freely distributed as long as the pattern, images, text, and this copyright notice remain intact and no profit is made from its distribution or use. Read extended copyright here. For pattern assistance please post in comments below.

It seems my humble Mirabella sock pattern has found its way into Ravelry, and I've gotten a few requests for it. I've taken it down in the meantime, to *finally* revise the instructions for yarn-over short rows. I'll put the pattern back up, as a post, by this weekend. My apologies. I've posted the pattern here, with corrections made.

  

  

Here are some snippets of quilt number two. Warm chocolate brown in a fabric goes really well with just about anything. In this case, all the colorways of Amy Butler's Bliss collection.

There has been knitting. Reading Lori's post on frogging encouraged me to look at one of my oldest projects and assess my progress, or lack thereof. I looked long and hard, and finally decided that even though it was cables, and knit top-down with set-in sleeves, it was turning into the sort of project that one finishes for the sake of finishing, not for wearing. And I'd hate to waste all that fluffy green yarn on a crap project.

So I frogged it.

Said fluffy green yarn is now working up into another top-down sweater with cables. But this time? This time, I like it. Third time's the charm!

Links:
◊ There's a statistic that 40% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted, for such silly reasons as "it's ugly". Isn't that terrible? Wasted Food is an informative site on food waste.
◊ YouTube has all sorts of dog clips. These two are fascinating: "amazing dog" and "one-sided dog".
◊ Lively Grey: about color.
◊ A kids' sushi rolling machine.
◊ Via Kottke, a tale of Oscar the Cat.
◊ Everyone's heard about lolcats.

We're back from a week-long trip to Slovenia (with stops in Italy and Austria). BFF is sleeping the drive off; the last 150km was driven in the heaviest rain. You know, when your windshield wipers going at full speed with no intervals, you still can't see shit, and the only way to drive is by following the red brake lights of the car in front of you? I wimped out just past Munich. But the trip! It was amazing, I can't wait to tell you about it. I'm trying to organize the photos and my notes scrawled on the backs of receipts into a coherent narrative, so in the meantime here are my final notes on Bella.

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Pattern: Four-patch and sashing
Fabrics: Belle by Amy Butler, patterns in all 3 colorways; a graphic tone-on-tone print by P & B Textiles; Cotton Supreme Solids in Light Blue by RJR Fabrics
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 Cotton Batting
Quilting: Hand-tied with DMC Pearl Cotton, size 5, in Cream
Finished size: 80" x 80" square

You'll note that the size is fairly large for a beginner's quilt. I'd read that it's a better learning experience for the beginner to start off on a small size, a baby or lap quilt. Whatever, I thought, why would I want to break up my magnificent eBay purchase into three smaller quilts? Isn't it sometimes more fun to go by the seat of one's pants? Besides, when have I ever paid attention to rules?

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The front and back can be enlarged; just click on the image or the little plus. My sister-in-law thinks this quilt is very "beachy", very SoCal, and I tend to agree with her. The achingly-bright colors remind me of swimsuits, volleyball shorts, beach balls, umbrellas, and kids' toys. The pale sashing with its grainy tone-on-tone print of course reminds me of sand. The blue backing is very much the summer sky.

The design for this quilt took a few weeks (it was my first, after all) working with all the squares in Photoshop. I had the squares on point, then in rows, then as bricks. I couldn't really decide. Add to that the fact that I was going at this completely blind: a few quilt blogs served as my only inspiration and direction. It's difficult to combine three colorways of a pattern line especially when the colors clash. The squares, without the sashing, were a big jumble of color that BF (remember, this was made before we were married) said made him dizzy. Then one day my sister-in-law out of the blue gave me some quilt books her co-worker gave her. She'd told the co-worker what I was attempting to do, and the woman gave me a stack of instruction and pattern books that were extremely helpful. So, sashing. It breaks up the color riot quite nicely, don't you think?

Here's a closeup of a square, and my criss-crossed tie. How convenient that the cross in the middle hides misaligned corners! It was fortuitous, as I had quite a few of those. Chalk it up to beginner's luck!

One last note: I haven't recalibrated my laptop monitor in a few months, so I'm not sure the colors are the most accurate. But I hope you get the picture. It's a very summery quilt: think gorgeous bright colors.

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