What a Heel

From 2007-02-25

I have been working on the Patons Kroy Country Jacquard Socks. The heel is the first short row heel I have ever attempted. I used Simply Socks by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. Unfortunately, I hate the heel. It was ripped out at least twice until I got the yarnover things at the end of each row. However, on the front of the sock near the end of the short rows, you can clearly see larger stitches as I started knitting around to connect the heel to the rest of the sock.

So I ripped it out. I figure, if I don't like it, too damn bad. I am now using the heel from Wendyknits.net generic toe up sock although mine is cuff to toe. We will see how this one goes.

2007-02-25

I am starting to work on another pair of socks in Sassy Stripes by Moda Dea. The yarn is 100% acrylic but I like the colors.

The agony of the feet

It is still very cold here in Syracuse. I have made some progress on the side to side cardigan. However, an overwhelming urge overtook me to knit another pair of socks. My sock yarn drawer is full to overflowing and I found two skeins of Patons Kroy Socks in the Country Jacquard colorway.

Last weekend, I also went through my knitting magazines pulling out the ones I no longer wanted. My plan is to take them to this Saturday's meeting of Twisted Stitches of CNY Knitting Guild. Someone will be sure to want them and now I have a little more space for organizing my books and remaining magazines.

While reorganizing, I came across Simple Socks Plain and Fancy by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts. I decided to do her version of the short row sock from Top to Toe. I am going to be what Elizabeth Zimmerman used to call a "Blind Follower" of the directions in this book as I have never attempted this heel before. I had recently seen an example of a short row heel on Shay Pendray's Needlearts Studio with Linda Pratt from Westminster Fibers.

Cardigan

I listen to Brenda Dayne's Cast On podcast http://www.cast-on.com/. One of her sayings is "Put a sweater on, that's what they're for". It's still very cold in Syracuse. With the wind chill, it feels like 10 degrees below zero.

So I went into my box of UFO's again and dug out a side to side cardigan I was working on about two years ago. I bought the yarn at Michael's on sale about 3 or 4 years ago for a dollar a skein. The yarn is Lion Brand AL*PA*KA (30% alpaca/30% wool/40% acrylic) in Oxford Tweed and Black. This yarn has been discontinued, but you can see the colors here http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/alpaka.html
The pattern I am using is found in A Knack for Knits from Leisure Arts which can be found in most craft stores. I am knitting a series of stripes in 1 and 2 row combinations. It's coming along quite nicely.

Farmhouse Yarns Poncho

From 2007-02-03

I have almost finished the second of the Patons Kroy Winter Eclipse
Socks. They are knit using an Ann Norling pattern. The pattern
is very good because it gives instructions for knitting socks in fingering,
sport, and worsted weight yarns.

From 2007-02-03

Here is the Farmhouse Yarns poncho I finished last week. The colors are
beautiful and the pattern is easy. I chose not to add fringe as the pattern
directed, but finished the bottom edge in garter stitch.