What do you mean - They don't fit? - an update

Well they just don't fit, that is all there is to it. The Jaywalker fabric, because of the way it is knit, is not very flexible. There is little to no ease in the fabric at all. And I knit quite tightly. So, silly me, having turned the heel and finishing the gusset, I decided to try one on. Well I managed to get my toes in the cuff to about half way down but there way no way in this lifetime that my feet ( they are ugly chubby things) would ever fit all the way into these very soft socks. Why I didn't try them on sooner is beyond me but I didn't and so I am paying the price. I generally don't swatch for socks. I have knit so many that I usually know what to expect with this weight yarn (it's Austermann Step) and my 2mm Addi Turbos .

So to the Frog Pond they went. And after rewinding the wool, I set up another pair. This time I am using 2.5 mm and I am using the pattern for larger Jaywalkers .

I have cast on 100 stitches, have the ribbing done and I am just starting the pattern so we will see if this does the trick. I am definitely going to try them on sooner this time. I will keep you posted.

Did you make that?

I most certainly did make this. This is a photo of my first little skein of "wheel spun yarn" and I am so proud of myself. It is spun from fibre from one of Heidi Wulfraat's little sheepies.


The little ball is an example of a single. It's what results from the initial spinning process. The skein is 2 singles plied together to make a stronger and more serviceable yarn. I found the rolag that Heidi gave us to spin was very soft and left my fingers soft with lanolin but not in any way greasy or uncomfortable. The yarn in my little skein is much softer than Briggs and Little 100% wool for example. I would definitely spin and knit with this wool again and again. I can see my husband and father wearing socks and mitts from this fibre and enjoying them as very wearable garments. There is definitely spinning wheel acquisition in my near future. Heid and I will have to have a nice long chat, after which I will give her money and she will give me a wheel. Ahhh commerce, gotta love it.

Now anyone who knows me knows I am not a religious or spiritual person but I do believe that we experience things from other times and other existences. I know, get out the straight jacket but that is just the way I see my place in this world. Part of the journey I guess. So it did not feel in any way weird that I got choked up when I sat down to the wheel. It was something I understood on some level and I embraced it with joy. I was almost relieved sitting there looking at the wheel and I felt sort of like one feels when they come home from a long trip. I know that sounds absolutely crazy but that is what I felt. It was a déjà vu moment and that is all there is to it. The moment I put my feet on the treadles and began spinning the wheel, I felt so comfortable and so relaxed. It was what I knew how to do and what I felt in the center of myself as being part of who I am.

The spinning was so satisfying and felt so familiar and I caught on really quickly. When I learned to spin with the drop spindle it felt always like I was doing something backwards; I was never truly comfortable with the process. Once I sat at the wheel however, I somehow realized that drop spindling felt that way because wheel spinning was what I had known all along. My first little skein of yarn was declared perfectly balanced by Heidi. She told me she was very impressed with it. Well so am I. You can teach an old dog new tricks but it helps if you knew the trick before and just needed to be reminded.

Where are the photos you promised?

I have been so busy, thus the lateness of the photos. As a matter of fact I have been busy knitting. I have a photo of the beginnings of my Jaywalkers in Austermann Step [I am using color 01 laub (Gold,Brown,Multi-Color)] and then I have a photo of the cuff nearly done.

The finished Knit Picks have been sold!

Can you believe it? I took them to work to show my friend and she bought them! She has purchased socks from me before so when she saw these she freaked. They are colors that she is currently in love with - she is going through a 70's retro phase - so she started digging for money immediately.

So they are gone with a fond farewell.

I photographed the beginnings of my Jaywalkers


and then continued knitting and now the cuffs are about half done.





I like this pattern very much. Its free (see link above). It is easy to do, only 2 rows to the pattern and it makes a firm fabric. The pattern is coming up nicely and looks lovely in the long color runs of the Step yarn which are interspersed with short one row lengths of white.

I am not so sure how I feel about the yarn. I hate yarn that halos while you are knitting, which this one seems to be doing. I am also not so keen on it because the yarn tends to split a bit. But it is very soft to knit with of course with the Aloe and Jojoba in it. I am not sure how they will wear. The info on the Yarndex site says the Aloe and Jojoba will last for up to 40 household washings. I will be interested to see if that is indeed the case.

I have made a couple of mistakes but I have not frogged or tinked them. They are there and not too noticable. This is a departure for me. I generally frog or tink (knit backwards) every little boo boo but for some reason I felt the need to just let the little faux pas be what they are - part of my socks.

The pattern is written for DPNs but I am using my usual 2 Addi circs in 2mm. There is also a pattern out there for Toe Up Jaywalkers and there is a resourse for making larger size Jaywalkers. This pattern is the creation of Grumperina . You can see lots of finished Jaywalkers in her Gallery . Why not give them a try yourself.

I will probably post again when I get the heel started.

Where are the photos? and Where did all the time go?

I finished the socks! Last night, Sunday, I put the finishing touches on the Knit Picks socks. I like them! I will have photos as soon as I can come out from under some other things that have been hanging over my head like the cushions for my sister in law's sun room couch and chair. I will try to get photos tonight and post them tomorrow.

Oh and just to add some fun to the mix, I set up the Austermann Step socks (the ones with Aloe and Jojoba in the fibre) last night, so photos of those soon too.

Today is Son the Elder's birthday so we are going to his place for dinner. Saturday was Sun the Younger's birthday but he was so sick with the flu that he didn't enjoy a moment of it. He is still not feeling very well so will not be joining us this evening. I can't believe that my children are 32 and 21 already (that's right there is nearly 11 years to the day between my sons). Where did all that time go? It flew by while we were having fun growing up together. I am way too young for all of this. Well at least in my head. And if you are only as old as you feel, today I don't feel a day over 30 so I guess I am not so old after all.

Soon.

What do you mean turn the heels one at a time?

Well the photos are not that great but I got the heels turned.



Click on the photo to see it in a separate window. I have added some notes regarding the heels.

As I said in the previous post you turn the one heel and then the other and then you pick up the stitches along the heel flap. I will not attempt to explain how this is done. But you can find out how to do this quite well at the following website: Cyber socks I used this site to teach myself this technique about 2 or 3 Christmases ago and haven't looked back since. It is laid out well from start to finish, easy to understand. I would recommend that you use 2 different colors of yarn for your first pair. That way you don't get confused with which yarn should be used for which sock. And it gives you an excuse to knit another pair for the mates and for extra practice. I would also suggest that you use different brands of needles of the same size so that you will know which needle goes where because you always knit the same stitches with the same needle. Once you do that you will have it made. I use Addi Turbos size 2mm and have no problem now keeping it all straight.

Now I have picked up the stitches along the heel flaps and I am knitting both socks at the same time again. I have nearly finished decreasing the gusset. Then its on to the toes. Actually these socks have taken longer than I normally do because I have been so busy with other things in my life. I hope to finish the decreases tonight and get a good run at the foot.

The next 3 photos will give you a good idea of where I am now.


From the front


From the back


And from the side

That's it for now. I will try to get something on here when I get close to the toe and when I start the toe decreases.

Now What Happens?

Well I have the heel flaps done. This is where knitting socks on 2 circular needles gets interesting because you can not work on both of them at the same time for a while. I will have to turn the heel on the first sock leaving the second sock just hanging there. Then I will turn the heel on the second sock and then I can go on to pick up the stitches along the heel flaps for the gusset. I will take progress photos after I turn the first heel so you can see what I mean.


Here is a bit of a closer view. The flap is kind of rolling back on itself but it gives you a good idea of how they should look at this point.


Here is what they look like from the other side. I have not been working on all the stitches just the ones for the heel flaps. The rest of the stitches are left alone until later when I pick up the gusset stitches. Again, I will post photos so that you can see the progress.

How's It Going?

True to the theme, asking a question and then answering it, my Knit Picks socks are coming along nicely. Since I took this photos the other day I have started the heel flap. I will post a couple more photos as I get the heel flap going.

Here is a closer shot. I am really pleased with the way this yarn is knitting up but of course as it is with many yarns, it has been discontinued just when I am learning to like it. Although I have no idea how it will wear, it still makes me mad because I would have no problem knitting another pair of these.