Category Archives: Socks

Cast On: 2020 Advent Socks #3

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Now that the Down Cellar Studio’s Pigskin Party KAL is here and going full force I am casting on ALL THE THINGS to earn all the points I can. First up is a pair of socks to live in my purse!

This the LAST of my 2020 BFL advent minis from agirlandherwool. I had already made socks here and here with the rest. These will be my “recipe” of 68 stitch toe up vanilla socks with gusset heels. I obviously haven’t made it that far but that will come in time. I will earn yardage points AND sponsor points for this dyer. I am really trying to use my stash to my advantage and wrack up the points this year.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Purple Rain Vanilla Socks

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Happy Friday! Let me dazzle you with my latest FO. My Purple Rain Vanilla Socks are done, blocked and photographed on my very very very dry grass.

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock recipe with 68 stitches and a gusset heel

Yarn: KFI Luxury Sock in Purple Rain gradient

Needles: US 1s

There are some SUPER tall socks. They still fit okay, especially after blocking. I have a little room in the toes but nothing untoward. And the they come up very high on my round calves. They smell wonderful like lavender wool wash so I need to tuck them into sock drawer for the coming fall.

Next up for my sock focus…..my third pair of scrappy advent mini skein socks. Just need to work up the mojo!

Happy Knitting!!

Setting Myself Up For Success

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I decided to set myself up for success for my third and last pair of 2020 Advent Socks by splitting the minis in half and then winding them in order into little sock balls.

After some travails on my second sock where I didn’t get the mini skeins split into half in a super even manner….I decided to be really serious about these last ones. I opened each mini and found each end. I then paired them and wound them across the room until I got to the middle of the yarn. I would then break the yarn and start winding to small balls. I repeat for the next color and spit sliced the ends together.

Oh, and I made sure to start with last mini and wind to where I wanted to start. Feeling proud that I remembered how hand wound yarn works, lol.

Now I just need the mojo to really get these cast on! Happy Knitting!!

So Freaking Close

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Huzzah for paper clips as they work in a pinch when you don’t have stitch markers! I am now ready for the second cuff on my Purple Rain Vanilla Socks. 🙂

I *think* was able to match up the increases fairly well with the first sock. It really did help to have the increases marked visibly on my first sock. I could follow along and know when to add in an increase on the second. It actually made the knitting faster and easier.

I have one tiny little cuff left and I can move this project to the finished column. Literally CANNOT WAIT! 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: 2020 Advent Socks #2

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Another pair of socks is in the books! The second pair of my 2020 Advent Socks are finished and blocked.

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock “recipe” with 68 stitches and a gusset heel

Yarn: A Girl and Her Wool BFL Sock in the 2020 Advent mini skeins

Needles: US 1s

The fit is better on this pair than my first attempt here. And as I had hoped, I think I have just enough minis for a third pair of socks. Which would be nice for both my sock drawer and to completely use up the minis from this advent calendar.

Now….I just need to get the next set of socks cast on! Happy Knitting!!

Second Sock Slog

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I’m really feeling the slog of sock number two on my Purple Rain Vanilla Socks. It is great purse knitting/knit while walking knitting. But my knitting brain wants to be doing other things so I don’t find myself excitedly picking this project up.

Despite my ennui, I have finished the second foot and turned the heel. I do need to take a moment to count and measure all the leg increases I put in on the first sock. I am not going to go so far as to count rows to make mirror images. But I would like them to be close0-ish.

Happy Knitting!!

Ready For Advent Cuffs

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I have plodded my way through the legs of my 2020 Advent Socks, pair number two. The sock on the left is using my new Flexi Flips and the pair on the right is on a normal 9 inch circular.

I cannot tell an appreciable difference between the two needles. Both are making consistent socks. I am not seeing any laddering with the flexi flips either. So far, pretty pleased with both. I could see myself using either comfortably depending on my mood.

All I have left on these socks are two cuffs. Feels very nice to be so close to a FO. I always get a little mood boost when I can pet a finished piece.

Happy Knitting!!

Advent Heels

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My 2020 Advent Socks #2 are humming right along. I am working them in tandem so I can split each 20 gram mini in half.

I need to catch up the bottom sock to where I am on the top sock. The top one has the heel increases started. But the bottom one needs a smidge more stockinette still. This has been my grab and go car knitting as well as my “I’m too tired at night to knit anything else”.

I need to do some yarn planning to determine how tall I will make these. I could cut them off a decent but short-ish length and save enough yarn for another pair of socks. Something to ponder…

Happy Knitting!!

Doctor’s Like Knitting

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How is August already!? I blinked and school is around the corner. But I digress….my second Purple Rain Vanilla sock grew about two inches last week. That is what I accomplished while sitting in a doctor’s lobby for about four hours.

So far it’s been smooth sailing. I’m on the foot so no increases or fancy stuff….just round and round in stockinette. Very nice auto pilot knitting!

Happy Knitting!!

The Second Purple Rain Sock

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Not one to let my needles get cold…I have cast on for my second Purple Rain Vanilla Sock. I needed to get my easy purse knitting restarted as I am taking a friend to some medical appointments this week.

I really enjoy making socks with my nine inch circular needles. I can’t cast on the toe of course, I do use DPNs (double pointed needles) for those. After I get the last increase round done I move my sock toe to the small circulars.

Because I have the first sock done I will need to pay a little more attention to this project to make sure I mirror what I did on the first one. I didn’t do a great job of taking notes or putting in markers. I was just winging it, lol. Guess I’m paying for that decision now!

Happy Knitting!!