Tag Archives: self striping

Dark Side Toes

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I finished toe twinsies on my Dark Side Vanilla Socks. This sock snake aka sock tube is one of the 50 gram skeins of Knit Picks Felici in their Dark Side color way. I just unpicked the waste yarn on either end and knit two toes. For the toes i’m using some stash Cascade Heritage sock yarn in grey.

My plan now is to measure and find the middle and then knit two grey ribbed cuffs. This should maximize the use of the yarn. Theoretically after that I can measure and cut in afterthought heels.

I’m traveling soon to see an old dear friend. We are having a girls weekend with wine and yoga pants. Oh, and doggie snuggles as she has two senior dogs who are excellent couch companions. But I digress, I’m thinking of bringing the two socks (heel-less) and presenting them to her as a gift. I can then measure her feet and place the heels while I am there for a custom fit.

Does that sound like a genius idea or a recipe for stressful deadline disaster?

Almost Finished Shorties

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My Cheery Vanilla socks are literally one evening away from being done. I pulled these out to work on after they went to Moms and Martinis with me. They had a slight lemon scent from the lemon drop martini I had, whoops!

I had finished the stockinette portion of the leg for the second sock at the bar. I pulled it out last night and didn’t find any dropped stitches so I’m call that a win. I then started but didn’t quite finish the ribbing of the second sock. I think I need another round and then bind off.

Of course after this comes the cut in (true) afterthought heel. If the tiny human and husband human grant me a little grace tonight I might be able to finish these!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Dad’s 2019 Christmas Socks

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I have to be honest. I didn’t think these socks would ever be finished.  These were started in FEBRUARY. I knit a whole sock only to find out that it was insanely too big. I ripped back and started over. I knit these traveling, in hospitals and traveled miles and miles in my purse. DK weight socks shouldn’t take eight months but they are DONE now!!

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla sock “recipe” and afterthought heel for a US Men 13 foot. This is a DK weight yarn so I used a 64 stitch count

Yarn: Viking of Norway Aurora self-striping

Needles: US 3s

The hubby tried these on for me since my Dad wasn’t around. He thinks they are a little loose around the ankles. But Dad likes his cuffs to be on the shorter side a little looser in case he wants to scrunch them down inside his boots. I ended up using roughly 303 yards or 111 grams of yarn and did not need contrasting yarn for the heels.

I wish I had more to say about these socks. But honestly I’m just happy they are done and ready for the gift box. I was ready for this point. But now I don’t have a sock on the needles and I’m at a bit of a loss to know what I want to pick up next??

I have a couple of sock tubes in the stash but also a ton of great sock yarn just waiting to be socks. Do I make shorties or do I make more traditional sized socks? I think I have analysis paralysis, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dark Side Socks

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My mojo (in general for life) has been a little low lately I decided I needed a morale boosting project.  So what would be better than a quick win using one of my sock snakes? I pulled the Knit Picks Felici snake in the Dark Side colorway and paired it up with some Cascade Heritage from my stash.

I managed to get the needles inserted and the waste yarn pulled off. I have both 50 gram skeins cranked next to each other with waste yarn in the middle. I think I plan to put a toe at each end of each 50 gram snake. Then I will find the middle and split the tube in half. I can knit two cuffs and then based on the size figure out where I need to place an afterthought heel. I will probably end up with a set of shorties socks. But I am okay with that, I need more of those for my sock drawer! Plus if the plan works then I can do the same to the second 50 gram skein and have a second whole pair of socks!

Happy Knitting!!

Dad’s Last Heel

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By the grace of the knitting gods I an FINALLY nearing the end of my Dad’s socks I planned for his Christmas present. I only started these in February….

The second sock leg is complete and I have started the afterthought heel. I think the last I wrote about this I had just put in waste yarn for the heel. That gave me some motivation to really get cranking. I’m 14 rounds from being done done done. Can you tell I’m a little excited??

One thing I was super pleased by was the clean color transitions at the heel. I managed to get the waste yarn exactly in between the stripe changes. And I managed to start the heel at a point in the color progression where no same colors will touch. My OCD was very pleased indeed.

I’m off to finish this sock, fingers crossed! Happy Knitting!!!

Hot Socks

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Supposedly it is fall in Kansas. I sure can’t tell by the 90+ degree days and 80% humidity. I took a walk around the capital building on my lunch this week and I melted!

I had my Cheery Vanilla Socks with me while I strolled. I was so sweaty that the yarn was sticking to my fingers like CRAZY. In a 40 minute walk I only managed five rounds of knitting because I kept having to futz with my tension and yarn.

I guess it’s five more rounds than I had before, and a couple thousand steps added to my daily goal. But I’m really pulling for sock weather to make an appearance!

Happy Knitting!!

A Half Finished Shortie

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I chaperoned Jellybean on a play date this past week. It’s in the high 80s to low 90s (Fahrenheit) here in Kansas, so with the aid of a breeze we got some wiggles out at a local park. I of course brought my knitting….my Cheery Vanilla Socks were ready to cast off!

I snuck in the afterthought toe this past week during some epic and long drawn out conference call planning meetings.  And after the heel was done I decided these were going to be shortie socks as my sock drawer is a little thin on those kind of socks. (And I just kind of wanted to be done…full disclosure.)

Above is the awkward leg contortion selfie photo of my half finished object. I thought about getting the kids to help but they were eating Fun Dip and sharing secrets under a shady tree. I decided not to interrupt them but mostly I didn’t want my sock to be sticky (#momtruth). Past Rachelle had decided to help Future Rachelle by casting on the second toe at the same time I cast on the first toe. So I’m off to the races up the foot of sock number two.

I really like Past Rachelle sometimes! Happy Knitting!!

Cheery Progress

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I’ve had to move my workouts indoors to the fitness center at work. But I’m still managing to get more steps in and put some stripes on my Cheery Vanilla Socks. I looked down the other day and realized I was probably at the heel. So I measured and sure enough I was two rows past where I needed to put in my afterthought heel yarn.

So during a particularly long conference call meeting I tinked back those two rows and knit in the waste yarn. Which, by the way, I just had laying in my desk drawer because that’s totally normal right?

This sock feels and looks super skinny but my stitch count and gauge are right on with my other Felici socks I have made previously that fit. I’m going to be zen about it. If they are are too tight then they will go in the gift pile for Christmas!

Happy Knitting!!

Dad’s Socks Go To The Frog Pond

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I need to start playing sad violin right about now. I was so excited to have finished the first sock of my dad’s Christmas present. My husband made a comment that the sock looked extra huge. So when my dad was helping with my floor I had him try it on.

You guys it sagged EVERYWHERE. It was loose on the leg, the heel and the foot! I had no choice but to resign it to the frog pond. I realistically need to take out eight stitches from the stitch count. And it’s my own fault. I was knitting DK weight yarn using a sport weight sock stitch count. (Read: too many stitches for that thick of yarn.)

So during a Netflix re-watch of a favorite episode of NCIS I turned the above sock int these….two balls of ramen. One sock ball and one heel ball because I cut in an afterthought heel. Sigh….

I still want these for his Christmas so I need to get back on them. But I may need a mourning period first…

Happy Knitting!!

Not Quite A Full Foot

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I have been pretty diligent about getting off my rear end for lunch and walking. Aside from feeling less stressed and hitting my step goal most days. I’ve been adding more stripes to my Cheery Vanilla Socks.

It’s hard to see from this angle but I have about 5.5 inches of foot complete. I have a 9 inch foot so I like to get to 7 inches (or just shy of) before I add waste yarn for a forethought afterthought heel. Based on how much I get knit…I think I have three more walks and I’ll be at the heel!

Happy Friday to all and keep on Knitting!!