Tag Archives: socks

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!!

Moms And Martinis

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Everyone needs a tribe (or three). One of the tribes I have really gotten a lot of support and companionship from here lately is a group of moms I have met in and around my community. We are all working moms and try to get together for lunch once a month on a Friday. There are lawyers, bankers, advertising execs, sales managers and accountants so we aren’t always successful but at least two people manage to show up every month.

I decided that wasn’t enough, so quarterly we also meet up at a local restaurant for “Moms and Martinis” after we all put our kids to bed (or leave them with their respective fathers and smile all the way down the driveway).

I pulled out my Cheery Vanilla socks and knit a few rounds as I sipped my beer and the subsequent Lemon Drop Martini. None of the other Moms are especially fibery but they like me and don’t bat an eye at my knitting. I got to laugh, knit and drink with some fantastic ladies. I cannot wait for January to roll around for the next one!!

Do you have a tribe?

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!!!

The Second Heel

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It’s October now and Christmas is looming. I need to get the lead out! My dad’s socks have been a rocky project this year but I think I have turned the corner. I just put in the waste yarn for the second heel.

I had the hubby try the first sock on because he has the same foot size as my dad. He thinks the ankle is a little baggy but the foot fits nicely. I’m torn between adding decreases to the second sock. I would then need to pull back and re-knit the first sock. I may just text my dad and ask what he would prefer. Knowing that he never complains about anything. He is probably going to say it’s fine, lol.

Why do I surround myself with such giant men who wear size 13 shoes? That’s just a lot of sock knitting!!

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!!

Hospital Knitting

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My mother recently underwent a surgical procedure that left my dad and I kicking around the hospital for the better part of 11 hours. The procedure was preventative in nature and went really well. She is sore and slowly on the mend albeit a little grumpy at the slowness of healing. I was a little nervous for her so I made sure to pack my knitting. (Full disclosure….I brought two whole sock projects “Just In Case” that I managed to finish the first set of socks).

To start the morning I finished the cuff of the first sock for my Dad’s 2019 Christmas Sock. And then I started working the afterthought heel. This is the second time I have knit this because my first attempt was WAY to big.

I averaged no less than three comments per hour on my knitting as other families rotated through the waiting room. All very positive and usually followed by compliments when I explained what I was doing. Some of the families were there for much more serious procedures than we were and I think (hope) that it gave them some comfort to be distracted for a minute or two. One woman just asked if she could watch because she found it calming.

By the time we grabbed lunch I had the first sock ready for kitchenering the heel. I neglected to bring my tool tin and therefore couldn’t finish the darn thing. So I left that on some spare needles and started the second sock. I also had like three coffees that day. I hope I didn’t blow my tension out of the water.

By the end of the day I was SORELY uncomfortable in the waiting room chairs. I had managed to snag my dad the one recliner in the room so he could put his feet up and take a rest. But I had managed to put six stripes into the foot of sock number two. I only have two more stripes and I will place the waste yarn for the heel.

I tucked away my knitting and headed home for my kiddos meanwhile my dad slept in a hospital recliner for three more nights. I think I might knit him a medal….

Happy Knitting!!

Slowest Sock Ever

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I went to a friends house for a kids play date and BBQ. I didn’t feel like dragging along one my sweater WIPs so I pulled out my Dad’s Christmas socks and put a couple hours in on the re-do of the first sock.

They are going faster this time with the lower stitch count. I am working with 64 stitches instead of 72. I managed to get to the placement of waste yarn for the afterthought heel and a little past it even.

I work my waste yarn for two rows, one down and one back. Then I pick up my working yarn and knit back across. I only had one kind of scrap yarn on hand since I wasn’t at my house. I really hope I can see those dark grey stitches above the light grey yarn. I may be living dangerously!

 

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!!

(Re) Cast On: Dad’s 2019 Christmas Socks

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I put my big girl pants on and re-cast on my Dad’s christmas socks. This time I’m working a 64 stitch count sock.

The yarn is standing up well to re-knitting as I can barely even tell it has been kinked up. I’m finished with the toe increases and ready to zoom through the foot. I am still kicking myself that I have to re-knit this. Always listen to that voice that keeps telling you that something is off with your knitting, sigh….

I am slightly cheered by the fact I’m using my 19 stitches project bag. This project bag has been floating around in my purse for weeks and really has stood up well to a lot of abuse. I like that in a project bag!

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!!