Tag Archives: toe up

Over It

Posted on by
11

This cold and flu season has been brutal, I’m over it! My cough from before Christmas just held on and held on until I gave up and went to urgent care. After an hour and half wait I got a very tired but kind physician assistant who promptly diagnosed me with acute bronchitis. So I was sent on my way with a Z-pac, steroids and instructions to hydrate and rest.

But the good news is that I had my knitting and my ear buds to keep me company and I didn’t so much mind the wait. I listened to an entire podcast and started the ribbing on my Bullseye Vanilla socks. I had completed most of the foot watching Frozen 2 with Jellybean so I was jazzed to see I was at the cuff. I still need to go back and add the afterthought heel. But first…..medication and hot tea!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting and Dental Work

Posted on by
7

Despite my best efforts and all the special fluoride toothpaste I can buy….I have borderline healthy teeth. And this year I kicked it off with three cavities that needed filled. My mouth is FULL of pre-cavities and watch spots so this was not a surprise to me.

I hitched up my big kid pants and grabbed my knitting for my dental appointment. I knit my Bullseye Vanilla socks while waiting and while the dentist was working. I had two dental assistants and the dentist compliment my work and the fact I could knit without looking. It really is kind of fun to amaze the knitting muggles sometimes.

In the hour long appointment this morning I managed to knit a micro-strip and a full speckle stripe. I think at this point I have maybe four inches of sock knit up? These live in my purse of tote bag and I just pick them up when I have a few spare seconds. The colors are so deep and bright that they are livening up this grey January!

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Bullseye Vanilla Socks

Posted on by
6

My sock needles have been conspicuously empty. I was in need of a simple vanilla project for some travel/meeting knitting so I went rummaging in my stash. I have had this Biscotte Yarns Bis-sock self-striping wound up for way too long. But it was ready to go so I pulled my size 0 needles out and hit the road.

I did manage to do the figure 8 cast on and get some of the toe increases established before leaving the house. I much prefer if this had been been to the “round and round” stage but I’m sure I can manage. The yarn is a pretty thin light fingering with a three ply structure. It has a mix of nylon and merino but I still plan on knitting this at pretty tight gauge to make the socks as hard wearing as possible.

I’m not mad at the speckled sections of this self-striping yarn. I’m interested to see how this next solid/tonal section works out!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Cheery Vanilla Socks

Posted on by
9

My Cheery Vanilla Socks got their last heel installed and I have all the ends woven but not clipped. Happy Finished Object Friday to all!!

Pattern: My own toe up vanilla “recipe” for  72 stitches with an afterthought heel

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in Cheer. I used about 305 yards or 70 grams of yarn to make these. (I have a US 9.5 to 10 foot, the struggle is real you guys….)

Needles: US 0

Mods: I made shorties this time that land just above my shoe line.

They are snug without being tight. They seem to stay on my feet as I made sure to make my heel deep enough this time. Prior attempts with shorties left with socks that liked to slip off my heel and down into my shoe. Surprisingly they match pretty darn well. I honestly can’t remember if I tried to do that on purpose or it was a happy accident. I’ll take it either way.

These still need a good wash to get the martini scent out and even out some of the stitches. Oh, and I’m noticing that the heels don’t match exactly. Maybe I can use this to designate a left and a right sock?

I’ve been puttering around with these socks since August 2018 so I felt pretty chuffed to clear my needles and have a pair of socks to add to my drawer. And the yarn has been in my stash since 2015 so that feels good as well. I like to see some of my older but yet still loved yarn see its full potential.

Happy Knitting!!

Almost Finished Shorties

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
5

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!!

Dad’s Last Heel

Posted on by
3

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

Posted on by
5

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

Posted on by
3

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

Posted on by
8

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!!