Somemore's Waving Ribbon Socks Drying on the line

After washing them in Eucalan Lavender Wool Wash yeseterday, I hung them up in my shower to drip most of the water out. Later I decided that I'd hang them outside on the rope I dry my rovings on. It was 86F yesterday and so they dried fairly fast. I kept coming outside to check and see how they were drying. Around 4:30 pm I took them off the line and tried them on my feet and yes they now fit prefectly. These socks felt wonderful on my feet and I just know that my feet will be toasty warm this winter.

Somemore's Waving Ribbon Socks finished

I finished the socks this morning, then washed them by hand and having the hanging out to dry. I will post pictures of them later when they are nice and dry. I did try them on before washing and found them to be a little loose on my feet. This will probably go away after washing and drying them. Since this is the first time, I've ever spun a 3 ply yarn from fleece and knitted socks from I found it to be quite enjoyable. I know my feet will be warm and happy this winter.

Now I just need to finish spinning up the remaining batts into 2 ply lace weight yarn. I've begun warping some of my handspun 2 ply lace weight yarn onto my warping board. I have 1 warp finished which has 121 threads in it and I've started winding for a second warp. I haven't quite decided on a weaving pattern. Although, I have thought about an 8 stitch Rosepath pattern, stilling deciding though.

Mate to first sock started

I finished my first sock this morning and rewound the remaining skein to see how much yarn I had used in the first sock. I originally started out with 269.5 yards, 3 1/8 ounces, 86 grams. I had left over 119.5 yards, 1 1/4 ounces, 36 grams. So I used 150 yards, 1 7/8 ounces, 50 grams in the first sock.

The picture of the skein you see here is my second skein of 3 ply yarn. This skein has 231 yards, 2 5/8 ounces, 74 grams. I will use this to knit of the mate. If I calculate things right, I should have 81 yards, 1 3/8 ounces, 24 grams left over from this skein when I'm finished.

Here's the finished first sock, along with the beginning of the mate. Now to get moving on finishing the mate up.

Somemore's Waving Ribbing Socks

This is day 7 of knitting on "Somemore's Waving Ribbing Socks" I have 5 more rows to knit on the foot and then I'll start taking off for the toes. This is only the first sock of course and I still have the mate to knit up. I'm about half way through my skein of Handspun Somemore's Beige/Brown Australian Bond 3 ply sock yarn. This skein had 269.5 yards, 3 1/3 oz or 86 grams originally and by the looks of my skein and sock, I think I've used about half of the skein already. No way of really telling until I finish this sock and rewind the skein to see how many yards/oz/grams are left. It will give me an idea of how much yarn I'll need to knit the mate.

Normally I'd have 1 sock finished and the mate about half way finished. But I've been knitting on other things as well as spinning up more yarn.

A new project begins

This project began with me spinning and filling up 3 bobbins and then plying all 3 together. I have spun a navajo plied yarn, but I had never tried filling up 3 bobbins of singles and then plying them together. I had heard that spinning a 3 ply yarn makes the yarn more rounder and durable for knitting socks, so I thought I'd give it a try. Guess what;............I like it!

On Thursday June 30th I finished plying my first skein of 3 ply yarn and washed it. Then I went back to plying up the remainder of the yarn on the bobbins for a second skein. Friday July 1st I wound up my first skein to see what my yardage and such were.

3 ply Australian Bond

Beige/Brown Sock Yarn

14 wpi

269.5 yards

3 1/8 ounces

86 grams

I found that my 3 ply yarn was on 3 wpi short of being the same as my 2 ply yarn, which is 17 wpi. I also noticed that everyone was right about the yarn being more rounder.

Friday July 1st I started casting on for a pair of socks that I call "Somemore's Waving Ribbing Socks". I then took this project with me, to my husbands Dr's appointment, to get his stitches out. While hubby was in getting his stitches removed I was knitting and managed to get the cuff finished and 1 row of the leg started, by the time hubby came out. Then after dinner that night I knit 15 more rows before going to bed.

Yesterday I knitted another 26 rows and then took the picture above. Since that picture and as of this morning I have finished the leg of the sock and started on the heel flap.

My second skein is all dry, I just need to wind it up and figure out the yardage and such.

Knitting at the crack of dawn

I couldn't sleep this morning so I got up and went downstairs and started knitting around 5:20 AM on my red and white shawl. I'm not exactly sure just how many rows I knitted in 1 hour and 39 minutes but I now have 164 stitches on this shawl. The hearts on this shawl are really starting to make the shawl look nice. I find myself adding more hearts 2 rows after I finished a complete heart. The hearts are spaced fairly evenly over the shawl. I even have some interlocking hearts added in.

After I finished 1 hour and 39 minutes of knitting on this shawl I stopped to fix myself some breakfast, fold some laundry, and wash the dishes. Then I started in knitting on my Frankenstein Clown Socks. I now have the heel finished on the mate and have started working on the leg of the sock. I sat and knitted on these for 1 hour and 40 minutes. I completed 35 rows on this sock during this time.

Now that its 9:33 AM I need to put another load into the washer, make the bed (now that hubby is up), put the dishes away, then head off to the bank. Once I'm finished with the bank hubby wants to go and get his hair cut, get the oil changed on the car, pick up 2 new kennels at Petco for 2 of our dogs (the kennels they are sleeping in are just too small for them now), then go over to Wal-mart to look for 2 lamps (for our bedroom). After that, when we get home I can sit at my spinning wheel and spin up some more yarn, and weave on my weaving loom.

I know that I will be tired come 9:00 PM tonight! Well, I sure hope so anyway's.

Merry Christmas from Spinning Ginny's

I would love to take this time to wish all my friends and Customers a very Merry Christmas. I've had a wonderful time these past 5 years knitting on socks, shawls, scarves, spinning up wool into yarn, weaving scarves, and making goats milk soap. I hope to continue doing these items for you all for a long time to come. Thank you again for being great friends and customers.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Ginny

Lap Dog, Knitting and watching old Addams Family reruns

This morning after I set up my computer to watch some old Addams Family re-runs and knit on the mate to my hubby's socks that I'm knitting him for Christmas. Then up in my lap my dog Sue-chi jumps and gets all comfy. She's never laid in my lap while I've knitted before, so this was a first.

The Addams family tv show that I was watching was about Grandma learning to paint from a Sam Piccasso. While watching this show Sue-chi was snoring away in my lap and my knitting needles were clicking away. I am almost ready to start the gusset on this sock, I only need to knit 20 more rows.

Ti one of my other dogs likes to sleep in my lap as well as Sue-chi but he doesn't like me to be knitting as the yarn tickles him. Well, now that Season 1 Episode 14 of the Addams family is over its time to watch Episode 15. Have to wake the sleeping princess though to change the disk.

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks4

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks4
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Wooohoooo, I finished my Tic Tac Toe-up Socks today. I stopped packing long enough to finish this pair of socks. I just love this pattern. Yah, it wasn't as simple to memorize as the Diagonal Lace Socks or the Dead Simple Lace Socks. However, it was really fun to knit the X's and O's in these socks.

I did make a simple mistake in the mate this afternoon, but I fixed it and went on. The mistake was do to my not paying attention to the pattern as well as paying attention to my knitting.

I love knitting with Lorna's Lace Sock yarn and will definitely be ordering more to knit up socks with. There's lovely solids, multicolors and striping. I can't wait to try more of these yarns!

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks3

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks3
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

I meant to finish up the first sock yesterday, but after knitting for so long I had to put it down for a few hours. When I picked it up last night to knit on, I only got a few more rows done on it. So first thing this morning at 6:08 am I picked it up and finished up the last bit of the leg and started on the 1 inch cuff (which is only 10 rows for me). Then I put it down to go and eat breakfast, only to come back and cast off the stitches on this sock.

Shortly after that (while hubby was making a few phone calls), I cast on using Judy's Magic Cast On for the mate. I was able to get the cast on going better on this sock the first time around (no, loose cast on stitches). Because we had to go out and run a few errands, I was only able to get 38 stitches cast on. However, when we returned I sat down and finished casting on the remaining stitches (66 stitches total).

Now all I need to do is get busy knitting on the Tic Tac Toe Up pattern for the foot.

Tic Tac Toe up Socks2

Tic Tac Toe up Socks2
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Yesterday, I finished up the gusset on this sock and started on the heel turn and heel flap. I managed to get that done with no problems and then continued on. When I stopped knitting for the night I had the first 24 row pattern repeat on the leg almost finished.

This morning I picked it up and finished up the last 3 rows of the 24 pattern repeat. Then I continued on and did another 28 rows before stopping to fix breakfast. I should finish this sock either by tonight or early tomorrow morning. Then I can start on the mate.

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks

Tic Tac Toe Up Socks
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

I started on these socks yesterday around 11:36 am. However, I couldn't get my Judy's Magic Cast On to look right and kept frogging it. Finally after much practice I got it to finally look the way it was supposed to be. Before it was too loose and I couldn't tighten it up. I finally got it though.

Once I got the cast on squared away everything else started falling together. It was a little awkward at first doing this Magic Loop, but I'm used to it now. Last night I stopped knitting on this sock just 3 rows shy of finishing the second repeat.

This morning at 6:05 am I picked up my knitting and finished off the second repeat. I then measured the sock to see how much more I needed to knit before starting the gusset. I have 5 1/2 inches then and needed to have 6 3/4 inches. So I went back to knitting and completed half of another repeat measured again. I found that I now had 6 1/2 inches and only needed 1/4 of an inch left. I figured that was just 2 more rows, so I knitted 2 more rows and measured again. I was right! I now had the 6 3/4 inches I needed. I then knitted across the instep following the lace pattern and then on the sole I began the increase for the gusset.

I then put my needles down and went to fix myself some breakfast. I'll pick up where I left off here in a little while.

Diagonal Lace Socks3

Diagonal Lace Socks3
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Finished these socks this morning. Well, actually I finished one last night, and the mate this morning. I love the way these socks worked up. I might use a solid color though, on the next pair I knit with this pattern. I think the pattern in the yarn detracts from the pattern in the socks. I do love this yarn though and will definitely use it again, just not with this pattern.

Now I just need to make a label for these socks and another pair of socks then list them on my website. Then I need to look through patterns and yarn again and get busy knitting up another pair of socks.

Happy Knitting!

Another day another pair of sock almost finished

I've been so busy knitting on these [Diagonal Lace Socks](pattern) by Wendy Johnson, that I'm almost finished with them. I hope to finished them sometime today. I did make one mistake on both of these socks, when joining the instep to the heel flap. The mistake was due to a hole in one side of both socks, where the joining didn't come together very well.

I frogged back down on both of these socks to where the joining began and fixed my mistake. Now I have just need to finish up the legs on both these socks and knit the 1 inch cuff. The pattern looks great so far dispite the fact that the Diagonal Lace pattern goes in the opposite direction of the original pattern.

Diagonal Lace Socks2

Diagonal Lace Socks2
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 2: I have now finished the 6 1/2 inches that I needed to knit before starting on the gusset. I've completed 4 rows of the gusset. I need to have 55 stitches on the sole of the foot for the gusset and so far only have 37 stitches.

Next time I knit these socks I may go down a needle size as up close these socks look like a large instead of a medium. I mainly use 2.75 mm dpns to knit my socks but I may have to invest in 2 mm dpns and smaller. I know that I want to try knitting socks with circulars some day so I may even buy some circulars in this size as well.

Diagonal Lace Socks

Diagonal Lace Socks
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 1: Actually started on these socks yesterday. Took the picture this morning. I had a little trouble with the figure eight cast on at first. My fingers were all thumbs and my hands were hurting that it made it hard for me to try and knit. So I put my knitting down for about an hour.

After resting my hands I came back to my knitting and was able to get the figure eight cast on to work on the first sock. However, by the time I had got 29 stitches cast on both needles (for a 58 stitches), I needed to stop and start cooking dinner.

Then after dinner I went back to my knitting and finished casting on the remaining stitches. I ended up with the 66 stitches that the medium pattern called for and then started working on the diagonal pattern design.

I put my knitting down finally at 11:01 pm last night with only the first sock cast on, with the first pattern repeat finished. Then this morning I cast on, usingin the figure eight cast on again for the mate. I didn't seem to have any problems with the cast on this morning.

I continued knitting on the second sock until I had all 66 stitches and the first pattern repeat finished. Now I can just work back and forth on both socks. I need to knit on the foot until I have 6 1/2 inches before I start on the gusset.

Onwards and Upwards!

Lacy Ribs Socks4

Lacy Ribs Socks4
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 4: Last night I finished the first sock and this morning I finished the mate. I really thought that the gusset, heel turn and heel flap on these toe up socks was going to be hard. However, I just followed the pattern and everything went just perfectly.

I love how they turned out! This yarn "Alchemy Juniper* Amethyst Colorway is just wonderful to knit with. The socks come out feeling really soft.

Oh and I'm loving all these Wendy Johnson patterns from her *Socks from the Toe-up* book. The patterns are just wonderful to knit from. They are really easy to understand and knit from.

I'm looking at possibly starting on another one today.

Lacy Ribs Socks3

Lacy Ribs Socks3
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 3: Yeah! I'm almost finished with the gusset. I have 5 more stitches to increase (2 on either side and 1 in the middle). Then I'm ready to start on the heel turn. So far it seems fairly easy.....well the gusset part does anyway. We'll see how the heel turn goes.

I've read the pattern through throughly and the heel turn sounds easy enough. However, I won't really now until I actually start working it. I'm used to doing socks from the top down and really know what to do when it comes to doing the heel flap and heel turn. This is only my third toe-up sock and my first with a gusset and heel turn in it.

I really love knitting with this Alchemy Juniper yarn. I've always loved knitting with my handspun merino but this is a 4 ply with very thin strands. Where as my handspun is a 2 ply worsted weight (I call it a lace weight, where some would call it a fingering weight), yarn. I will definitely buy more of this Alchemy Juniper. I know that it splits fairly easy, but so do a lot of yarns. I just have to pay more attention to what I'm doing when knitting.

Lacy Ribs Socks2

Lacy Ribs Socks2
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 2: I now have both socks started and the foot almost finished. They both measure 5 1/2 inches from the beginning of the toe. I only need to knit 3/4 of an inch before starting of the gusset.

The picture in the book shows the pattern of the sock stretched out on the feet. Off the feet the pattern is really puffy and pronounced. This could be due to my using a solid color for the socks, compared to the multi-colored sock in the picture.

I like the way they both look, solid or multi-colored. I am again using Alchemy Juniper but this time the color is Amethyst (purple). I'm on a solid color kick right now. Although, I do have some multi-colored yarn in my stash.

Even though, this yarn splits easy, I love the softness of this Merino yarn. This is only the second pair of socks I've knitted up with this yarn.

This pattern is only a 4 row repeat pattern, but I like to mark the beginning of the repeats with markers. I measure at the end of every 4th row to see how long the foot is. I need to start the gusset 3 inches short of the foot length. The total foot lenght for these socks is 9 1/4 inches (Size 6 1/2 Ladies). So I need to only knit 6 1/4 inches before I start the gusset, which means I only have 3/4 inches left to go.

Lacy Ribs Socks

Lacy Ribs Socks
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

Day 1: (Actually last night) This pattern called for using either a Turkish cast-on, Figure 8 cast-on, or a Judy's Magic cast-on. Since I have never done either of these cast-on's, I choose the Judy's Magic cast-on. I had read on Ravelry that it was a fairly easy cast on to try, so off I went to try it out.

Now, I'm left handed and my knitting is actually backwards compared to a right handed knitter. So when I went to try Judy's Magic cast-on, it was very awkward to knit (no problems with the wraping the yarn around the needles). I think I pulled it off the needles 4 times last night before I finally got it knitted right.

Once I had the first row knitted, the adding stitches at the beginning and end of both needles wasn't a problem. After 1 hour and 36 minutes of knitting I had the toe and the first pattern repeat (4 rows), finished.

Now, I just need to start on the mate and get it caught up with this sock. Onwards and upwards from here on in. LOL