Still chugging along sort of

 Of course, when I have no money, Knit Picks is having a huge sale on yarn. Sock yarn is half off and some colors are 60% off. Dangit! Not that I need more yarn of course but..

First, there is progress but slow on the blue wave sock project, managing two balls of yarn on a project like this is not for the easily frustrated. I discovered a thin spot in the stitches, luckily had only gone that round before I noticed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I blame knitting at night in low light to not seeing it until the next day under my desk lamp. I only had to back off the front and that back side to get the yarn to a position to use the 'Magic Knot' to fix it. 

Major structural failure. I thought it was just the plastic coating that was coming off so I was trying to kind of inch it back to the joint. Then, as I was knitting I felt it being sharp and saw this. That is a multi-strand metal cable that seems to be about as thin as sewing thread. Probably three strands twisted together so only one was left. I wondered if it was the way I was knitting and cramping that joint under my little finger all the time. I composed myself, took pictures and then fed it onto another needle. The only one I had left was the wooden one also from KP and it is very much not good for this project. The cable is fatter and the needles are varnished wood so they do not slide as well. I contacted customer service (this happened a week ago) and was told another cable would be shipped out within 7 days. Confirmed my address with them and according to the package tracking it left Columbus, OH the day after my request was processed so I should have it by Monday. Oh well. I think it's going by ground transit. Really.

I remember in the early days of the company they had issues with the purple cables pulling out of the socket entirely. I have an old one that I still have that was separating and instead of getting a new replacement I just got out the super glue equivalent and glued it back in. Easy fix. If it had come apart on a project (as it has happened before) that would be annoying but still be solved easily.

As for the cat bed, no progress on that but have done a few rows on the hat. In a kind of creative slump the last week or two and that happens. It's gotten very warm so that takes a toll on sitting and knitting as well as moods.

 

That's it for the crafty yarn hobbies for this week. Not much going on for progress just had to chronicle the excitement for the week. Happy crafting! May your yarn never tangle and your needles be sharp (and hook be handy).

Embarking on an idea or two

 So, I started the stocks using the blue Tofutsies and after finishing the toes started a search for just the right stitch to make it look like waves. Well..... harder than you would think when I don't have my three or four stitch encyclopedias handy. 

I did find a copy of Charlene Schurch's 'Sensational Knitted Sock through the library (same one I have in storage) and looked at all the sock examples, mostly variations on ribs, very little lace and then saw one toward the back that I thought would be perfect, except that it wouldn't fit in my stitch count. At least easily.

It's a pretty stitch but it's an 11 stitch repeat which does not fit well on the even number of stitches despite her instructions about just making them wider or whatever. Not happening.

I decided to go online and found the Lacy Mock Cable at KnittingStitches.org

That site is a fantastic source of stitch patterns not just for the number but they also adapt the patterns to in the round. Have to kind of search for them sometimes but some of them have the alternate in the description to click on. This one is an 8 stitch repeat which is perfect for my stitch count of 64. Each of the 'cables' is six stitches with two purls on either side. The flat version is 8 stitches +2 repeat and starts with purl 2 as the extra stitches. If you've done this before, converting a flat to in the round, you drop the extra stitches and just knit the pattern as written.

Before I found the one they did I had already adapted it for my stitch count (and frankly better for my situation at least). So, here comes my idea: Design the sock pattern, work it up with directions and then make it a PDF. So far that is a much prettier stitch than what I'm getting on my blue socks. Still rather early as you can see by the photo up above, but will be using the Sheepicorn yarn for a second pair that will actually fit me. The blue ones I think are turning out a tad narrow due to using tight knitting and a size 1 needle. I'm not going to detail my adaptations and instructions here until it's all done and completed but will hopefully give updates once in a while.

That's all I've been working on lately. I have the hat, the green pair of socks, and the cat bed currently active. Everything else is on hold so I can at least get to the heel on these and then maybe work on the green socks and start the Sheepicorn ones. I may contact a friend or two to do a read of the pattern to make sure I'm clear enough on it before publishing. 

Oh! I also came up with something new for me. Everyone always says to do a gauge swatch which is true, you should, but also what about a stitch swatch?

 

A SockSwatch© (will be coming up with a fun logo for that too) is to get the feel for the way the stitch pattern works up. You can see in my sample that the darker color doesn't show the stitches as well as the light colors so that's a big tell right there. But what this also does is get the stitch sequences into muscle memory before you start on your project. I didn't do an actual sock toe because...why? It's for the stitch pattern not for the sock fit so I cast on the number of stitches in my pattern (I did JMCO because I didn't feel like doing a tube) and knitted about an inch before starting the stitch pattern. 

It seems kind of redundant to do that but it really does get you in the rhythm of the pattern so it flows better on the actual project. 

Looking forward to seeing what else I can figure out for socks and maybe even hats!