Yes, ACTUAL knitting content
I just realized it's been months since my last knitting-related post. Sorry, Knitters. I have a good excuse...
Socks, socks, and more socks. The months of January and February were completely devoted to sock knitting, and I was on a deadline for some of them.
The first pair I finished were some socks for Socks for Soldiers.
The picture is kinda crappy and is pre-blocking. They looked much better after blocking. The yarn is undyed Opal. They will eventually be dyed black by the SFS organizer (if I ever get them in the mail to her).
The second two pairs are for TechGirl's mom. I made TechGirl a pair of socks for her birthday last October. When her mom found out about them, she asked if I could make a pair for her. See, she has a medical condition that has caused her ankles to swell to the point where she cannot wear store-bought socks. So I had TechGirl measure Mom's feet and I made these socks:
The yarn is Opal. Just a simple cuff-down, 2x2 rib with a slip stitch heel flap. To accommodate the 13 inch diameter that I needed for the cuff, the leg and foot have 90 stitches. Working on size 1 Addi's, I ended up with a gauge of 9-9.5 stitches/inch.
They took about a month to finish. I'm a slow knitter to start with, and the 90 stitches of ribbing made things go even slower. It was all worth it though because Mom loved them. She said it was the first time in months that she's been able to wear socks without the cuff leaving grooves in her ankles. She loved them so much that she has asked for several more pairs.
So I started these:
Again, the yarn is Opal. I had it and the yarn for the first pair in my stash. I wanted yarn that is wool and nylon, and very hard-wearing. There are some lovely sock yarns out there, but many of them are not very sturdy. Opal wears like iron, so it was the perfect choice - and all the more perfect because I already had it in the stash.
This pair was also cuff-down, 3x2 rib, slip stitch heel flap.
The cast on I used for Mom's socks is one that I learned for my Socks for Soldiers socks. SFS socks have to have a cast on stretchy enough to fit over a 2-liter pop bottle. I learned this tip from someone on Ravelry: Cast on double the number of stitches and decrease every 2 stitches on the first row. Now, casting on 180 stitches by the long-tail method was a bit of a nightmare with the first pair of socks. So for the second pair, I did a crochet cast on. Much easier and I didn't have to try to leave a long enough tail for 180 stitches. Here's what it looks like when finished...
Yes, it makes for a rippled cuff, but that doesn't show when the sock is being worn.
Finally, the last pair of socks I finished recently was a pair of KU socks for Shane. He asked for a pair of ankle socks last fall. I told him I would have them ready by March Madness. Five months later I finished them. They have red toes, short row heels and cuffs, and blue insteps. I haven't been able to take a picture of them yet because he wore them right away and won't let me wash them until the Jayhawks lose. Superstitious, that one.
---
Thank you all for the kind comments about Abbey. They all meant a lot to me and brought me much comfort. I brought Abbey's ashes home today. The vet's office receptionist's husband makes beautiful wood boxes for pet ashes. Wendy bought one for me. It's quite lovely. When I showed Shane the box, he took it over to the couch and placed it on the arm where she used to sleep. I'll have to find a better place for her. I'm not sure why, but I feel more settled now that she's home.
On a more positive note, Shane is ready to adopt a new kitty. We agreed that we would try to find two cats to come home with us. We're going to the Humane Society Thursday during lunch to look around. Wish us luck.
Socks, socks, and more socks. The months of January and February were completely devoted to sock knitting, and I was on a deadline for some of them.
The first pair I finished were some socks for Socks for Soldiers.
The picture is kinda crappy and is pre-blocking. They looked much better after blocking. The yarn is undyed Opal. They will eventually be dyed black by the SFS organizer (if I ever get them in the mail to her).
The second two pairs are for TechGirl's mom. I made TechGirl a pair of socks for her birthday last October. When her mom found out about them, she asked if I could make a pair for her. See, she has a medical condition that has caused her ankles to swell to the point where she cannot wear store-bought socks. So I had TechGirl measure Mom's feet and I made these socks:
The yarn is Opal. Just a simple cuff-down, 2x2 rib with a slip stitch heel flap. To accommodate the 13 inch diameter that I needed for the cuff, the leg and foot have 90 stitches. Working on size 1 Addi's, I ended up with a gauge of 9-9.5 stitches/inch.
They took about a month to finish. I'm a slow knitter to start with, and the 90 stitches of ribbing made things go even slower. It was all worth it though because Mom loved them. She said it was the first time in months that she's been able to wear socks without the cuff leaving grooves in her ankles. She loved them so much that she has asked for several more pairs.
So I started these:
Again, the yarn is Opal. I had it and the yarn for the first pair in my stash. I wanted yarn that is wool and nylon, and very hard-wearing. There are some lovely sock yarns out there, but many of them are not very sturdy. Opal wears like iron, so it was the perfect choice - and all the more perfect because I already had it in the stash.
This pair was also cuff-down, 3x2 rib, slip stitch heel flap.
The cast on I used for Mom's socks is one that I learned for my Socks for Soldiers socks. SFS socks have to have a cast on stretchy enough to fit over a 2-liter pop bottle. I learned this tip from someone on Ravelry: Cast on double the number of stitches and decrease every 2 stitches on the first row. Now, casting on 180 stitches by the long-tail method was a bit of a nightmare with the first pair of socks. So for the second pair, I did a crochet cast on. Much easier and I didn't have to try to leave a long enough tail for 180 stitches. Here's what it looks like when finished...
Yes, it makes for a rippled cuff, but that doesn't show when the sock is being worn.
Finally, the last pair of socks I finished recently was a pair of KU socks for Shane. He asked for a pair of ankle socks last fall. I told him I would have them ready by March Madness. Five months later I finished them. They have red toes, short row heels and cuffs, and blue insteps. I haven't been able to take a picture of them yet because he wore them right away and won't let me wash them until the Jayhawks lose. Superstitious, that one.
---
Thank you all for the kind comments about Abbey. They all meant a lot to me and brought me much comfort. I brought Abbey's ashes home today. The vet's office receptionist's husband makes beautiful wood boxes for pet ashes. Wendy bought one for me. It's quite lovely. When I showed Shane the box, he took it over to the couch and placed it on the arm where she used to sleep. I'll have to find a better place for her. I'm not sure why, but I feel more settled now that she's home.
On a more positive note, Shane is ready to adopt a new kitty. We agreed that we would try to find two cats to come home with us. We're going to the Humane Society Thursday during lunch to look around. Wish us luck.
posted by Beverly at 7:16 PM
4 Comments:
Good luck kitty hunting! Can't wait to 'meet' him/her
What a lovely thing you're doing, knitting all those socks for soldiers and Techgirl's mom!
Have fun finding a new kitty tomorrow!
Mom uber loves her socks. You're so good to her.
BTW, my nephew is joining the Air Force this fall. Maybe he'll get some soldier socks.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Do you get knots in your Opal? Every skein of mine seems like I do.
Post a Comment
<< Home