Got it!

For more than a year I've been obsessively trying to locate a copy of Mirdza Slava's “Latviešu rakstainie cimdi.” Published in Latvia and out of print, it's been quite the challenge. Last week I was astonished when a used copy appeared on Amazon—unfortunately with a fairly significant price tag. But I bit the bullet, added it to my shopping cart, and checked out as quickly as my trembling fingers would allow. Bitter disappointment followed the next day when I received an email announcing that my order had been canceled. I went to Amazon again only to find the book was gone. Not expecting anything to come of it, I googled Mirdza Slava again and was astonished when I found that the book was available from Abe Books. Not only that, but it was only a third the price that had been listed on Amazon.

Yesterday it arrived. To say I'm wildly excited would have to be the understatement of the year. I'd expected the book to be wonderful. I was already well aware of some of the book's contents because photos from it are available on the web. I'd wondered if those photos showed the entire book. They don't. What an absolute feast of colorwork patterns! Don't be surprised if you see some Latvian Mitten inspired sock patterns in the near future.

But does she remember how to blog?

In a word, no. But I hope it will come back with some practice.

Hard to believe that it's been way over two years since I last blogged. The truth is that I'd rather be knitting than doing almost anything else and blogging definitely takes away from valuable knitting time.

But, today is the first day of the 52 Pair Plunge IV. And that seems like the perfect opportunity to start blogging again. And to make the commitment to chronicle my journey with the next 52 pairs of socks.

So here goes nothing...

55PP Day 1: 0 pairs completed
I'm still working on Hexagons by Kirsten Hall, the socks on the cover of the new Think Outside the Sox book from XRX. One sock is nearly done, the other still needs the heel and leg. I'm still playing around with fit issues, using different size needles to increase the size of the hexagons that sit at the top of the instep to provide adequate ease there.


Without blocking they don't look very wearable, or even very sock-shaped. But surprisingly they really do fit. Very ingenious the way those hexagons fit together around the heel.

Despite my intention to finish the Hexagons this week I'm likely to be waylaid by the sixth round of Sock Madness (a sock speed knitting competition) that also starts today. The pattern is to be released any time now. So even though I've already been eliminated from the official competition I'm likely to drop the hexagons temporarily in favor of whatever pattern the Madness throws my way.

More Socks

Finished two more pairs of socks last week. These will bring my total up to 18 pairs for the 52-Pair Plunge; 9 pairs for Summer of Socks

Another pair of "Summer of Love Lace" from the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club's pattern -- but this time in Koigu. I'd thought with the short leg length that I'd be able to squeek by on a single skein of the KPPPM. Not quite. Took about a third of a second skein. Sigh.





And another pair of "Double Cross" socks -- my own pattern based on a stitch pattern from one of Barbara Walker's books. Yarn is from The Woolen Rabbit. Cast on 84 sts. Knit on KnitPicks US#0.





And started a new pair. Maggie's Rags Peacock Socks using the Socks That Rock Silkie "Walking on the Wild Tide" from the 2007 club. The club pattern wasn't working for me and this seemed like a reasonable alternative. Love the yarn enough to want to get more. Not so sure about the yarn with this pattern (the wonder stitch pattern all but disappears) but I think I'll go ahead and complete the pair -- gotta stop ripping if I'm to finish the 52-Pair challenge :-)

Slip fix and love of lace

The heel flap on the Emskets is much improved. The original was done in fair isle style, alternating the light and dark colors to produce the vertical stipe. In the reworked version, I used the "mosaic" technique. The first row set up the stripes and was done with both yarns alternating the colors (k1 dark, k1 light, k1 dark, k1 light...). On subsequent rows, only a single color was worked at a time with the yarns alternating on each row (row 2 dark, row 3 light, row 4 dark, row 5 light...) To form the vertical stripes, on each row I knit (purl on the wrong side) the stitches from the previous row that were the same color as the yarn being used in that row, and slipped the stitches of the "wrong" color.


Somehow doing the heel with the slip stitch method seems to give me more rows per inch than the fair isle method, making the picked up gusset stitches (1 for every 2 rows) fit neatly into the heel flap instead of puckering. Unfortunately, I didn't think to measure the rows per inch of both versions of the heel. Someday I'll have to do this exercise again and collect the appropriate data.

It probably won't show up well in photos, but here are the before (top) and after (bottom):




Before working up enough will power to rip the Emsket heel I did a little productive procrastinating and got these done.


Pattern: Summer of Love Lace (RSC 2007 - August pattern)
Yarn: Socks that Rock - Flower Power
Needles: Addi Turbo US#1 (2.5mm)

Frogging delayed

I see more frogging in my future...

Coriolis. I love this sock. Or the idea of this sock anyway. Which is what kept me knitting when I knew I should stop -- a few inches ago. It fits, but the spiraling band really is a bit too tight because it doesn't have nearly the stretchiness of the rest of the sock. So I'm dreaming about finding a stitch pattern that stretches better vertically than stockinette does -- perhaps lace?. Or maybe I just need to do more increases when going up the leg... think I need to do some swatching.

So, whilst I ponder the to frog, or not to frog question, I figured that casting on another pair would be a good idea. After all, doesn't everyone need at least a dozen projects OTN? I've been itching to play with these ever since I saw them. I'd already started a pair several months ago with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock but wasn't thrilled with that yarn for this project. The Pace sock yarn, picked up a couple of weeks ago, with its heathered, earthy character seems much more appropriate to the Celtic design somehow.

I'm making a few modifications along the way. The cuff starts and ends with a braided 2-color band with corregated ribbing inbetween.

The knot pattern is mirrored and the heel flap is done in stipes to match the ribbing.


And I'm planning on trying out the form-fitted arch design from Meg Swansen's Knitting: 30 Designs for Hand Knitting.


Now that the heel's been turned and I've tried the sock on the flap seems a bit too long -- even though it's a few rows shorter than my standard. Hmmm. I wonder if that's because my heel flaps usually are done in a slip stitch pattern and this one isn't. With the gusset stitches picked up I've realized that the slip stitch pattern also makes the ratio of 1 gusset stitch for each two heel flap rows work well. In plain stockinette it looks like more gusset stitches should be picked up. Maybe something like 2 stitches for every 3 rows? So here I am again, really, really, really not wanting to rip it out and do it again, but... (on the positive side, I'm finally getting better at 2-handed 2-color purling, and frogging would give me even more practice)


Still have to frog these too. Gift for a friend -- and they're too tight. Rather than going up a needle size I think I'll try to rechart the pattern, making each scale 7 ribs wide instead of 6.


But I didn't want to frog yesterday. So I cast on the Rockin' Sock club's August edition. No ripping in sight. Yet.

Double Cross

Perhaps a funny name choice, but what the heck. There are two crossed stitches after all. This is pair 15 for the 52-Pair Plunge. My own design based on a stitch pattern from one of Barbara Walker's books.

Yarn is Fleece Artist's Basic Merino Sock in Autumn. Knit on Addi Turbo US#1, Magic Loop.

I like the way this stitch pattern breaks up the colors in variegated yarn. Easy pattern to knit too. Three rows of essentially plain ribbing followed by two rows in which the crosses are made. On the first of the cross rows you do a yarnover before each knit stitch. Then on the second row, drop the stitches created by the yarnovers and slip the stitches that were knit to the right-hand needle. Pass the 1st two slipped stitches over the second two, transfer those two stitches back to the left needle and knit them. Then pickup the two stitches that passed over with the left needle tip and knit them. Hmmmm. I'll have to go back and read Walker's description. I'm sure she is much clearer.

I started the Coriolis socks from Cat Bordhi's new book yesterday. Measured my boat-like feet, figured out my gauge, looked up all the appropriated numbers in her charts and cast on. When I did the measurements I was a little confused about exactly where I was to position the tape for my mid-foot circumference. So I took several measurements -- difference between largest and smallest was more than an inch. Seemed like using an average was reasonable. By the time I'd reached my arch it was obvious that I was knitting a coverup for the Titanic. Frogged back to the point where the number of stitches matched my smallest measurement. Much better.

I am confused about the formula you use to determine how long to make the toe before starting on the arch section increases. I ended up deciding to just do what she says (foot length - (# of stitches around midfoot / rows per inch)) and put off trying to understand the why of it. Turns out that it did in fact give me the right length. Now if I can just wrap my brain around why... If anyone has an explanation please enlighten me.

Squiggles

Finished pair 14 for the 52-pair Plunge last night. They're my own design and I've finally decided to dub them "Squiggles" -- unless I find that someone else is already using that name. (This is the same pattern as the pair I'd finished a few weeks ago and had been calling "FootseyFoo" after the STR colorway of the yarn from which they'd been knit.)


These are knit of Fleece Artist Basic Merino Socks in Mahogany. The pattern stitch is based on #39 from a Japanese book of 500 pattern stitches. Cuff down, magic loop on Addi Turbo Lace US#1.




Last Thursday I received a copy of Cat Bordhi's new sock book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters (book one). Wow! What an amazing, inspiring gem. The concepts she presents and possibilities they open up are delightful to think about. Although I wanted to dig right in and start knitting one of her patterns for myself, for once I was a good girl and knit the two baby "learning" socks as she strongly recommends. Now that I've finished the Squiggles I'm all set to take some measurements, determine my master numbers, and knit myself some "different" socks.