Thursday, February 28, 2008

Bayerische heel mods

on last complete 16 row repeat BEFORE heel split

increase heel side:
1 st each side every second row IN THE MIDDLE of Chart D, making 16 extra sts for heel flap.

on row 16, complete instep as per instructions,
on HEEL side:
Purl 8 sts each side then, K1tbl, P1, doing, stitch swaps (RT) on the centre panel, until last 2 purls, P2tog to make 1, so rib is even between the 8 wedge shaped purl panel. Short row heel to centre panel 19 sts. then back, keeping rib panel to complete the heel.
Edit: I wasn't very happy with the end result. I'm going to rip it back to the heel divide and try for a band heel on the centre back ribs only. As the picture shows.
Foot shaping:
Next row:
pick up the st between the split to eliminate hole.

on instep: dec purl in the middle of cable (making 3-3 cable)UNDER THE CABLE, then dec remaining purls in the cables every 3rd row, before next cable is due.

at the same time:
after completing the cable row, start decreasing the purls on the heel side, 1 st every second row.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Leftover Sock Rug

I did a square for Ravelry's Thom Afghan and posted it off to the US with a couple of cards popped into the enve for Jennifer the Pacific Rim assembler. I followed the group's direction for mine (5 or 8ply/ machine wash 10x10cm square).

I was so thrilled with the ease of making it, off I went to my very big bag of left over scraps, I'm such a bower bird - I can't bear to chuck out really good quality sock wool - well my rug is started.
I've done about 7 big squares and 2 little ones. They will make a wonderfully warm rug .

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

My Amended Short Row Heel for Large Heel Bone

I have a large heel bone to knit socks around. Here is my short row heel method:

My rules for short rows:
1 On the knit row, slip the first st purlwise
2 On the purl row, slip the first st knitwise
3 One st less is worked every row, the first st each row is wrapped
4 The yarn always stays on the right side (public side/ outside of your sock)
5 The yarn on the wrap is taught/ not too tight/ not too loose. (if you put some yarn over your finger, it feels like it holds without slipping, but wouldn't dig into your skin or slip off either.).
Divide heel into 2 equal sides, knit across the instep keeping to your pattern, if you are doing one. On the heel side, increase at least 6 st evenly across the heel.
Turn.
KEEP YOUR YARN ON THE RIGHT SIDE DO NOT MOVE IT. or else!!!
**Move YOUR LEFT NEEDLE ONLY - NO NOT THE YARN LEAVE IT ALONE!!!
Slip the first st (remember rules 1 & 2) completely off the needle. YES, off.
Put your right needle into the next st, ready to knit/purl NOW move the yarn firmly OVER THE TOP of the slip st and knit/purl the st.**
and purl(or knit) to the end of the heel divi. reducing one st each turn.
Turn .** Repeat until you have 16st left (if you have narrow heel you can do less, but the 8 I've seen in some patterns leaves a silly little pointy flappy bit)
On the way back:
You could do two rows of knit on the heel section only, (place marker) knit to end - all stitches W&T, knit to end - All stitches, W&T, knit back to marker (remove marker). Now knit all the way back (when you get to the wrapped stitch, knit though it, knit 1, W&T).
On the purl row, purl the wrapped st normally
On the knit row, knit the wrapped st through the back/centre of the loops, is if to twist the st (but it doesn't)
I always make a wrap st on the way back, so I end up with an extra wrap st to knit off.
Knit to the first of the wrapped stitches, turn and wrap,
purl to the first of the wrapped sts, turn and wrap.
Knit to the wraps, knit the first 2 wrapped sts, turn and wrap,
Purl to the wraps, purl the first 2 wrapped sts, turn and wrap,
Repeat these last two rows until no wraps left.
Work one complete round. Putting a marker next to your instep divi. Reduce 1 st each side of marker every 2nd row until you have reached your original st count.

Fish and Chippies socks finished

All done.

Choose a pattern from a stitch dictonary and drop into your basic sock pattern:

This one, Harmony guides Fish Scale Lace Panel (which is quite similar to one panel of Monkey socks pattern) and a 5 sts seed panel, this one - p, k, seed st (k row 1, p row 2), k, p.

Divide your sock into two - position Fishy panel in the centre of the front and back. Put a 5sts seed panel each side of them, then the left over sts on each side is done in plain sts, but I decided to put a couple of rows purl (or garter) on the side, for the chippies.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Fish and Chippies socks - Band Heel

Criminy Jickets: Band Heel

Sock Knitter's Anonymous has challenged to try a new heel and provided a list of ideas. I've done the Eye of Partridge heel with limited success, but modified the short rows heel to fit perfectly for all but ankle socks. The problem I've got with the heel flap has to be really long to go around/over my large heel bone, but it always left a really tight couple of cm at the start, then so many stitches thereafter to get rid of. The best I could come up with was to reduce every 4th row 3 times, then ev 2nd for 10 x, then every row. It's the lack of stretch, the length of the flap and the 4cm difference between my ankle and foot size that creates my problems. So still searching for a heel for ankle socks, I thought I'd try Band Heel for my latest ankle socks.

I put an extra 4 sts across the flap and did it in stst, it all worked beautifully. I've taken off the extra 4 flap sts, then the 4 sts from the ankles - every 2nd row. I'm using the white left over from the Diamond and Eyelet socks, for stipes on the band, the heel and toe. The Band Heel looks good in the white, looks like it's the right size, seems to fit ok, can't wait to road test them in the coming weeks.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Bayerische Mods

Total of stitches knitted yesterday: 416. Not a good day for sock growth. All is not lost however, because here are my mods to the instructions: (k = k1tbl) (cn= cable needle) (lhn = left hand needle & rhn right..)

For the 7 sisters cable: Front or Back: put first 3 sts on cn1, next (centre purl) on cn2, kpk next on lhn, p cn2, kpk cn1. Much better for me. (Sanity, dexterity, patience, temper, enjoyment of knitting etc)

For 2st swaps: common sense: no need for extra stuff clogging up my instructions - just swap 'em and keep to the pattern, the simpler the better for me, less chance of stuffing it up:

On side panel (chart D), in rows 6-12, the ribs are replaced by purl sts.

All right swaps (crosses or twists) go onto the right needle.
All left swaps stay where they are.
All swaps have the non knitting needle going to back of **2nd st, see above.
The same needle drops the 1st st, picks up and puts in front of the **2nd st.
All dropped sts are picked up on the front of work.
Swapped sts are worked as per the st below it. Except where the two outer knits are switched purls then back again in rows 6-12 in Chart D.

Right swaps: put next 2 onto rhn, put tip of lhn into back of 2nd st on it (the old first st on the lhn) hold with left thumbnail and forefinger at the base of both sts, slip both sts off rhn and pick up 1st st with rhn. K or p whichever it is supposed to be.

Left swaps: put tip of rhn into back of 2nd st hold with right thumbnail and forefinger at the base of both sts, slip both sts off lhn and pick up 1st st with lhn. K or p whichever it is supposed to be.

Ready to begin another day's knitting to see how mods go.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Bayerische Extra Large size update

Had to redo cast on with 2.5mm needles (but used Norwegian) as was too tight.

Only problem so far is should have done 82st cast on for 104st leg, not 84. The added 4 st repeat in the centre panels means 3 rpts not 2 in the 15th row. Instead I did the 3 rpts in the centre panel, and re did the last panel increases: replaces last sentence "Purl into...p1." with M1purlwise, K1tbl, p1, swap next 2 sts around = (cable front= slip right needle into the back of 2nd st (purl) put thumb under both and slip both off the needle, pick up the knit st with the left needle, return the purl back onto the left needle, then p1, k1tbl.), k1tbl, m1purlwise, p1, m1knitwise, k1tbl, p1.
Return to instructions and do the other side of the sock.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Bayerische Socks

I'm going to break my "rule" of only knitting one pair of socks at a time. There's a Ravelry group doing them in February and it is too good an opportunity to miss joining. It's a tricky pattern and Eunny hasn't put it in PDF, hopefully many have knitted it before so the bugs will be out of it. I've had the spreadsheet done for a while, added 4 sts to the centre panels just need to recheck symbols and calculations later today. Looks like 84st CO, 104 leg will do just nicely.

I'm happy to take my time with this project, do enough to keep up with the group while finishing the Fish and Chippies socks, then will give them my full attention.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Embossed Leaves Socks


done in Chubby Merino Sock wool from the Knittery. these were really nice and quick to do, loved the pattern, loved knitting the wool and really loved the effect that Daphne was able to give the wool. It's got a very nice washed denim style look, but with purplish undertone.

(photo when it stops raining)