Roll Call for Passap socks

Thought I'd do a roll call of the socks I've put through the Passap since I started reducing my stash in May. The left overs have been put into my Joseph sock scrap rug.

1. Long hot socks (blue) 200g = 840m =used about 830m
2. Jamaica Regia cotton 100g = 200m = used all of it = 200m (CT = 1030m)
3. Pegasus Regia cotton 100g = 200m = used all of it = 200m (CT = 1230m)
4. Anth's Hot socks 100g = 420m = used about 400m (CT = 1630m)
5. My Pink Patonyle 250g = 875m used about 830m (CT = 2460m)
6. Loz's Marokko 200g = 480m used about 470m (CT = 2930m)
7. Java Orion Regia Cotton 100g = 200m used all of it = 200m (CT = 3130m)
8. Instanbul Regia Cotton 100g = 200m used all of it = 200m (CT = 3330m)
9. Red MultiEffekts Regia 100g = 420m used about 415m (CT = 3745m)
10. Brown MultiEffekts 100g = 420m used about 415m (CT = 4160m)
11. Mineral Regia 200g = 840m used about 835m (CT = 4995m)
12. Atlantic Regia 200g = 840m used about 835m (CT = 5830m)
13. Blue Patonyle 250g = 875m used about 835m (CT = 6665m)
14. Sharyn's Green Hotsocks 100g = 420m used about 400m (CT = 7065m)
15. Anth's left over Pink less than 100g = about 230m (CT = 7295m)
16. Anth's left over Blue less than 100g = about 230m (CT = 7525m)
17. Shelly's toe up 100g = 420m used about 350m (CT = 7875m)
18. Shelly's toe up 100g = 420m used about 350m (CT = 8225m)
19. Heirloom pink/blue 100g = 420m used about 415m (CT = 8640m)
20. Aussie Oi Oi Oi Opal 100g = 420m used about 415m (CT = 9055m)
21. Green Hot Socks 100g = 420m used about 415m (CT = 9470m)
22. Beige long Hot socks 200g = 840m used about 835m (CT = 10,305m)

To Do List:

1. Jungle Regia 6ply 200g = 480m used about m (CT = m)
2. Sharyn's autumn hot socks 100g = 420m used about 400m (CT = m)
3. Sharyn's blue/black hot socks 100g = 420m used about 400m (CT = m)

Total of just over 10km!!! and about 1.5km to go to finish up the stash of self patterning. Have one box of sock yarn now.. good news indeed.

Now I'm sorry I added it all up.. OMG: but doesn't include that fact that I redid some of the long socks many many times.

Bannisters Cable Jumper Update

Going great guns/needles on the sleeves. I emailed Vogue to ask if I can post my pattern using their Stitchionary (Bk2) and yes I can, if I'm calling it "Bannisters" and to quote the source. Very good news indeed. So as soon as I finish the sleeves, I'll write out the pattern for the blog.

Boxed Cable Jumper Test Square

Did the test square last night for Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 2: Cables: #141 Boxed Cables. 28st/10cm unstretched; 20st/10cm stretched. OK to do 126 or 252 if I want to do it in the round.

Losing weight and Bannister Cable Jumper Update

I've got less then 20kg to go, and I'm still happily losing. My ongoing project is making sure that as clothes become too-bigs, they get chucked out. Some favourites are hard to part with, but there's no point in keeping them. So far every 12/13kg -ish has been a size change - two more sizes to go! I don't seem to be making a big dent in moving out the too-bigs pile either, even though I've been bagging and binning them, it's an avalance!! I do wish to remind that I was last 75kg in the early 80's, and no I don't have any clothes from then... oh yes I do, two jumpers... both way way too warm for everyday wear. I can finally see an end to my old neverending weight problem and I don't have enough clothes to wear next year, that's for sure, even though I've taken/worn/chucked lots of different sized clothes from a number of people (thank you all) to wear on my weigh down..
I'm going to use the middle of my wardrobe for my crafts stuff, I will need to get some shelving from Mr Plywood. (I "have" to clear out my craft in my spare room cause #1 dotter is back from her overseas travels and wants to move in..) It's a pity I've still got to keep some interim clothes to wear for the last kgs.

So I have too much wool stash (darn that Bendigo sale last year!) and not enough to wear in size 14/16 and not mentioning that I'm so sick of having 3/4 length sleeves and not long enough pants... It will be really nice to have long long long sleeves/body/legs again. I'm still optimistic that I will get to around 80kg by Christmas. Definitely will be around 75kg by next winter... which brings me to my next winter wardrobe projects:

Now for the Bannister update: my second new-sized super long jumper for next year. Finished the all in one body and did short row shaping and 3 needle bind off for the shoulders. I really like the look and after doing umpteen socks with short rows, I'm now an old hand. Then put the neckband on, well yarn was still attached! I decided to do the sleeves in the round so when it's all finished all I'll have to do is sew on the sleeves.

There are so many project I want to do, I've got my next two hand knit jumpers ready to start as well as heaps of ideas for the knitting machine.. and a huge stash to knit through. I don't want to start another project until I finish some things that I've got on the go. (the Oblique is still having a time out in the naughty corner after splitting one st into two, way way way way too many rows that I had to undo/redo as the darling pattern would not cooperate .. nope had to undo all those rows - if I hadn't done so much of it - I'd have put it into the frog pond. I thought a time out in the naughty corner was more appropriate than the ultimate punishment for not behaving.)

Toe Up Short Row Passap Socks

I delivered SnB friend Shelly's socks today. She kindly lent me her tiny toes feet to workshop toe up socks, on account of my long toes being tricky and I don't have any weights, nope, just have to wing it.. I got the basic pattern from the Passap Knits Yahoo group site, then off it's head to work it for me (us). For Shelly:
Prelim: CO 64 - 32 both beds; Handle down; 1st row: T1; N/N; pink.
Handle up: 2nd & 3rd rows: T3 CX/CX; pink.
Toe: T4.5; BX/GX; black; lock left, short row Wrap & Turn (W&T) to 16 sts and back. RC000.
Foot: T4.5; CX/CX; black; to RC 133.
Heel: T4.5; BX/GX; black; lock left, short row W & T 12 sts and back. RC000.
Leg: T4.5; CX/CX; black; to RC100. RC000.
Cuff: either take off machine and handknit rib OR, following instructions on the PassapKnits site:
put BB onto decker comb and drop. bring 1:1 needles division on back bed- Handle down, N/N, Pink, T3, knit 16Rows, T5 1 row, take off on waste yarn. Reposition BB stitched from decker combs, bring 1:1 needle divi on FB, T3, N/N, knit 16 rows, T5 1row, remove with waste yarn.
Cast off and Sew up cuff sides. TIGHTEN 1ST ROW before securing and weaving ends in. Didn't take any photos, cause I wasn't sure she would like the cuff, but as it was she did.

I've got the W&T down pat from ALL the kilometres of sock yarns I've put through the machine in the last few months.. I've nearly done all the self patterning yarn in my stash...nearly. I'm keeping some of the solid colours back and have plans to hand knit (must be mad mad mad but...) long socks next winter. Even got 4 balls of Regia silk from Jimmy's. Got some spare grey print stash to knit another short row socks for SIL. And Shelly gave me some sock wool for my scrap blanket, but after rewinding it, I might be able to get a pair of teeny tiny socks for her teeny tiny feet... But that's for tomorrow.

Long Socks Back Seam Decreases on the Passap

Further update on long socks workshop.

Back seam and quarter rotation - repositioning sts for heel:

C/0 (100), N/N, T 2.5, 50 rows. transfer front bed to back bed. T4.75 2 rows. Lock right.
Put half the (54) sts on the right onto decker combs, drop front bed, position combs and transfer. the centres will be on the centre of the machine. Reset RC 000.

CX/CX, T4.75, 20R; then ON THE RIGHT ONLY dec 1st each bed (2sts in all), with yellow tool (= push 3rd needle from the end up, take it off the needle with one of the prongs, collect the last 2 sts with both prongs, pull up and move across one, move edge spring, return end needle to resting position) every 15th row to (170)R; then every 10th row to (240)R (72sts). Continue working circular rounds until (300 ish rows) about 10 before dividing for the heel. (Rotating sts a few rows before heel divide prevents holes.)

Quarter rotation for heel:
(***Sometimes on the last round, locks at left, back lock set on DX, I put pushers on the back bed for only those stitches needed to be worked (last half), saving me undoing the front bed ones, once the transfer is complete)

Evenly divide the front bed onto two equal combs (try and put at least one so that the end will be in correct position when rotating). Drop front bed. Evenly divide back bed. YARN TO TOP OF WORK. CAREFULLY remove the right hand side half onto comb. Secure the remaining quarter of sts on the back bed by repositions edge spring and put a decker comb, prongs down between the sts and the back plastic plate thingy - prong it! prevents them jumping off the needles.

Rotate the three division combs so that the right hand side decreases will now become the centre of the front bed. (remember to move the yarn to the top of the work). Reposition the back quarter on the left, making sure you MISS the pronged sts, reposition the edge springs, CAREFULLY return all the needles, prong these too. Lift front bed, hold the sock (or put weights on) remove the prongs and CAREFULLY reposition the front sts. Prong the left half and ***Undo the sts on the right front bed- again CAREFULLY. Check all the sts are in the right place, continue knitting to heel divide.

Regia Marokko Inka Passap Knee Socks

Loz's Socks are great. We made them last Thursday so she could take them to Canberra. Here they are in 8ply:


C/O 64

Cuff: N/N, T6, 1:1 50 rows. Reset RC000

Legs: CX/CX, T7.5, 50R, then dec 2 sts ev 16 rows to 48sts.

Heel: BX/GX, short wrap down to 8 sts and back. RC000

Feet: CX/CX, 100R

Tow: dec 1st all ends (4sts in all) at RC = 100, 106, 110, 114, 118 then ev 2nd round till 8sts.