Saturday 28 August 2010

Make It Right

How many times does it take to make it right. Sometimes quite a few.
I started this gift wedding sock with the cable pattern running up the top of the foot but decided that it was too lumpy and ripped back to the toe. I then worked some ribbing on the top of the foot, a short row heel and one repeat of the pattern on the leg. After my husband tried it on we decided that even though the groom had smaller feet it was a little tight. I ripped it back to the beginning of the heel and worked the heel over more stitches and changed to one size bigger needle to work the first repeat of the pattern. The increased needle size has made the pattern much easier to knit. That's probably a clue that I stumbled on the right size. Now we're cooking.
I am really comfortable with ripping out as you can see. This was not a frustrating experience, OK maybe a little tiny bit. It's always much worse if I have a deadline which I don't this time. I think the couple will stay married long enough for me to finish both pairs of wedding socks. Most of the time the ripping and reworking is worth it.
On the other hand there are small glitches which I can happily ignore. I screwed up a little on one corner of the short row heel but it didn't make a hole so I'm good with that. Not all of my cable stitches are even but washing is going to even them out. Every once in a while I think I might have forgotten to purl one of the background cross-over stitches. I'm very familiar with the stitch pattern now so I think this rendition is good enough.

Where is the 'good enough' line for you? When do you rip back to correct and what can you happily ignore?
-Deb

Thursday 26 August 2010

KAL for Multi-directional Knitting

KAL's, do you like them? (KAL stands for Knit Along)
Bernice and I have been discussing starting one each. I'm still at the thinking stage but Bernice (MommaBearKnits2) is way ahead of me. She's started a KAL for Multi-directional knitting with her new pattern -  Junior Compass. Multi-directional knitting is quite facinating and really fun to do. I haven't knit hte new compass patterns but I have knit several of the Baby 'J'.

This is the schematic for the Baby J.
Bernice and I both knit an adult JJ Jacket last summer. All of the 'J's were designed by Bernice Vollick. In her KAL she is going to set up each section of the Junior Compass sweater with drawings and knitting photos to help knitters move along through the pattern. Sounds like a great idea.

I'm going to start one in September based on one of our Cabin Fever books. Any preferences?
-Deb

Monday 23 August 2010

A quick rip-out and I''m back where I was. I think this wedding sock looks more like a man's sock now. Ribbing just seems to give it that gender slant.
So now imagine this ribbed foot with the cable above.
OK, it's a little difficult. I'll just keep knitting and then we'll see.
-Deb

Sunday 22 August 2010

I started my wedding socks with the man's sock.
I choose the last stitch pattern in the series I looked at (last post) because I thought it addressed the idea of marriage and I really, really like the stitch pattern. But I had some concerns. I consulted the man at my house and he agreed that a guy might not like all the bulk created by the cables running up his foot. At least he wouldn't want it. So I'm going to frog it back to the toe and put in ribbing which will flow into the cable pattern starting after the heel is done. I haven't made any all-over cable socks so I don't know how the feel is inside the shoe. I'd rather err on the side of caution when they are a gift.
-Deb

Thursday 19 August 2010

I'm going to try something new. It's personal knitting but I might end up writing it up once it's done. We'll see.

We went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago. My husband and I had shopped around, thought a lot and still couldn't think of a good wedding present which was personal from us to the couple. So I have decided to knit them socks - wedding socks. I thought this would be no problem but how do I knit wedding socks?
I started cruising the Stitch Dictionaries trying to figure out if any of the patterns reminded me of marriage or weddings. Warning, it gets a little fanciful here. These are all from Barbara Walker's Treasuries Vol. 1-4.
This pattern reminds me of the wedding day where the marriage brings the families and friends of 2 people together for the day. These relationships continue to run through the couple's relationship.

This pattern sort of says the same thing to me but it's not as busy. The couple (the cable?) are more solidly together here and well, I just like lace and cables together. This pattern is in The New Knitting Stitch Library by Leslie Stanfield.
Trying to come up with a man's sock has me stymied at the best of times. How does this one grab you? I like the big cable with garter stitch going out the side. It's a nice one to knit.
This pattern I love. It reminds me of the bride's dress.

This reminds me of marriage in general, sometimes it gets wonky but if you can stay in parallel going in the same direction it can work. I wouldn't do the little pods on the side but the cable is pretty cool.

I really like this one with the cables threading through each other, different but together. This one is a distinct possibility and would be interesting to knit up.

Is this a weird thing to do? Have you tried it? It does make one think. Why this pattern and not that one? It surprising how it clarifies what you think about the subject you are trying to represent.
-Deb

Tuesday 17 August 2010

We've been busy on Ravelry. We now have patterns for sale there. We also have a Cabin Fever group going  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/cabin-fever .  And I realized that I haven't mentioned the KnitTrade show on the blog yet. Yes, I've been keeping secrets from you. Lynda and I have been working behind the scenes on a new knitting trade show.

This show came about because every time Lynda and I went to a trade show in the U.S. we left saying 'too bad there isn't a show like this at home in Ontario'. Since no one else seemed to be picking up on this great idea, we decided that maybe we ought to.

The new KnitTrade Show, what is it and who can go?

I'm assuming most of the readers here are knitters and not in the biz. But if you are, in the biz that is, this show is for you.
A trade show is for the trade, as in anyone who is involved in the knitting business. The big word to note there is Business. It's a place for people who work in the knitting industry to get together and see what's new, where the trends are going and who's doing what. It's a place where wholesalers can put all their product out in a booth and shop owners can take a look and buy or order. It's a place where designers can check out yarn and see if the yarn supplier would like some designs done. It's a place where teachers can talk to store owners. It's a place where wholesale vendors can talk to other wholesale vendors and make a deal.

Sorry but The KnitTrade show is NOT open to the public. Sorry, sorry. BUT if you have a vendors permit, dye yarn and sell it, work as a pattern writer, designer, teacher, test knitter, custom knitter, own a shop, work in a shop, etc. you can register and come on out. We'd love to see you there. You can come as a wholesale vendor or as a buyer. Everyone must register and get a name badge. It's the rules.

As a customer of your local yarn shop you will see the results of this show. You might see a new yarn, classes by a new teacher, new books or new patterns showing up in the store. Your local store owner is there on your behalf checking out what you might like.

This tooting of our horn is rather uncomfortable so no more plugs. I have done a mailing to everyone I know who is in the knitting business and lives within driving distance of the show. If I've missed anyone, please email us at info@knittrade.com  or go to The Knittrade Show and check it out.

We're going to be there, we've taken the plunge. The KnitTrade show is on September 19, 2010. Yep, that's in a few weeks, yikes!
Next time I'll be back to my usual blog business: Socks yet, ha, ha. I'm not finished with them yet.
-Deb

Sunday 15 August 2010

Surprise, it's not a sock.
Have you ever gone back to a sweater you have knit before and worked it all over again? How could I have forgetten so much of the pattern? This is the Hurdy Gurdy from the Baby V booklet which I have knit a couple of times before. But it was a whole new experience knitting it again after quite a bit of time had passed since the last one. I had to read the pattern quite carefully because I found myself making assumptions, the biggest assumption being that I remembered it in all it's details. It was fun and the colours came out beautifully.
-Deb

Thursday 5 August 2010

There they are.
You can count them but I think there are 24 socks there. I have 2 that I have to finish up tonight. Lots and lots of socks. I knit some, my mom knit some and Brenda knit some.

Doing a book is a long project. I checked on the blog, I started knitting socks at the beginning of May. That's 3 months of sock knitting. I did do some other knitting but it's rather vague at the moment. I really enjoy the challenge of the long project. There are times when things lag badly and times when it's quite exciting. When things are flagging I have to think up something interesting to get myself going again and that often leads to a little twist on what I'm doing and I'm flying again. Keeping the end in view really helps. And we're near the end.

These socks are going to the photographer tomorrow. Hoorah!
-Deb

Wednesday 4 August 2010

I'm so excited. I'm just finishing my last sock. Tomorrow I'm going to pile them all up and show you the stack 'o socks. Right now I have a toe to finish.
-Deb