Magic Square Completed... and Socks

Here is Robin's Magic Square completed.  The smallest version.  Very clever.  I like the whole idea.  I hope to have a go at it myself eventually.  Robin's version is very nice.

I suppose I could also just make more of this version and join them together to make a larger piece.  That would look nice too.

And here are my blue socks (the pair before the pair I'm currently working on).  I liked the lace stitch which may look complicated but was an 8-row repeat which was easy to memorise.  I knitted those two at the same time on one long circular needle.  The pattern is Horseshoe Lace Socks by Christina.

I've rediscovered my love of wearing hand-knit wool socks.  In the cold winter days, they are very cosy and warm in my shoes.  The only problem is that I can only wear them with my "bigger" shoes as they are thicker than ordinary bought socks.  

Best wishes,

Frivole

Had to Give This a Go...

Ever since I saw this for the first time, I kept thinking I'd just have to give it a try!  I'm knitting another pair of socks (should show you the last pair I made, I forgot to post about it).  Using leftover wool from other pairs.  This is a pair of socks, at the same time, on one circular needle... knitting one sock inside the other!

It just had to be tried.  So you knit with two balls of wool, one for each sock.  Mine are front to front so I'm knitting the back of the outside sock and the front of the inside sock.  I'm purling the outside sock and knitting the inside sock.

So far so good.   It'll get interesting once it's time to start turning the heel!

I pulled the inside sock out a bit so hopefully you can see how it works.  Purl one stitch from the outside sock, then knit one stitch from the inside sock, and so on.  While you're working the inside sock is hidden so it just looks like you're working on one sock.

Now I've written it and thinking about it, I don't know why you couldn't knit both socks instead of purling one and knitting the other... wonder if it's just so it's easier to keep them apart.  If you were knitting both, perhaps it would be easy to make a mistake and knit a stitch from the other sock when you're not supposed to and then your socks would be linked which you definitely don't want!

Anyway, I shall report back once I've tackled the heel!

Best wishes,

Frivole

Nearly There...

I thought it'd be interesting to show it to you one more time before I complete the square so you can see how you travel around the design...  I have one more repeat to do on the bottom left square and one in the centre part and two repeats on the last square which is also the first.

Nearly there!

Best wishes,

Frivole

Robin's Magic Square

Here is the piece from the previous post.  It's Robin Perfetti's Magic Square.  Very interesting and clever how it's constructed.  I was travelling when tatting this so it's just photographed on my lap as I worked.

You keep building from triangle to square,

turning one way or the next depending on the final size you want to achieve.

That's as far as I got.

You do have to keep thinking about which way you are going with this,

so you have to pay attention!  But I rather like the concept.

I'll show you the completed square soon.

Best wishes,

Frivole 

Small Doily....

Well, probably just a coaster really.  The lace is a couple of inches wide but the centre is about the size of a coaster. I'm going to find a small bit of fabric and sew the lace onto it.

It measures 5.5 in across and the centre is about 2.5 in wide.

Made in size 20 thread.

It was a beautiful sunny spring day when I finished it so I couldn't help going outside to photograph it in the sunshine, next to one of the first daffodils of the new year.

... and on top of a crochet blanket I've been working on.

I always like pink and green together.

I'm making good progress on that particular blanket.

I have finished all the squares (victorian lattice square by Destiny Wymore)

and am now working on the border.

Looking pretty with the sun streaming in through the window...

And lastly I made a start on another tatting project.

Not got very far yet but here's my beginning.

I like the shapes already.

More about this in the next post.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Another Pair...

When I crocheted the pair of wrist warmers from the last post, I was inspired to finally make the second one of another pair of wrist warmers I had started three years ago!  This one is in much finer wool (Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace) and worked with a 1.25mm hook.  I think the double lacy edge is so pretty and I had fallen in love with them when I first saw them in an old Molly Makes magazine from a few years back.  The originals were made in cotton but I fancied the warmth and cosiness of wool.

Anyway, at last, they're done!

And I'm making progress on my Schwenke tatting,

5 repeats done, 3 to go.

Best wishes,

Frivole