Another Pair...

I finished it.  With a contrasting heel and toe and as mentioned in previous post, I added a few stitches before turning the heel to add a bit more depth in that area of the sock.  I think it's better.  I added just four stitches and I think next time I might add six as I don't like feeling tightness across the foot in that area.  That's one reason I really like gussets in socks.

I like the colours of this wool (Stylecraft Head Over Heels) but I'm not sure I like the bits where it looks like there's colour missing!  Can you see the nearly white lines?  I don't know if it's meant to be like that or if I had a bad batch?  Or maybe it's meant to look a bit like it's "painted"...


Anyway.  On to the next pair.  These will be for my Mother-in-law.  I wanted something pretty and lacy, and gentle, and soft...

It's much slower going with all the one-stitch cabling going on but I think they'll look nice.  I'm a big fan of cabling without a cable needle but one of the twists made with three stitches was a little hard to accomplish so I had to resort to a needle... or sorts!  I couldn't find mine so I searched for an alternative.  Turns out a toothpick (or cocktail stick) works great!  Just the right size and enough grip so the stitches don't slide off it while you work the twisting.  So there you go, if you're ever stuck without a cabling needle, reach for the cocktail sticks!  

Best wishes,

Frivole

Still Overcome...

... by sock madness!  As mentioned, I have several birthdays coming up and they're getting socks!  So look away for a while if you're a tatter and are bored by my socks (but please don't go away altogether as I will be back to tatting soon!).  This is the pair from the previous post which is now completed. The heel I tried in the end is the "Fish Lips Kiss Heel" - what a name!

Wool is Opal Rainforest "The Discoverer".

Here's a close-up of the heel. 

Not bad but I do find this type of heel doesn't give enough room at the instep.

I reserve judgment on the special stitch she uses and will

have to make a side-by-side comparison with other techniques

such as the German short-row.

I'm trying the next pair with a contrasting heel again,

but I will add a few stitches before turning the heel

to try to improve fit in that area.

Wool is Head Over Heels "Ingleborough"

by Stylecraft

Best wishes,

Currently-knitting-Frivole

Favourite Heel Please?

Sock knitters out there?  What's your favourite heel please?  I like to knit toe-up and I want to make a contrasting heel on my current pair of socks - which heel would you use for that?  I'm a big fan of the Fleegle heel but because the gusset is incorporated, I don't think it would work for a contrasting heel. The other one I use is a German short-row heel with re-inforced back and that doesn't work either for contrasting.  Can someone recommend a heel that would work?

So I finished the pair that I had started on the previous blogpost.  The wool is by West Yorkshire Spinners and it's from a bird series... this one is "pheasant".

The next pair is already started as you can see.

It's a bit of a mad fun wool by Opal.

I'm going with red toes and heels.

Hence the enquiry about the best heel.

I decided not to start these at the same spot on the repeat...

I just went with where I was after I split my 100gm ball in two.

And lastly, I was in need of a quick gift today

so I made this small Lavender sachet.

I was pleased to find a perfectly matching button

for the centre of my flower in my button box.

The flower is from here.

The sachet I made up as I went along.

The leaves are from here.

Best wishes,

Frivole

The Joy of Socks

After the slipper madness... I'm back to socks.  I have a couple of birthdays coming up and socks it's going to be.  I've really fallen in love again with knitting and wearing wool socks.  And I also really like giving them away as gifts.

But first, just one last photo of the slipper madness!

And this is the pair of socks I've just finished for a friend.

They will be in the post tomorrow.

She likes khaki.

I've used this pattern before - it's "Herringbone Lace Socks"

by Leslie Verts

Except I've done them toe-up instead with a re-enforced,

German-short row heel.

I also made myself some coat-hanger sock blockers,

they're not perfect but not a bad idea I can improve on 

And I started already on the next pair as

I have another birthday next month.

This time I've gone for a plain knit with a self-striping yarn.

I took the time to wind my one ball into two

centre-pull balls to make sure both socks match.

I punched two holes in my ziplock bag for the yarn to come out from

which keeps everything really neat and tidy and easy to work with.

Apologies to those who like to come to my blog for tatting as I've still not got back into it after my Christmas snowflakes... but I'm sure it won't be long before inspiration strikes and I pick up my shuttles again.  For now though, I'm enjoying knitting.  The West Yorkshire Spinners wool I'm using for the current pair of socks is really lovely and a joy to knit with.

Best wishes,

Frivole

An Idea

Well here we are:  the first post of 2018.  Another year gone by...

I wish you all a wonderfully Happy New Year!

Just before Christmas, my friend sent me a photo showing what she does with the snowflakes I send her every year...

She puts the snowflakes away after the Christmas holidays and then the following year, she takes them out again and hangs them from her lamp, adding the new one she has received.  I thought it was a nice idea.

I hope your new year is off to a great start!

Best wishes,

Frivole