Knitting

Socks From Peruvian Merino

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I didn’t buy the yarn in Peru – I received it as a Christmas/Birthday gift. I liked the feel of the skein so decided to use it right away.

It was a lovely yarn to work with – single ply (most sock yarn is a light weight 4-ply), superwash Marino, lightly spun so it stayed together nicely as I was knitting. 

The skein had been hand-dyed variegated – no predominant colour but lots of subtle hue changes with something like a 8-10 row repeat. In the photo the socks look somewhat brown but the predominant colour when knit is more golden.

Because the yarn was 100% merino I decided to use a regular sock yarn with 20% polyamide fibre for heels and toes figuring the merino was likely too fragile for these heavy wear areas.

I really enjoyed knitting with the yarn! The socks are now in my sock drawer.

Sock Makeovers

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A week ago I was handed three pairs of socks in need of repair. Two pairs need new heels; the third needs new heels and instep. 

What you see here are the socks with the damaged parts cut out and a yarn stitch-holder in place. It’s taken a couple of hours to do this prep work. I did two pairs last night; just finished setting up the more damaged pair. I don’t have leftover yarn that matches exactly but I can come close. So now all three pairs are ready for me to begin knitting. 

Once the repairs are done the socks will get a good shaving to remove all the pills and they’ll be as good as new. I’m willing to do the repairs – takes a fraction of the time needed to knit a whole pair!

However before I start working on these socks I want to finish the pair I’m currently working on. It’ll be three-four days before I get to these.

Socks For Charlie

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Finished last night. In the mail today! Charlie’s 4 years old (almost). Foot length 6 1/2″. His legs are still a bit chunky so I used 52 stitches, 40 rows leg length. Took four evenings to make. He said he liked yellow – I didn’t have much in the way of yellow leftovers. I came was close as I could, augmented with complementary colours.

Now I need a picture with Charlie wearing them! Then I’m expecting an order for two more pairs: one for Noah (nine), one for Mattie (seven) – I’ll need foot lengths, though.

Hey, the socks fit!

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Second Knit Hat

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I finished the second knit hat a couple of days ago. As you can see, it’s LARGE before its felted.
I did the felting last evening – just about 15 minutes in very hot water in the washing machine, agitating it with a drop of detergent. I rinsed the hat by hand and wring it out with a towel.

Filled the crown with crushed newsprint, set the hat over a mixing bowl, then set the inverted bowl over one of the heating vents. The hat was dry this morning.

I used a bit of the yarn from hat #1 for a “band”, mostly because I wasn’t sure I had enough red to complete the hat. I like the contrast!

Now to wear it!

So Here – Another Pair Of Socks

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Slightly larger than my standard sock – I began with 4 more stitches for the ribbing (72 rather than my usual 68) with a decrease at row 25, and a second decrease at row 45 for a total of 64 stitches at the ankle. The foot is also longer – 62 rows after the gusset instead of the 50 I usually knit for socks for someone wearing size 7 1/2-8 shoes.

I made this pair for a woman friend – I thought about sending them to Charles, Andrea’s husband, although I wasn’t sure he’d wear pink (there isn’t a lot in these socks but there is some). I’ll get them in the mail tomorrow.

I’m now working on a small pair for 4 year-old Charlie (who has a 6 1/2″ foot). Yellow he asked for, so yellow it is. I had some yellow leftover yarn which will get me to the instep and then I will have to improvise from there.

The socks finally arrived and they fit beautifully and Sab loves them!

Felted Knit Hat

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Too bad I didn’t think to take pictures of the hat before I felted it – when I put on the finished hat (before felting) I looked like the cat in the hat with this enormous thing covering my head down to my nose!

Last night I put the hat in a small amount of very hot water in my washing machine, agitated it for about ten minutes – and suddenly the hat was half the size, felted and it fit. I wrung it out in a towel, stuffed the top of the crown with crushed newspaper, and placed the hat over an inverted bowl to dry.

It’ll look good with my navy coat, my maroon corduroy jacket, and even my red parka! I’m now knitting another in red (with a contrasting band at the base of the crown from the yarn I used for this hat).


OK – here is the hat with a smile!

Yet Another Pair

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Finished these socks last evening. Made from two different leftover patterned yarns (plus some complementary solid). The combination worked out reasonably well.

I’m coming to the end of leftovers – another pair or two – and then I’ll need to buy more variegated sock yarn.

I started a brimmed hat before leaving for Newfoundland. I’ll get back to it later this evening after I get home.

Child Socks #2

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I was asked for pink – here is pink.

Foot length – 11 cm (shorter than the first pair at 14 cm).

Should fit better than the first pair.

I’m working from leftovers so the next pair will be red with a bit of white for contrast (I was sorry I hadn’t used a bit of white in the grownup pair – this pair will have a tiny bit of white).

Pictures of the third pair in a day or two!

Knitting Socks

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I had to share the following conversation!

Charlie will be four in February. I was Facetiming with him the other evening. I don’t remember discussing knitting socks, but maybe I did show him the small pair I was working on. Obviously Charlie made some kind of connection because I got the following text today from my nephew (Charlie’s dad).

This morning:

Charlie: Where’s Aunt Judith?

Mom: In Halifax 

Charlie: Is she hanging out with her family making socks?

I promptly wrote back – “Better measure his feet; he’ll be next on the list.”

Actually I need to get the shoe size of his two older brothers. Can’t knit socks for one and not the older two!