Third pair of tiny child’s socks done.
Although there’s no green in the yarn, they look kinda Christmas-y. If the socks fit, she should have fun wearing them.
Now back to the grown-up pair I was working on before I started these small socks.
Knitting
Child Socks #2
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
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!
Child Socks #1
Day before yesterday a friend sent an email asking if I’d be willing to make a couple of pairs of socks for a young child – she’s almost four but she’s small with very tiny feet.
I dug out some leftover yarn from my stash and had a go. Forty stitches, 3″ of leg, turn the heel, decrease through the gusset, then the foot – I had no idea how long to make the foot! My sock charts suggested 13 cm for a size 3-5 shoe – so 13 cm it was.
Took the socks to show my neighbour (who happens to be knitting kids’ socks right now) – oh they’re too short for a 4 year-old, she said. So I contacted my friend and asked for the actual length of the child’s foot – 10 cm! So this first pair of socks will be TOO big (I’ll send them along to grow into…).
I’ve started a second pair – 40 stitches cast on, but I’ll decrease to 36 after 8 rows (if her feet are that small, her ankles will also be tiny). Then I’ll do a foot that’s 10 1/2 cm. The problem is if the sock is too big it will bunch inside her shoe/sneaker and be uncomfortable. The joy of wearing hand-knit socks is how wonderful they feel if they’re the right size.
Pictures of the second pair in a day or two….
Socks: “PairPerfect”
Just finished:
The Regia Yarn company has introduced a new yarn this season: “PairPerfect” – the ball of yarn comes with yellow lead threads which you cut off when you begin to knit the sock. When you’re finished the first sock you pull the yarn out until you reach the second yellow lead, remove it and start knitting using the patterned yarn again – and there you have two matched socks.
I’ve never had any difficulty matching two socks using patterned yarn – although providing the leads does make it very simple – my only reservation is the patterns in the yarn are relatively boring. To liven up this striped pattern I inserted solid heels and toes using a yarn close in colour to the cuff (which is part of the patterned sock yarn).
This pair turned out fine, but I don’t think I’ll use it again.
New Socks
Another pair of socks finished last night.
There’s enough leftover to do a pair of legs so I’ve put that yarn in the scrap box to use sometime. With a bergundy yarn (and I have nearly a full ball) they’ll turn out fine.
Never leave the needles empty – started another pair as soon as these were done.
Shawl Update
I bought this scarf/shawl last year. I loved the woven fabric even though the shawl itself was constructed as a closed loop. I couldn’t figure out how to wear it so I decided to open it up. But the fabric was a bit too short to use as a shawl and too wide to wear as a scarf.
Many of the small hanks of alpaca yarn I picked up while in Maximo’s workshop seemed to be in color blends I could use for a fringe on the shawl to extend the length. Added the fringe yesterday.
Turned out rather well! I had it on last evening. I can see I will now use it.
Knitting…
Another pair of socks from leftover yarn. Finished last evening. I unrolled the yarn, counting the number of repeats; divided the yarn in half and started knitting trying to judge just how far the variegated yarn would go. I interspersed a soft green solid at the beginning of each repeat. It worked out well – I was able to extend the patterned yarn past the middle of the foot.
And now on to the next pair.
Latest Socks
Another pair from leftovers. I see now the cuff should have been in the purple rather in light blue – had I done that the color would have flowed from dark to light. I could change the cuff by unraveling this one and knitting a new one from sock to edge – but really that’s more work than it’s worth! They’ve been put in my sock drawer as they are. That’s it without taking a couple of pair out!
Something New From Leftovers
Been working away at this pair of socks for the past couple of weeks – slowly, in part, because the weather has been so humid the yarn was sticky and difficult to knit with, and because there was tennis on TV! Can’t knit and watch tennis, too.
The weather cooled and became a bit drier just before the weekend so I could knit again (and the US Open 2015 didn’t start till today). Finished this pair last evening.
I’m determined to use up the leg-length leftovers I have in the stash before I buy any more yarn. I’ve gone through the basket and matched up the yarns with one another and with solids – put the balls in plastic bags – enough in each bag for one pair of socks. It looks like I might have leftover yarn for a half a dozen pairs.
This is the first of the “leftover” socks. You can barely tell there are two different patterned yarns – they are interesting enough that I’ve put them in my sock drawer.
Now on to the next pair in blues, mauves & purples.
jmn 