Category: Knitting

Finished! A few days ago, I finally got around to completing these hand knit socks.

Handknit socks are the only type of socks that I wear. My daughter enjoys them too and has a nice selection. I find that hand knit socks are extremely comfortable. They feel like a soft hug for your feet and last a long time. I normally knit socks with size 0 Hiya Hiya circular needles. Sometimes, I’ll go up to a size 2, but that’s rare.

These socks were knit toe-up, two at a time. They were knit using size 000 and size 0 Hiya Hiya circular knitting (sock) needles. I used lace weight yarn to create these socks.

I must say these socks took a long time to knit (perhaps two months) simply because I didn’t have too much time to knit.

I normally can complete a pair of socks in a week. However, I managed to squeeze a few moments whenever I had the chance. There were some days when I was only able to knit for perhaps three minutes.

How do I spend my free time? The majority of my free time is spent with my daughter and working on crafts. Now and again you will find me online and on the rare occasion watching something on TV, but those activities are way down the list since I much prefer entertaining myself with a craft such as knitting, spinning, weaving or soapmaking and of course top on that list is spending time with my daughter.

In the above picture, you’ll see socks that I had started. I will be frogging (ripping out the stitches) those socks and and recreating new socks for my daughter. Why? She loves the color.

A few weeks ago, I finally finished the navy blue school socks that I made for my daughter. It’s the only color she can wear at her Lutheran School. They were made from 70% merino and 30% silk. I’ll have to post a picture. She’s received compliments on them. She says they are her favorite socks. Merino can be incredibly soft, the merino in those socks fall in that category. If I were to guess, I’d say their micron count is 15. (The lower the micron count, the softer the fiber will be.) The silk adds durability. Those socks should last a long time.

The past few weeks I haven’t had too much time to knit which means, my daughters school socks have been languishing. Some days, I’ve only been able to knit a few rows (like toda) and others? I haven’t knit anything although I have engaged in some craft like soapmaking.

Well I’m thrilled to say that my daughter’s socks are almost finished. I’m hoping to complete them within the next few days. The picture attached in this photo was taken this past Tuesday, 3/14/17.

Drum carders have been on my radar since a few months after purchasing my Kromski Sonata (which I’ve named Ruth) spinning wheel, which I named Ruth. I bought her last February. Since the carder is most definitely a ‘want’ I put that item on the back burner, however, within the next few months, I’ll be turning that want into a reality and so I’m back to researching drum carders again. Eventually, I will be selling some of the fleeces that I do process and I’m thinking a medium sized drum carder would suit me well. No rush, I’m still looking.

My non-fiber related share is that that last Thursday, I purchased a Toyota Prius. The used car dealer brought it by the house. He let me take it for a test drive while he waited at the house. My goodness is it quiet. I can’t hear this vehicle when it’s running. Needless to say, he left our home without that Prius. He’d brought another person with him in case I purchased the vehicle. After he left, I went online and a few clicks later and I had insurance for my ‘new to me’ vehicle and about five minutes later, I placed another call to him to share the insurance information. Why? He’d offered to pick up the tags for me if I wanted him to. Wasn’t that nice? I did.  Since this was purchased at a used car dealership, it has been inspected. Do you what’s even more amazing? I’ve been waiting for a used Prius for about two years. It was something I’ve been praying about, but refused to jump at other opportunities. Of course I did my research, on my Prius, and researched it’s history and it checks out fine.

Don’t get me started on the mileage I’m receiving. In my Ford Expedition, 12 miles regular driving and perhaps 18 miles per gallon on the highway! Yes, that hurt. With the Prius? I’m currently I’m averaging 41 miles per gallon and on the high 51 miles per gallon. It only holds 9.9 gallons of gas and uses gas and electric. I’m definitely loving this hybrid and when I do have to purchase another vehicle (which hopefully won’t be for years down the road) it’ll most likely be another hybrid and yes… next month, I’ll start saving for my next car. By the time I need another (Lord willing years down the road) the funds will be there, just like this time. Ants and honeybees are my favorite insects, as a child, I would observe them for long periods of time as they went about performing their tasks. I was always impressed with their work ethic and it’s something I determined I would emulate. I had wonderful examples with my parents. Which brings to mind the following verse…

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,

7 Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,

8 Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
New American Standard Bible

But back to my ‘new to me vehicle.’ It’s a 2003 Toyota Prius. That’s the first generation, second generation was produced in 2004. This car has only two owners, and they were maintained well.  This car does has 142, 000 miles. The mileage doesn’t phase me. High mileage is something that I’m seeing with a lot of Prius users and while I knew a a bit about them before, since acquiring one for myself I’ve done a lot of research as I do with anything. I’m not phased. I’ve read a lot about Prius’s and one thing they are known for is their mileage. That’s the first generation. And while I’ve always purchased used cars and have always paid for them in full. I dislike debt, and so I don’t have any. I must say that this is the oldest car that I have purchased and I love my Toyota Prius.

Oh by the way, I’ve named my Prius Naomi. I don’t usually name items. In fact, this is only the second item I named. The first being my Kromski Sonata, which I called… Ruth.

Towards the end of last week, I finally had the chance to take my brand new hand-knit socks for  test drive. These are the socks that are a blend of superfine merino and yak. I wore them to the gym! Of course, I took them off for my downtime in the sauna (which lasts and hour). Upon showering and returning home, I did not take them off my feet.

Yes, they felt that good. It’s still much too early to tell how they’ll hold up in several months. However, additional research seem to confirm my initial conclusions of yak. It appears to be a sturdy fiber. These socks have already been hand washed (twice) and they still look great, no pilling. I truly hope they are durable, because if so, I’ll definitely be purchasing more of that yarn. This blend is from Juniper Moon Farm – Tenzing, it’s sports weight,60% superfine merino wool and 40% yak. I specifically chose this blend because of the yak.

I didn’t follow someones pattern for the above socks.

Row 1: k2, p2

Row 2: Knit (repeat rows until you’ve reached desired length)

If I am knitting a patterned sock I don’t use a design on the sole of the sock. I much prefer using a simple stockinette stitch and then I pick up the pattern after finishing the heel.

 

Do you remember this photo? I was knitting socks four at a time, but last week, I removed the socks on the right (daughter’s school socks) and put them on their own 40″ cable. I’ve decided to focus solely on her hand-knit socks and so they’ll be knit two at a time. How did I transfer them? I knit the new stitches onto the new interchangeable knitting needles with the 40″ cable. It worked perfectly. By the way, I used my needles from my new Hiya Hiya Sharps Sock interchangeable needles.  I used my size 0 needles.

Unlike the socks in the first picture,  I’m actually following a pattern for these socks. They’re called the Olympian socks and they were designed by Sheryl Giles. It’s free on Raverly! For this yarn, I chose Valley Yarns – Charlemont. It’s fingering weight and is a blend of 60% Fine Superwash Merino Wool/ 20% Silk/ 20% Polyamide. I tend to stay away from superwash and nylon, but since these were going to receive a lot of abuse, while she’s at school, I decided now was not the time to get picky. I do believe it will take at least one more week to complete these socks. They are going to be knee-highs and I’m on limited time.

The month is almost over and I’ve only knit one pair of hand-knit socks in February. Which brings the total number of socks that I’ve knit for 2017 to be six. My goal is make 20 hand-knit socks this year. I have 14 more pairs of hand-knit socks to complete. Barring anything out of the ordinary happening, I think that’s doable.