Sock and sock, or part sock and part sock.

Today there is a quick post, one and a half weeks left of work before the 'long holiday. Today had an extra treat at work because  Allison Goodrum was in town, and had arranged a visit to see the fashion school. I went all groupie and asked her to sign my copy of National Fabric, which she did, apparently never have been asked before (or so she said).  I have a sneaky suspicion that academics are thought to be above such things, taking copies of books to be signed ... but hey, if some one is able to put together a book that I want to read, and think has value, then why not ask. After all I've asked Annemor , and I know people ask the Yarn Harlot.

I've been knitting away at the last minute sock, with good progress. Look! I'm up to the gusset and might even make a heel tonight.

On KAL the slip -stitch pattern is working but is very subtle, more subtle than I expected. So subtle that I felt the need to highlight the slipped stitches so you could all understand what I hope the pattern looks like. In this image there are three columns of chains  created by slip stitches, the one to the left is highlighted, and the others playing hide-and-seek. I'm trying to work the bars behind the slip stitches tightly to dramatize the effect a little more, but as this is superwash it may all even out in the wash. My hope is that this effect is subtle enough to not scare a conservative man, and that with wear and washing the slip stitches might tighten and the chain pattern show up more as time goes by. There were a few other reasons to work this slip stitch pattern, first I liked the effect on a previous pair of socks, and perhaps most of all I wanted something that was interesting to work. Plain stocking stitch is fast but so-boring.

Because I've been busy on the KAL socks, and enjoying the subtlety of the slip stitches I've been ignoring the other project. Some small progress has been made ... but I am not yet working the heel, perhaps I can work them both at the same time?

The other thing that is on my mind right now is a semi anxious wait as I check the mail box each day to see if one of the  younger cubs Christmas presents has arrived. An ebay purchase of a sparkly mid 1980's marbled-pink fountain pen, quite inexpensive and just her style right now ...... you know it is almost as exciting to wait for things for other people as for oneself! Today a fabric rep called in to show his wares and those of us teaching 'practical' subjects had the fun of choosing fabric for the next years classes. Amongst all of that I found a pretty blue floral that I 'had' to order 2 meters of to make a new summer dress for younger cub. I must be getting old and forgetful as I ordered two lengths of fabric but can't remember what the other one is at all, I know it is pretty and 100% woven cotton,  - so hope I will be pleasantly surprised when it arrives in a few weeks.

Still haven't used the fabric I bought the last time he visited ....... so many fun things to do, so little time to fit them all in.

And if are into knit-geeky things like darning and mending and you don't follow Kate Davies blog, or do and have not caught up with her Worn post I do recommend a visit, I'm almost embarrassed to say that I've only just read that post. I tend to 'save' Kates posts for when I have time to savor them. 

Stella

KAL

usually KAL means Knit along ... but in my family  KAL is the initials of my Dad. Yesterday with only 22 days until Christmas I cast on a pair of socks for him. Our family takes Christmas quietly, there are traditions amongst us around gifts, for my dad we search high and low until we find a vintage tractor calender, and usually we add a generous gift card at a supermarket or hardware shop. This year I was knitting socks for both cubs and decided that my dad, their grandad probably needed a pair as well. The impetus was finishing the Bigger on the inside socks. So today there is the finished socks, the the socks that are one-point-four done, and new socks. With three socks discussed in this post today is indeed a sock day.

Bigger on the inside, all done, and on the lawn. This many daisies worries Bear, right now he is mowing the lawn. Details, Pattern worked toe up based on the cuff down Tardis Socks tribute pattern by Ellen Botilda, 2.25mm needle, circular, yarn a custom one off from Vintage Purls. Yarn left over = 11grams, Sock sized up to 72 stitches, as that cub has large paws. Interesting detail -  I worked the gusset in one by one rib, which may be something I do again.

You can just see the lines in the gusset that the rib creates, to get the lines running this way I placed the increases on the sole edge of the gusset. This was the bit that I frogged and reworked - just to get these ribs all neat and tidy - and they sort of work well with the slip stitched heel flap.

The Old school socks are making good progress, up to the gusset already. Once the heel is done on these - there is very little left to do as they are quite short. There is only one thing I would change if I was to work these again, so somehow integrate the pattern into the toe shape more --- I'm growing dissatisfied with socks where the pattern just starts once the toe is worked but haven't yet sorted out what my approach will be to integrating the sock instep pattern with the toe. Which leads me to ....

.... the KAL sock, here  I've tried to work the sock decoration inside the toe - in a very simple way. This yarn came with a sock club in 2009, Vintage Purls, and was intended for the sock design Mandorla. It was the most 'grandady' of the yarns I had in my sock drawer that I was willing to sacrifice for some one else. That sounds mean - but there is a lot of pale blue grey, and blue, and pink in there that wouldn't be appreciated by Grandad as much as by me. Selecting this yarn did make me aware that I should widen my colour selection if only to have yarns I want to use for other peoples socks. Pattern is one I made up, slip stitches in columns with a 'chain' or 'square' of slip stitchs every 9th and 11th rounds.So far so good and knitting up fast so promises to be done by Christmas - or perhaps it can be a New Year sock?

Take care, life here has finally returned to normal, the mad rush of ballet practices and concerts is done. There are no more weekend classes - although I do have a promise to older cub that once ballet was done he could have  sleep over for 5 friends, so there is that still to survive. there are only two more weeks of work, and school before the long summer holidays begin... and that feels timely and nice.

na Stella