One Caprican Sock Done

Here is the end product of my first sock. I have to tell you that the more I knit , the more I learn about knitting and about how I knit. As I experienced decreases of two kinds, I leanred that not all decreases are the same lol. When you are doing an SSk if you slip the stitches as if to Knit, you get a beautiful decrease line. If you just slip them purlwise and knit through the back loop the decrease does not look as nice. If you are making just one decrease it makes no real difference, but when there is a sequence like in a sock, it makes a big difference.

The instep is shaped nice, it can be a bit tight , but it actually hugs the foot. It gives you and arch for foot support.

All in all this sock Pattern Oliver, is a great piece of work and I am hoping to make more socks with this pattern. I am hoping to master this pattern and have some brand new socks while joining the RavelOlympics. Sock number two will be started later on today, it will be very useful for my Monday Night Knit Group.Thanks for stopping by.

As Caprica's Heel Turn

Heelturned (2)
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

This is a really handsome pattern. As it is getting shaped it is getting more beautiful. More photos will follow tomorrow as I am making the sole and shaping the instep. Thanks fors topping by.

Heel Flap

HeelFlap
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

The heel flap is done like many heel flaps I have done before. This is a very exciting project when you get to the heel flap. The heel flap gets a very clean selvedge because of the slip stitches. It is very easy to pick up the stitches and go for the gusset with gusto. More pictures to come later on, have a great Weekend.

Caprica Sock Leg (WIP)

CapricasAutumnSOcksWIPleg
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

Hi everyone and Happy Friday. Here is the work in progress (WIP) for Friday. I am at 7 inches or 18 cm in my leg work. I still can go another 2.5 cm , but I am thinking about it, because there comes the heel flap.

I have been very excited about this sock, because Marlowe Crawford gifted it to us, and it is something for the Men Who Knit Retreat to have in common. I will take you along with me as I construct the sock. This sock is different from anything I have done in the past. It starts with a double strand cast on, which means you have two strands of yarn for the long tail cast on as a tail. It is suppose to make a stretchier, more sturdy, edge and it does. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Capricas Autumn Socks

CapricasOliver
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

I have to admit that I love the challenge of dpns a lot. In search of the thrill of adventure, I am using the pattern that Marlowe Crawford kindly donated to the Men Who Knit Retreats. After watching some of the guys socks I got inspired to have more than one pair of these beauties.I have the Sock Bug and that is hard to avoid, while I am inspired I better get some done. Thanks for stopping by!

My First Toe - Ups

May I present you my first Toe-Up socks. It took me long enough, since June 09, but what made a difference was the Cat Bhordi book, Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters: Book Two in the New Pathways for Sock Knitters Series (Perfect Paperback)~ Cat Bordhi

I love this bamboo - super wash merino combination of yarn and the yarn is beautiful. Tornasol is a word in Spanish synonymous to iridescent.The word iridescence is derived in part from the Greek word iris (pl. irides), meaning "rainbow", which in turn derives from the goddess Iris of Greek mythology, who is the personification of the rainbow and acted as a messenger of the gods. Goniochromism is derived from the Greek words gonia, which means angle, and chroma, which means color.This where made on US 1 , 2.5 mm addi turbos. The yarn feels fantastic as I walk on them. Now to keep on perfecting the making sock techniques which will help me master making gloves eventually.
Next time when I finish the socks I will be using this neat JSSBO that you can watch in this video. Thanks for stopping by, now to my next pair lol.

Footprints Leg ribbing

TornasolWIPRibbing (2)
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

I am almost done with the ribbing of the legs. This has ben a very exciting experiment and I am looking forward to start another pair of socks as soon as I get this ones done. I am also going to make the Sock Knit Along for the Men Who Knit Retreat by Marlowe Craford, Oliver. I will be using my Paca Peds yarn. I am so eager to do more spinning with my Alpaca and jacobs wool to make some nifty socks out of this yarn/. I am hoping to finish this pair this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Footprints In the Making

I met Cat Bordhi at the Men's Knitting Retreat 2009 near Seattle and she is a fun lady. Very enthusiastic and full of energy. I can see how she can become a very innovative designer, she is a non conformist in the best sense of the word. So after making your footprint you knit, make toe your increases, you get your toe and your heel measurements, then you go all the way up to the leg opening where you will put your lifelines.
Wait a minute you are not done yet, because you need to continue knitting until you are ready to make the decreases for your heel, which you will then close from the inside. You see those two lifelines and the marker in between them? The marker is where you are going to cut and unravel that row. The design is perfect as you will not have gaps when you are knitting the leg..
This is a full view of the whole body of the sock. This is your first sock then don't be so hard on yourself, lol! You will find that you may need to refine your findings. This is serious research my friends, we are looking for the perfect sock pattern, I think we may have found it.Once you are ready and cut you unravel the row up to two stitches on both sides of the opening. But before you do that you will go and follow your lifelines with your needles, just in case , lol. no that is what the instructions call for.Now you are ready to cut and open the leg up open so that you can close the heel. This is your chance to see if the heel fits or does it need to be adjusted. Here is your opportunity to tweak the heel. We all have different feet, so there is no Universal Sock Pattern, specially if you are custom making your socks. Once you open the leg up you have a new Universe at your fingertips or toetips lol!Don't let the picture fool you the fit well, they just have not had their 6 rows of straight knitting so that the second becomes more centered. From here after doing the second sock, I can put them back on on two circulars and knit them up together. I will be casting off using EZ sewn cast off which is stretchy and very easy. There will be more pictures later, I am hoping to finish these socks in a day or two and start another pair. Thanks for stopping by.

My Footprints Template

myfootprints
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

The new Book from Cat Bordhi ,Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters: Book Two in the New Pathways for Sock Knitters Series , is what this post is all about. One thing is for sure you will be modifying instructions depending on the yarn and gauge. Knitting is not an exact science, but it is pretty consistant when it comes to applying the principles. This book will teach you a new way of making socks that is fun, innovative and really appreciated. You can do this on two circulars for part of the journey, then for the leg part of the journey so that you can finish your two socks at the same time. I will be posting more pictures later of my Work in Progress. Here in this video you will find the most innovative book on sock knitting since the magic loop.Thanks for stopping by.

Triton Mitts wip

TritonMittswipone
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

This pattern is very fast indeed. I like using 5 dps because they are very useful. In this pattern it calls for 8 stitches to be put on waste yarn, so I leave them on a dpn and move the rest to the other dpns. WHat I found interesting about this project is the fact that I have some some silk. WHen I am knitting or crocheting with this Noro Silk Garden I can tell it has silk by the touch.

For those of you who are afraid of dpns, (Naomi) just try a pair of fingerless mitts . The first time I did my dpns I was just aiming at dropping them , playing with them, taking out the needles, shaking them to see how I would recover. I will still have some Noro Left, I have to see what I come up with so that there is none left. Actually I will keep about 3 meters of it for repairing purposes. Thanks for stopping by.

Triton's Crown, Sea Urchin Hat

Triton's Crown is the Sea Urchin hat by Susanna IC, great design and a quick knit. I made this hat in one day! The hat is a bit challenging , by that I mean that it makes you think. Once you have the pattern memorized is a breeze.
This Noro Color coordination was a bit of Noro Color , forced coordination, as I did cut and join the color sequence at some points.
This pattern is great and comfortable. If you want your ribs to be vertical, you will have to block it wet. I bet a balloon will work wonders for blocking it to dry. I use my upside down bucket and father Sun. I did have to make it wet and coerce the ribbing to straighten a bit. Even when the rib goes spiral it is a beautiful hat no matter what.
If you were looking for a hat for the Noro Silk Garden Yarn, this is the perfect pattern for it. I have enough yarn to make Triton some fingerless gloves, I may have them done in a day or two, in the meantime, thanks for stopping by.

Tritons Crown

TritonsCrown
Originally uploaded by Crafty Andy

This is the hat for that vest and I may have enough yarn to make some mittens, we shall see. Triton's Crown is the Sea Urchin Hat pattern from Ravelry. It is a very interesting pattern that you can burn your Noro Silk Garden Stash with. It works great with a sel stripping yarn. The pattern link follows. Thanks for stopping by.

Sea Urchin Hat Pattern

October Vest, Triton's

May I present you the October Vest in Noro Silk Garden. Tracy St. John has made a wonderful pattern that I will treasure for ever. This pattern with the right modifications can be made into a sweater. I can see why people like Noro now, specially after I have blocked this vest. It is let's say delicious for my yarnie friends out there.
The versatility of this pattern is outstanding even , if you follow the instructions , you will find yourself in the possesion of this fantastic vest. I used 375 grams of Noro SIlk Garde, at 50 grams a skein you do the math, is about 7.5 skeins, I may definitely make a hat ,perhaps a pair of mittens.

This is the front of the vest with the high collar which is no problem with a zipper. The vest is a bit stretchy thanks to the Noro and the pattern gives a bit.

I like the way it wears and I am hoping to have a zipper put into it. This pattern is very reversible. I really like the way it came out. It is one of the few crochet Vests that is great to wear for a man.

Only two seams at the shoulder, which I decide to crochet. Actually I made a single crochet accross the edges and then joined the two together.

This is the backside of the vest as it is being blocked. In my years of crocheting this is the easiest, most beautiful crochet garment I have made. Thanks for stopping by.

Triton's Vest, Happy 2010

This is the October 's Vest from Interweave Crochet, here is the Ravelry Link for the pattern page. This is made in Noro Silk Garden color 245, there are two different lot numbers, but enough yarn to have a fun looking vest. As far as Noro goes this Noro does have some veggie matter, but it is soft enough that you kind of don't mind the clean up. lol!

This is my first project of 2010 , it is Crochet it is for my Crochet Followers that enjoy my crocheting fun projects. This is a very classy looking vest and Interweave Crochet has outdone themselves by giving us this pattern to enjoy. I am definitley making more than one and may modify the pattern to make a cool looking Cardiga. It all depends on how much yarn I have left.

So here is to a great start to 2010 a year of fun in Crochet and Knitting and some spinning. I have a lot of spinning to do and this will be a year to enhance this technique. I hope to share some of my spinning projects with you and some videos and tips. Happy New Year 2010 and Thanks for stopping by.