Today was a very long day at work and then at 6 PM I had my scheduled one hour of cross training, and then I had to make and eat dinner, and now at 8:45 PM, I am finally able to sit down and rest before my 9 PM bedtime. I’m always happy to have Monday off but, boy, when Tuesday rolls around, it sure is tough to get through the first ten-hour day of my work week.
In the meantime, here’s my progress on the second Cabin Fever sock.
I am really looking forward to the weekend.
A fellow blogger asked about my sock pattern, so here it is.
First of all, I use a long circular needle (approximately 32.5″ from tip to tip) and the Magic Loop Method to knit in the round. It also helps to have a cardboard template of the sock recipient’s foot.
To begin, I use Judy’s Magic Cast-On and cast on 10, 12, or 14 stitches on each needle, depending on the thickness of the yarn and the size of the sock I want to make. I wear a US size 8.5 shoe, so I usually cast 12 stitches on each needle for my own foot. Next, I knit across the stitches on each needle once.
Round 2: Needle 1: K1, M1, knit until the last 2 stitches, M1, K1. Needle 2: K1, M1, knit until the last 2 stitches, M1, K1.
Round 3: Knit across both needles without increasing.
Repeat Round 2 and 3 until you have a total of 24, 28, 32, or 36 stitches on each needle, depending on how wide you want the sock to be and keeping in mind how much the yarn will stretch. If the sock is for my mom’s kid-size feet, I stop at 24 stitches on each needle. If the sock is for me, I might stop at 24 or 28. Again, it really depends on how wide I want the sock to be.
Once I’ve determined that I’ve got enough stitches, I stop increasing and start knitting in the round to work the foot of the sock.
You can have the recipient try it on for size.
Or you can use your cardboard template.
Now that I use the Fish Lips Kiss Heel, I just keep knitting until I get to the point where I want to start the heel. (You can find the pattern by searching for it online.)
I follow the directions, finish the heel, and then start knitting the cuff.
Usually, I’ll knit 2, purl 2, and repeat for ribbing. I prefer my socks to be crew length, so I just keep knitting until I think it’s time to bind off.
And that’s it! Hopefully I’ve explained it fairly clearly. Let me know if I need to clarify anything.
P.S. Amazingly, all these photos are from different pairs of socks that I knit this year. I guess I need to go update my completed projects page.
I finished the first sock and got started on the second one but, dang, it’s been so hot that I didn’t get very far before stopping. Sweaty fingers, merino wool, and wooden needles just don’t go well together.
How’s the weather in your part of the world?
Remember back in July when I was knitting the Cabin Fever sock? (By the way– wow, when you click on that link and see the photo, you’ll also see what the deck boards looked like before our painter refinished them.)
That was when I was still using the gusset heel pattern. Now that I have seen the beauty of the short row heel, I decided this sock needed a do-over.
I ripped out the old heel and put in the Fish Lips Kiss Heel.
I messed up a little on a few of the twin stitches and you could probably spot where, but at this point I don’t care. What matters is that the sock fits my foot perfectly, the yarn is a beautiful colorway, and the merino wool feels really good on my foot.
Now if only this heatwave would end and October would start feeling like fall…
Done!
And amazingly, it looks like I have enough yarn left to knit a second pair of socks… for my mom’s kid-size feet.
I was lounging on the sofa, knitting and watching an episode of Bob’s Burgers on Netflix. It was 6 AM. About ten minutes later, Sean joined me. He’d just woken and still looked sleepy.
“Are we going for a run this morning?” he asked and eased himself into the armchair.
(Did I mention that we’re now on a training schedule for the Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey Bay next month?)
“No,” I said. I paused in my knitting. “You know how when you’re a little kid and it’s Saturday and you get up early and all you want to do is just watch cartoons all morning? That’s what I’m doing.”
He yawned and stood back up. “Well, you know how when you’re a teenager and it’s Saturday and all you want to do is just sleep in all morning? That’s what I’m doing.” And he went back to bed.
In the meantime, I got a lot more knitting done.
Just the ankle portion and cuff left to go. I think I should be able to finish this sock over the next couple of days.
Happy Friday!
Hooray! I’ve reached my favorite part: knitting the heel!
This afternoon, Sean and I set off for the 150-mile return trip to Ventura. I brought the second Green Print sock with me and knitted while Sean drove. When we got to Buellton (around 70 miles into the drive), I noticed a rainbow in the distance.
I kept knitting and Sean kept driving. We talked and listened to punk rock and sang along with a few of the songs. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the road until we got closer to Ventura.
That’s when I noticed the rainbow again.
It was a really nice way to end the drive.
Can you see the double rainbow?
365 Days Handmade 