Angora's Journal

Picking up the thread.....

Its been a while since I wrote in my creative journal. Life has changed a bit, our family have moved to a rickety house that requires a lot of updating, my husband now runs a village shop and gradually, the cases are being unpacked, and I find time to pick up my needles.

A gift at Chistmas was the yarn to knit a kauni cardigan. I have been exploring ways of doing garments from the top down, down up without the need for seams. Because my muscles ache I am not fond of wearing clothes that have seams and thus I searched for other contruction methods.

Ruths' cardigan is a fun way to knit fairisle in the round and experiment with steeks. I am about to reach the neck opening. I manage a pattern repeat every few days and as the evenings are still a little chilly I have a cosy blanket of yarn that keeps me warm.

The spinning wheel has been found, fleeces are stacked up and I am even manage to create a small space to work in that is not too far removed from a fire as it is currently still chilly.

Thanks you for your patience and for visiting.

Still here

I am still here but energy is limited as we work towards a house move. Will get back to you at the beginning of December.

Happy crafting and knitting
Angora

Demistifying sockknitting

Sockkniting has become all the rage.....I am a fan and thank you Alison for prompting me to write about the trial and tribulations of knitting socks.

The human body is perfectly balanced and if you have a head for maths you will not fail to see how easy sock construction can be.

To start with you need some measurements......not standard ones but your own. Length of foot, width of foot at the bridge of the foot and height from bottom of foot to achilles heel ( the bony part usually about 1 to 2 inches above the bottom of the foot).

Importantly, you now need to choose a yarn and knit a gauge swatch in the stitch of your choice.

To find out how many stitches to cast on in the round, you multiply the gauge ( stitches per inch) by the measurement of the width of your foot and voila that should give you an indication of how many stitches for your yarn. In my case, 64 stitches.

Cast on 64 stitches in the round and knit a rib ( I choose knit 1 through the back of the loop and then purl one) as a good elasticated ribbing. ( When I was taught how to knit socks it was on 3 needles, 1 for the front of the sock and 2 for the back. This would give you 32 on needle 1, 16 on needle 2 and 16 on needle 3). After ribbing continue in stocking stitch or patterned stitch until you reach between 5 and 7 inches ( that depends on the sizes of your foot ( I do equal length) or your preference ( long or short socks).

At that point you will need to do some jiggling about. Needle 1 now needs to be devided into 2 by putting 16 stitches on each needle ( for comfort). Needle 2 and 3 become the back where you will start making the heel on 1 needle.

The way I create a strong heel is to knit 1, slip 1 as if to purl on row 1 to the end then purl row 2. Do this for 16 ridges or desired height as measured from bottom of heel to achilles point.

More maths I am afraid to say but beautifully balanced nevertheless :

Knit 16, knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass the stitch over knit one and turn, slip first stitch, purl 5 then purl 2 together purl 1 and turn. Now you knit to the last stitch( 6?) , k1, slip 1, pass the stitch over, knit 1 turn etc until all stithes have been used up.

Ending on a knit row, you will now pick up stitches on the edges of the heel gusset which will bring you to need 1 again( Ipick up a stitch in between so as not to make a hole), knit needle 1 and 2 al the way on 1 needle, then pick up stitches other side of heel and knit until you meet the centre stitch of the back of the heel. ( You will end up with stitches on 3 needles - the front, and 2 needles either side of central back stitch).

Starting from the centre heel stitch, you knit to the last 3 stitches, knit two together, knit 1, then knit all of stitches on needle 1 ( front) and needle 3, knit 1, slip 1, knit 1, pass the stitch over. Second row is all knit. Repeat these 2 rows until you have again 16 stitches on needle 2 and 3 and you will have 32 on needle 1.

Now knit until the length of the sock is 2 inches less than measurements of length of foot.

On needle 1 knit 1, slip 1, pass the stitch over, knit to last 3 stitches , knit 2 together, knit 1, needle 2 : knit1, slip 1, pass the stitch over knit to end, needle 3, knit to last 3 stitches, knit two together, knit 1. Second row knit. Repeat until you have 16 stitches on needle 1 and 8 on needle 2 and 3 ( perfectly 50%).

Then use kitchener stitch to sew them together and voila a perfect fit hopefully.

There is no mystery just a bit of awkwardness in knitting socks, but I find it enjoyable.

Once you have mastered the heel and decreases you can experiment with patterns on the front that repeat over the amount of stitches you are using. Endless combinations of feet, yarn and pattern.

Hope thats as clear as mud now!

Spiral stashbuster socks

Spiral stashbuster socks, originally uploaded by Sock Knitting Mama.

I knit a lot of socks, some to give away but mostly for myself. How many socks does a woman need? I like making them because they are small, portable and do generally not need a lot of yarn to complete.
Every sock made has left me with small leftovers that up until now have just been collecting at the bottom of the basket.
I recently came across the stashbuster spiral sock,which uses 3 different yarns. I have used a trekking XXL as a base yarn, and a second blue fixed colour and the pink and purple tones are 3 small balls of socks that rock, koigu and colinette. You might spot some previous socks in there. Rather fun to make but watch the changeover places, as it is easy to create a hole if you do not twist the yarn around each other and tighten them up. This sock was made with 64 stitches.

Globetrotter socks

The globertrotter socks have been completed and put in the sock stash. The pattern was very easy to do. I used 4 plyAlpaca sock weight, a new yarn from UK Alpaca, organic. Sourced at the Fibrefest in Devon. Its a lovely yarn 60% UK Alpaca, 20% merino and 20% nylon. I got 2 hanks as I am sure large men's sock might need more ( well heck do I need that excuse!)
Not available yet online but surely will be soon. I used a bit of the second skein as the size is a large man's , the yarn splits easily but the end fabric is fab!

Leigh's question about what size I am spinning the jacobs fleece at was difficult to answer. I am aiming for a DK weight but I am finding that depending on the day and mood that I am spinning sometimes a bit finer and other days a bit thicker. How does one spin uniformally and does it add to the character of the yarn. I have not been spinning for very long and am pleased to be making a uniform yarn with the odd bobble in. I have found a pattern by Alice Starmore that might suit this yarn.

Jacobs handspun

Jacobs handspun, originally uploaded by Sock Knitting Mama.

The jacobs fleece is being spun up slowly. I am trying to keep the colours sepate going form dark brown, grey to white eventually. There is a total of 6 lbs of fleece to work through which will probably yield about 3 lbs in weight in yarn. I am thinking of some colour work using all the yarns together but currently, this yarn is in process of being created. Its easy to spin, has plenty of bounce, just needs plenty of time to get it worked through.

Charade socks

Charade socks, originally uploaded by Sock Knitting Mama.

An addictive pattern from ravelry, charade knitted up in herringbone pattern. Cherry Tree Hill Yarn with great colour emphasis. I thought the stitch definition might get lost in the colour scheme but it has turned out a great sock with structure and colour. One to keep.

Fall medley

The inspiration for this scarf came from the fall colours that are beginning to be seen around again.

The yarn is local, from the woollyshepherd and the colours are a variety of :
red onion with mordant
red onion without mordant
logwood with and without mordant
ashford colours
gaywood dyes

The pattern is the one row scarf by the Yarn Harlot and is available free when you click the link.

It knitted up really fast on 5 mm needles and then.....the obligatory self portrait.

apple harvest in fall

apple harvest in fall, originally uploaded by Sock Knitting Mama.

I am sitting on the porch and am enjoying life with all my senses. The apples are mellowing on the tree and leave a smell that reminds me of childhood visits to my grandmother's garden. The colours gathered together call for a scarf to be knitted so that in days to come, I can still sit here and enjoy the scenery. I dyed them some time ago, using a variety of techniques. Its not handspun, but commercial yarn that got played with. I am pondering on starting the one row scarf by the Yarn Harlot.

Spinning Wheels

Spinning Wales

As a child I had a fascination with myths, legends and stories. Books lined the house of my grandmother's attic, a place full of treasures, cupboards discarded over the years and the whole of the place had a mystic quality about it. There were spider webs around, cobwebs and dust and added to the fact that I could hide in there whenever I wanted, made the place a sanctuary of magical proportions as a child. I am not very fond of spiders at all, but on frosty days, I can be in awe at their spinning, how they create webs in which they catch their prey. From there we have the name cobweb shawls.

The mention of spinning wheels can be found in a few tales, and you will be familiar with the Sleeping Beauty tale where the pincess pricks her finger on the wheel and thanks to a spell from a fairy godmother sleeps for 100 years before being awoken by her prince.

There is a good source of stories here including the stories of Holda, Frigg and Freya and other spinning sources.

Louise Alcott wrote a book called Spinning Stories which has been digitalised and can be read online by clicking the link.

I have been enchanted though by the lyrics and sound of Damh the Bard's song, Lady of the Silver Wheel which relates to the story of Arianrhod which I had never heard of until now. He captures the turning rhythm of the wheel very well in this song.

Spinning is an ancient craft, and although we do not have the ability to turn straw into gold, we can turn the fibre freely given by animals into to knittre's gold, the yarn we then can dye and use to make garments, spun and knitted together with skill and love.

It might be a solitary thing to do, but the rhythm, the meditative quality can take you miles away to other places.