| Archive for Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns The Friendly UK Board that invites Knitters, Crocheters, Dressmakers, Quilters, Patchworkers, Jewellery makers and Paper Crafters to join in our chat about Craft |
| Aknita |
Om Shanti Bed Socks - progress so farI don't usually post WIP progress, but as I am constantly learning new things with this sock I am making an exception.With this provisional cast on method, the crochet waste yarn unzips very easily indeed. 
Then there are short rows 
I have been knitting both socks, and have got to the point where I do the heel shaping. The cuff is fairly straightforward at first until it's time for something called a Kihnu Vits Braid - an Estonian technique followed by a corrugated rib!!!!!!
The sock was my January parcel from the Soctopus Sock Club, and the yarn is Chameleon Colorworks Evolution # Peppermint Cheer. And as you can see, the hook, while not necessarily my friend, is no longer the enemy 
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| pictish |
Very impressive Joy!!! I love the Evolution 
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| Anna |
I'm impressed!
Without meaning to sound rude, the middle photo reminds me of a slice of watermelon! This in turns reminds me I have some melon in the fridge. Be back soon 
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| Jobo |
Its looking good Joy 
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| slowasasnail |
That is lovely. You should show off your toe with pride. | ||||
| FatCat |
wow, that is looking great! That's so neat and the yarn is gorgeous!
I've never got the hang of crochet cast ons, I never seem to manage to pick up the stitches in the right loops so they never "unzip" nicely and it ends up time-consuming and messy  I try to avoid them at all costs now 
I thought it looked like watermelon too ... 
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| Aknita |
Thank you . Watermelon bed socks it is then....
Cathy, with this crochet cast on you have crocheted onto a dpn, so you just knit as usual, no knitting into crochet bumps, just knitting as normal, then just unzip to expose the live stitches. I have Lucy Neatby's wonderful dvd, but have found this on You Tube. If I can do this, just about anyone can! provisional crochet cast on |
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| gilraen |
I was cheering your progress on silently on the Socktopus Rav thread!! Kudos for the accomplishment Joy!!! 
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| KnittingLadybird |
That's crackingly good toe Joy! you're going great guns, here's to toes!
It's going to be a fab pair of socks
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| craftylady |
I'm very impressed both by the socks and the provisional crochet cast on.
Keep up the good work Aknita and I'm looking forward to seeing the heel. |
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| Glynis |
What a clever way of working.
The yarn looks really yummy and I can't wait to see the finished socks! |
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| Aknita |
I'll let you all into a little secret. I found this really stressful at the Lucy Neatby workshop, and, I'm afraid to say, there were tears  There were people on the workshop who could have held workshops of their own, and for a while I felt woefully inadequate.
Everyone was so lovely though, and Lucy Neatby is the most extraordinarily patient and understanding person in the whole world! So to have actually done this now, silly as it sounds, means a very great deal and represents a huge step for me! I'm off to mums shortly, and have visitors this weekend so progress will be slow for a few days - I need peace and quiet. I shall be saying, "slip, wrap, replace, return" in my sleep But I have to say I could get to like this way of doing things
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| FatCat |
Oh My Word.  Joy, if you were anywhere near me I would hug you at this moment! Thank you so much! That makes so much more sense to me than the crochet cast on that I've struggled with before, I'll be doing that one in future, thank you thank you. (And once again I say .... THANK YOU!  )
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| Anna |
*hugs to Joy* It's awful when you're at a workshop and feeling like that. I was the same when I went to a learn to crochet workshop - being left handed I found it incredibly difficult to "get", although I managed in the end. Typically I've forgotten again now but at least I know I can do it!!!
Watermelon - YAY!!!!! |
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| Alice |
I love the yarn and the sock is looking good! | ||||
| Fi |
Its looking great so far. | ||||
| Aknita |
Glad to help
Anna - thank you. It's wonderful when the penny does drop though isn't it. Here's a heel to be going on with
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| FatCat |
wow, how did I miss that heel Is that a wrap-and-turn job or one involving yarn overs? It looks so neat! Really lovely
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| franney |
Such a mouthwatering sock Joy  it looks fab!!
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| Aknita |
It's a wrap and turn job FatCat. Suddenly eveything has made sense. I think it's because LN uses what she call parking needles - you leave your wrapped stitches on 2 needles either side of your live stitches, so when it comes to picking them up again you don't need to count, you know where you are. It makes it simpler for those of us who are mathematically challenged
I'm not sure what makes it so different from other wrap and turn methods, but it does make a really neat heel. And it must be more straightforward than I thought, because I've gone from watching the dvd several times, pausing and rewinding as I go, to just automatically knowing what I'm doing in the space of two socks I may use this method of turning a heel more often, because it seems much quicker to me.
Thank you both. I am at the stage where I am ready to start this Estonian braid thingy. I might be a long time....... |
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| FatCat |
Well, I'm really impressed with how that wrap and turn looks, every time I try it I just get holes Yours looks wonderful
Thanks again for the link to the crochet cast on - I've just tried it out and it works like a dream! So easy to unzip and pick up the stitches. I'm a complete convert to that technique, it was a real lightbulb moment when I saw it. And I wouldn't have known about it at all if you hadn't mentioned it, so thank you once again. Very happy FatCat here
The Estonian braid thingy sounds intriguing, hope it's going OK! |
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| Aknita |
Cathy, you are welcome I'm so pleased to have been able to help.
Sadly tonight I am desolate ( I almost said dissolute but that's something else altogether.... )
I have learned and done so many new things with this sock. Provisional crochet cast on, short row g st toes and heels, I have learned a new stitch pattern, knitted an Estonian braid and a corrugated rib. I have done a sewn bind off. I had tension. I knitted the medium size to a snug fit knowing that the yarn would relax. I blocked my socks in the usual way ( a gentle bathe in Euclan follwed by the towel ) and my socks have relaxed so much they are practically horizontal
I have three good inches of spare sock hanging over the foot of my blockers. All the zip and spring have gone from the cuff. Two whole weeks wasted 
I knew I should never have started them on Friday 13th. edited for spelling |
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| KnittingLadybird |
aw poop!! {{{hugs}}} can't you stick them washer and hope they shrink a bit? I can't think of anything else to say that might be remotely helpful (sorry)
Have another {{{{{hug}}}}} |
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| Aknita |
I'm going to ask Alice if there is any hope for them. Maybe she knows someone with size 15 feet who wants a pair of bedsocks.
I do so wish I'd photographed them as they were. They looked really lovely. I can't believe I am so upset. |
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| pictish |
Don't despair yet Joy!!!! Talk to Gilraen about what's happened cos she has used this yarn a lot - and designed a pattern (ribbed) to counteract the lack of elasticity in the yarn. It might be that they spring back when dried 
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| blueadt |
I'm really sorry Joy
How did you work out how many stitches to cast on? I multiply my spi by the widest part of my foot & then delete 10% for negative ease. I've only used Evolution once (& also went toe up) & it relaxed a bit with washing but they still fit ok. |
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| Aknita |
Thank you everyone.
Well, I followed the pattern. I chose to knit the medium size having looked to see what other club members were doing. The gauge was 8 spi on 2.75 needles which I achieved. The pattern was a 3-cross stitch which was said to stretch but not as much as rib. There were even instructions in the pattern for fine tuning the fit to allow more give in the fabric - which I didn't do. The corrugated rib was to make the cuff nice and thick. The socks were so snug when I finished them I could barely get them on. So they weren't loose to start with. I have no idea what I have done to them - nothing different to anything I've done before when blocking, if anything I was even more gentle but whatever it was the yarn didn't like it
I do keep thinking about all those new techniques I've learned, so I'll think of this as practice and put it down to experience. I'm very sad though. I had been feeling absurdly pleased with myself, which probably explains why I am so acutely disappointed. |
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| pictish |
Well your techniques have worked out fine haven't they - this is just a problem with the type of yarn by the sound of it - can't think it's anything else really. But speak to Alice and Gilraen
It's a shame cos they are lovely - I haven't given up hope that they'll dry smaller tho. |
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| blueadt |
Did you measure your feet in inches & times it by the spi? This is how I ensure a good fit (after deleting 10&). Medium can mean many things.... |
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| gilraen |
Joy I pmed you!! Are they dry yet? | ||||
| Aknita |
I'm "encouraging" them in the airing cupboard. Thank you for your very helpful pm Gilraen.
Sadly not Blue - I suppose because I've never needed to. And I suppose also several club members had already completed theirs before I had started mine I'd waited to see how any potential pitfalls could have been avoided. I was so intent on all these new techniques I have been learning that maybe I missed the obvious, but I'm not sure I am sufficiently experienced in sock knitting yet to adjust a pattern while learning a new stitch pattern. I had known it would relax, and I'm not blaming the yarn, just wanting it not to happen again. This is how we learn, isn't it. |
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| Alice |
How disappointing for you Joy
I've been watching your construction of this sock with great interest and admiration....I hope the size issue is sorted out as it dries but as the others have said you have learnt and mastered some excellent skills and techniques for your future socks. |
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| Aknita |
Thank you all so much for your help and advice, which I so appreciate.
I am just about to pop photos in the "Look What I Made" section - it's not quite the disaster it at first appeared. |
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