11 September 2015

Requested pictures for Lauren

I have a new follower for the blog - Lauren - and you can surely tell she's new to my blog because she has requested pictures.  I guess it's been a while since I have shown my notorious lack of photography skills here.  The request is for pictures of the shirt pieces in the Simplicity 4059, which I made the one doublet and cap for my Ren Faire accomplice up in Tennessee a few years back.  He preferred the shirt from a different pattern, so I have not made the S4059 shirt myself.  These pics ought to help anyone decide whether or not to special order or put a hold on this pattern:
S4059 shirt pieces layout

S4059 shirt instructions, part one

S4059 shirt instructions, part two

S4059 line drawings and pieces' shapes
I do hope this helps.  As for last evening ... y'all didn't want to read a post from me while I was in that kind of mood.  Nothing like checking in for an appointment on time, then waiting for about an hour with the TV on too loud in the waiting room, and me without my knitting because I figured since I'd be driving myself then I wouldn't have time to knit.  OK, so I am still a bit irked.

25 August 2015

Third time is the charm

Last time I posted, I made note of stitch counts and whatnot for a pair of custom fitted knee socks.  Two failed attempts (and several consolation/"quick" gratification ankle socks) later, and I think I may have it!
leftover yarn knee socks

back detail on knee socks
I snapped the pic in my jammies shorts, as I am now in work jeans and about to put on my old basic training combat boots to go out and give these socks the real stress test: a morning of yard work.  I am wondering if I used too much lace (which has more stretchiness than solid fabric and definitely more stretch than cables) for them to stay up on their own when subjected to heat, humidity, and activity ... so yard work in August is the ultimate test for that.

Enough procrastination.  It is not raining at present, so I better go make the best of it.

10 March 2015

Kneesock knitting notes

Really not much news on the textile-fabric-yarn front.  I have knitted up one pair of kneesocks, and am sort-of working on getting the fit right, when I am not outside playing in the dirt or wrangling chickens or cooking or canning.  For those interested in those subjects, check out my S&G Homesteade blog.

Might as well post up the one pair of kneesocks.
purple Primrose kneesocks
It is a paid pattern on Ravelry called "Primrose Socks" that I won in a drawing in one of my sock groups.  Even though I followed the guage and measurements for sizing, they still slide down.  So, I am working on doing a personally-fitted pair ... except last night I tried to frog back to my math mistake but could not get the stitches back on the needles, so I frogged the whole project.  A much quieter solution than tryig to get my itty-bitty stitches on right.

Now, for fitting notes for my kneesocks:

  • CO only 68 stitches, as 72 was too many on the Primrose socks, and the pattern called for a CO of 80 for my size.
  • only a one-inch cuff, as I don't have a lot of length between the back of my knee and the widest portion of my calf
  • increase to 76 max after cuff ... again, 80 was too many on the Primrose socks
  • when doing the calf decrease, start it around 5 inches from top, and only decrease once every four rounds max - every other round is too sudden a decrease (and why I frogged the previous attempt)
  • work down to only 60 stitches at the ankle - 64 is a tad too slouchy for kneesocks ... even for regular mid-calf socks
  • long heel flap, with quite a few gusset pick-up stitches
Everything else should be good to go.  Now, to CO my 2nd attempt at fitted-for-me kneesocks, as my back is telling me I did too much planting, raking, digging, etc the past few days.  But OH honey, we've had a couple gorgeous days down here to overdo it outside.  Lovely "spring break" weather right now (rain forecast for tomorrow, of course).