Finally…

…a finished pair of socks!

Dumbledore’s Blueberry Smoothie Christmas Stockings are off the needles and ready to wear.

The pattern was easy to knit with the included charts. Just knits and purls. No slipped stitches (other than the heel flap). No crossover stitches.

I used 64 grams of Knit Picks Stroll Bare that I dyed myself and 10 grams of Stroll in Dutchess Heather for the toes. If a toe gets a hole, it’s easier to rip out the contrast yarn and reknit for repairs. The leftovers include 41 grams of the Blueberry Smoothie and 5 grams of the Duchess Heather. Maybe enough for a pair of shortie socks??

The texture would work well for any dye lots that might pool, however, that was not an issue. In fact, I like the plain stockinette stitches just as much as the texture stitches.

I showed these to my neighbor and she asked who I made them for. Don’t know. Perhaps mine. Then she said that they were too pretty to wear. They might be colorful but that doesn’t bother me anymore. The last picture is closest to the true colors.

Two more things…. 1. Mr. Aitch’s brother is home and doing well. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. 2. Pepper is six months old and starts school on Friday. Fingers crossed that she is a good student. And that I’m a good student, too.

Lesson learned

Thank you for the encouragement! I did finish the January Mittens (Ravelry link) on February 1st.

Notes: Yarn: worsted weight – Lion Brand Wool-Ease in charcoal (48 g) and Caron Simply Soft in ivory (50g). Needles: cuff US #1.5 (2.5mm), body US # 2.5 (3mm).

Right mitten – December 11, 2021 – December 26, 2021 using double point needles

Left mitten – January 11, 2022 – February 1, 2022 using circular needles

Modifications: Thumb gusset added while knitting. Thumb was finished after body.

Worsted weight yarn on such small needles (think toothpick size in diameter) hurt my hands. I think that was why I was so reluctant in getting these finished. Plus I was also finishing one pair of socks and starting another pair as well. I am not a monogamous knitter.

But I did it! Yay me!

You may have noticed that I changed the direction of the Latvian Braid on the cuff.

But the GLARING difference is the yarn dominance on the thumbs.

It’s all about which yarn is held above and which is held below as to the color that is more dominant. The ivory yarn was held below the charcoal when I knit the right thumb so the ivory is more dominant. The charcoal yarn was below the ivory on the left thumb.

Yarn dominance occurs because one yarn’s strand travels slightly farther than the other, making it slightly tighter, causing it to recede, and be less dominant. The yarn traveling the shortest distance is the dominant yarn.

Interweave

If you are interested, here’s a link to a short video on yarn dominance that explains this technique by Beth Brown Reinsel.

The ivory yarn was the dominant yarn on the back of the hand as I wanted the design to stand out but I reversed the yarn dominance on the palm. I wanted the ivory to be in the background and the charcoal to stand out more.

I didn’t write down which yarn was dominant when I knit the thumbs.

It’s a lesson I hope I will remember in the future. Or I could wait and knit both thumbs one right after the other.

Patti

0-Finish in 2 hours

Mr. Aitch and I don’t have “real” tv. We watch shows on Amazon Prime, Brit Box, Peacock, and a few other apps.

Monday evening I started and finished another scrubbie in less than two hours while watching some shows. It would have taken less time if I didn’t have to change colors partway in the row.

Scrubbie in Scrubby Sparkle.  Blueberry and avacado.

Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle in Blueberry and Avacado.

My second FO (finished object) in 2022. The first is half of a pair of socks that I didn’t have time (aka I forgot) to photograph.

I also have the second sock of the above-mentioned pair on my needles and just started the heel flap. More FOs and WIPs coming up soon!

Any FOs to report? Or WIPs? Or just thinking-of-casting-ons?

Patti

Fini

Ok. WordPress updated their platform and I’m lost. Please bear (or is it bare?) with me while I try to post this.

Back to what I wanted to talk about. I finished the brown socks. I still don’t like them but I’m sure someone in my circle of friends who appreciates handmade socks will LOVE them!

This pattern is called Picnic Blanket Socks from the second in the Handmade Sock Society season 4 series.

I started off with 67 grams of Knit Picks Stroll sock yarn in Fedora (brown) and 21 grams of Basalt for the contrasting heels and toes. I have been using the German Twisted or Old Norwegian cast-on and it has a nice edge and is stretchier than the long-tail cast-on I used to use. Staci from Very Pink has a great video on how to do this cast-on.

Easy, easy, easy pattern as it is mostly knitting in the round. I think it was the puffy parts and the solid brown that made me not like these socks. Perhaps if the yarn was heathered or a tonal color, I would have liked them more. I started them on March 4th and finished the pair on March 20.

I played yarn chicken with the Fedora brown and I won. I had less than one gram left which will be enough for any repairs that might be needed in the future. I still have 10 grams of the lovely greyish-taupey heathered Basalt, which is, unfortunately, discontinued.

Other than weaving in the ends, I’m calling these finished.

Have you finished anything recently?

Happy knitting. Or crocheting. Or other crafty things.

Patti