Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Native Crafters Ravelry Group

Much to my surprise and delight,

I've joined the moderating team on the Native Crafters group on Ravelry.


This group is pretty small for the moment, it's coughed and sputtered for a while, but I really hope we can breathe new life into the group. We're doing a SAL (spin-a-long) after Christmas and I'm so looking forward to it! By the way, you don't have to be Native to join the group, everyone's welcome and more the merrier.

I met a very talented spinner on there today, she just joined and her handspun knits are absolutely gorgeous! And yes, she spins her own 2ply lace-weight and she's an ace at Navajo plying! I'm so going to enjoy this SAL - I can't wait to see the braids she's chosen spun up.

Here's what I'm going to spin, it's a Merino/Nylon sock kit I got from Smith and Ewe. Isn't it pretty? Just take my word for it that's it's much prettier in person.



















It's so hard to get the colours right in the pictures, it's more light to dark mauve/purple with a small amount of blue. The picture shows a little more red than there should be.


Here's what the package says:


"Handspinners Pair of Socks
The 80% Merino/ 20% Nylon superwash rovings have been handpainted,
then split in half to form 2 balls of roving to spin yarn for 2 socks. 125g

It's a novel fibre presentation to me, I've never seen these sock kits before - her prices are definitely reasonable and she shipped really fast, I'll buy from her again!
She's based out of Kamloops, BC.

For the SAL my challenge is: spin Navajo plied fingering weight sock yarn.... ya.... (we'll see, this goal could surreptitiously change!) Come on over to the Native Crafters group and you'll see it all go down! Come and join us and show me how it's really done ;D


Friday, December 2, 2011

*NEW* Toxic sock design first.....then Casting ON


Ta daaa... my new socks! Flames... skull & crossbones... test knitting is complete and the pattern is released! It's top-down, in-the-round flaming stranded fun to do - and it's simpler than you think!

I named them TOXIC firstly since hubby came up with the idea and I liked it and also because if you did the flames green instead of red or flame colour, the flames could be smoke! After all, anyone's feet with green smoke coming off them and a skull & crossbones clearly displayed... obviously has toxic feet.

These socks come in 3 sizes (small, medium & large) and you can choose from 3 different toe patterns. The toe is 'semi-round', as is the heel.

Toe notes:
  • The sample has flaming toes and a striped sole all the way to the end. The pattern has a fun 'cut'n tape toe chart that you can place anywhere on the instep chart to get any length sock you need.

  • But the pattern has a chart to do a striped toe as well. One of my testers did the striped toe and it goes well visually with the heel and gusset.

  • You could also do a plain toe. If you do, I suggest doing the plain toe in the contrast colour (flame colour) and maybe the heel flap too. These choices are all available on the pattern.





I just casted on another pair, this time for my son. Here's a pic of him at work. I thought since he's a firefighter he'd appreciate some flaming socks.

I worry about him when he goes out on calls in all weather and road conditions. I want him to have some squishy soft and warm socks made by mommy, so I ordered some merino superwash to make him some.











OK, onto
PART 2!
Casting on Socks

I love starting new projects! I'm MOTIVATED! I'm SURE the project is going to turn out GREAT! I can't wait to FINISH! ...and I DON'T like being discouraged by uncooperative cast-ons! Read on for my

comedy of errors casting on...

Don't you hate it when:

...you do a stretchy knotted cast on (which takes soooo long)
[because you want to just start knitting and you don't want to have to worry
about not having a long enough 'tail' to finish a long tail cast on]
...then you get out the rest of your dpns and get ready to join in the round...
...and the needles are flopping around making yarn-overs over the ends of the needles and
it's hard to make sure the work isn't twisted which is really fun with black yarn in dim light ...
...then when you start knitting, the first round is so paaaainfully slooooow...
and you're trying to **JAM** the needles into a tight knotted stitch
and the other stitches are spreading further and further apart
so long droopy loops are forming between the casted on stitches...

(arghhhhhh!... expletive... )

Anyway, that's what happens to me.


So I want to tell you about my fave cast on method!


I know a lot of people really like the knotted cast on but (for me) I find the German Twisted knit & purl cast on works the best for me. Why?

  • I find it much faster to cast on since it's a variation of a long tail cast on.
  • I like the finished look better, because even the cast on stitches are either knit or purl so it streamlines the look of the cuff.
  • It's just as stretchy.
  • It has a more substantial edge, so I don't have to fight floppy needles when I'm trying to join and do the first round.
  • The stitches seem more 'stable' to me because the first round is easier for me to work and isn't as slow so I can proceed with my project with that 'new project' smile still on my face.
Remember, that's just my personal opinion and everyone has their own tastes and methods that work for them. Maybe I prefer this cast on because I'm a 'picker' rather than a 'thrower'? I don't know?

So if you want to make some socks
and try the German Twisted knit & purl cast on,
you can watch a VIDEO on how to do it HERE


If you want to cast on Toxic and knit along with the video,
here's an estimation for how long your tail should be when you start.

For fingering weight and 2mm/US0 needles, multiply the total number of cast on stitches by .63 to find out how many inches your tail should be to start with.

(If you're using larger needles like 2.5mm/US1, you'll have to go up a bit eg: to .65 - .7 )

For small (70sts) 45" / 115cm
medium (80sts) 50" / 128cm
large (90sts) 57" / 145cm

Following this formula, you shouldn't run out of tail before your cast on is done - and you should still be smiling =D

Let's cast on!