Boot Cuff Socks

I said I was close to done, and sure enough I was!

Friday evening and Saturday were spent at a retreat where I could do a lot of knitting. This project was still the right size and simplicity that I could do it with no problems.

I was glad when the speaker sat down beside me and introduced himself before we got started, and I had a chance to say that I hoped my knitting wouldn't offend him. No, no, he said. His wife is a knitter and he knows it helps her to be able to settle down and listen. He assumed it was the same for me. Very good!

By the end of the session on Saturday afternoon, I had the full length of the body knit and had prepared for the tubular cast off by knitting two rounds of "double knitting" (knitting the knit stitches of the 1x1 ribbing as the front layer and knitting the purl stitches as the back layer), and then literally separating the layers and putting them onto separate needles:

So you can see each "side" of the sock has two sets of stitches now. The next step is to Kitchener them together so they make a continuous tube. Here,

I am about half way around. The stitches on the right side of the picture have been "cast off" and I'm still making my way around to the stitches on the left. although the method does take more time, it is just so slick and perfectly functional that I'm going to have to consider how I can work it into everything I knit that needs a stretchy bind off.

Here is the final product:

The left 2 inches or so is that 1x1 cuff and the rest is 2x2 ribbing. There is a very smooth transition from the 2x2 to the 1x1 ribbing because I rearranged the knit stitches with twists (2-stitch cables) instead of just starting K1 P1 across a new round. After switching to smaller needles, I K1, left twist, P1 for one round. That set up all the stitches in a 1x1 rib for me.

I think you can see it here:

On the left, the knitting is stretched out so you can see the stitches better. In pair #1, the knit [red] and purl [green] stitches just continue as they were. In pair #2, the left twist reverses the order of the knit and purl stitches, with the knit stitch on top. Project Stats
Started: 13 Feb '11
Finished: 5 Mar '11
Pattern: personal design
Materials: Sandy's Crazy Quilt 2-ply, 124 grams, $31.50
(I do this by letting the knit stitch off the left needle and leaving it to the front, slipping the next stitch to the right needle, picking up the knit stitch with the left needle and slipping the purl stitch from the right needle back to the left needle. Now purl 1 and knit 1. I should also note that since my 2x2 ribbing starts with a K2, I started this round with the knit stitch of pair #1, not the purl.)

On the right, for comparison, the knitting is relaxed and you can hardly see the shift from 2x2 ribbing to 1x1 ribbing.

I had the foresight to weigh the ball before I got started and it weighed 124 grams. After the first sock, I had 64 grams left. Should be plenty for the next one right? (After all, that means I used 60 for the first one, and had more than 60 left for the second one.)

At some point during the retreat I noticed that it was going to be very, very close. This is how much I had left when I was done:

Phew!! I had a plan if I ran out by a little, but I was very glad to have enough!

I wore the boot socks out today and was very happy with them.

Here's a little peek of how long they are and how they fit into my boots:

If tomorrow's cold enough (as if it won't be) then I'll wear them as leg warmers and see how I like them like that.

Starting Again!

Lookie what I was up to last Sunday:

I used my ball winder to ravel the second boot cuff sock down to nothing. It worked pretty slick.

And after a week I am very close to finishing!

Travel Knitting Results (and not so much)

I believe I mentioned that I was bringing a new project for my travels over the weekend: my "cuffed boot socks."

I got quite a bit done on the trip down. There were minimal airline delays but still plenty of time for knitting with a connection to catch. And of course I had a head start because I couldn't put the project down before I left. (!!)

I got the legwarmer long enough that I felt I should start some 1x1 ribbing for the bottom portion. I think that will bring it in a little tighter around the ankle, and that it will just look better with a contrasting cuff.

I knit a few rows of 1x1 ribbing but soon realized that I needed to use smaller needles for the ribbing--it was just too loose and sloppy--but I didn't bring any with me! I realized I had to put the stitches onto a length of yarn and start the second legwarmer with the other end of the ball. (Because there's no way I'm going to cut it!!)

I cast on on Saturday morning while sitting around with my sisters and mom. I wondered about the wisdom of doing the Turkish cast on in the round while distracted (it's still a little "fiddly" for me), but it seemed to go ok.

I got pretty far on the second legwarmer between the visit and the return flight.

That is, until I pulled it out of my bag and had some of the stitches slip off the needles. No big deal...except that as I was putting it back together, I counted stitches to make sure I had the right number on each needle.

I was four stitches short.

I recounted many times (I was sitting in an airport, what else did I have to do but deny the obvious?) but kept coming up short.

So even though I mastered the Turkish cast on with familial distractions, I still can't count.

I've faced the fact that I have to completely ravel the second one, but I haven't done it yet. I don't have the strength right now. My only consolation is that it is going to be worth it. The first one feels great!

As for my trip, I was only too happy that I packed two projects. While I was packing, I threw in my Summit shawl--just in case. One project never seems like enough to me. I got quite a bit done on it, but I still don't think it's long enough...

Another Travel Project

I'm headed on a trip and all of my current projects are too big to bring along. So what am I to do? I really don't need to type it in black and white, do I? But I will...start another one!

I've had in mind to make myself a pair of "footless socks" to wear under pants for warmth, or peaking over the top of my boots for fashion. (I got that one from my friend, Wendy; she really knows how to rock the look.)

When I was spending my Christmas Red Purl certificate (thank you, Boss), I added some of Sandy's homespun wool to the pile. It's a beautiful golden wheat colour. Quite varied with still a consistent over all look. I had admired it a number of times and finally decided I could take it home. After I got it home, I realized it was perfect for this idea.

I did some a swatch in the 2x2 ribbing I was planning to use.

30 stitches = 3" unstretched

and 6+ inches stretched.

I threw those numbers in a blender with the measurements of my ankle and calf and cast on 72 stitches. It seems to be working. I'm working top down, and if I think it needs to narrow I can always decrease some stitches on the way down. But first I need to get through what I want to be a very deep cuff.

Even though I cast it on to have it going for the trip, I haven't been able to stop picking it up. I've got over 4 inches done already. Do I need to say again how much I love working with wool!? This stuff is hairy in a good way--I'm not sure exactly what that means because before this wool I wouldn't have thought that was possible.

Maybe when this project's done, I'll tackle something else that's been rattling around in my mind: knit-covered boots, like these by D&G: