Saving You from Second Sock Syndrome Since...Today.

I've got a special treat for you today, especially if you (like me,) suffer from Second Sock Syndrome. I've just listed three very special kits featuring three of my sock patterns in my Etsy shop.
What makes these kits so special? Well, there is only one of each available, and they all feature ONE completely knit sock. This means that should you decide to pick one up all you have to knit is the mate and you'll have a complete pair. If only all sock knitting worked this way! The kits come in three flavours: Kethry, Flannery and Yukari. All feature one complete sock (knit by me and coincidentally the prototype sock used in designing and writing their respective patterns,) a copy of the pattern, enough yarn to make a second sock (and complete the pair) and the numbers I used so that you'll be able to produce an exact matching sock.You can't ask for an easier sock experience! As I've been told that my sock patterns tend to be a little more complex than most, this would be a good opportunity to try your hand at one. The commitment normally required to produce a pair of socks is automatically cut in half!Each sock is knit to fit US Ladies' sizes 7-9, though the lacy socks may have a bit more give to them as their patterns are stretchy. I can provide exact measurements or more details should anyone require them.
I'll post links to the kits in the sidebar to the right for quick and easy access. Remember, there is only one of each kit, so when they're gone, they're gone!

The Campus Scarf is Done, boys, and it's so lonely on a limb.

I can hardly believe it, but after languishing for over one year the Campus Scarf is done! The ends have even been woven in! I'm over-using exclamation points!

I ended up doing six full repeats instead of the pattern's recommeded seven, but the scarf is longer than its recipient is tall, so I figured the extra foot and a half won't be terribly missed. I think I might be even more excited about the scarf than its recipient is. I'm not surprised.

In other news, I am pleased to report that I will be finishing the thumb on Snowball Fight with Robert Smith mitten no. 2 this afternoon. One Xmas knitting project down...who knows how many more to go.

Also, I've started desgining again, and there is a new sock and a new mitten in the works, so watch out for those coming soon.

Purple Reign.

It seems that everything I've been making lately (or have been intending to make lately,) has been purple. I have no idea what this means, but it sure is pretty.

This is the first of the mittens that I can't help but call Snowball Fight With Robert Smith:

That's one of the patterns from Latvian Mittens toned down and gothed up in minimal purple and black. The good news is that not only are these the first of my Xmas knitting (I always start in June,) but that the second one is half done! I am making good time.

Of course, the mittens stalled about halfway through due to a real need for some plain Stockinette sockery:

Meet GothSock no. 1, which has since been completed. This could be Xmas knitting as well, but it might get gifted to its giftee long before then. I suppose it would help if I started GothSock no. 2, seeing as how the giftee has more than one foot.

I skipped the heel flap on this one in favour of a short row heel. I'm still not totally sure about bailing on heel flaps entirely, as I don't think I'm as good at short row heels as I'd like to be -- I always end up with these stupid holes between the heel and the instep when I start the rest of the sock, and even when I pick up enough stitches I'm always convinced that it looks odd. This might just mean that I need a little more practice. Well, there is GothSock no.2...

Then, of course there's this mess:

More purple! This was originally intended to be a pair of Keefley Mittens but then the pattern either turned on me, or I turned on it and I decided to forget the pattern entirely. Just because something is pretty and in front of one's face doesn't mean one has to knit it! Besides, I have a house full of mitten patterns to choose from -- this might be why this still hasn't turned into mittens.

This combination deviates slightly from the all-purple theme, but please recall that green was my last colour-rut-of-choice. There are no surprises here!

These innocent looking bits of wool are going to be coaxed into becoming Selbu mittens. I have fnally received my copy of Selbuvotter and I can't wait to dive right in. I just have a couple of things to finish off, first.

I also finished my Folky Mittens. They don't initally look purple, but that dark colour on the cuffs and palm is called "Merlot Heather" and looks maroony in person, so it might actually count.


Finally, a picture of the mitten in action, to show the length of the cuff and the actual fit:

I'm pleased with how they turned out. I fear the only problem I'm going to have this winter is deciding on which pair to wear!

Mittens, both finished and Finnish.

The first Folky Mitten (Ravelry link) is done:
Please note that this is the palm side of the mitten -- find that thumb! I am also pleased to report that I'm nearly up to the finger decreases on the second one. There will be no talk of the ten million ends that need to be sewn in. None.

Being nearly finished a pair of mittens is a very fortunate place to be for all concerned, really. Look what came in the mail last week:
This is the much-coveted Haavisto mitten book, originally published in Finland way back in the middle of the last century. Naturally, I fell in love with it at first sight.

Now the challenge was how to actually get my hands on the book. I knew it was in Finnish (which I unfortunately can't read) but had fantastic charts, and I had picked up in passing that it was out of print. Ok, I thought, this might complicate things a little. This is clearly evidence of how the Internet and its ability to provide me with myriad far-flung rarities has skewed my perception.

Imagine my shock and amazement when I read (in my own mitten community, of all places!) that Anne (Ravelry link) -- she blogs here -- had access to reprinted copies of the book and was offering to send them to mitten enthusiasts around the globe. I immeadiately contacted her and in a few short days (Finnish post is fast!) I had my copy in my hands. It is a fabulous book, and I expect it to keep me busy for quite some time. Socks may even end up taking a back seat to mittens this summer.

A Folky mitten.

So while Helgi's Mittens await colder days, I've done the most sensible thing I could think of (further proof that I am not to be trusted,) which is cast on for another pair of mitts. For this pair, I've dipped into Lizbeth Upitis' Latvian Mittens, fished out a chart sight-unseen and grabbed suitably garish, peasanty colours to work with. The result is, well...

Well, here it is with Plastic Rooster standing on top of it (he's becoming something of a staple in my mitten photo shoots.) This is the better part of the cuff of the first mitten. It's a very long cuff. It's got ribbing, it's got purled bands, it's got a rep of the palm motif in there and a massive colourwork band that I am in LOVE with. The whole thing runs halfway down my forearm, which is not a terrible thing, really. I was bound and determined not to cut any motifs out of the chart I was working from, as I did this last time, and while you'd never know unless I told you, it threw off the symmetry of the finished cuff. Just thinking about it drives me batty.

The cuff on this current mitten is actually so long that for about five minutes I considered turning them into fingerless mitts. Luckily, the mood passed. Every good Latvian mitten deserves a cleverly hidden Latvian thumb, and I would've hated to deprive these mittens from what is essentially their birthright. I should have the first mitt finished in the next couple of days so you can see what I mean.

Check this out...

As seen on my Ravelry profile page:

Six socks, two pairs of mittens and one scarf. There are no great surprises here, as those of you who know me as a knitter can attest (I have yet to be drawn to the Sweater Side, though some are trying.)

All that aside, it was the colours in this composite that really caught my eye -- purple, green and brown. It seems that now I'm even coordinating my finished objects to match.

If you don't recognize the mitts in the top left corner, that's because they were knit together in a hurry. I did this mainly so my gauge wouldn't go and change on me over time (which for some reason I'm still wary of, though this might all be in my head.) They're Nancy Bush's Helgi's Mittens from Folk Knitting in Estonia.

The yarn is Knit Picks Palette in Ivy and Verdant Heather -- one ball of each. It's hard to argue with a $4 pair of mittens (though their value ultimately rises considerably by the time one holds a finished pair.) That's the magic of mittens.

Yukari is ready and waiting!

Finally, finally, Yukari is done!

Pretty, lacy socks that have been specifically engineered to compatable with ONE SKEIN of Colinette Jitterbug. Yes, you can comfortably knit a pair of top-down socks (Women’s medium, US sizes 7-9) without fear of running out of yarn (when the pattern’s leg and foot length are followed, of course.)

Naturally, you don't need to wait until you have a skein of Jitterbug on hand to kit Yukari -- she's equally pretty in any other fingering yarn. Semi-solids and solid coloured yarns would show off her patterning nicely, but variegated yarns are lots of fun, too.

If you're looking for a quick, easy and lacy sock to knit, Yukari's your girl!

Size: Women’s Medium (or any foot/leg that is 8” in circumference.)

Gauge: 8 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: This pattern has been specifically written so that 1 skein of Colinette Jitterbug (320 yd / 100 g) will produce one complete pair of Women’s Medium socks. The sock shown here is knit in the Summer Berries colourway. Any other fingering weight yarn (of comparable or greater yardage) may be used, in either a solid, semi-solid or variegated colourway.

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 2 (2.75 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Knitting in the round, lace, twisted stitches, chart reading and grafting.

To purchase: If you are a Ravelry user, please use the "buy now" button under Kethry's picture in the sidebar to the right to pay via PayPal to receive an expiring link to download the pattern instantly.

If you are not on Ravelry, please visit my Etsy shop, located to purchase a copy of the pattern. Please disregard the shipping costs -- when payment is received a copy of the pattern will be sent to the email address provided.

Sometimes I even scare myself.

It's true! Just look:

Another new sock!

This is Yukari. What's special about her is that an entire pair can be knit with one skein of Colinette Jitterbug. Those of you who are familiar with this yarn probably know that is slightly lacking in the yardage department. When it comes to sock-knitting, this can mean one of three things:

1. very, very pricey sock-knitting (two skeins at $20+ each is not going to happen,)

2. very, very suspenseful sock-knititng (one skein might be enough,)

3. toe-up socks (I tried this once -- and it worked wonderfully -- but I nearly came unhinged in the process.)

After my first intense (but ultimately successful) run-in with Jitterbug I had mentally resolved to not get involved with this yarn every again. Somehow, though (and this is probably my fault,) I ended up with another skein (in Summer Berries, for the curious.) It's been hanging out in the stash for a couple of months, and the other day I decided that its Time had come.

What ended up happening was a wide-ribbed sock with seed-stitch panels alternating with a classic scallop lace motif. Sure, the seed stitch might get a little lost at times, but the texture is still there. In this colouway, the overall effect is nothing less than lush. I would love to see what this looks like in a semi-solid (or solid) yarn.

Colour aside, this is a quick (and easily-memorized) knit, which would be ideal as an on-the-move project.

Yukari's already been added to Ravelry right over here. The pattern will be turning up in a couple of days.

Flannery sock pattern now available!

Yes, I can hardly believe it myself. Two patterns written in one week?! It's true -- Flannery is now available and ready to go whenever you (and your needles) are.

It's just occurred to me now that you haven't been formally introduced to Flannery. Allow me...

A sock inspired by the South, Flannery is eleganty rustic, featuring a wide knot cable and seed stitch rib.

The pattern is easily worked and memorized and is easily sized-up, making it a great fancy sock for men.

Here's a little bit more about her:

Size: Women’s Medium (or any foot/leg that is 8” in circumference.) The socks can be easily sized up by adding additional purled stitches between the cable and the twist stich rib.

Gauge: 8 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: 440 yards of fingering weight yarn, preferably a solid or semi-solid colourway, to best show off the pattern. To make a pair of socks as shown here use 2 skeins of Elann Sock It To Me 4 Ply in Nutmeg (229 yards / 50 g per sock.)

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 2 (2.75 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Knitting in the round, basic cabling, twisted stitches, chart reading and grafting.

To purchase: If you are a Ravelry user, please use the "buy now" button under Kethry's picture in the sidebar to the right to pay via PayPal to receive an expiring link to download the pattern instantly.

If you are not on Ravelry, when you send payment of $6 USD via PayPal to janetree (at) gmail (dot) com I will promptly personally send you a copy of the pattern to your email as provided (within 8 hours
but most likely immediately.)

This is a great project for knitters who want to try (or practice) working with cables since it knits up quickly and is easy to memorize. With those long stretches between cabling rounds, this could be the perfect sock to knit in transit.

As always, enjoy! I'll be here should you need me.

Kethry pattern now available!

Kethry is finally ready for mass consumption! The pattern is a clear, concise, 4-page .pdf file with large charts and images.
Here are some other important things you might like to know about Kethry:

Size: Women’s Medium (or any foot/leg that is 8” in circumference,) or slightly larger. The lace pattern is very stretchy.

Gauge: 9 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: 440 yards of fingering weight yarn, preferably a solid or semi-solid colourway, to best show off the pattern. To make a pair of socks as shown here use 2 skeins of Knit Picks Essential in Grass (231 yards / 50 g per sock.)

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 1 (2.25 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Knitting in the round, lace, twisted stitches, chart reading and grafting. No cabling skills are required in the making of this sock.

To purchase: If you are a Ravelry user, please use the "buy now" button under Kethry's picture in the sidebar to the right to pay via PayPal to receive an expiring link to download the pattern instantly.

If you are not on Ravelry, when you send payment of $6 USD via PayPal to janetree (at) gmail (dot) com I will promptly personally send you a copy of the pattern to your email as provided (within 8 hours
but most likely immediately.)

I would encourage all beginner-intermediate / intermediate sock knitters to give this pattern a try as it is far more complicated looking than it actually is to knit. Sam is already knitting her own Kethry and it's looking great.

Enjoy!