Toe-Up Socks

You are seeing it correctly. I'm knitting two socks at the same time. When I called to tell my oldest daughter, I thought my buttons would pop off with pride. (Let's hope 'Pride doesn't go before the fall.")  I knew she better than anyone else would appreciate this accomplishment. She who speaks knitting and crochet fluently knows her mother has neither in her repertoire.

So imagine my amazement when this book spoke to me in English no less. Not that it was perfectly clear at first. Kind of like reading the King James Version of the Bible. You've got to read it a while to get the flow of the language to understand. So that is just what I did. Before going to sleep every night for three nights, I read the instructions before falling asleep. Maybe that was the ticket. Some of you may recall those learn a new language while you sleep tapes. Could be I was having rehearsals in my sleep but what ever it was, it worked.

 

When I sat down to begin knitting two socks at one time toe up, I did it. Okay, I did it correctly on the fifth try of ripping out ten rows or more but none the less I didn't have to call our daughter and ask how to.... I'm sure she was holding on to her hat in shock.

 

Lest you think I'm a complete beginner, I'm not a complete stranger to knitting socks. I added it up and I've made seven pairs. One for our son, one for our middle child, and two for our oldest daughter. She showed the most appreciation wearing hers often so she got two pairs. And last I made a pair for my husband who is a member of Goldilocks Club and said his were "Too thick" and he never wore them. Hasn't he ever heard of boot socks? His loss for they are now mine.

 

The other two pairs I made for me and they were thinner but didn't fit quite like I wanted. The whole process was a bit frustrating since because of my ADD and complete lack of short term memory, I had a hard time keeping track of what I did with which sock since they were knitting one at a time. Keep notes you say. I tried but I kept forgetting. Even having two going on separate double pointed needles didn't work super as I tried to knit on one sock and then the other keeping them progressing relatively the same pace and would begin day dreaming getting far ahead on one and not the other. 

 

Interruptions and lack of wondering mind control impeded my progress as I rip ripped repeatedly and then forgot how many rows I'd ripped. I know, I'm a hopeless case.  You can see how frustration for a time got the better of me until....

Well, at last I thought I had found a perfect solution until I opened the first few pages. Then I discovered it was written in Greek, or at least it appeared to me for though a number of times I studied its pages and stared at my needles and 40 inches of cable, I couldn't make any sence of it. Entirely not the books fault for you must learn to walk before you can run. So it was set aside to the Some Day pile to be picked up on occasion and frustration once more renewed.  

 

Then last year I determined that I would begin learning to read a pattern. I had my oldest daughter give me lessons on stitches and what symbols meant on her visits home. Just a few here and there for I have no short term memory and without that it is very hard to create long term memory. This meant some were for repeated amazement. I can be so easily entertained. And some were put to action repeatedly where they were able to imprint upon my long term memory.

 

I was able to do a few simple hats and scarves from more complex patterns. Ones my daughter would call very easy peazy, then came   spring and it's accompaning chores which monopolized my time.

Then I spied this book on sale.  How perfect could this be? Two socks knitted at once and you didn't have to know exactly how much yarn to start with. Something very important since I have no idea how much yardage is in my homespun yarns. How awesome, I could knit away and decide just how tall to make the socks depending on how fast the yarn disappeared.

It has been a perfect marriage. The cast on that my daughter says baffles many, I caught on fairly quickly. I only had to try it 8 times. Sh.... I'm a slow learner. Don't deflate my ego. I kept forgetting what I had just done until I formed a visual pattern because of repetition.

I know I need to graduate to other patterns in this book. I'm not really following any one afraid I'll be overwhelmed by too many instructions so I'm half making things up by using a smaller needle and different number of stitches, more of course. I'm doing plain stitching on top and knit two, purl two ribbing on the bottom but hey, I figure the next socks can be a bit more out there. Out there exploring what ssk is and psso. Yes,  I've read the translations but dude, what language they talking in?

Maybe I just need to read them every night for a week and let my mind sleep on it. Who knows, it might be a whole heaping smarter than me.

Then again, think there is a U-tube out there on stitch translations?

Chevron Pattern Friendship Bracelet

 I have almost completed one Chevron friendship bracelet and it isn't hard to do, I've just discovered it just isn't my thing so there it sits. After tying a zillions knots I found myself wanting more. Not more of this project but something more than a small ornamental bracelet. It is probably the extreme practical side of me. I've little spare time and I'd rather spend it knitting, sewing, or spinning. Hats, socks, and sweaters suit my tastes better. But this is definitely economical. Just five colors of embroidery floss and you can make several bracelets. Now that is cheap, cheap.

Though making these bracelets weren't my thing. I can still see where learning these different knot patterns would be useful in a self-sufficient future. Not using embroidery floss of course but I can imagine making headstalls, belts, reins, bag straps and other things out of more substantial fibers.

And my brain has been wondering about learning a round braid to make candle wicking so this project isn't done, just done for now.The candlewicking I'm going to have to try. I've made candles from store wax, bee's wax, and even tallow but not the wicking. I think a nice round braid would do nicely. But then again this Chevron would work with a bigger candle or in lamps. Mm.... my brains a humming now but the doing will have to wait as the weather grows colder and I've hats, socks, and sweaters to make. 


You, not like me, may be a bit more fanciful and could see yourself making friendship bracelets as you rest in the evenings so this is what I did. I cut 60 inches of five colors and folded them in half, looping the top and clipping it under the clamp on a clip board. I then spread my colors out from darkest to lightest in the center. You will have a strand of the same color on the right and left. I held them down with masking tape at the bottom. The clip board worked but they have a really nice commercial set up similar to this but missing the masking tape and still it holds the thread apart. If I had enjoyed this, I would have purchased it. 


I watched a U-tube off the Internet to learn this Chevron pattern  and I'll have to find a few print off of this and other patters to tuck away for future projects such as belts and such.

But back to the project. String the outer thread on your left with a large darning needle. You can do it with your fingers but the needle speeds up the process. The needle strung with the outside thread color on the left goes under the second color on the left from the outside. The needle passing outward and you do this two times and pull the knot tightat the top most edge. Then you proceed to the next thread toward the inside and go until the center.

Then you do the same thing on the right, except you face the needle in the opposite direction. Always face your needle outward. Then when you reach the middle you tie the two outer threads together. They will we be the same shade. Remember, you have to go under The same thread twice.

 For now, braiding is going to sit while I work on the toe up method of making socks. Are you a friendship bracelet kind of gal or guy?

Thinking Of Christmas

 Christmas -- its' around the corner. Don't believe me, try making all your Christmas presents. You'll change your mind. Time is what you need and I'm going to get started right away.  I can foresee that money will be tight this winter and so my brain is a whirling on projects I can do with what I already have or the supplies can be bought at a minimal cost. 

One thing I have quite a bit of and haven't used for quite some time is embroidery floss. With four little girls, I thought friendship bracelets would make a good addition to round out another gift.

This is the first time I've made Friendship Bracelets so this is not a pro teaching but a if I can do it, you can do it kind of thing. I chose for my first one, a chevron pattern. It is in the easy class. As you can see, I'm still working on this one, my second attempt at this same pattern. The first project I didn't complete as it was rather ugly and was meant to be my experimental attempt. It was a test to see if I would be able to do this or would it just become a tangled mess. I learned a great deal.

 The U-Tubes and tutorial I glanced at confused me. I did like the idea of a clipboard over a pillow. So that is where I started.

I have horrible short term memory and though the basic patterns were of course sound, the methods to to do so weren't controlled enough to work for me. Things have to be extremely organized to keep my brain from becoming entangled along with the thread because I can't remember what I just did. In fact, if I hold something in my hand, I will forget it's there and drop it if I don't keep moving it around with my fingers to remind my memory it's still there.    

I want to share with you what I worked out. Don't tell me you can't until I finish showing just how easy this can be done because I have simplified a simple pattern.

I found that a clipboard made the project very portable and easy to slip into a bag. The clamp at the top helps to hole the threads taunt. In-expensive masking tape worked great to hold each thread at the bottom plus making them easy to move. The problem was my clipboard's composition kept clogging the tape, shortening its use time.

Having some wide masking tape did the trick when I placed it around the bottom of the board. The narrow masking tape didn't become clogged and it released easily.

The first chevron band was from threads of the following colors: black, yellow, pink, green, and a blue. It wasn't as pleasing as this one of graduating shades. Off white to darker and darker shades of peach. 

With the five graduating in darkness threads, cut each 65 inches in length I folded them in half. Slip knot the folded end to bring all the now 10 threads together. This is the end you put under the clipboard clamp.  The length of each thread is now 32 1/2 inches long.

Divide the threads with a set of dark to light on each side. With the darkest on the outside and lighter and lighter shades as you go in toward the center.

Join me as I work on Christmas projects. Feel free to join me in making your own projects.

In the next  post I'll show you the knots.

A Larger Project Bag

You've asked for it and it's here, a larger project bag 6 deep, by 12 1/2 tall by  8 1/4 wide. It's perfect for small sweaters, vests or two small projects.  Several more bags are started. I can't wait to see what they look like when done.  Keep an eye out for them next week on Etsy.

New Fall Project Bag Fabrics

 THINK FALL. Oh how I long for it's cool temperatures and sweatshirts. Yes, I love, love, love, love, them. I've inherited it. My dad loves sweatshirts and sweatshirt weather too. It's my favorite thing to have it not too cold and not too hot so I can spend hours outside comfortably. Something our area doesn't know much about.

We occasionally get a short fall, though without the profusion of beautiful colored leaves because well, we haven't got hardly any trees, an essential ingredient to fall beauty. And spring, well in our country it springs from winter to summer with hardly an interim.

As for winter, I don't like extremely cold weather but I can at least put more clothes on and turn up the heat.

Hot ole summer, well it is shear torture for me. I suffer with Addison's disease that HATES the heat and rivers pour off me as my body protests leaving me miserable and dehydrated despite medication.

With such a particular companion, I can't help but wish for Fall. I know it is a sin to wish time away but how can one help it when summer leaves me weak and miserable? I'd move way up north if it weren't for my beloved garden. Yup, the only good thing about summer.

But I was talking about Fall. I went into this fabric store while I was off with my hubby helping him with his demonstration at a Blacksmith Artist convention. The fabrics and cool air conditioning transported me off and for a little while I was in heaven enjoying Fall, at least through fabrics.

So if Fall is on your mind too, let me know if one of these fabrics tweaks your fancy and I'll whip up a project bag out of it just for you and I'll reserve it for you on my Etsy site so you can purchase it with a credit card or Pay Pal account.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCalicoBush?ref=si_shop

In the first picture, the top fabric on the left has a beautiful gold thread that weaves around the leaves and will be the outside of the bag with the fabric on the right, the lining.

In the second picture, the green fabric on the bottom is the outside and the lighter fabric the liner for the sock size project bag.

Hand Crocheted Lace

The blessing of our grand daughter was Sunday and her momma was beginning to panick. I hadn't started the white dress yet, which is a family tradition, and it was Friday. That is I hadn't started it until that evening when with the dress cut out and the sewing machine humming I had put put together the bodice and was  completing the sleeves. Then our oldest daughter, Toni, arrived at 7:30 with the lace.

One look and I knew I had to start over. The white white fabric I'd chose wasn't going to work with her creamy white vintage style lace. Plus, the fabric was the wrong texture. 
Hesitant as to which direction our middle dauther, the mother of the child, wan't to go, we headed on ove to her house.  The vote was unanimus that the lace stayed and the partially sewn dress went.  Who could say no to not using the gorgeous lace that took hours and hours of labor.

The skirt circumfrance is 70 inches and each sleeve is 11 inches around. That is 90 inches of  hand crocheted lace. WOW!! 

Fortunately, I had some white fabric that was just right and I began cutting once more. Saturday afternoon I had completed the dress.

 Then it acquired a "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" sydrome and I thought we just had to have some lace for around the neck. Something simple, so Toni dutifully began rapidly crocheting.

Then she hussled off under the Willow tree spreading out three towels for pinning the 92 inches of lace.

The hot dry wind made short work of the blocking project and when she came back in. I wanted a flower and a leaf. I told you it was a "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" sydrome. (For those of you who are wondering, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a children's book where a little boy gives an mouse a cookie and then he wants a glass of milk to go with it and then he wants.....and it goes on and on.

 But I couldn't help it. The dress was telling me just what it needed and it wanted lace around the neck and a flower too. LOL

So if you volunteer to make me lace, beware, I might want more.

The Winner Is...

Thought I forgot?  Nope, just challenged for time and computer. Yup, the dummys have been duped. We used a free virus protector from the Internet trying to save money as fund were a little low but as usual we lost money. A virus aimed at those using free virus protection off the Internet shut down our laptop by keeping the fan from running that cools the computer. So... we are having to sneak in now and then into the room my step-dad is using to use the desk top computer. He's good about it but it keeps me from my late night typing when I'm free for such things. LOL

Drum roll please!! Our grand daughter has chosen from the official rubbermaid container.

And the winner is.... Alica

 You have the choice of one of these lovely bags.

 Which will you choose?

I decided that the other bag should have a home too and so our grand daughter drew another name from the magic container and it is Herdog, congradulations!!!

When  Alica decides, I'll pass the other bag on to you.

e-mail me your addresses at hollyrexroat@gmail.com and I'll get the project bags shipped right off.