Damn you Erika!

I just spent $25 thanks to you (not counting the other $40 in books that I had to get at the same time). I'd already given up cross stitching fifteen years ago, but no, I just had to pick up yet another hobby. The list of projects I currently have going:

- New cross stitch Black Eyed Susans
- Skew socks 50%
- Vampire BF socks 25%
- Wedding shawl (for wedding this saturday) 25%
- Sweater, 2" to be frogged
- purple spinning 75%
- new green spinning
- Swap #2 project, purchased
- Swap #3 project, purchased

not to mention the lotions I have to research.

[pattern] Basic Toe-up Sock Recipe

The following links are where I originally got the techniques. My modifications, if any, are written out after.

-Shallow Figure 8 toes, increasing every row (m1r and m1l)
-Stockinette foot
-Short row heel (Wendy Johnson)
-Stockinette leg
-EZ bindoff

SET UP
Figure out how many stitches you will need by measuring around the ball of your foot and multiplying by your gauge. If you are going to swatch (haha) knit up 5" worth in either direction, so you have slack in case you miss calculated.
I am working on 60 st socks on 2.5 mm needles.

TOES
This is a modified toe up sock with a figure 8 cast on, of 1/3 your total sts (10 loops on each needle, with 10 rows of increases for 60 sts). Increases are every row instead of every other row. Work is done in spirals.
1) Cast on 10 sts on two DPN needles in figure 8. Knit first row all around.
2) K1, m1r, k8, m1l, k2, m1r, k8, m1l, k1. 24 sts around.
3) K1, m1r, k10, m1l, k2, m1r, k10, m1l, k1. 28 sts around.
4) Continue the (k1, m1r, kx, m1l, k1) set until you have enough stitches to go around your foot.

If you want to make an "anatomically correct toe", where one side slants more than the other, increase one edge on every row, while the other edge increases every other row.

If you are incorporating a cable or pattern up the sides, you can also move the m1 over (i.e. My Vampire Boyfriend was started with k2, m1r, k6, m1l, k2).

TIPS
-You don't want to keep the ends of the yarn on the edge of the 8s, because your stitches won't catch (for lack of a better word). Flip your first and last loops around so that the ends are inside the 8's.
.................no..............................................yes.................................


-It doesn't really matter if you have leaning increases, but if you only do m1's, you will have little gap.

[WIP] My Vampire Boyfriend socks

So I was flipping through Knitty last december, looking for the necessary yardage for Quadrat, when I noticed these socks. Wow. The description was so cheesy, yet awesome at the same time! And I immediately knew what yarn I was going to use! A wonderful merino/tencel from Spinning Bunny I bought at Mad About Ewes last fall in Autumn Sunset, with Addi Turbos in 2.5 mm (foot on left).

Well, after three false starts last week (uuu, yeah, the background is purl, not knit) I realized it just wasn't working out. So I went to Knitter's Underground and bought this wonderful JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk Yarn, 2/18 Lace Weight, triple plied garnet/garnet/sable (foot on right). The combination is a beautiful cranberry color that I instantly fell in love with.

Here's to me actually finishing a pair of socks for myself!

[pattern] Mom's Thrummed House Slippers

These things are so cozy! The slippers knit up in a few hours on Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Oatmeal with size 11 needles, and then a few more hours to thrum them with alpaca fiber with a crochet hook. Probably 4/5 of the skein was used. And I really should have written this up a month ago when I still had everything fresh in my head :/

PATTERN
This is a modified toe up sock with a figure 8 cast on. Increases are every row instead of every other row. Work is done in spirals. The leaf pattern is the same one used for my Lacey Leaf socks, taken upside down, and only once across.
1) Cast on 8 sts on two DPN needles in figure 8. Knit first row all around, splitting on to 4 DPNs.
2) K1, m1, k6, m1, k2, m1, k6, m1, k1. 20 sts around.
3) K1, m1, k8, m1, k2, m1, k8, m1, k1. 24 sts around.
4) K1, m1, k10, m1, k2, m1, k10, m1, k1. 28 sts around.
5) K1, m1, k12, m1, k2, m1, k12, m1, k1. 32 sts around.
Here is where the patterning starts. For the lace pattern, you will pattern every odd row and k every even row.
6) K32
7) K5, yo, ssk, p1, k2tog, yo, k6. 16 sts.
9) K4, yo, k1, ssk, p1, k2tog, k1, yo, k5.
11) K3, yo, k2, ssk, p1, k2tog, k2, yo, k4.
13) K2, yo, k3, ssk, p1, k2tog, k3, yo, k3.
15) K2, k2tog, yo, k7, yo, ssk, k3.
17) K2, k2tog, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, ssk, k3.
19) K2, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k3.
21) K2, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k3.
22-29) repeat first half of pattern from row 6.
Insert a short row heel on side opposite of pattern.
30-37) repeat second half of pattern (rows 14-21).
Knit in spiral to desired height (about four rows) and make an EZ super stretchy bind off.

Thrumming is inserted down center of pattern, and along footbed, moving diagonally two rows and two stitches for next point.
---
My sister's house slippers, in brown, were done on size 10 needles and without thrumming or lace pattern. Five more rows were added to the footbed (35 total) to compensate for a smaller gauge.

[pattern] Leaf socks

Araucania Ranco -Solids: PT484 Green

Hand painted 4ply sock yarn.
Each hank is unique, so there are no dye-lots.
75% wool 25% polyamide.
Approx 344m (376y) per 100g skein.
Gauge 24st to 10cm on 3.25mm needles.
Final weight 51.9882 g, 195.5 yards on 3.25 mm needles (US 3)
Made sep 12, 09 - oct 5, 09, about one week per sock.

Care instructions:
Dry cleaning is recommended. Gently hand wash with cool water and mild soap. Wash similar colors separately. Dry flat, do not sun dry, soak, spin or tumble dry.


Figure-Eight Toe, by Knitty
wendy's toe-up sock pattern for the short row heel

This pattern is a combination of the two found on these websites, and a leaf pattern from a book. The leaf lace uses 8 patterned rows plus 8 knit rows, for a total of 16 rows of 12 stitches per repeat, a bit bigger than an inch square. When doing the repeats for the foot and leg, the pattern can be split easily into two 8 row halves to acquire the desired lengths. For a roughly size 41 ankle sock, I did 4 1/2 repeats for the foot, and 2 repeats for the leg.



Figure-Eight Toe

My original plan was to follow these easy instructions from Knitty, but of course I messed up and ended up doing something completely different! Increases are on every row, instead of every other row.

• 1. Take 2 of your dpns and wrap your sock yarn around them in a figure-eight, leaving 8 loops on each needle.
  

• 2. Knit one row on each needle.
  

• 3. Begin knitting in the round by picking up next round with 4 dpns.

Round 0 - With needle 4: m1, k4. 5 sts total

Stitch counting will begin in the middle of the row, which will lead to the center of the heel.

R1 - n1: k4, m1. 5 sts total

n2: m1, k4. 5 sts total

n3: k4, m1. 5 sts total

n4: k5. 5 sts total

R2 - n1: k4, m1, k1. 6 sts total

n2: k1, m1, k4. 6 sts total

n3: k4, m1, k1. 6 sts total

n4: k1, m1, k4. 6 sts total

R3 - n1: k5, m1, k1. 7 sts total

n2: k1, m1, k5. 7 sts total

n3: k5, m1, k1. 7 sts total

n4: k1, m1, k5. 7 sts total

R4-R11: keep increasing (m1) one st away from the end, until you have 60 sts, 15 sts per needle.

Foot

It is now time to start knitting up the foot in the round. You can stick to four dpns or any other method you prefer, but since this pattern is made by repeating the leaf pattern five times, I divided the stitches among five dpns.

R12 - n1: k12

n2: k3 remaining on needle, plus k9 from next needle.

n3: k6 remaining on needle, plus k6 from next needle.

n4: k9 remaining on needle, plus k3 from next needle.

n5: k12 remaining on needle.

There should now be 12 sts per needle, 60 total. Time to start the lace pattern.

yo - yarn over

k2tog - knit 2 together

ssk - slip, slip, knit. I knit back-assed permutation of Reverse Continental or something, so this means I slip the first st through the back loop, slip the second st through the back loop, and then return both sts, coming in through the back. Now knit both together.

For the lace pattern, you will pattern every odd row and k every even row.

R13 - n1: k12

n2-4: p1, ssk, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, k2tog. (12 sts each)

note: The ssk and k2tog stitches should mirror each other across the purl st.

n5: k12

R14 - k60

R15 - n1: k12

n2-4: p1, ssk, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2tog. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R16 - k60

R17 - n1: k12

n2-4: p1, ssk, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, k2tog. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R18 - k60

R19 - n1: k12

n2-4: p1, ssk, yo, k7, yo, k2tog. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R20 - k60

R21 - n1: k12

n2-4: k1, yo, k3, k2tog, p1, ssk, k3, yo. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R22 - k60

R23 - n1: k12

n2-4: k2, yo, k2, k2tog, p1, ssk, k2, yo, k1. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R24 - k60

R25 - n1: k12

n2-4: k3, yo, k1, k2tog, p1, ssk, k1, yo, k2. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R26 - k60

R27 - n1: k12

n2-4: k4, yo, k2tog, p1, ssk, yo, k3. (12 sts each)

n5: k12

R28 - k60

Repeat R13-28 until the foot is about an inch and a half shorter than the desired finished length.

note: This lace pattern can easily be done in 8 row repeats (instead of the whole 16 rows) to get a more accurate length.

Short row heel, by Wendy Johnson

It is now time to divide stitches into 30 instep sts and 30 heel sts. Both Magic Loop and dpn methods work.

R1 - k14. Move yarn as if to purl. Slip the last, unworked st from left needle to right needle. Turn.

R2 - Slip first, unworked st from left needle to right needle. Purl next stitch (it will now have been wrapped by the working yarn), purl to last st. Move yarn as if to knit. Slip last st. Turn.

R3 - s1, knit to last worked st. Wrap last worked st and turn.

R4 - s1, purl to last worked st. Wrap last worked st and turn.

Repeat R3-4 until 8 heel sts are wrapped on left side, 14 sts are "live" in the middle, and 8sts are wrapped on the right. Your heel is half done, and you should be ready to work a right side row.

Note: How many stitches you leave unworked in the middle depends on how wide you want your sock heel to be. If you want it a bit wider, do a couple fewer short rows. If you want it a bit narrower, do a couple more short rows.

For the second half of the heel:

R1 - Knit across the 14 live stitches across to the first unworked, wrapped stitch. To work this stitch, pick up the wrap and knit it together with the stitch.

Wrap the next stitch (so that it now has two wraps) and turn.

R2 - Slip the first (double-wrapped) stitch and purl across to the first unworked, wrapped stitch. Pick up the wrap and purl it together with the stitch. Wrap the next stitch and turn.

On subsequent rows you will pick up both wraps and knit or purl them together with the stitch.

Continue until you have worked all the stitches and you once again have 30 "live" stitches. When you have all stitches live again, divide the stitches as you did for the foot.

Leg

Work until the leg is the desired length to the ribbing, then work in ribbing to the desired finished length. Bind off was done with a crochet row at 4.25 mm, one at 2.5 mm, and one at 1.25 mm.

ERRATA

I hated this bind off, so I ripped it out and did 5 rows of 1x1 rib with the same amount of yarn and finished with EZ super stretchy sewn bind off. Here's the video!