You can see how much I've gotten done on my husband's latest sock. It measures about 10" now. I have started the decreasing which will continue down to the ankle.
Gwen was her normal curious self and as always, kept me entertained.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Sock Suitcase
I just got a wooden sock suitcase in the mail. It is so cool. It cost me $23.85 which included shipping. You can get one too by emailing Joan. I payed using PayPal. It was so easy and Joan was a joy to deal with. I liked this one so much I ordered another one. I can think of nothing better to keep a working sock on the needles in your purse or bag.
You can see how much I've gotten done on my husband's latest sock. It measures about 10" now. I have started the decreasing which will continue down to the ankle.
Gwen was her normal curious self and as always, kept me entertained.
You can see how much I've gotten done on my husband's latest sock. It measures about 10" now. I have started the decreasing which will continue down to the ankle.
Gwen was her normal curious self and as always, kept me entertained.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
More Alpaca
I just received another 5 skeins of Misti Alpaca Sport (Natural White) in the mail which gives me 7 skeins. This weekend - 4th of July weekend with 4 days off for the holiday - I am going to use the machine sock pattern I have perfected with the Alpaca and knit me another pair of re-enactment socks. I can't wait! My feet are already squirming with joy!
I started hand knitting another pair of re-enactment socks for Mike using the Misti Alpaca Worsted in Moss Grey Mellange. Very nice color. I just had to have something to knit while mindlessly watching TV. I have already completed the top of the first sock and have started the leg. I love this yarn. It is not too expensive, it is heavenly soft, and works quickly through your fingers. I love hand knitting with natural fibers. The man-made fibers just don't "feel" right in my hands. I'll knit with man-made fibers on the knitting machine though even with the static problem they tend to have. But hand knitting - natural fibers rule.
I started hand knitting another pair of re-enactment socks for Mike using the Misti Alpaca Worsted in Moss Grey Mellange. Very nice color. I just had to have something to knit while mindlessly watching TV. I have already completed the top of the first sock and have started the leg. I love this yarn. It is not too expensive, it is heavenly soft, and works quickly through your fingers. I love hand knitting with natural fibers. The man-made fibers just don't "feel" right in my hands. I'll knit with man-made fibers on the knitting machine though even with the static problem they tend to have. But hand knitting - natural fibers rule.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Machine Knit Stockings
I've finished a pair of Machine Knit wool stockings. One is longer than the other because I failed to follow the instructions that I had written down. (So, Leslie, why write the instructions down if you don't plan on following them?) I figure that since no one sees the top of my stockings (they are hidden by my petticoats) that no one needs to know that one is longer than the other.
But, through trial and error, I've got a pattern that works. Now I've got to take my husband's measurements and see if I can do a pair for him.
It takes me an hour to make a pair and about 4 ounces of wool. That means that I could charge about $35 a pair for these if I decide to knit them for money. I've got to find cheaper yarn though. The stuff I bought at the local yarn shop was way too expensive. It is too thin and I am having to double it. It is about 5,000 yards per pound. I need about 2,000 yards per pound.
But, I have not been just knitting. Gwen and I have been practicing her Wave trick. Here she is waving at the camera.
But, through trial and error, I've got a pattern that works. Now I've got to take my husband's measurements and see if I can do a pair for him.
It takes me an hour to make a pair and about 4 ounces of wool. That means that I could charge about $35 a pair for these if I decide to knit them for money. I've got to find cheaper yarn though. The stuff I bought at the local yarn shop was way too expensive. It is too thin and I am having to double it. It is about 5,000 yards per pound. I need about 2,000 yards per pound.
But, I have not been just knitting. Gwen and I have been practicing her Wave trick. Here she is waving at the camera.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Fini!
I have finished Mike's pair of reenactor socks. It took me just a week to complete the 2d sock. That is even after having to wait for yarn. He loves them. I am glad. I know how much I love my two pairs. They fit so much better than the machine made ones you can currently buy for reenacting. The machine ones are not "fitted" to the leg and tend to droop around the ankles and get droopier and droopier throughout the day. These lovely hand knit socks are custom made to the legs. He is going to look extremely good on the 4th of July at Mt. Vernon when he gets promoted to Corporal! Isn't knitting great!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Blessed is the Postman
Great news. The package arrived with the 2 skeins of yarn - just in time. I will be able to continue to knit Mike's sock through the weekend.
I have just 40 more rows to go before the heel starts. It is really starting to look like its mate!
Pretty good progress, if I must say so myself, since starting it on Saturday 10 June! And I haven't been spending a lot of time on it either. I haven't been staying at work until too late so it has given me a little more time than I have had to knit in a while though.
Work has been somewhat frustrating lately. But, after the ride home on the bike, I feel so much better. There have been days when I have taken out my aggravation on the poor boys on the bike trail. You see, they are young, I am not that young. They are on nice sleek, lightweight road bikes with thin tires and I am on a heavy front-suspension mountain bike with fat tires.
I swear that they taunt me with their tiny bodies and flashy clothes. They tease me on purpose by passing me and then slowing up considerably on some tiny little hill (and I mean tiny). I pass them going up some 2% grade, they pass me going down. I pass them again going up and they usually are so tired trying to keep up with me that they don’t pass me anymore on the way down. Take that you out of shape youngsters with your expensive bikes and fancy bike clothes!
One boy even had the nerve to have a team logo on the back of his shorts that read “Team Lard ???”. The word “Team” was on his left cheek, the Lard part was on his butt, and I couldn’t see what was written on his right cheek. I am serious – Team Lard? Who would want to be on that team? That slogan motivated me even more to pass his little butt. He never knew what whizzed by him. It was my fastest ride home in a long while. Yes, he did belong to Team Lard.
One time this week I even told a boy as I passed him for the third time “You aren’t very good at hills”. My husband said that was mean.
I am not a bike racer or anything like that and I am not that fast. Maybe I should get a pair of shorts that read “You were passed by a Forty-five year old Woman with Fat tires!” Okay, that won’t fit.
I have just 40 more rows to go before the heel starts. It is really starting to look like its mate!
Pretty good progress, if I must say so myself, since starting it on Saturday 10 June! And I haven't been spending a lot of time on it either. I haven't been staying at work until too late so it has given me a little more time than I have had to knit in a while though.
Work has been somewhat frustrating lately. But, after the ride home on the bike, I feel so much better. There have been days when I have taken out my aggravation on the poor boys on the bike trail. You see, they are young, I am not that young. They are on nice sleek, lightweight road bikes with thin tires and I am on a heavy front-suspension mountain bike with fat tires.
I swear that they taunt me with their tiny bodies and flashy clothes. They tease me on purpose by passing me and then slowing up considerably on some tiny little hill (and I mean tiny). I pass them going up some 2% grade, they pass me going down. I pass them again going up and they usually are so tired trying to keep up with me that they don’t pass me anymore on the way down. Take that you out of shape youngsters with your expensive bikes and fancy bike clothes!
One boy even had the nerve to have a team logo on the back of his shorts that read “Team Lard ???”. The word “Team” was on his left cheek, the Lard part was on his butt, and I couldn’t see what was written on his right cheek. I am serious – Team Lard? Who would want to be on that team? That slogan motivated me even more to pass his little butt. He never knew what whizzed by him. It was my fastest ride home in a long while. Yes, he did belong to Team Lard.
One time this week I even told a boy as I passed him for the third time “You aren’t very good at hills”. My husband said that was mean.
I am not a bike racer or anything like that and I am not that fast. Maybe I should get a pair of shorts that read “You were passed by a Forty-five year old Woman with Fat tires!” Okay, that won’t fit.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Sock Crisis
I would like to get my husband's socks done for the 4th of July event at Mount Vernon. I figured that since I have one sock done that the goal was very reachable. He is getting promoted to Corporal and he plans on wearing a new set of breaches that he is making. I want him to look good.
Then the Knitter's crisis hit - I am about to run out of yarn - AAAWWWW. I knit my socks using Sport weight and I assumed his socks would take the same number of skeins. I didn't notice until Saturday that I was using Worsted weight on his socks and that I had used four of the six skeins I had purchased. I franticly made some phone calls and found that the yarn stores in the area are all out of the Natural White Misti Alpaca Worsted. I ordered some from the Internet. I hope it gets here fast. I believe that I will run out by tonight. I can't believe that I went through 2 skeins already since Saturday.
The sock is making progress though. Right now it measures 11 inches. I've got 112 rows before the heel starts. I was doing about 16 rows a night despite getting home late. That means, if I can get yarn that conservatively, I can get to the heel by next Monday. I always knit more than 16 rows on the weekend though so if I have yarn, I should be at the heel by Sunday. Please yarn, come quickly!
Then the Knitter's crisis hit - I am about to run out of yarn - AAAWWWW. I knit my socks using Sport weight and I assumed his socks would take the same number of skeins. I didn't notice until Saturday that I was using Worsted weight on his socks and that I had used four of the six skeins I had purchased. I franticly made some phone calls and found that the yarn stores in the area are all out of the Natural White Misti Alpaca Worsted. I ordered some from the Internet. I hope it gets here fast. I believe that I will run out by tonight. I can't believe that I went through 2 skeins already since Saturday.
The sock is making progress though. Right now it measures 11 inches. I've got 112 rows before the heel starts. I was doing about 16 rows a night despite getting home late. That means, if I can get yarn that conservatively, I can get to the heel by next Monday. I always knit more than 16 rows on the weekend though so if I have yarn, I should be at the heel by Sunday. Please yarn, come quickly!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Beginning
Currently I am knitting a pair of Revolutionary War stockings for my husband out of Misti Alpaca Worsted Natural White (okay, so they didn't have alpaca in the late 1700's). I have one already knit. This yarn is so soft. I have knit myself a pair also out of the Misti Alpaca Sport Red Fiesta Melange. I am using a pattern out of Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. I have had to adjust it to fit our legs (we have large legs?).
I have an old machine knitting sock pattern that I believe should work up nice for 18th century socks. I need to find the time to try them out. Problem with my machine knitting is the machine is upstairs in a back bedroom away from everything - the TV, my husband and our Pet. Gwen, our Umbrella Cockatoo, refuses to come anywhere near the machine. She believes that it is going to eat her. It sure sounds like it could. So, I am reluctant to go up there and do any serious knitting. There just isn't room to move it downstairs to the living room.
I have an old machine knitting sock pattern that I believe should work up nice for 18th century socks. I need to find the time to try them out. Problem with my machine knitting is the machine is upstairs in a back bedroom away from everything - the TV, my husband and our Pet. Gwen, our Umbrella Cockatoo, refuses to come anywhere near the machine. She believes that it is going to eat her. It sure sounds like it could. So, I am reluctant to go up there and do any serious knitting. There just isn't room to move it downstairs to the living room.
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