Projects
A Peek into the Ol’ Sock Bag
Dear Kay,
Last week’s post about Megan Ingman’s Lichen and Lace yarn generated a comment from Gretchen: “Beach Glass and Linen. Say no more.”
Well, that hit me like a thunderclap.
Off I went for some of that sweet, sweet Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock. I rooted out skeins of Beach Glass and Linen to see what she was talking about. And I said no more.
Having a swell time with this cuff-down stockinette sock from Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust, beach glassin’ and linenizing all the way.
I made the cuff 24 rounds rather than my typical 12, so as to enjoy more Beach Glass.
The vibe is so different. It’s so soft. These are going to be socks to wear when my foot zone needs calming down.
Up top I put all the colors of Megan’s Lichen and Lace Sock 80/20 because it’s fun to imagine combinations of all those colors drawn from nature.
Thank you, Gretchen, for pointing me in a new direction.
Technical Heel and Toe Tidbit
I’ve always liked the look of contrasting heels and toes on socks. And now that I’m accumulating a bunch of leftover sock yarns, I can see more of this idea in the future.
I do need to figure out how to close up that little hole at the top of the short row. It’s bugging me!
In Other Sock-related News
I finished my MDK Knitting Getaway Shakerag sock blank socks.
(How’s that for a sentence? It’s right up there with “I unfollowed her on Twitter because she kept subtweeting me.” In 2005, that sentence would have made no sense.)
This is the Alternating Slip Stitch pattern from Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust. I’m still loving working the cuff-down pattern, and at this point the sock pattern flows like some deep-seated memory.
For those just tuning in, we had a big time in June at the MDK Knitting Getaway with Donna Brown, whose natural dyeing class we all loved because we could fool around with a ton of color derived from natural extracts. You can read all about it right here.
We all dumped color onto sock yarn blanks—lengths of stockinette knitted double, so that we could make two socks with the same coloring on both socks.
It totally worked! Who knew? This group experiment is starting to show fascinating results—have a look at #shakeragsockblank to see what is coming of everybody’s sock blanks.
Prizes Ahead!
The Lounge is awash with socks of every description—the Wandering Socks KAL conversation includes sock veterans as well as folks finishing their very first pair. Lots of great sock talk—go post your sock pix there (or on Instagram with the tag #MDKwanderingsocks) and you might win one of our weekly Wandering Socks KAL prizes.
Getting Ready to Go
Heading out on an adventure starting Friday. Guess what I’m packing.
Socks. For some island wandering. Which island? Please come with me!
Love,
Ann
the little hole which is bugging you goes away magically if you use a german short row and a boomerang heel.
cheers.
I feel like the heel-hole remark was a cliffhanger for another letter! Better ask Patty! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I thought Patty or Kate addressed it. Now I have to go look. 🙂
Have a great time on your island adventure, whichever island it may be! (Perhaps a Shetland island??) No matter where, an easygoing traveler like you will have a wonderful trip!
The best method to close that gap is beautifully shown in this video from Knitting Pipeline. https://youtu.be/qqmHZ6pY9Bw I came across it thanks to Susan B. Anderson’s Smooth Operator sock pattern. I tuck these ideas away in a YouTube folder I call Knittricks.
Great refill- thanks!
Thank you. I bookmarked this too. Unfortunately, I just finished a heel last week and I probably won’t get there on the second sock for a few months. I am really intrigued about trying this on a sweater underarm. On the two sweaters I’ve knit, the underarm holes are really ugly even after I tried to tighten them up.
Ann, I love the socks that you have shown here. Your sock blank sucks are absolutely fabulous! The new socks that you have on the needles with the contrasting cuff, heel are great. I especially like the way you lengthened the cuff so you could get more knitting time with that pretty yarn, Beach Glass.
Oh my, that should have read sock blank SOCKS.
Thanks!
very helpful! but i don’t think it works for the short row heel technique in this Field Guide…does it?
Yes! Susan B. Anderson revolutionized socks for me.
I need help with closing up that heel hole, too. German rows and boomerang were mentioned but can someone explain? I feel stuck at this point unless I make a patch!
I pick up the leg of the next stitch to work together with the stitch at the gap, works for me. Love the German short rows heel
Many years ago when a shop owner who had become a friend was helping me get started knitting socks, I asked her about that little hole at the top of the gusset. She said “everyone turns their socks inside out and takes a little stitch to close up that hole, what the heck else would we do?!”. I still don’t know if there’s a more professional method, I’ve never looked back.
Help — The 1×1 ribbing in my cuff is already stretched out — when I look at your sea glass cuff it is so squishy and has a lot of stretch in it. What am I doing wrong? I’m using fingerling weight yard and a US #1 needle.
That is my experience, too–cuffs stretch out. I think a 2×2 rib holds better than a 1×1 rib, but neither retains its gripping power very well. I like patterns that have ribs or cables all the way down the leg, so the socks don’t bag.
Arne and Carlos have a brilliant tutorial for making the little hole go away.
Just wait til get to the point where you discover you can make an entire pair of socks in stripes or colorwork using just the little leftover balls of yarn from all your previous sock-knitting adventures! I did it, and the colors worked together perfectly, plus I had the fun of remembering the original socks, which had been knit over a few years. It was like making a patchwork quilt from your sewing scraps! (I’m guessing it’s like that.)
Dear Ann: I’m the proud owner of Wanderlust and some of your featured yarns and am thrilled with everything!! I have a question: in Wanderlust, are there directions for the beautiful contrasting cuff, heel and toe sock you are knitting? And if not, where might a beginner like me find such instruction? I’m smitten!
Might you be going to the island of Long?
Your Shakerag sock blank socks turned out really well – those are beautiful colors. You did a great job matching the stripes!
I’ve always done French heels. Any good tutorials on the kind of wrap and turn to use for the short row heels in Wanderlust?
I am working on my first sock!! So much fun. I am about to start the heel and it’s a bit confusing so I’m watching all kinds of videos to get the hang of it. Ann, I just watched Suzanne Bryan’s video on the wrap and turn short row heel and she addressed the little hole! She wrapped the first stitch of the instep on each side to make it go away.
How can you knit socks on sleeve island?
Contrasting heels and toes always remind her of sock monkey and I always find them a little creepy.
I’m knitting away on my socks. Was brave and went for the picot cuff, and as i knit down the leg I find myself perplexed still by the short row heel instructions. To be clear (anyone?) the pattern does not want you to lift up the wrap and do all that counting. Just wrap, turn and when you go back leave wrap in place and just knit the stitch on the needle? I confused myself by watching youtube video. Removing the frontal lobe of the brain looks easier then what that woman did.
I haven’t knit a sock in over 20 years and had completely forgotten how to turn a heel ! I never thought that I would forget something so simple, but I managed ! Thanks for your mini-book