Come and chat - we don’t bite…

Unless asked nicely :)

It has nothing to do with knitting.  The knitting has been going very well.  I finished the first part of the Secret of the Stole with no problems, like what I see so far and downloaded the charts for the second part this morning.  The entrelac shawl is also progressing nicely and I’ve been able to put in some time on it the last couple of evenings so I’m into the first red line of blocks and am seriously loving how these colors play together.  I have yet to cast on for the second Endless Knot sock, but will before long.  I’m seriously tempted to try a different heel on this one :)  I mean, who’s going to know?  Heheh…

The weather here has been rainy all week - which is why there are no pictures today.  I’m not a great photographer under the best of circumstances and without some natural light to help me along, well, it’s almost not worth doing.  So the weather is making me cranky - I’m dying for some sunshine!

Another thing that’s irritating me is that while I love autumn, I hate October.  October is (as you know if you’ve even stepped a foot out of the house) National Breast Cancer month.  Which means that I can’t even go shopping without being clouted over the head with a bazillion pink ribbons adorning everything from cosmetics to Thomas’ English Muffins.  I know I have breast cancer.  All the reminders are a little depressing.  More than that though, I begin to feel that in the boardrooms of some of these companies, some sharp person has figured out what a clever marketing technique this bandwagon can be.

See?  We support breast cancer research!  We’re good guys :)  You can be a good guy too - just buy our product!

The other thing that bothers me about all this is that while breast cancer gets all the press, the other forms and types of cancer get no notice at all.  How does a sufferer from pancreatic cancer or leukemia or prostate cancer feel when they walk into a store to be bombarded by breast cancer advertising?  A little neglected, maybe?

Sigh…

I did a little dyeing yesterday to test a new “blue”.  I had hoped to be able to show it to you today but it isn’t dry yet so it will have to wait for Monday.

Grump, grump :)

Chatters is on tomorrow night at the usual time!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

The Endless Knot Socks

I have always been fascinated with this design - with any design, in fact, that though it appeared to be complex turned out to be a single line with no beginning or end.

Such is my view on life, the universe and everything :)  Not to mention that knitting itself also takes a single line and turns it into the most wonderful things!  Well, there is usually a beginning and an end point but in the case of a Moebius scarf, the line gets pretty vague :)

I do not claim to be a Buddhist, but many of my views and leanings coincide with Buddhism.  This symbol is called the Auspicious or Endless Knot and, among other things, represents the connectedness of all things as well as the union of compassion and wisdom.

The design is rendered in mosaic knitting which is an intriguing technique for color knitting that doesn’t involve carrying two (or more) yarns, nor does it create floats on the wrong side of the work.  The finished fabric retains a good deal of stretch.

On the chart, the repeat is indicated by the red outline.  Each repeat is 20 stitches wide and you will have three repeats around the circumference of the leg.

The boxes on the chart represent your colors.  The empty boxes are your main color and the filled boxes are your contrast color.  Notice that after the number that tells you what line of the chart you’re working, there is either an empty or a filled box.  This tells you which of your colors you should be working with.  If it is an empty box, then you will be using your main color.  If it is a filled box, you will be using your contrast color.

Each line of the chart represents two rounds which are worked in exactly the same way and with the same color. 

So for round 1, note that you’re working with your contrast color.  Drop the main color for now.  Written out, round 1 would look like this:

Sl2, k1, sl2, k7, sl1, k7.

You will repeat this on each needle (three repeats) until you are back at the beginning and ready to commence round 2 - which is exactly the same as round 1 - same color and same pattern.

Now you’re ready to start round 3.  Note that this is worked with your main color, so pick that up and drop your contrast color.  Written out, round 3 looks like this:

K5, sl1, k5, sl1, k1, sl1, k5, sl1.

And round 4 will be exactly the same as round 3.

Work through the chart, always reading from right to left (since this is worked in the round) until you complete the design.  Then proceed with the rest of the sock.

Materials

Sport weight yarn - 400 yards Color A (main sock), 150 yards Color B (knot design) or 200 yards of each color if you decide to do yin/yang type socks :)

Size 2 US (2.75 mm) needles - 4 double points, one or two circulars - as you prefer.  The pattern is written for four DPNs but magic loop fanciers should have no problems adapting.  For those who prefer two circulars, one of the pattern designs will be split between the needles.

Scissors, tapestry needle for ends, stitch markers if you find them helpful, etc…

Leg

With Color A, cast on 60 stitches, 20 on each of three DPNs.

Join and knit in 2 x 2 ribbing for about 1.75 - 2 inches.

Knit 2 rounds plain.

Join color B and begin mosaic pattern.  There will be one pattern on each needle.

When the chart is complete, cut color B and proceed with your main color (in plain stockinette) for about 2 more inches (more if you like a longer leg).

Preparation for heel flap

This centers one of the symbols over the front of the leg.

Knit 15 stitches off needle 1.  Move the last 5 stitches of needle 1 to needle 2.  Move the last 15 stitches of needle three to needle 1.  You now have 30 heel stitches on needle 1.  Arrange the remainder of the stitches so there are 15 sts each on needles 2 and 3.  Turn work and purl back across needle 1.

Heel flap, Eye of Partridge

Row 1:  *Sl1, K1*, across.
Row 2:  Sl1, Purl across.
Row 3:  Sl2, K1, *sl1, K1* across; end K2.
Row 4:  Sl1, purl across.

Repeat these four rows 7 times for a total of 28 heel flap rows.

Knit 1 row.

Turning the Heel

Next row:  P19, P2tog, turn.
Next row:  Sl1, K8, SSK, turn.
Next row:  Sl1, P8, P2tog, turn.
Next row:  Sl1, K8, SSK, turn.

Continue as above until all edge stitches have been taken up.  10 stitches remain on needle, having ended on a right side row.

Gusset

Pick up 15 stitches down the side of the heel flap.  With a new needle, knit across the instep, combining the stitches from needles 2 and 3 onto one needle.  With a new needle, pick 15 stitches up the other side of the heel flap and knit 5 stitches off of needle 1.

Needle 1:  20 stitches
Needle 2:  30 stitches
Needle 3:  20 stitches

Decreases

Row 1 

Needle 1- Knit to within 3 stitches of the end; K2tog, K1.
Needle 2:  Knit across
Needle 3:  K1, SSK, Knit to end.

Row 2

Knit around

Repeat the above two rows until needles 1 and 3 have been reduced to 15 stitches each.

Foot

Knit around even until foot is as long as you want - generally about 2 to 2.5” shorter than the total length of the foot.

Star Toe

Next round:  *K2tog, K13* around.
Next round:  Knit
Next round:  *K2tog, K12* around
Next round:  Knit

Continue decreasing this way until needles 1 and 3 have 8 stitches each and needle 2 has 16 stitches.

Repeat round one only until needles 1 and 3 have 2 stitches each and needle 2 has 4 stitches.

Cut yarn, leaving several inches.

Thread yarn end through tapestry needle.  Pass needle through the remaining 8 stitches, removing them from the needles.  Pull tightly to cinch the stitches up.  Draw yarn through to inside and weave the end in.  Weave in any other ends.

Make another and you’re done!

Wear with compassion and wisdom.

Notes

Making these socks with the stated yarn type and needle size will fit a size 10 foot attached to a heavy calf :)  Fingering weight (sock yarn) on size 1 needles should scale this down for more normal sizes.  In any case, the leg will be a bit loose because, aside of the cuff, there’s no ribbing.  Another option might be to rib from the bottom of the symbols until you’re ready to start the heel flap.

Finally - as always, I made these for myself and I made an inverse color pair to add the idea of Yin Yang - balance - to the project.  If you decide to try these socks, make them for yourself!  A sock is a collection of pieces - cuff, leg, heel, foot and toe.  I used an Eye of partridge heel flap - amusingly enough since it is absolutely invisible on the red sock because of the darkness of the yarn!  You can use that, or regular heel stitch or plain stockinette - whatever you like and are comfortable with.  I made a Dutch heel and a star toe - but you can make any kind of heel or toe that you like.  Because if you decide to make these, they’re going to be your socks :)

For most of the weekend, I’ve been working on the Secret of the Stole.  Since I’m not a fast knitter, I figured I had better get started if wanted a prayer of keeping up with the group.  As it happens, I haven’t gotten through the entirety of the first clue, but I’m within a few rows (5 or 6, I think).

I haven’t had problem with the charted pattern so far - it has been clear and, as nearly as I can tell at this stage, accurate.  I was a little nervous about attempting a chart that was likely to be close to 100 stitches wide.  You know me - I find an 8 stitch, 12 row stitch pattern and just reproduce it all over the place.  Real easy to chart, to read, and to keep track of.  But, it hasn’t been too bad!  The stole’s designer has gone so far as to add a little number in the first knit-stitch box which tells you how many knit stitches in-a-row there will be, if there are more than 10.  I have never seen this before but am maudlinly grateful for it!  It has already saved me from much hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth due to miscounts.

My beads hardly show in real life and don’t show at all in these photos - but I still like them.  They are certainly not ostentatious but occasionally when you turn the piece, you catch a bit of glimmer.  Very understated but, in my humble opinion, rather elegant.

This is just a detail shot where the bead actually shows…a little :)  It’s about dead center in the picture.

All in all, I have to say I’m enjoying this trip into the unknown wilds of lace knitting.  I’ll be finished with this part later today and am looking forward to the next hint, due on Friday.

Wednesday, if we’re lucky - socks!

Bring your knitting and join the fun!

This just hasn’t been my week :)  First there was the sinus garbage on Monday and then my right wrist and hip went on strike!  Things are finally settling down but, you know, it’s a sad thing when a person’s body feels the need to draw your attention to the seasonal changes by pitching a fit!  Sheesh….

The Secret of the Stole KAL starts tomorrow with the issuing of the first clue.

Here’s my yarn:

You have seen this before.  It’s Knitpicks Peruvian Highland wool, fingering weight which I will work on a size 7 (4.5 mm) circular.  I’m going to spend part of the afternoon winding it so I will be ready to go when the first clue shows up tomorrow. 

The KAL leader indicated that for lace weight yarn worked on a size 4 or 5 needle, about 1200 yards would be needed.  Since I don’t know exactly how this will scale up, I have 1740 yards of the fingering weight - just in case :)  You know, in case I actually need more yardage and in case I make a horrible mistake somewhere that eats up a considerable amount of length.

These are the beads.  They are the right size and a color I love.

I’m ready to go now :)  All I need is the clue!

Oh - I believe you can still join the group until the end of today - if you’re interested :)

I’m afraid I got a little obsessed a couple of nights ago.  For quite a while, the idea of mosaic knitting has been flitting around in my head.  I’ve done a little of it before, but nothing big and nothing in the way of a project.  Well, nothing that got finished anyway :)

There’s a good tutorial at Knitty called Slip in Some Color

What I wanted was to knit in the round.  Come to find out after a little research, that it’s about as easy as falling off a log - dead simple!  You work two rounds in each color and the rounds are exactly the same - no worrying about moving the working yarn to one side or the other of the work.

So I set up my experiment with some Woolease sport-weight that’s been ageing in the stash for quite a while and was dumbfounded as the pattern appeared in the knitting, simply and smoothly.

The design is one of the Eight Auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism…

“The Auspicious or Endless Knot is a geometric diagram which symbolizes the nature of reality where everything is interrelated and only exists as part of a web of karma and its effect. Having no beginning or end, it also represents the infinite wisdom of the Buddha, and the union of compassion and wisdom. Also, it represents the illusory character of time, and long life as it is endless.”

Clicking on the above paragraph will take you to a page with more information about Buddhist symbols.

Okay, I know :)  I’ve got a shawl in progress, another pair of socks in the works, a stole about to be started - and here I am, sidetracked into another pair of socks.

What can I tell you - I’m weak :)

Nothing serious.  I just woke up this morning with a screaming sinus headache and can’t seem to wrap my mind around much coherence.

I did receive my yarn and needles on Saturday.  I was pleased to see that the yarn, though I hadn’t expected it, was the same lot as the yarn from my previous order.  I mean, I figured it was the Bare (to be dyed) stuff - how much difference could there be, really?  Still, it’s nice to know that I won’t have to worry about even slight color variations.

And the needles are to die for.  I ordered Knitpicks’ 8” double points in sizes 8 (5 mm) and 10 (5.75 mm) and they are lovely.

Now all I have to do is summon enough motivation to do something with them - and that’s probably not going to happen today.

Now, if you all will excuse me, I think I’m going to go lay back down for a while :)  Have a good Monday!