The Daily Purl

Forgot this pattern in IK until I saw a beautiful pair knit here. Inspired to find the magazine from a stack of reading on my desk and start knitting leaves this weekend.
Interweave Knits Winter 2005 Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt

I’m taking my time figuring out the pattern and yarn for the next pair of socks I’ll knit. It’s almost the best part of knitting, right? There are tons of sock patterns and if you’ve exhausted those, you can create your own. Why not mix-and-match stitch patterns?
As Barbara G. Walker says in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, “Combinations are the key to true artistry in knitting.”
Since I don’t have knitting progress to show, here’s a rendering DH did for me. Initially I was considering it as a logo for this site, but decided to go with my own simple text design instead.

The sun came out and I couldn’t resist taking a few more photos of these socks. There seems to be a bit of a ridge where I picked up stitches for the heel. Maybe I’m doing it incorrectly? This is the second pair of socks I’ve ever knit (and the same thing happened with the first pair). Suggestions on these heels?
Update: While working on another pair of socks I discovered that it is not the yarn that is causing the ridge, but my knitting technique and tension. Jenn pointed out that maybe it was the decreases for the heel gusset. So on my next sock I paid close attention to my knitting during this part of the pattern and found that I was knitting those stitches a lot looser than the rest of the sock. Not the yarn, the knitter!

Second pair of Jaywalkers finished.
pattern jaywalker by grumperina at magknits
yarn sweetgeorgia yarns in river
needles lantern moon dpns 2.75 mm

It’s tempting to want to start new projects and stray from my current knitting plans.
Last night, as I cast-on for the second jaywalker sock, I decided that my goal is to keep things simple.
Knit only one pair of socks at a time. Avoid distractions. Stay focused. Remind myself that what I’m knitting now is satisfying and knit in the moment.
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. -Stephen Covey

My first hand-knit sweater. Pattern design by Kim Hargreaves for Rowan. I didn’t know how to sew all the pieces together and since I spent so much time on it, using the specified yarn, I wanted to do it right. I made an appointment at The Yarn Co. for a semi-private finishing class. When we started it was pointed out to me that I had actually knit one part of the sweater too short and had to rip and re-knit. There I was with another knitter and the instructor, sitting in the back of the store nervously knitting away on size 15 needles. I had about 20 minutes left to learn how to sew two pieces together using mattress stitch. Maybe it was crazy that I actually paid someone to teach me how to do this. I could have taught myself with a how-to clip. But at the time I felt like I was walking in the dark and needed a little direction. I’m not super crafty (I only knit) and I’m not a seamstress.
In my knitting naiveté I thought the sweater would be sewn together using the yarn I had used to knit the sweater. Not so. I was instructed to match the yarn to a sturdy thread (embroidery yarn). Using something other than the yarn I knit with was particularly important in this case because the yarn was so bulky. I started sewing up the edges using the mattress stitch. It only took a couple of times under those bars to get the hang of it. When I gently pulled the thread taught, the two sides just melted together to create a nice seam. My session time ran out so I finished the sweater at home that night. And on it went. All those increases and decreases shaped it nicely. Love the pretty V neck and the shades of brown, my favorite color to wear. I took it off and folded it neatly. Funny thing though. This sweater takes up space.
Obviously I over looked the obvious. Size 15 needles equals big, bulky, heavy knit-thing. I’ll never travel with this sweater. It would need its own suitcase.
So the next sweater I’ll knit will be the exact opposite. I’m leaning towards the Hourglass Sweater by Joelle Hoverson in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Knit in the round and in a lighter weight yarn. The design is simple, but that’s what I’m really looking for right now. I may even knit it in the same color as in the book. I can’t stop looking at it. I never knew I even liked orange!

Finished first pair of jaywalkers for DH. He says they fit like a sock.
yarn koigu painter’s palette premium merino
dpn 3.25 mm
Question: Do you block your socks? And if so, do you use sock blockers?

I’m still working on my first pair of Jaywalkers, but couldn’t resist starting another pair last night. I’m cheating on the first pair. You would too if you had this yarn.
It’s sweetgeorgia yarn in colorway River.
Fresh colors and knits up beautifully…I think I’m in yarn heaven.