I am nearing the end of the current spate of household projects. 8 of the 10 new LR and DR curtain panels have been shortened and re-hemmed, my bedroom curtains have been turned into Swedish blinds, another Swedish blind was made for the bathroom cabinet, and I revamped some disused curtains for the kitchen.
I still need to finish the last 2 curtains and sew new heat packs. But I needed a break from sewing, to re-knit several pairs of house socks that have worn out, and am knitting a couple/few more pairs, as I must have thick socks to wear around the house, but can run out of time as the holidays draw near.
The re-knitting of socks seems to taunt me! I get a pair re-knit, check that off the list, so I can get onto other work, then a week later, another pair needs re-knitting, then another. It’s like laundry, cleaning, and cooking – they’re never done.
In between, I am trying to focus on knit designs, as I need some of them done, so I can get back to getting the floor loom put together and re-warped for the rest of the rugs I began before the loom had to be dismantled and moved.
There’s 3 designs in the works with more to CO, which I won’t start until some of these projects are done and published.
After 30+ yrs of knitting socks, they are second nature to me, so sock knitting is a good way to fill the hours when I’m too tired to work on ‘real’ projects. LOL, with everything I am responsible for, becoming too tired for ‘real’ work can sometimes be the rule, not the exception.
Digression – I have recently taken notice of a well-known knit designer, who, in just 8 years or so has amassed hundreds of patterns, translated into a handful of languages.
Granted, most of her work is uncomplicated stockinette, but I don’t know where she finds the time! I’d love to be able to work full-time on my designs, whether knit, weaving, or spinning, but then nothing would ever get cooked or washed, as well as things done for hubby that he can no longer do. I’d be lucky to have the time to squeeze in paying the bills and ordering ‘all’ the things we need ordered, and forget about having a garden!
Such production, and her massive popularity, has been making me feel small, like I’m wasting my time. I don’t normally compare myself to others, eh, until now.
I realize I am not her, I don’t have her life, and although a plain stockinette sweater or two are welcome additions to any wardrobe, I’d be bored to tears *only* making plain sweaters or plain anything. I love cables and color patterns, especially the latter. I need to honor that, and remember that.
Back to socks – the DK, worsted, and heavy worsted wt. socks last longer than the bulky wt. ones as I don’t wear them as often. The bulky wt. ones give a nice padding underfoot, esp. on hard floors, so they wear out more quickly.
They can either be knit with a bulky wt. yarn or stranding a chunky wt. yarn (around 130 yds/100 gr), which gives the thickness of a bulky to SB wt., with even more squishy padding than when using a single yarn! As with this latest pair of re-knit socks.
I still need to finish the last 2 curtains and sew new heat packs. But I needed a break from sewing, to re-knit several pairs of house socks that have worn out, and am knitting a couple/few more pairs, as I must have thick socks to wear around the house, but can run out of time as the holidays draw near.
The re-knitting of socks seems to taunt me! I get a pair re-knit, check that off the list, so I can get onto other work, then a week later, another pair needs re-knitting, then another. It’s like laundry, cleaning, and cooking – they’re never done.
In between, I am trying to focus on knit designs, as I need some of them done, so I can get back to getting the floor loom put together and re-warped for the rest of the rugs I began before the loom had to be dismantled and moved.
There’s 3 designs in the works with more to CO, which I won’t start until some of these projects are done and published.
After 30+ yrs of knitting socks, they are second nature to me, so sock knitting is a good way to fill the hours when I’m too tired to work on ‘real’ projects. LOL, with everything I am responsible for, becoming too tired for ‘real’ work can sometimes be the rule, not the exception.
Digression – I have recently taken notice of a well-known knit designer, who, in just 8 years or so has amassed hundreds of patterns, translated into a handful of languages.
Granted, most of her work is uncomplicated stockinette, but I don’t know where she finds the time! I’d love to be able to work full-time on my designs, whether knit, weaving, or spinning, but then nothing would ever get cooked or washed, as well as things done for hubby that he can no longer do. I’d be lucky to have the time to squeeze in paying the bills and ordering ‘all’ the things we need ordered, and forget about having a garden!
Such production, and her massive popularity, has been making me feel small, like I’m wasting my time. I don’t normally compare myself to others, eh, until now.
I realize I am not her, I don’t have her life, and although a plain stockinette sweater or two are welcome additions to any wardrobe, I’d be bored to tears *only* making plain sweaters or plain anything. I love cables and color patterns, especially the latter. I need to honor that, and remember that.
Back to socks – the DK, worsted, and heavy worsted wt. socks last longer than the bulky wt. ones as I don’t wear them as often. The bulky wt. ones give a nice padding underfoot, esp. on hard floors, so they wear out more quickly.
They can either be knit with a bulky wt. yarn or stranding a chunky wt. yarn (around 130 yds/100 gr), which gives the thickness of a bulky to SB wt., with even more squishy padding than when using a single yarn! As with this latest pair of re-knit socks.
I pulled out some old Cascade Yarns Pastaza and a skein of their Sitka, both discontinued, both soft singles, which one doesn’t ordinarily think of using in socks, but I thought, What the heck, I’ll try them together. I chose the smallest possible stranding pattern of K1A, K1B, alternated on the following rnd with K1B, K1A, creating a tiny dice, and used US size 5 (3.75 mm) dpns, if I remember correctly, though it could have been US 4's. Bad on me, I didn't keep notes.
Yes, I could have kept the pattern repeating the same rnd for stripes, but, as with heel stitch vs eye of partridge stitch, stranded stripes tend to pull in more than alternating the color placement on each rnd.
Thus far, they are soft, cozy, and warm. They do pill, but I expected that. We shall see how long they last.
Onward!
Dawn
Thus far, they are soft, cozy, and warm. They do pill, but I expected that. We shall see how long they last.
Onward!
Dawn
