A year full of socks..............................

So I thought as the year comes to an end for the first inaugral Socktopus Sock Club it would be a good idea to do a photocall and round up of all the socks that were knitted for it this time around.



Here they are in all their glory in order from left to right.
Karenina, Neighbourhood tunnels, Mosaic, Fiori di Zucca, Hopscotch and Tear my sole.

Not to mention all the goodies that came along with them too.

So what did I learn from being in a my first ever sock club.

1) I will do anything for a badge.
2) Sock knitters are amongst some of the most lovely people in the world.
3) Alice has the patience of a Saint.
4) I do not like orange
6) Yellow is not so bad a colour when mixed with purple
7) Magic loop
8) Toe up
9) To read charts (not so much learned but making progress or in teacher speak - working towards)
10) I can do deadlines but mostly by the skin of my teeth
11) I love getting suprises through the post
12) I really can do stuff if I put my mind to it and have some patience
13) I don't think I can ever leave this sock club as I would find it too stressful to be left out of what everyone else is doing.

And if I had to choose a favourite design this year. Difficult, you see Karenina are the only ones I have knit two pairs of, Hopscotch are my favourite colour yarn, Fiori's I learned the most from. Impossible. I have to look at the whole thing as I collective really. Thank you Alice for a fantastic year of socks. Here is to next years round up.

Note: I have already missed the deadline which for the first pair of socks for the new sockclub. Maybe I should stike number 10 off the list.

Fiorri du Zucca or Cucumber socks.....................

It has been a long journey but I have finally got there.

After recieving this package back in the summer I initially had delays getting started because of other deadlines. I think it was finally August when I got started and then came to a rather abrupt halt when I realised I was struggling too much with four needles when the pattern would work much better on magic loop.

At that point I hadn't knit using magic loop. I was also finding the whole lace chart reading a new and exhausting experience. They got put to one side as the September Hopscotch socks arrived, which was a good thing as these forced me to learn magic loop and toe up adding to my skill set to go back to the other later.

I then made a little more progress by switching to the circular and finishing as far as the end of the first cuff/leg and then came to another halt at the heel cup. Alice had used a new type of heel construction I hadn't come across before and combined with having to apply that to the lace chart I again put them to one side.

The last package of the year arrived and I was determined to get them done clear of the deadline so I could get back onto the Fiori socks. So with Tear my soles dashed off over New Year I now had to get the Fiori finished there were no other excuses around to distract me and I had that wonderful carrot of completeing all the socks to get my badge and I wasn't going to let these beat me.

So it was off to several evenings at Socktopus shop for help guiding me through and a few phonecalls to the socktopus sockclub helpline (Alice while in the shop) to get me through.

And yes I finally made it before the end of year deadline.
Here are my finished socks which will always be known affectionatly by me as my Cucumber socks (well they are in the courgette family).





I knew by this stage once I got past the heel it was down the straight home with the reward of only having to follow the chart on one side of the needle. I had finally got into the rythmn of the pattern, but it had been a long time coming.





These socks will always be worn with special pride as I know how much I had to learn to complete them.

Tear my sole I've finally finished.............

Yep I've done it I have finally finished the last pair of socks from last years Socktopus sockclub. Shame I still have pair number four to go. I have until the end of February to complete them and I have been trying very hard this last week to make some progress and I now have both cuffs done and I have attempted to start the first heel.

Anyway here are the completed Tear my soles...........





......and what did I learn from these? I don't like ginger coloured yarn, well not for me anyway. These are however perfect for a friend of mine who is trendy and funky and will love them with every bit of care they deserve.

Progress with Tear my Sole..........

With the start of the new club looming I am determined to get these finished this week only leaving one pair left from last years club to finish before the end of February. Now I know why we get half terms from school.
This isn't a particularly hard pattern but it has several individual elements within it that make me concentrate.

I love the pretty cuff design.



The back of the sock is an interesting choice, maybe a little drafty.....



I knitted a similar stitch in the Knit and Tonic, Dreamswatch scarf.





So one sock down, second cast on and hoping to be finished by the weekend.

Tear my sole............................

Or also known as the last Socktopus Sock Club parcel for 2008. Wow and what a year it has been. So far I have completed 4 of the 6 pairs and I have already wound up the yarn for this last pair.

So here is a little glimpse of my last shiny package before I start the whole thing again in the New Year.









Once again a whole selection of little goodies along with the pattern and yarn. I love the little needles gauge and I think Santa is going to be bringing me one of these too but you can never have enough can you?

But the most exciting extras in my package were my badges. My little reward and incentive for finishing each pair.

So far I have earned.......

Karenina



Neighbourhood Tunnels


Mosaic



and still to follow are Hopscotch. So just Fiorri de Zucca and Tear my Sole to finish before the end of February for my Queen Bee badge.

Now how to display these lovelys so I can share my dedication to sock knitting with all around me......

I made it just......................

I finished my Hopscotch socks late on Sunday night but I was determined I wasn't going to bed until they were done.
I have had to learn quite a bit to be able to knit these socks, magic loop being the main thing and then learning to do magic loop toe up. I have learnt Judy's magic cast on, or should I say my version of it that works and I have learnt that you need to increase every round of the toes to start off with if I don't want pointy toes.
Anyway the result is this lovely pair of socks desingned by Anna Bell.





I have had to learn how to do a short row heel and I have finally solved the mystery of the holes. I hadn't realised that I needed to wrap and turn when I picked the stitches back up too.

I have to say one of the best bits about this sock club, apart from the fantastic patterns, gorgeous yarns and goodies is each new technique it has forced me to learn to be able to tackle the pattern. I have really love the challenge. After the last pair are knit up I will be posting about all the things I have learned along the way in the sock club. Thank you Alice for such a fantastic club. Things are already along the way for the new club for next year and of course I couldn't resist signing up again.

Where do you knit yours?.........................

Well although I haven't made speedy progress on my hopscotch socks I am making some progress. I took them with me at half term on our trip into London and a quick spin on the wheel.


Here I am knitting away in my pod, getting a few strange looks from those who were trapped with me for the next 30 mins!





























I have nearly finished this first sock now.


Where do you knit your socks?

Going loopy........................................

S0 who is going loopy now?
This is what has appeared in the current October issue of Knit Today magazine.



Recognise any familiar faces? Well perhaps this close up will help.



Well this was taken back in the summer on a day when we actually had a bit of sun for more than a five minute slot. It was outside the National Theatre at the Alternative Village Fete. You may remember reading from my earlier post back in July. This loopy sample was knitted up to attach to the Great British Sheep project been run by Gerard and Craig from Iknit London which they took on tour to Camp Bestival. The whole project was to raise awareness of all the fantastic breeds of british sheep that are out there and the fantastic yarns that come from them. Sadly I can't remember which breed of sheep this particular piece was knitted from but I can tell you how lovely it was and how I love the colours.

But this is not the only way I have been going a bit loopy this summer and more recently in the past couple of weeks.

Yes the time has finally come to pull out the long 2.5mm circular needle and learn the Magic Loop. And if that isn't enough I started learning the whole thing toe-up. Finally prompted by the most recent Socktopus sock club pattern designed by Anna Bell.



These arrived in the middle of the summer holidays as part of a larger Knitpicks order I placed and was lucky enough to have a friend pick it for me in the States and transport it home.

So first I had to learn Judy's magic cast on which took a few attempts to get going but then I was fine. I decided as this was a new experience as well as knitting the sock club ones toe-up and magic loop it would be a good idea to have a practice pair going at the same time to work out the construction, pick up, short row heel and all of that.

So here is the first pair, progressing nicely.



I have already learned that the increase in the toes here is too pointy and know what to do next time to stop that from happening. Basically, increasing every round for the first few and then switching to alternate rows, but they are a practice pair so that is the whole point. To knit them and see what works and what doesn't. I am certainly going to have to practice my wrap and turns ready for the short row heel thing which I have attempted before on DPN's with varying degrees of sucess and a bit of fudging.



The yarn for these is the Cherry Tree Hill left over from my secong attempt at my men's cable socks design which took just an extra 15grms of the second skein. I am taking no risks here, with 100grm of sock yarn and toe up, knitting nice and plain and simple I hereby claim a whole pair of ladies socks from the knitting goodess. Thank you.

I have also started Hopscotch which are the toe up sock club socks I have put myself through all this pain to be able to learn to knit. I love this colour and this pattern by the way.



So it just remains to say a big thank you to both Alice and to Diane for spending the day with me recently and helping teach me this new skill to add to my repertoire. Alice and Diane are running a series of sock and spinning classes over the coming year and details are on the socktopus website. Diane is also doing online spinning tutorials which you can download on her blog.

Sock(topus)Club Part Five - Hopscotch Socks

Yep it is time for another lovely silver package to be unpacked and photographed for all of the knitty world to see and oh isn't it beautiful.
Yet again Alice has managed to extend beyond all expectations with the contents of these fantastic packages which is why I feel so guilty at the moment of not managing to complete the last ones by the deadline.

But here it is in all its glory.......



The pattern has been designed by Anna Bell (published in Knit Knit and famous for the Bridie Cardigan) and the yarn is Brooklyn Handspun and the most delectible colours, perfect for an autumn knit.





and the little knit bits box is where Alice once again scores full marks. A small little box you might say, what is so special about that? Well look inside........









By the way they aren't just any old safety pins these are super, duper, fabulous, coiless safety pins.



A totally amazing package to see me through the next couple of months and beyond. All has already been carefully packed into my Hands off my socks bag that came with the last package.

This really does have to be the most amazing sock club ever. I have already signed up again for next year.

United at last.................

So Mosaic socks got finished, February Lady Sweater is still pending completion.

Here is the evidence..........




......and I didn't even need to resort to photoshop. I thought at one stage I was going to have to fake the whole scenario.

It was only a few days ago my sock blockers actually looked like this .....



...... one lonely sock waiting for its mate to become a complete pair.

I really didn't think I was going to make the deadline for this one. I only had a few days left, all my reports, and a lady sweater to finish. Oh and not forgetting two reports to govenors in my various roles at school and a marketing stall for the school fair to put together. Deadlines hey!

But I made it and they look great - well I think so.
I also managed to finish the toes on my second pair of Karenina socks too.



A definate improvement.

Mosaic and Entrelac...........

So it was Friday night and time to set off to meet the other Socktopods at The Hide in London. I have to say how I made it I don't know I was so, so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open. Anyway I arrived at London Bridge station ready to meet up with Indieknits and others. London Bridge is a very confusing station to meet up with people and there is definately more than one Cornish Pasty stand. Neadless to say I wasn't at the same one everyone else was at!
However once I did find Laura I had to stand and resist the temptation to buy a Krispy Kreme.
Anyway I did meet up with everyone and had a good evening and an opportunity to get started on my Mosaic socks. The first part was easy as all I needed to do was knit the rib for the cuff and at least these were cuff down - easy I thought.

Ok this was going to be my first try at entrelac and luckily I had Dianne (designer of the socks) right next to me to kindly help out whenever I got stuck. I managed to complete the first set of triangles before the end of the evening. A very good start.

Luckily Saturday was also presenting itself with fruitful sock knitting adventures as it was over to Alice's for an evening of PPP&P (thats Pizza with Pjamas and Pride and Predjudice - the BBC 6 episode version). Of course I had to supply Brownies which seems to be a compulsary part of attendance at all current knitting events.

What a fab evening and thanks again to Dianne I was able to complete my first ever entrelac. Unfortuately the heep caused me a few problems and I ended up starting no fewer than 4 times. Maybe the fact it was around 2am when I finally gave up and left it until the morning might have explained some of my woe.






Luckily at breakfast Ysolda was at hand to take me through the structure of a short row heels and I finally managed to complete one.

Apologise now to Dianne as I am afraid I am going to revert to my normal type of toe this time.

Other good parts to the evening included gazing around Alice's yarn room and drooling and I came away with two skeins of Cherry Tree Hill to knit man socks and a book of Tea cosies. One thing I haven't quite worked out is how both evenings managed to escape for me alcohol free! I have to say I made up for it with Bucks Fizz at breakfast though.

Sock(topus)Club Part Three ........ Mosaic

Well the much awaited third parcel arrived in its ever beautiful silver package today and I just couldn't wait to get it open. Once again not a hint of disapointment. The colours are just fantastic,very me and I love them.





So what info do I need to give you? Well the pattern has been designed by Dianne Mullholland (of the Inside Loop )and looks to me like I might have to learn a bit of Entrelac, although I have to say I am relived to find that they are a cuff down design this time. The pattern is just around the cuff so there is some relaxing straight forward knitting as a reward.



Now I am also guessing that these little buddies are going to be useful when completing this pattern too. I love the way the colours match those of the yarn and are in the reverse proportions - very clever and a lovely touch.



That blue really is stunning.

The yarn has been dyed by Middlearth Knitter Yarns, an etsy shop seller and is a Bluefaced Leicester with Nylon mix 75% / 25% and feels very soft. I love the range of tones within each of the skeins of yarn.







But I have to say my favourtie bit of the parcel was this.........



...... and in pink too. My very own members badge. This will be sewn onto my knitting bag and reminds me very much of the badges that I used to get when I was in the Brownies and the Guides many years ago.

I am looking forward to a collection of badges as a reward for each pair of socks I finish. I have managed so far to complete each pair before the next one is posted although the last ones got pretty close. However now the postings are half way through I am going to have to start thinking about saving up for next years membership because how could I possibly not join. I would see everyone else posting and feel like I was missing out.