Anticipation...

I can't believe I just spent a wad on one skein of yarn... Ok, it was less than $20.00, and for many knitters, that is cheap, but for me, I could probably get 4 skeins from one of the other vendors I tend to frequent for that price...  But, I was gifted a skein of this Independent Dyer's yarn to create a new sock pattern with, and it was so inspirational (the Frills and Lace pattern was the result of that yarn) that I just had to try her stuff again.  The Indie Dyer is Lisa Souza, and her yarns can be found at www.lisaknits.com The colors are vibrant and the yarn is sooooooo soft and beautiful and she does some amazing techniques with her dying that I haven't seen elsewhere.  I am sold, and probably hopelessly addicted now to her yarns.

The skein I was gifted was her Sock! line in the color Delft.  This time, I decided to try her Blue Faced Leicester Sock! in the color Jonquil.  It appears to be either a speckled yellow with purple and orange speckles or with splotches of purple and orange.  Either version is fine with me.  I just know it will get the creative juices flowing and I am looking forward to it arriving, hopefully in the next week.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the BFL knits up.  I understand from others in the knitting world that this yarn is supposed to be softer and more lucious than normal merino wool yarn, but having never experienced it, I am anticipating finding out for myself.

I know a lot of knitters who make socks worry about how much nylon is in their sock yarn, and for some of the socks I knit for other people, I pay attention to that.  But when I am knitting for myself, that is one consideration I really don't need to worry about too much.  First of all, I am gathering quite a collection of hand knit socks, so none of my socks get worn extensively.  Secondly, I have always been relatively gentle on my socks - I still have pairs of commercial socks that are nearly 30 years old and have not yet worn holes in them!  Some are now orphans due to the Dryer Monster, but still, that's a long time for socks to last, and I take much better care of my handknit socks than I ever did of my store-bought ones (and they have no need to fear the Dryer Monster as they will never go in the dryer). 

Truth be told, I really don't wear socks much anyway.  during the cooler months of the year, I do wear them when I go outside, and to town, etc., but with how my health has been for the last 2 years now, I hardly manage to get dressed and go anywhere that I would need to wear socks.  I rarely wear them around the house as I don't like wearing shoes (balance issues), and with all the greyhounds and cats, I am afraid I might step in something that I wouldn't want to get on my socks.  (feet are much easier to wash).  I will wear them to bed on cold nights, especially if I am keeping the bedroom door closed because the Dear Husband has jacked the fire in the woodstove to melting.  Since the only heat is via the woodstove, and it sits on the other side of the bedroom wall, it can get unbearably hot (for me) if I don't close it, but when I do, it does get nippy in here.  I do sleep better when it's cold though as long as my feet are warm, hence the socks in bed in the winter. 

Just because I don't wear them much doesn't mean that I will ever get enough of sock knitting.  I enjoy it.  It makes me relax and I am happy to see the designs come to life in the yarny goodness that are socks.  They are also short term projects which are about all my poor failing mind can handle these days.  I tend to have a shorter attention span as I get older (and have to take more medicine to deal with all the health issues), and the length of a sock project is about all I can manage anymore.  I'd love to do a sweater again someday, but... it takes soooo much more yarn and soooo long, I'd probably run out of patience and money long before I could finish a sleeve even!  No, I'll stick to my socks.  If you think you want a pair, let me know.  I am always looking for victims recipients to bless with socks...

Temptress Socks are now live!...

I am really excited to add this pattern to the growing list of sock patterns that I have designed.  This is a very pretty lace sock that looks much more complicated than it really is.  It's good for experienced knitters as well as new knitters as the directions are pretty well explained.

 

This pattern is available thru Ravelry and costs $5.00.  Many thanks to my proofreaders, Lydia and Verna for all their help and guidance.  This pattern would never have been as great without their help. 

WHAT a day!

What a day!  It started before Dawn as we had to be up early to make the trip to Springfield so I could get a Lumbar Puncture.  This was supposedly to try to determine what some of my current insane health issues are caused by... like the vertigo I've had since early Spring, the recent hemorrage in my left eye, and the ever present lowgrade headaches...

First of all, the Transport (Medicaid provided) was late.  They had us ride on one of those buses that they use for the wheelchair patients.  When we got on, there was already a lady on board that had come from one of the local Nursing homes, and there was not much room available for us.  (2 seats at the very front - one a half-sized seat and the other a full seat that the driver had all his crap on).  The larger seat would have been more comfortable for me, but because of his stuff, there was no way to get the seatbelt around me, so I was forced to perch on the smaller seat with my knees (that are already in bad shape) crammed into the door partition, and with my back up against the cold window.  Comp got the other seat as he is thinner and could get the seatbelt around him. 

Then they had to stop and pick up another lady at a different Nursing Home, and she was no where near ready (not dressed and still sitting on the commode, according to the driver).  We had to wait a half an hour with the back door standing open in 40 degree damp weather before they got her ready and loaded.  By then, she and the other lady who both had drop offs before mine, were already late for their appts, so they went ahead and dropped me off first because if you are late at the hospital, they have to reschedule your test.  Don't know how late those two were, but we did make it - just in the nick of time.  And let's not talk about the Driver's speeds as he tried to make up for lost time... as a former Driver's ed teacher, let's just say I was not pleased...

The test was not too bad.  Really a lot more scary in theory than in actuality.  The technician who did my test was very good and very pleasant, and explained everything very well.  He did tell me that my pressure in the brain and spinal cord was significantly higher than normal, and as a result, he removed 12 ccs of spinal fluid (after what they took to run their tests with) to bring that pressure back down to normal. That did help with the headache.  The jury is still out on the Vertigo and the eye damage is probably permanent at this point.  Recovery was pretty good too - I spent most of that time knitting on socks, so it was a pretty normal experience for me... (what I do on a daily basis)

The real trouble began when they released me.  Comp called an hour before I was to be released to get the Transport on their way to pick us up.  They were supposed to be there right when I was released, or within 15 minutes.  Being as when you have a Lumbar Puncture, you are SUPPOSED to lie flat for the 1st 12 hours, they don't want you sitting around waiting on your ride.  We ended up waiting almost 2 HOURS!!!!  And Steve and I both had to call the Transport coordinators to get them to finally show up and pick us up. Grrrrrrr.  The reason you are supposed to lie flat is that if you don't you end up with a spinal headache, which makes a really bad migraine feel like a day at the beach.  How do I know that?  Gee, I wonder... NOT!!!

And there was no excuse for this having happened.  Because of other issues with Medicaid Transport in the past, I have elected a Preferred Provider to take me for my appts.  Did they schedule me with my preferred provider?  NOOOO... why not?  Their excuse is that they had heard that that company was going out of business.  NOT True.  I know because we have become friends with the people who own the transport company that is now my preferred provider.  The real reason?  The Transport coordinator company has to pay my preferred provider a higher rate than the company that they sent me with (because they contracted them at the higher rate and now want my company to take a rate cut - with gas prices climbing into the stratosphere?).  So they give all the work to the lower priced company and are driving all the smaller and more expensive companies out of business. 

The company I prefer takes good care of their riders and does whatever they can to make the ride more comfortable and bearable for folks like me who have to rely on Medicaid provided transportation (we can't afford the gas to go to Springfield for tests, and where we live, that is the only choice for many of them, not to mention the appts with Specialists).  If they do end up going out of business, it will be because the Transport Coordinator folks have found a loophole and are using it to deny them the riders they need to stay in business.

So tomorrow, when I am supposed to be resting and getting over this ordeal, I will be spending the day on the telephone, reaming new orrifices in the various folks who make the decisions that have caused this horrible experience and the horrific headache I am now suffering.  And if some heads do not roll, I fully intend to take this to the media and allow them to publicize this mess. Those of us on Medicaid are still people who deserve to be treated like people.  Granted some may be of less than stellar mental faculties, but not all of us.  It behooves those of us who are still mentally capable to take a stand and see that things are done right so that not only do we not have to suffer, but so that those with less ability to speak for themselves don't have to suffer either.

And don't get me started on what will happen if Romney gets elected... THAT  thought terrifies me... 

Frills and Lace Socks

I have finally released a new sock pattern, Frills and Lace socks.  This pattern has it all:  simple cables, simple lace and beads as well as a small band of contrasting yarn to help highlight the beading.  This is a very simple pattern with a 4-row repeat and a short row, Eye of Partridge heel.  It is appropriate even for relatively new sock knitters who want to try the various elements without becoming overwhelmed by a complicated pattern.  Instructions are both written and charted and include both cuff down and toe up versions.

The pattern is available exclusively through Ravelry.com (See my links) and is just $4.00

Short Row Heel with Gussetts

I promised a couple of days ago to get this heel written up and posted here since I have used it for socks for someone with a high instep.  I am writing it for cuff down, as that is the way I normally work.  I am not sure yet how to do it for toe up, but I am working on it.  If someone normally does toe up and wants to help with it, I'd appreciate your imput, and would happily share credit with you...
This is being offered for free for anyone to use with any pattern.  I am sure the idea is not original to me, but if you plan to these instructions in a pattern you are offering for sale, I'd appreciate a note from you first...

Start with half the total number of stitches you have for your sock.  This pattern is done in all stockinette, but you could continue the leg pattern on the heel if you so desire.  You will be working over the stitches that are/were the back half of the leg.  Make sure you have a stitch marker on either side of the section you are working on if you are not using a seperate needle(s) for the heel already (I use a 9" circular, and use the SMs instead of a seperate needle).

Work across the heel section until you reach the last stitch before the marker before you would start the instep.  Turn your work and you are now going to work on the wrong side of the work, so knit stitches will be purled and purl stitches will be knitted. work across the heel until you have 2 stitches left before the stitch marker.  Turn and now work on the right side again, continuing in this manner, always turnning one stitch before where you turned the last time.  When you have between 8 and 14 stitches remaining as working stitches (depending on the width of your heel).

Now you will begin picking up stitches while working on the wrong side of the work.  From here on out, you will purl only on the wrong side and knit only on the right side.  When you reach the end of the worked stitches, pick up the next stitch and then make one stitch (M1) by stiching your left needle into the yarn between the stitch you just picked up and the next one from the back.  Now Purl that new stitch thru the front of the loop that is on the left needle. Turn your work and go back across the work on the right side, knitting all stitches until you reach the last worked stitch.  Now work the first unworked stitch and again M1, this time by slipping the left needle under the yarn between this last stitch and the next one from the front side.  Knit this stitch through the back loop. Turn the work and continue in this manner until all stitches are worked. 

Now continue with your foot pattern by working your pattern across the instep stitches and decreasing the extra stitches out every other row by SSk the 1st 2 stitches on the heel side (after the marker) and K2Tog the last 2 stitches (before the marker) on that side.  Since I usually have my start of row marker on one of the 2 side SMs, and your gussetts are actually a part of the foot instead of the instep, you don't have to move the start of round to the center of the heel, and you will still have your decreases on the same round.  When you are back to the number of stitches that the pattern calls for your cast on, you do not need to continue decreasing, and should continue with the pattern as written.

Sock ramblings...

A dear friend and someone else, who is in Keep it Simple Socks (a group on Ravelry), recently asked me why I was designing my sock patterns for specific foot issues when most socks will stretch to fit almost any foot shape.  They do, but for some people, the socks don't fit well, and in my way of looking at it, that is a problem. 

Feet are an important part of the body that are usually ignored as they are so far away from our heads that we hardly ever think of them.  But they are important because they are what support and carry around the entire body, and pain and problems with your feet can transfer to other parts of your body and contribute to ill health in the rest of the body in ways you wouldn't expect.  So to me, having comfortable and therefore healthy feet is important.  That means wearing socks and shoes that don't pinch or bind or are too loose or too big.  Your feet will have to work to get comfortable in socks and shoes that don't fit well, and the adjustments they make to do that will affect posture and how your feet carry your body around.  After a while, that is going to translate to aches and pains in places far from your feet (not to mention the aches and pains in your feet as well).  So, socks should fit well.

I also think that if you are going to take the time to make handknit socks, you might as well make nice handknit socks that are pretty or handsome (if you are making them for or are a guy).

To me, that translates to interesting patterns with lace and cables and other design elements.  I have spent much of my life as a fat broad who likes style, but for whom designer clothes are not designed.  Never mind not well, most designers don't even recognize that the human body comes in all shapes and sizes - they only want to design for skinny model types.  I also sew and learned to make my own clothes so I could wear things that looked good on me and had some sense of style.  Granted it isn't the style seen in Vogue or other high fashion magazines, but it looks good on my body.  Not that I care that much anymore - I'm older now and comfortable is more important than style these days. 

But I still want pretty and stylish socks.  That fit well.  I have flat wide feet, and I need socks with a lower heel than most folks, so that is why I mostly knit socks with a short  row Eye of Partridge heel.  It fits my heel and foot better.  I don't have high arches, so I normally forego a gussett in the foot of my socks.  Gussets make the sock too large on my foot, and makes the socks feel sloppy to me. 

But other people don't have flat feet and square toes.  Some have incredibly high arches.  Some have tiny feet.  Some have thick ankles.  A sock that fits me won't fit some of these other feet, and I think it's time we realized that. 

Making socks that fit isn't really difficult.  It's learning to take what does work for you and applying it to the patterns you want to knit.  For a person with a high arch, that means a heel that has a gussett in it, and normally, that means a heel flap and gussett heel.  For a person with flat feet and no arch to speak of, that means a short row heel. 

The problem to me is that I abhor the heel flap style of heel.  It's what is taught to most first time knitters, and it's very counter intuitive.  It doesn't sound like it will fit or will even make a heel, so for someone like me, who sees things in the mind's eye, it's the hard way to go about making a heel.  The short row heel is much more intuitive and makes more sense, so I like it better.  Not to mention, it fits my heel, so that's what I use.



Currently however, I am designing a sock for a woman with a high arch.  The short row heel doesn't fit her, so I had to go back to the drawing board.  I needed to make a heel that would fit her foot and her high arch, but I just can't abide the heel flap mess.  I had to come up with something different.  So I did. I altered my basic short row heel to include extra stitches that could become a gussett and would provide the extra space she needs to make a sock fit comfortably.  It's probably not a new idea; I am certain that some knitter somewhere in the annals of time has done this same thing, but it's new to me, so  I will try to get the new heel written up and include it here free of charge for anyone who needs a longer heel than I do.  I will also edit this to add pictures of the sock with the new heel design as soon as I get the sock finished and the weather clears up so that I can get a decent picture outside. 

Changes are afoot...

You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my Blog... This is because I am getting ready to launch a new venture... some sock knitting patterns that will be sold on Ravelry, a free site for those who enjoy the fiber arts.  The patterns will be sold under Greyhound Bend Designs.  Greyhound Bend is the name of our home here in Missouri; we live on a bend in the road, and we have LOTS of greyhounds, hence "Greyhound Bend."  Anyway, I am hoping to do more blogging about the knitting venture, announce new pattern releases and tell you what all I am working on (with pictures) to help get the word out.

At this point, Ravelry will be the only location where my patterns will be available for purchase.  It will just make life simpler to have only one place to get the patterns and for me to have to keep track of what and how things are selling.  Since Ravelry is free for all users, and there is a rather large membership of folks who are into knitting and other fiber arts (well over 2,000,000 at this point), it just seems like a logical location.

So what am I working on now?  I am in the final steps of readying a pattern that I am working on for publication.  At this point, the pattern is called Frills and Lace Socks...

... this is just the first of the socks from this pattern that is completed.  I am currently working on sock #2 of this pair, as well as a second pair that started like this...

... it has blue beads that match the blue mohair and the blue flecks that are in the main color (Lisa Souza Sock! in Delft).  This is the yarn that inspired the pattern to begin with, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of days so I have not been able to get a good picture of the sock as it now looks.  I am also still on the foot as this is a pair that I am making for a friend from Ravelry who sent me the yarn and a foot model.  She has a very high arch, and the reason for designing a sock for her in the first place is to learn how to devise a pattern for her type of foot needs.  I am working on a new heel design to go on her socks that includes a gusset within the short row heel set up to give her more room across the instep.  I will get more pictures as soon as we are past this and the weather cooperates.

I also have a couple of other patterns in the works... a series of patterns based around a rather simple cable and lace design that will have the series title of "As You Like It Socks."  There are going to be 3 different patterns (thus far) in this series, but I am still looking for names for the individual patterns and still have a LOT of writing and editing to do.  But here are a few glimpses of what these will look like...

And there will be 2 distinct but related patterns called "Temptress Socks"  and "Seductress Socks" that are lace with a diagonal rib.  These were specifically designed to deal with another common foot issue, very large ankles (known as 'cankles').  The pattern is very stretchy and will accomodate large ankles while still conforming to thinner portions of the foot and leg.  And it is a pattern that will look nice on the leg of ANYONE, not just those with large ankles! The first pair of  "Temptress Socks" is pictured below, but the picture of the first pair of "Seductress Socks" is not available for publication yet as they are a birthday present for a good friend whose birthday is not until October.  The patterns for these socks are also only partially written, but I hope to have all of these patterns released before Christmas. 

Here are a picture of the "Temptress Socks"...

Oh yes, and lest you think the greyhounds are being ignored or neglected... here's Fritzie in his new greyhound hat for the coming winter...

This pattern is not my own, but is available on Ravelry as "Pointy Greyhound Hood" and is FREE (although a donation to a local greyhound rescue is recommended).

The Eye of Partridge Short Row Heel

I have been busy making more socks, and several people have asked me about the heel I always do.  I call it a Short Row Eye of Partridge heel, and it can be done either toe-up or cuff down.  I prefer cuff down, but this i can do both directions and I like this heel because it is easy to sub in for whatever heel the pattern calls for, and I don't have to do a heel flap and gusset (which I really abhor doing).  I find that the Eye of Partridge technique camouflages the little holes that you can get from the wrap and turn short row heel, and it just seems to fit me better.  So here is how it works:

Once you are at the point where you are ready to start your heel, knit across from the center back to the end of your heel stitches. (you do not need gusset increases on toe-up  with this type of heel).  I usually use 1/2 the total number of stitches to make my heel (this can be done with any needle configuration).  when you get to the last stitch, slip it and turn.  You do not wrap this time around.  Now you purl across all your heel stitches until you have only one heel stitch remaining.  You will slip this stitch from the left needle to the right needle, and then pass your yarn to the back of your work.  Now slip this stitch back to your left needle and pass your yarn back to the front.  Now turn your work.  Now the EoP pattern will begin.  S1 K1 til one stitch is remaining on your heel.  Slip this stitch to the right needle, pass the yarn to the front of the work, slip the stitch back to the left needle and pass the yarn to the back. Turn your work.  Here you will purl across your heel to the last stitch before the previous wrapped stitch, and wrap this stitch as you did before. Turn and again, S1 K1 across to the last stitch before the wrapped stitch on this side.  Wrap and Turn.  Continue in this fashion until you have about 10-14 stitches remaining unwrapped (less stitches for small heels, more for larger ones).  End your wraps on a knit row. 

On the next row, purl across to the first wrapped stitch (the last stitch you wrapped on this side) and pick up the wrap and put it on the needle with the stitch, and purl these together.  Turn your work.  Now you will work across your stitches in a K1 S1 pattern til you reach the first wrapped stitch (again, the last stitch you wrapped on the knit side).  Pick up the wrap and put it on the needle with your  stitch, and knit these 2 stitches together. Turn your work, and purl to the next wrapped stitch, repeat the pickup and ptog, and turn.  k1 S1 across to the next wrapped stitch and pickup and ktog.  Turn and repeat this process until you have no wrapped stitches remaining.  Your heel is finished, you should be headed across your instep (front of leg) stitches.  As you get ready to continue with your pattern, pick up 2 stitches from between the heel stitches and the instep stitches, and knit across the instep, as the pattern tells you to do.  when you come to the other side, pick up 2 stitches from between the instep and heel stitches, and continue across the sole (back of leg), following your pattern.  When you get to the last heel stitch, knit it together with the first of the picked up stitches, then knit the second added stitch together with the first stitch of the instep.  Follow pattern across to the last stitch and then knit this last stitch together with the first added stitch on this side.  Then knit the second added stitch with the first heel stitch, and continue on with your pattern as written.  The only change to your pattern as written will be to omit your gusset decreases.  You do not need them with this type of heel.