Six Hour Thick Cotton Socks

Now, these wouldn't be for everyone but I've been playing around for a while to create a pair of socks similar to the ones I used to buy, thick, thick 100% cotton. I love the way they flop down loosely or you can roll them neatly around the ankle. And I also love how they feel on the soles of my feet, like a constant massage. I finally Eureka'd, them, I think, after many trial runs.

I test drove them today, all day, including a goodly walk and they are still comfy on the feet.

Six hours, not bad for a quickie gift.

You can buy these ginormous balls of thick cotton here in Canada in many variegated and solid colours, I'm not sure about other countries. One big ball would do about 3 pairs of socks (for about $2.00 pair) and you can also use odds and ends of the knitted dishrag stash pile, like I do.

Large ball Bernat Thick Cotton
4:5MM Dpn's for average (size 9-11 Canadian) woman. Use 6MM needles for men’s.

Note these can be striped or heel and toe separate colours, etc.

Gauge: 4 sts = 1"

Cast on 33 sts (10-12-10 the extra stitch is transferred to needle #1 on first round and K this and first stitch together for a neat start.
Work K2, P2 rib for 16 rnds

Work in stockinette st for 6" total of rib and ss.

HEEL FLAP:
Knit 8 sts and place remaining sts on ndl #2, turn
Sl 1, purl 7 plus 8 sts from ndl #3.
Place remaining sts on instep needle.
On these 16 heel sts, work as follows:
Rt side: *sl 1, k1, rep from * across
Wrong side: sl 1, purl across.
Repeat these two rows until you have 8 chain loops along sides of heel flap.

TURN HEEL:
SL1, P8, P2TOG, P1, turn
SL1, K3, K2TOG, K1, turn
SL1, P4, P2TOG, P1, turn
SL1, K5, K2TOG, K1, turn
SL1, P6, P2TOG, P1, turn
SL1, K7, K2TOG, K1 Do not turn
10 sts left - you will finish at end of rt side row.

With same ndl, pick up and knit through the backs of the 8 sts along side of flap. With new needle,
knit instep sts. With
new needle, pick up and knit through the backs of the 8 sts along other side PLUS 5 sts from heel
flap. Beginning of
round is at center of heel.

GUSSETS:
Rnd 1: Knit to within the last 3 sts of ndl #1, k2tog, k1. Knit across instep
sts. On 3rd ndl, k1, ssk,
knit to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: Knit even.
Repeat these 2 rnds until 32 sts remain.

Work foot to about 2" shy of wanted length.

TOE:
Rnd 1: Knit to within the last 3 sts of ndl #1, k2tog, k1. On needle #2, k1,
ssk, knit to within 3 sts
of end of needle, k2tog, k1. On ndl #3, k1, ssk, knit to end.
Rnd 2: Knit even.
Repeat last two rnds until 16 sts remain. Weave 8 top sts to 8 bottom sts.
End off.

SSK – slip next two stitches knitwise to right needles, then put left needle through both of these stitches and knit 2 together.

Dishcloths made beautiful

Sorry for the lack of posting. It was not from the lack of knitting of which I've been doing a fair whack but Ive been unfortunately giving it away before I remember to take a picture and do a post.

I take a theme each year (last year it was tams or berets) and gift friends and family for solstice or new year.

This year it was dishcloths. I took two coordinating balls of cotton out of my stash and made a set of 3 cloths per giftee. It takes between 4-5 hours to create the matched triple of the above. I also make a matching I-cord and tie up the cloths with it to finish it off, so to speak.

The extraordinary part is that most giftees refuse to use them for their intended purpose, but instead display them as coffee table show-offs.

They really are great dishcloths and as a friend says here: "They never go sour".

Aran work

I finished a scarf for a friend who is visiting tomorrow. Of all the knitting I do, Aran work has to be my favourite. I design my own patterns.

Here is the scarf:



And this is a closeup:



I decided not to add a fringe or other adornment as it stands alone as a classic piece that will match everything.

It is done on 33 stitches in Chunky Aran from my stash on Size 6mm needles. The cables represent my friendship with Claire, the diamonds my wishes for her.

I will transcribe my notes and post them here when I get a minute so that my patterns are provided.

This took 8 hours: 5 Daily Shows with Jon Stewart, 1 Grey's Anatomy with the grandgirl and 2 movies.

Yarn Over

Well it's about time, seriously. I need to keep my knitting all tightly wound under this header. And what a title!

For starters: Just a pic of a hat I sent recently to a dear friend who's lost her hair in chemo. I've knitted over 20 of these hats this season, I created my own pattern as a lot of them out there don't quite work. I knitted it on 5dp size 6mm bamboo needles and used a mix of wools to get a heathery/ocean effect. About 5 hours work, an 1cord at centre included.

2 movies worth of knitting.