Cascade Wool Socks Finished on the Oval Knitting Loom

Wool Socks

I think I started this pair of socks around Christmas time (?)  I worked on them during down time while traveling, and also during my Quilting get-togethers so I would have some handwork to do.  I don't do much hand stitching.

I used the 64-peg 1/4-inch oval knitting loom by CinDWood.    The yarn was Paton's Kroy sock yarn in cascade colors, which is wool, but quite thin.  I should be able to wear these socks in shoes, rather than relegating them to be winter bed socks.

I was wondering how these would turn out on the larger loom.  Looks like a perfect fit!

Red Socks No. 2

Red Socks #2

I made another pair of red socks with my little round knitting looms:

CinDWood 56-peg loom

 

That was my handwork project while we were in France last month.  When we started the trip, I still had to do both heels, over the ankle and the "rims."  It helps to have a set of the round knitting looms, then I can keep the pair of socks at more or less the same stage in the making.

I used Chic Sheep Yarn by Mary Bird. It makes a thicker sock -- good for winter and cold nights.  

I so liked the red socks I made for my dad a few years ago, that I made a pair for myself.  ;-)

What  color to dye for the next pair?  Denim Blue?  Sky Blue?  Black Cherry?  They are in the crock pot now ...

Purple Rain Socks

 

Purple Rain Socks

The Purple Rain Socks I started back in the summer are complete. Hurray! 

I dyed the yarn sometime last year.    Or maybe here?

From my notes (to fit my foot):

     Use the CinDWood Knitted Knocker Loom

 

     Kitchener Cast-on (I like this because it feels like weaving, and leaved a seamless join)

     Work the toe box with with 9 decreases / increases

     Then start working in the round for  65 rows

     Work the heel with 9 decreases / increases on the opposite half of the toe

     Work in the round 45 rows for leg

     For Cuff: 25 rows of 2 Knit and 2 Purl

     Super Stretchy Bind off.

 

I think I need to dye some more yarn! 

 

 

 

 

Gifted to Mary Debroux, Christmas 2020. 

Blue Socks

I finished the experimental pair of socks on the 1/4-inch 56-peg CinDWood loom, using Paton's sock yarn, size #1.  It's a really nice color -- Cadet.  It's a thinner yarn than I was accustomed to using.

By the end, I just wanted to be done with them.  Some people swear by Paton's sock yarn -- I don't quite see what all the fuss is about.  The colors are nice -- and yes, it's real wool.  But it has a roughness / coarseness that I did not feel in alpaca or in the merino Marly Bird Chic Sheep yarn (which is my preference).  I am hoping it was just some stabilizer that would wash out once it was wet finished.  [They do seem a little softer and fluffier after wet-finishing.]  And they are definitely snugger than my previous socks made from thicker yarns--That was the point of this little experiment, to make some socks I might actually be able to wear to work in regular shoes.

Since it is a #1 size yarn, I had to make some slight adjustments in my usual sock pattern--mostly more rounds for the length of the foot.    I had just a small ball of yarn left for each sock.  I could have done several more rounds on the leg and cuffs, but, like I said, I just wanted it to be over sooner that later.  It's a slightly snugger fit than the Marly Bird socks.

Toes - 9 in and 9 out
Foot - 75 - 80 rounds?
Heel - 9 in and 9 out
Leg - 45 rounds
Cuff - 25 rounds K2 P2
Super stretchy bind off.

Now I can start that red pair for my dad!

Poppa's Leafy Green Socks

 A new pair of socks for my DH. 

They fit!  They fit!  Even though they look really big as they were growing out the bottom of the loom.  I had to bind them up with a rubber band to keep they tucked up and out of the way as I worked.   

I asked him what color he wanted and he said green, so of course I had to first dye they yarn back in November.  Leaf Green Procion dye on 2 balls of 100% merino yarn (Chic Sheep).  I used the same method as explained in this post.   They were dyed in the same pot at the same time, and still came out with slight variations, but are still close enough to be a pair.

The specifics of the pattern re-sized for his foot:

     Use the CinDWood Knitted Knocker Loom 56 pegs 1/4 inch

     Kitchener Cast-on (I like this because it feels like weaving, and leaved a seamless join)

     Work the toe box with with 10 decreases / increases

     Then start working in the round for  85 rows

     Work the heel with 12 decreases / increases on the opposite half of the toe

     Work in the round 50 rows for leg

     For Ribbed Cuff: 30 rows of 2 Knit and 2 Purl

     Super Stretchy Bind off.

Detail of the ribbed cuff made with 2K 2P for 30 rows.

This time, I marked the pegs to KNIT with rubber bands.  This helped keep me on track for the K2-P2 rows for the cuff of the leg.    It was easier to knit the marked pegs, as purling would catch the rubber bands on the down stroke.  Here you can see the super stretchy cast-off ready to be popped off the loom.

What to do next?
I have a new stash of Knit Picks yarn from the November sales.  I want to try some of the finer sock yarns as these socks are nice and toasty, but the Chic Sheep yarn is too thick to wear  in my every day work shoes.  Not sure if that means I need a finer gauge knitting loom (3/16?) to go with the finer fingerling yarns?  That will take some experimentation ... 

Delphinium Blue Speckled Socks

I finished my second pair of socks on the CinDWood circular knitting loom.   Thanks to a trip to Idaho (Yes, Sheila!  I was visiting my old friend up near Boise) last week, with plenty of idle time in the airports.  Yeah! And they seem to fit, too!

Here are the specifics:

Yarn : Chic Sheep 100% merino wool (with great springness suitable for socks)
Color : Lace (hand-dyed by me with Wilton's Delphinium Blue)
2 balls (1 per sock)  at 189 yards with a little left over.

Loom: CinDWood Knitted Knocker Loom 1/4 inch 56-pegs

Pattern:

I followed Hypnotic Hysteria's instructions for Loom-Knit Toe-Up Socks on this video:

[This isn't actually the video I learned on, but it's very similar.  Hypnotic Hysteria had a You Tube disaster where her channel was hacked and she lost everything, and had to start over.  To date, she has not re-posted the one I started with, but this one is close.  I think the only difference is that the leg is a little longer, and she was using the 56-peg knitted knocker loom, like I did.]




Just for kicks, I'm going to add this video, too.  It's a different loom, but the pattern is closer to what I did:


My alterations:
          Instead of 7 decreases/increases for toe and heel, I did 9 stitches. (I need a wider toe box.)
          65 rounds for length of foot
          45 rounds for leg above ankle
          20 rounds for cuff
               (Ribbing is Knit 2 / Purl 2 for more springiness)

Now onto the next project!

A Tale of Two Socks

I finally finished the second sock to match the one I made here.   I used Hypnotic Hysteria's pattern, which is quite simple one you understand the basics. 

Since this was the prototype and otherwise the first socks I've ever made (ok  -- 2nd pair of socks), I can offer some observations about the process.

When I realized 1 skein of yarn wouldn't quite be enough for 2 socks, I dyed another skein of speckled yarn with Wilton's broken violet.  It must have been a slightly different process (more or less vinegar, more or less time to develop, more or less steam, more or less water in the yarn to begin with) because there are subtle differences in the each sock.  One has a bluer background, and the other is a little more pinkish.  Don't get me wrong -- They are both pleasing to the eye -- THey just don't quite match.

Note to self :  Dye 2 skeins of yarn at the same time with the same technique (if not simultaneously) for socks.  That way, you are more likely to get a matched set.

Here's the speckled yarn I dyed a few weeks ago with broken Wilton's Delphinium Blue.  It appears that these skeins seem to be much more alike than the violet skeins I did separately above.    I am already starting a new pair of sock with this yarn.    Yes--It was such an enjoyable process, I'm doing it again!

Also since this was the first "real" pair of socks, I learned some additional things.

1) The CinDWood 56-peg 1/4-inch Knitted Knocker Loom is my loom of choice.   It has plastic pegs that give a little while you are working the yarn.  It also has these nice little scores in the column of the pegs where you can run the hook to get at the correct loop without splitting the yarn.  Believe it or not, this was a huge problem on one of the other looms I tried. 

2) A sock made on the CinDWood loom fits my foot just about right, so long as I knit it the right length.  The first sock was an inch or so too long (75 rounds after the toe box) for my foot, so I made the 2nd sock a little shorter (65 rounds is sufficient - or 7-1/2 inches from toe to ankle bone, just before beginning the heel).    Seeing as how I have a mis-matched pair here, I'll just keep these to myself.  Prototype kept for study purposes.

3) It appears I'll be able to make socks for my husband on the CinDWood loom as well -- I just need to make them a little longer to fit the length of his foot.  Otherwise the width seems like it will work for him -- which surprised me, but ok.    That means, I can also make socks for my dad, too.

 Delphinium Blue Speckled yarn on the Knitted Knocker Loom.

Now what other colors do I want to dye for socks?