Sunshine Socks from COOKIE June KAL

Unfortunately I didn't get to finish the Sunshine Socks in time for the 'Cookie June KAL' on Ravelry... almost but not quite. I will finish it within the next few days though as I love the socks. I don't think the colour does credit to the pattern though and I should have used a plain yarn, but I don't have any in my stash so on my trip back to the UK at the end of July I will stock up on some nice plain sock yarns to show off the stitch patterns from the book to their best advantage.

Lovely pattern and great for beginners to get used to reading a chart too.

First Socks from the Toe Up - Pt 2

Finished 11th June 2009
Half way there. Just the 2nd sock to get done but why is it that the first sock flies off the needles and the 2nd just strolls ?I really really am pleased (have I said that before ?) with my progress on this one and definitely going to make more from the book and maybe even try to knit 2 at the same time... sometime... maybe not next time!

Pattern 'Lacy Ribs' from the 'Socks From The Toe Up' by Wendy Johnson.
Yarn Rico Design, Hobby Print which, I believe, is a German yarn. It comes as a pack with 2 balls of yarn, a basic sock pattern, & 4 metal, size 2.50mm dpn's. Its a cheaper brand but I havn't had any problems with it and made several other pairs of socks from this brand. It was a last 'panic' stock up on sock yarn from my previous visit back to the UK in December, from my favourite wool shop 'Ann Louise' in Portsmouth.
Knitting Needle Size Pattern requires 2.00mm but I used 2.25mm, partly because I'm a tight knitter and usually go up a size,but also because I couldn't find my size 2's ! The dreaded needle eating sofa monster !

My First Socks from the Toe Up

This is my first attempt at knitting socks from the toe up using the figure of 8 cast-on method. I am knitting this pair as part of the 'Socks from the Toe Up' by Wendy Johnson, KAL on Ravelry.

I'm pleased with my first part of the sock and the sock is flying off the circulars. Again this is the first time I've used circulars and 2 of them at one time for that matter. It wasn't a smooth learning curve as I had to frog my practise piece 5 times but I got it in the end. Its just getting the position of the needles and then the tension to keep the toe tight enough. Once that's mastered the rest seems so easy that I just don't know why I put it off for so long.

I love the idea that there are no stitches to pick up for the heel but will see how that works when I get to it...which won't be long now.

Socks From The Toe Up

I received my book by Wendy Johnson a couple of days ago (almost 7 weeks I think waiting) but hadn't been able to get started on learning any of the new methods for casting on for a toe up sock due to the Sock Wars which I am now in a bit of a 'lull', 'quiet before the (desert) storm'. So Last night I pulled out those circular's and gave it my best shot.Now I'd been putting this off as I thought it was going to be so complicated but I'm pleased to report that it was really quite simple to follow the instructions for the 'Figure-Eight Toe' cast on. I feel ready to get started and will do so for the 'Socks From The Toe Up KAL' on Ravelry which starts on, 1st June. In the meantime I'll try a couple of other cast-on methods so I am ready to do all of the fabulous patterns from the book.

SocksBinLaden's RPG Missile Launched ... Latest NewsFlash

SOCK WARS & LADIES LUNCH OUT

Now I've been a little busy of late preparing my weapon for launching this week and so have had to concentrate on getting everything right. I am a trained assoxinator so I give it 100% attention and committment. Thus leaving very little time for chatting or any other events taking place.
That's except for the 'Ladies Lunch Out' this month which was at a Lebanese Restaurant which opened recently in Saad Hospital. We went for lunch yesterday and had a lovely time. I must admit though, that I have had better food, but for the price and surrounding, and ambiance, it really was a lovely get together for us. Next time I will choose something other than the usual homus, tabula, and shwarma for my meal and maybe I'll be a little less biased in my opinion. The best place so far for shwarma's is The Golden Juice in Khobar with a fabtastic freshly squeased juice.
This was my first Sock Wars Event and I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far… waiting to see if I’ve a direct hit or miss.
Instructions for assembling the SocksBinLaden missile: RPG (Barcelona) socks, one hand painted Saudi cushion cover, a small amount of Saudanese chewing gum (yum yum), 'SBL' calling card and 'taunting note', all of which is wrapped up in camel patterned paper.

The RPG Socks (aka Barcelona Socks) have been launched and they are winging they're way as I speak onboard an BA flight, on route to London this evening (Tuesday 19th May), with a trusted accomplice assassin. The missile will be posted upon arrival and impact imminent upon its final destination around Thursday or Friday.

Onto my alleged assassin, Thorsgirl... well s/he's keeping a very low profile and I know nothing about her/him. I believe s/he is living in fear of the very name of SocksBinLaden and keeping quiet as s/he doesn't want to appear fullish in his/her hour of death. If however, you are reading this 'Thorsgirl' and want to have a go... bring it on ! Or maybe I should just say 'squeak squeak' to you !

Loved this weapon and will certainly make it again.

Message from SocksBinLaden

Be afraid, be very afraid !

Red Delicious by Sara Peterson

http://www.knotions.com/issues/summer_2009/patterns/red_delicious/directions.aspx
Ok... I know... Sock Wars IV is imminent (spelling...not a strong point when in a hurry) but I was too early for the download as didn't take into account it was CET and not GMT so was waiting at 2pm (Saudi time) for 12noon (GMT) and its 3pm so will go back in a mo ! In the meantime found these just fabtastic socks ... I wanna make ! Will wait till Sock Wars has ended though as don't want to be too distracted.

Right must go... my weapon awaits !

Heather's Fabiola Mits

Finished Heather's fingerless mits on Tuesday and I just love the quality of this hand dyed, baby alpaca yarn and the sherbit shades.Onto the weather... well its now, consistenly hitting 100oF most days (and a little higher in stages)... AND getting hotter, so why knit mits and socks ? They're quick and fairly easy depending on the design and Heather and I love them... AND they will come in 'handy' (useful) in the colder snap which is usually around a week or so out here and for when we go visiting back in the UK in the winter.

Fabiola from Alpaca Select: Great simple, quick pattern… ideal for when I hit the ‘brain fag’ spot.

Socks & Chit Chats

Finally a pair of socks I've not had to frog ! Knitted using Wendy Zig Zag, Cornucopia on 2.75m dpn's rather than 2.50m due to my tension being rather tight.

If you're wondering what all the bars are... well they're thick steel fencing all around the balcony just incase of a terrorist attack ! I think they're great for stopping the kids from jumping off the balcony and into the garden below, which is something I'm sure they would have thought of doing if the bars hadn't been there.

I can usually count on 'Wise Hilda's' socks to get me back on track although these did cause a bit of confusion. It might be me, but I had a problem after turning the sock inside out and working from the other side. When it came to working back on track after the heel, I omitted to re-turn the sock the right way round. It didn't say to turn it again in the pattern but it was an obvious move to get the sock correct and not look exactly like the basic ribbed pattern. I will do it again but make sure I turn inside/right side out at the correct point in the pattern so I at least get a pair of the 'reverse basic ribbed socks'.Had several deliveries this week. One being my 2 knitting subscriptions came thru, 'Knitting' and 'Simply Knitting', some beautiful wool (pics to be posted), and the fabulous Nicky Epstein's 'Knitting on top of the World'...beautiful book.

CHIT CHAT
On to Chit Chats... well these are tiny little gecko creature, also known as, Sand-eye, Whip-tail, Elegant and Israeli Sand Gecko and are between 3.5" to 4" long. The scientific bit: Stenodactylus sthenodactylus (Lichtenstein, 1823).These little gecko's live quite happily in the house where you'll find them on the ceilings and walls, however you only see them if its very quiet or they just scuttle so fast that you never even notice them. I think we've about 3 in the house but only see them on very rare occasions. I snapped this little one tonight, there were 2 of them but the other one scuttled as soon as I got the camera out.
Rather more exotic than the old english house spider to keep those flies at bay.

Sock Wars

Update: 1st May... I'm in... Now just need to wait for 9th May for my secret dossier and intended target to assasinate !

30th April...Yep I'm a real iPod freak now and just spend ages looking for either knitting or crochet related podcasts or videos, and audio books to download.

Today I found the 'Sock Wars' pod/video by CAT at 'Let's Knit2gether' and watched it during the afternoon prayer time at the Mall. I couldn't wait to get back and get onto the website to get involved in the latest sock war. I'm a little bit late as the deadline for registering is 1st May and I'm in the process (now) of sorting out how to make the $4 subscription payment. I may not be able to join in this time but will be keeping a good eye on the progress on the website and Ravelry forum.

Fingers crossed I'll get in on this one and be able to report my personal progress here.

Here's a little bit more information (source OregonLive.com):
"Billed as "the largest, bloodiest extreme knitting tournament in the world," Sock Wars is (are?) not for the faint of heart or the slow of needle. You sign up, you get a target's address in the mail, and you get to assassinate them. Via sock. Basically, you gotta outknit the competition. To win, you must complete a pair of socks (the Sock Wars folk supply the pattern) before your foe does. You mail them to him/her, and you score a kill. Your victim mails you his/her unfinished sock(s), plus the name of his/her target, and you continue knitting, and, presumably, killing. It's primal, it's brutal, it's kill or be killed, and if you're the last knitter standing? You score a sweet knitting gift certificate. (It's currently at $154, but it goes up as more troops enlist.) This year they're also taking team entries, so you don't have to be a mercenary acting alone -- you can be part of a squad of commandos taking out the enemy. Or something."

Here's the link to the Sock Wars Website if anyone else is interested in just a little bit of fun: http://www.sockwars.org/press.html

Advice Given on Pothos Laddering Problem

The girls over at the Six Sock KAL forum have been just so helpful on this problem I'd been having regarding the laddering effect when moving onto the new needle using dpn's.

I have copied the advice the girls have given below just incase it helps with any of you other sock knitters who may or may not have the same problem but its also a point of inspiration for me to see everytime I look at the pic of my pothos socks and to give it another go !

I haven't tried out any of the advice yet but will report back on how I get on and which method suited 'me' best as I'm sure different methods will suit different sock knitters.

Here goes:

1. Try to knit with 5 needles instead of 4. When you have the stitches on 4 needles
the angel between the needles doesn't get so sharp as when you have the stitches on 3dpn's. This makes it easier to avoid ladders.

Avoiding ladders IS harder when purling than when knitting as the yarn travel on the outside of the work (between the stitches). When you knit the yarn is on the inside between stitches (= inside lane).

2. One knitter suggested shifting your stitches by 1 on each round of the leg. You will not get a ladder because each row starts in a different place. Have you tried blocking the socks or even just washing them? Does that eliminate the ladder?

3. When I'm working on the cuff or the foot, I will move anywhere from one to three stitches from one needle to the next. This readjusts the tension of the stitches on that needle and helps reduce the laddering. One of my girlfriends also recommended that when you start the stitches on a new needle pull the first three stitches of that needle very tightly. I have tried both methods and seen some success.

4. My suggestion would be not to knit the very first stitch on the new needle
tightly...knit it normally, then when you knit the second stitch, snug it up, and maybe even snug up the third stitch a bit. Often when you snug up that first stitch it makes the ladder effect even worse. Hope this helps!

5. I usually use Magic Loops to knit socks so avoiding ladders is easy as you swap
the last 2 stitches on the needle to the other side. THat way you never leave a
ladder. When you're using dpns, you might want to try the same trick but you'll have to keep a marker so you can tell where needle 1 should be. From there, it's easy to transpose the pattern.

6. The best thing that works for me is to always be changing the place I change needles. I do not get ladders if I always work at least three (or more depending on patternings) from each needle before starting to use the one I just emptied.

It may take a bit of a while to relearn if you are used to beginnning with the emptied needle right away. But, I find it prevents ladders better FOR ME than the other ideas about tightening certain stitches and so on. All that seems to do is mess with the tension.

However, more often than not the ladders tend to disappear with the first wearing and washing.

7. I don't know if this will help--maybe you're doing this already--but when I start a needle with a purl stitch, I make sure the working needle (the one you're knitting on to) is over the old needle (or the cable,if doing magic loop) and the yarn is coming from under. Then I pull tight. (If I'm knitting, my working needle is under the old needle.) This way, there's nothing getting in the way of the yarn when you start a new needle.

I wish I'd seen no. 6 before I completely frogged my sock last night, I might have had the confidence to continue with it. Never mind I will try again incorporating the advice given by the girls at the forum. Thank you girls again !

Frogging !

I hate to frog another sock but again its needed as there is nothing I can do to sort it out.

I frogged the Pembrokeshire Patheways socks due to the unsuitable yarn I was using. It had too much of a pattern (Wendy,Zig Zag) and just didn't look right. I shall try again with a plain yarn.

I am now frogging the Pothos sock which I am knitting with the Six Sock KAL due to unsightly laddering which is occuring as I am moving from one dpn to the other during the purling rounds. I don't have a problem while knitting all rounds but do apparently have a problem with purling all rounds in this method. I really didn't want to be beaten but it really does look awful and even after the thrill of seeing the final pattern emerge, it just all has to be correct as you can see every detail in this fab pattern.Happier times Pothos knitting !

Looking at the pattern again it appears to be knitted on circular needles hence my 'surfing' for instructions on how to do the magic loop method (links posted in side bar). I am now looking for my circular needles which I brought out with me just in case I needed them, and am sure glad that I did as having to purchase them and wait for them to arrive would be a nightmare of a wait of up to 3 weeks !

Right, off to hunt down those circs !

Riyadh, Socks, & Dishcloths

Hi ya, sorry not been able to get online for a bit and been to Riyadh for a few days as well and didn’t take the laptop.

First off, we went for our first visit to Riyadh and stayed on a lovely compound (BAE) which is apparently going to be the blueprint of the one we’re moving to next year. A bit Strepford Wives but I’m not going to complain too much lol. There are mini pools jotted around the villas with a huge lagoon style pool for all to use. The compound we’re on at the moment is well established and has its own character so will certainly miss it along with the people. There are a multitude of nationalities on our current compound which has been wonderful for the kids to mix with all the children and me of course. On the new one we'll be more isolated with just the Brit/American mix I assume.

Went to the Kingdom Tower and almost had a fit when saw how high we were…hubby was a real scaredy cat and took an age before actually stepping out to have a look. The Sky Bridge is 99 floors high at 310 metres. Here is a link to the official website:
http://www.kingdomcentre.com.sa/

Must admit he wasn't the only scared one... a Saudi guy was petrified and he had to have his friend hold his hand the whole time, coaxing him to walk a few paces at a time.Doesn't look scary I hear you say, but believe me it was. I took this pic using a zoom lense.
On the way down in the lift which was super speedy 99 floors in 30 secs !!!, we witnessed the way saudi boys meet saudi girls... with 'Bluetooth'... the girls huddled together so the lift attendant didn't see them and the boys did the same. At a guess they swapped id's. The lift attendant did a great job of separating the boys from the family and girls and even refused to let the girls off the lift until he was sure the boys had gone... however, they hadn't gone too far and were sitting 'in wait' a few yards away. I'm sure they have a lot of fun getting to meet each other but the consequences must be pretty harsh if caught. I used to think how awful this culture was but being here you soon adjust and find it pretty normal after a while.

Went to have afternoon tea at Faisal Tower but was told they wern’t doing it except on the weekend which we had just missed so will have to go back again for this one. A real dissapointment but as I say will go back. The restaurant is in the globe at the top incase you were wondering.

Took some great pics of … camels ! Hundreds of them all in a caravan walking along a bridge with cars and lorries running thru underneath.. a great shot of pre & post modern Saudi.

SOCKSWell I have finished another pair but just not got round to taking a picture but when I do I will add it here. Its another alpaca select pattern using 4 ply alpaca mixed.

CROCHET DISHCLOTHS
mmm... why dishcloths I hear you ask... well I made (crocheted) my first one last year after thinking exactly the same and wanted to see what all the rave was about homemade cotton dishcloths. I havn't looked back since... they're far superior to the shop brands and last for ages... well they used to until the house helper got hold of them but they still last longer than the bought ones. I buy a ball at £1.99 and can make 3 out of a ball in about 40 mins ! I even made one for my MIL and even she prefers them and has knitted her own since.

Scamp's Favourite...

... another basic rib by Kate Atherley from her Wise Hilda Knits blog.



Have finally finished this pair of basic rib socks but this time I didn't follow the rib pattern all the way thru and stopped at the cuff. I also made them on a larger needle as I am a very tight knitter and found that they were a better fit for me.

I am wearing the socks non-stop to see how they wear... made from 100G OF KING COLE ZIG ZAG SOCK YARN IN RHAPSODY

Update: 31 March... well I've worn them everyday and washed them (obviously several times) and the verdict is... perfect hardwearing with no sagging or shrinking. Will definitely buy this yarn again.



I just love this pattern and will keep coming back to it !

Alpaca 4 ply Sock just finished

Another pair of socks made using Alpaca Select 50%/50% from another of Liz Baxter's patterns. I love this yarn, its just so luxurious and beautiful to work with.
The model in the background is something we just had to bring back from one of our visits to the desert.. well not me but hubby and the kids ! Nice !

I did find that I knit quite tight so the ankle was a bit of a struggle so next time I'll probably try a slightly bigger needle to get the gauge right, apart from that I love these socks.

Latest Addition

Just love this pattern from 'Wise Hilda Knits' ... perfect everytime. These ones were knitted in Wendy Happy 4 ply Bamboo yarn in Gemini, which is beautifully soft and looking forward to finding out how they wear.

I thought I'd try to incorporate a bit of the stunning scenery out here in Saudi but it was a bit difficult so I took this pic at the compound swimming pool during my husband's diving lessons. Wanted to catch the palm trees in the background but it was just too sunny and I couldn't quite see what I was snapping. Will try again tomorrow at the beach in my abaya !

Onto the next pair which are going to be an alpaca mix... I found the 100% alpaca not really hardwearing enough and a hole appeared pretty quickly... The mix should be about right this time.

Latest Socks

Here are my latest socks just finished today for my daughter, however she wouldn't pose in them for me today so I had to force them onto my feet for the photoshoot ! They do look better on my daughter who has an 8" foot.. mine are 10" !


These are so far my favourite pattern and they're the Basic Rib pattern by Wise Hilda Knits and were made using Wool Craft Superwash 4ply Sock Yarn. Not sure how they will wear but will let you know.

Kitchener Grafting

Here is a link on how to graft toes together... I still need to look at a diagram to be able to do this one but have been told that I don't really need to do this and all you do is thread the yarn thru all the final stitches and pull thru and finish off. I've only done the Kitchener method so I can't comment as yet but I'll give it a go on another pair and let you know what I think.

Here's the link for the method of grafting the toes together:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html

SIMPLY KNITTING MAG ... WOW

Ok, I'm still waiting for my Simply Knitting mag (no 51) to be delivered.. well brought over from the UK by my hubby but in the meantime those fab girls have uploaded some great patterns for celebrity socks. This is great as I've left my back copies in the UK in storage and only have the latest 2 issues with me... so a big big thankyou to them for this one:

http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk/resources/simplyknitting/SimplyKnitting.CelebSocks.pdf

TO DO LIST

Knit the 'Feet First' socks by Debbie Tomkies from the 'Simply Knitting' Pattern obtained from the magazine's own website: www.simplyknitting.co.uk

Knit the 'Lacy lovelies' from 'Knit to day' Issue 29, page 40

Knit another pair of socks from the fabulous patterns by Hilda from her blog,
Wise Hilda Knits: WISEHILDA.blogspot.com
Just finished one sock from her 'Basic Ribbed Sock' pattern

Knit a pair of 'toe up' socks

Knit socks on 5 dpn's (mastered the 4 dpn's but not on the toe up version yet !)

Knit 'Falling Leaves' socks by Jeanie Townsend