In spite of my current computer game crush, I've managed to find a little time to finish up the socks I started for Ms. Z.

Pattern: My Own Standard Sock
Yarn: Sensations Bamboo & Ewe Pattern, Color #1434
Needles: US Size 1 DPs

Please forgive the poor lighting.  I hate taking pictures this time of year, because if I don't get to them before 4 pm, it's almost too dark to take anything that I think is good.   Luckily, the color isn't really all that off -- perhaps just a little more yellow than they would have been in natural light.

The small recipient was happy to put them on -- she yanked off the socks she was wearing as fast as she could when I told her they were ready.  They are a little roomy in the toes still, but not so roomy as to cause problems for her, so I'd call these socks a win in the size department.

The sock on the left is the second sock -- and now you can see where the pattern repeat picks up -- right after that big block of orange.  Fraternal socks didn't seem to create any issues for Z and I like how the couple inch shift makes them look different but clearly related.

This yarn was pleasant to knit with, so I'm going to be interested to see how it stands up to active baby wear and washing.  At $6/skein, it's very affordable.  I don't think there's another whole pair of socks in there for her (at this point she wears about a size 7 toddler shoe size -- she has small feet for a kid her age), but there still is a fair amount left for something else.

On a different note, I really appreciated all the comments I got on Friday's post.  I think one of the best things about living in a technological world, as opposed to a fantasy world, is that we have the magic of communication far beyond our immediate social circle.  It will never cease to amaze me how the Internet allows me to meet and talk and share ideas with people who are so geographically separated.   Right now I'm bobbing up and down in the ocean of immersion... moving back and forth between worlds.  Admittedly, I'm a little OCD about it at the moment, but it's been a long, long time since I had a game pull me in like this -- and no doubt it will be a long time before I find another one that has the same impact.

While I consider the issue of buttons (right now, it looks like it is going to be either all black or all red, since I didn't find any other buttons that I liked when I went out button shopping today) and finish sewing down the button hole band and edging the button holes in buttonhole stitch, I'm working on a second pair of socks for Z. 

The yarn is "Sensations" Bamboo and Ewe Pattern (I believe Sensations is the Joann "house brand"). The yarn is 55% wool, 30% nylon and 15% bamboo rayon.  The yarn has a nice hand, and I thought the colors were bright and cheery and perfect for a kid sock.  So far, I haven't identified any clear pattern repeat, so these socks are going to end up fraternal -- which I don't think will bother Ms. Z.

Pattern: The Keyboard Biologist's Basic Toe Up Sock*
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Stripes in "Mulberry Stripes"
Needles: 2.5 mm Darn Pretty DPs

On my last trip into Joann Fabrics, I took Ms. Z back into the yarn section.  While Joann's is not my usual locale for yarn shopping, lately I've been surprised to find some pretty decent yarn tucked in and amongst the acrylic.  In something that I took to be a show of remarkable education on Ms. Z's part, she ignored most of the fuzzy acrylic stuff and got very excited when we came to a patch of self-patterning sock yarn.  Since she had been good the entire trip to the store, and since the yarn was on sale, I told her that she could pick two skeins (all of the last batch of socks I made for her are now too small) and I would make her socks. 

The Kroy was the first skein she grabbed at.   The yarn is 75% wool, 25% nylon and is a little thicker than most sock yarn that I knit with (but not by much), so I cast on to US 1.5's instead of my usual 1's.  It's not completely obvious from the picture, but these socks are almost exactly identical twins.  It was nice to knit with, and I got a very nice, warm, thick fabric, perfect for baby feet.  At this point, Zosia just barely wears a size 7 child's shoe, so socks for her are still a quick knit -- especially in this yarn.  Because the yarn is a bit thicker, there's a bit less in a 50 g ball.  I'd estimate that this little pair of socks used up about 2/3rds of the skein. 

She was very excited after the first one was finished -- and then a bit disappointed that she didn't have two to try on.  So I cranked the second one out as fast as I could.  She got them on Thursday, and they've been on her feet more than they've been off since then.

I think the patterning in these socks  is quite nice -- almost wouldn't mind having a pair myself.  But the real proof will be in the washing and wearing to see how the yarn and the colors hold up. 

I've started on the second pair... baby socks seem to be like potato chips for me!

* Magic cast on, 8 stitches.  Increase 4 stitches every other row until 40 stitches around.  Short row heel down to 8 stitches, straight stockinette leg, about an inch of K2P2 ribbing for cuff.  Stretchy bind off.  

 

Since today is Ms. Z's 21-month-iversary it seems only appropriate that she should make it into this post. She's in a wonderful developmental sweet spot right now where she is absolutely lovely to be with.  The kind of baby that makes you want to make things for her.  And so over the weekend, I discovered the kind of yarn that I can't imagine in my own wardrobe, but is just perfect for her: Regia Softy.  Happy soft fuzzy sock yarn that knits up a fabric almost as soft and fuzzy as her blankie. 

At first blush, this yarn looks a lot like standard Regia sock yarn, just with soft fuzzy bits.  However, it is much happier at on larger needles than you m ight expect.  These little socks were knit on 3 mm double points and were only 32 stitches around.  I  did two stripe repeats for each sock and I think I have at least one full repeat left on the skein.  I purchased a second skein in a different colorway, but this is the one she picked, so it's the one i started with.  And a perfect colorway for a slightly-belated Easter present, I think!

The texture of these socks reminds me of Muppets.  Soft, fuzzy, almost fleecy.  Ms. Z likes to pet them.  Heck, I like to pet them -- and the yarn, too, even if I wouldn't wear it on my feet.  These socks are the first pair of socks I've knit for her where I used my "adult" template that doesn't include any extra gathering in just above the heel.  She doesn't try to take her socks off any more and her little body is transitioning past the baby shaping into little person shaping. 


I had no problems convincing her to wear them, but, couldn't, for the life of me, get a decent picture (at least not in the time I had before work).  She loved them even if I couldn't capture that love well.  They aren't good for playing on slick surfaces, but they are great warm snuggies for quiet play.

To all of you who left your kind comments on John's new socks or congratulated John on his new job, both John and I would like to extend our thanks.  We are very excited and relieved that he was able to find something new so quickly.  To those of you out there with spouses and partners who are looking for something, you are in our thoughts.  We understand completely what it feels like and we are both really hoping that things will start to get back on track for many people soon.

I've been thinking about small projects lately.  In part because small projects have that rapid gratification aspect that the product knitter that I am really loves, but also in part because I have a small person running around and it's such a treat to see her eyes light up when she's presented with a new toy or a new pair of socks.  I know she doesn't really understand what it means to me to make her things by hand, but when I watch her get excited about a new hand made gift, I like to think that she can sense the love that went into the project, even if it was only a little project.

I like to think of  these socks as my "Reverse Claudia" pattern -- they are modeled on Claudia's default sock design.  The "reverse" part comes from the fact that they are knit toe up instead of top down.  But they are a fundamentally similar sock* with a short row heel and picot cuff.  They make a sweet baby sock. 

The socks themselves are knit on 2.25 mm dpns using Trekking XXL colorway 108.  As with the last pair of socks I made for Z, just above the ankle there is a decreased area to help give her better fit and help the socks stay on.  I started with 16 stitches and increased up to 40, which makes for a good fit for her right now.

It was hard to get her to slow down for very long once I put the socks on, but John was able to get her it sit for a few seconds so that I could get a model shot.  They fit like a glove -- or a sock -- but there's still plenty of stretch in them so I suspect that we will make it through the winter.

If there is any project that works up faster than baby socks, I have yet to find it.  Even with the little smattering of two-color knitting and the picot cuff and a little extra finishing it's not too hard to knock out one of these little socks in a distracted evening of television watching.  These socks are made of Sock Hop (handspun sock yarn from Crown Mountain Farm) and Shelridge Farm Ultra Touch -- leftovers from other sock projects.  The socks were knit toe-up starting with a magic cast-on.  They have a short row heel and a picot edging at the top. Aside from the fact that they are rather smaller than the socks I normally knit, they are otherwise pretty much the same general pattern as I use for my "standard sock". 

What's more fun, though, than knitting them, is watching the baby be excited about them.  Z had been watching me work on the first one, and both John and I told her that the socks were for her.  When I finished binding off the first one, I handed it to her and she walked all over the room, playing with her toys, refusing to put the sock down.  Normally it's a fight to get her into socks, but this afternoon, when I showed her the socks we were going to put on, she smiled and made it easy for me. 

This is my first mobile baby sock photo shoot.  It was too cold this afternoon to go outdoors with bare legs, so I let her run around her room and did my best with my new camera. 

I think I was mostly just lucky that I got good pictures of the socks from both the back and the side (from the back you can see that I avoided the whole "jogging" issue in the colorwork.  I figured just placing the start at the back of the sock would be sufficient for a pair of little socks.


Z is getting better at listening to me when I ask her to look at me when I am taking pictures.  Actually, she's just exploding with words lately, and it's clear that her comprehension of both Polish and English is just blooming.  Every day brings more new things.  Not to mention the inevitable toddler use of "No!" and "Mine!"*.  It is very clear that she thinks of these socks as "mine".

Clearly I have another recipient of hand knit socks who really appreciates my efforts. 

I was going through Ms. Z's sock drawer a few days ago, removing the too small socks, figuring out how many of her socks had mates (it is not unusual for socks to go missing these days) and was reminded that she no longer has any warm wooly socks.  While she has a lovely assortment of colors (courtesy of Baby Gap), none of them are snuggly the way I think baby socks should be.  Clearly this was a job that Mommy the Knitter needed to tackle.

Like most of y'all, every time I finish a sock project for myself, I have some yarn left over.  Not enough to do much with in terms of an adult sock, but enough to become a significant component in a pair of baby socks.  For this sock, the foot is Sock Hop "Say a Little Prayer" and the top is Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra -- both leftovers from recent and not so recent sock projects.  To make the socks a little more interesting, and a little more girly, I added the two color motif at the top of the sock and the picot edging.  The edging needs to be folded over and sewn down, but for little socks, these finishing details don't take too long.  The seam will also help to make the top a little stiffer and help keep the sock up as well.

The other small change I made to these socks (relative to what I do to adult socks) was to add in a decrease row above the ankle and then to increase back up to the initial amount of stitches a few rows later (I worked these socks toe up, but the same would apply top down).  This creates another area that helps keep the sock on securely.  If one thing is true about toddlers (maybe it is just Z, but I have heard other mothers comment on this as well), they have an amazing ability to find their way out of loose socks.  Since the toe has some room to grow (it's approximately the same dimensions as a Baby Gap 12-24 month sock) I wanted to add some extra re-inforcement to keep them in place.

The first fitting went well, so I shall start knitting the second sock pronto!  Time and baby feet wait for no knitter.

I started this project after I purchased a set of Knit Picks Harmony double pointed needles, and finished them just in time for Ms. Z to wear for Christmas Eve.  To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the Knit Picks needle products.  I purchased a set of their metal double points and had one set corrode before I even took them out of the package.  And the other set that didn't corrode, was overly heavy and kept sliding out of the stitches in the sock I tried them on.  I purchased the Harmony needles because a) I am a sucker for multicolored anything (it's the crow in me), b) these were made out of wood and unlikely to corrode, c) they were priced well and d) they came in a nice set ranging from 2.0 mm to 3.25 mm in .25 mm increments which I thought would be very nice, since I am always looking for some odd-sized small needle when I want to knit socks. 


I'm pleased to report that I like these needles much better than I like the metal ones.  They are light weight, very smooth, beautiful to look at, and easy to keep together since they come in a nice vinyl pouch that holds the entire collection in individual pockets sorted by size.  They also have nice sharp tips, and, as a bonus, they come in sets of 6 instead of sets of 5.  Handy for those of us who have needle chewing cats or are just prone to losing a double pointed needle here and there.  I've enjoyed knitting with them very much.

This baby sock pattern takes advantage of having a range of sizes, and is a salute to my new set of double pointed needles.  You certainly don't need to have this kind of set to make this pattern, but it gives you more flexibility to adjust the fit to the baby you are knitting for.  If I've learned anything about baby socks (both from the commercial socks I've purchased and from knitting them), good fit is key to keeping them on small wiggly feet.  

I recommend working these socks out of a yarn that has some elastic in it, as it will help you achieve a more snug fit, and the stretchiness will also give you longer wear as the baby's feet grow.  I used Knit One Crochet Two, Soxx Appeal in the raspberry sundae colorway.  Which is nice yarn (it's a merino elastic blend which is perfect for providing a baby with a little extra warmth in winter -- baby feet tend to get cold easily!), but tends to be a bit splitty, so you need to watch out a bit when knitting with it.

Tools required: DP knitting needles, in 2.75 mm, 2.5 mm and 2.25 mm, two small stitch holders
Yarn: any yarn with a bit of elastic in it.  I used Soxx Appeal which is meant to knit up at about 8 stitches/inch on US 2/2.75 mm needles. Something like Koigu would probably work well if you didn't want to deal with an elasticized yarn.  Instructions assume you are working with 5 double points -- but this pattern is easily converted to 2 circs or magic loop -- use whatever makes you happy.

General instructions (to fit 3-6 month old baby -- but it's easy to scale up/down to fit whatever baby you like):

1. Cast on 16 stitches (or however wide you would like the toe to be) using magic toe up cast on (or a provisional cast on, if you prefer), onto 2.75 mm needles.  Half the stitches will be on each needle.
   
2. Knit one row  in the round.
3. (K1, Inc 1 in the next stitch, knit until two stitches remain, Inc 2 in the next stitch, K1) -- repeat instructions in parentheses one more time.
4. Repeat instructions 2 and 3 until there are 32 stitches (or however wide you would like the final diameter of the toe to be -- it is handy if this number is divisible by four) on the needles. You can divide the stitches over 4 needles whenever it feels comfortable to you.  When you do this, instruction 3 will be knit over the first 2 needles and the repeat will be knit over the second two needles.
5. Knit until 1/2" to 3/4" of the length of the baby's foot remains.
6. Perform short row heel down to 8 stitches between yarn over stitches using method described by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts.  For a visual explanation of this, Alison has a lovely tutorial.  Of course, you can insert what ever other heel you like best.
   
7. Knit 3 rounds even.
8. Switch to needles 2 sizes smaller (2.25 mm) than main needles.
9. Knit 4 stitches, Inc 1 in the next stitch, Inc 1 in the next stitch, K2 (knit to end of needle); K2, Inc 1 in the next stitch, Inc 1 in the next stitch, K4 (knit to end of the needle); K3, YO, K1, YO, K4 (knit to end of needle); K4, YO, K1, YO, K3 (knit to end of needle).
10. Knit 4 stitches.  K1, slip stitch to holder, K1, slip stitch to holder, K2; K3, slip stitch to holder, K1, slip stitch to holder, K4; K3, drop YO, slip stitch purlwise, drop YO, K4; K4, drop YO, slip stitch purlwise, drop YO, K3;
11. Knit across first needle; knit across second needle; K3, slip stitch purlwise, K4; K4, slip stitch purlwise, K3;
12. Knit 2 rounds.
13. Knit 5 rounds with 2.5 mm needles.
    
14. Switch to 2.75 needles and knit to approximately 1" above the slipped stitches. If the baby has wide calves, you might want to increase a stitch or two to accommodate the baby's shape.
    
15. Knit 1/2"  of K2 P2 ribbing. 
16. Cast off using stretchy cast off.  This is the one I used: Knit the first two stitches, transfer them back to the left hand needle and make sure yarn is at the back of the work.  Knit them together through the back of the loops, (knit or purl  the next stitch (follow the pattern established in the ribbing), move the working yarn to the back of the work, transfer both stitches back to the left hand needle and knit through the back of the loops)*.  Repeat the instructions in the parentheses until all the stitches have been consumed.
    
17. Transfer stitches on one of the stitch holders to a 2.25 mm needle.  Attach yarn and knit 2 stitch i-cord until cords are desired length (somewhere between 5" and 6" is a good length for me).  To finish, knit both stitches together at the end, cut yarn and thread tail through remaining stitch.  Repeat these instructions for the stitches on the second holder.
18. Pull the tie underneath the appropriate slipped stitch.  I found it handy to thread a darning needle with the yarn tail, and to use this to pull the i-cord underneath the slipped stitch.
19. Sew in all tails securely  Try out on favorite baby!

Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating the day.  Happy Holidays to everyone else.  John, Z and I all wish you much warmth, health and happiness for the coming New Year!

Thanksgiving weekend was busy, but I did get some time to finish up two projects.  I'll talk more about one of the projects next week.  Today, since it's usually Z's day on Friday, I'll talk about the project related to her: her very first pair of hand knit socks that actually fit.

I used the left over Regia 5047 that I had from my Mermaid Socks -- there was just about enough for a nice pair of socks for Z.  The socks were knit toe up, starting with that lovely magic cast on and 8 stitches on a side.  I increased up to a total of 36 stitches and knit a bit before I did the short row heel.  The little bit of ribbing just above the heel was my attempt to mimic a couple of pairs of baby socks that Z has that stay on well -- there is this little bit of a tighter knit just above the ankle.  I went down two needle sizes (the socks were knit on 2.5 mm and the bit of ribbing was knit on 2.0 mm) and did 3 rows of K1P1 ribbing.  Probably I should have done a little more because they don't pull in and help hold the sock on as well as I would like them to.  After a bit more stockinette, I finished the top off with K2P2 ribbing.

Baby socks are quite rewarding.  A small sock can be completed in an afternoon, even without a lot of focus and they use up yarn that I had previously thought was too much to throw away, but was hardly enough to do anything but knit blanket squares with.  And it was a lot of fun to slip these first handknit socks on to tiny squirmy baby feet.



She's not the ideal sock model, but at least the socks fit.  They're actually just a little big for her and she can get them off in no time, but she's growing so fast right now that I suspect that it won't be too long before I'm putting them into her stash of special outgrown things.

A Maize & Blue Christmas Ornament

Well, my first baby sock experiment was pretty much an unequivocal failure when it comes to actually being a baby sock. So rather than rip and re-work (I'm just lazy that way, not to mention the fact that I have a fair amount of left over sock yarn to experiment with), I've decided to re-purpose this little sock into a Christmas tree ornament as a memory of Z's first months with us.

Where did I go wrong? Well, I had decided that, since baby socks tend to come off the babies who wear them, that I wanted the sock to have a relatively firm material that would have some give but would generally want to stay where it was put. I accomplished that goal by knitting this Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn on size 0's (which gave me a very firm fabric and about 9 stitches per inch). I also wanted it to have a relatively long leg portion that would hug her leg. The garter stitch cuff was meant to be stretchy at the top, but firm. But when I tried it on her, I discovered that while my size calculations were spot on, the stiffness of the fabric didn't work very well when combined with the length of the leg and cuff of the sock and the relative stiffness of Z's ankle.

So, next time around I'm going to work with larger needles to create a looser fabric, stretchier yarn (Shepherd Sock is a wool/nylon blend and I don't think it has very much give, a 100% merino yarn like Koigu or Socks that Rock might have bee a better choice) or both -- and perhaps a shorter stretch between the ankle and the cuff. I'm going to need to get cracking, because the cool weather has already made an appearance here in Chicago and a baby whose favorite travel method is a Baby Bjorn is going to need to have some extra insulation for her feet.

On the positive side, it was a small sock, so I didn't end up wasting that much time, and I did get to try out that magic toe up cast-on and once I got the hang of it, decided that it was a pretty good deal. It certainly beats the standard provisional cast on that I was doing before for toe-up socks.

Still Life with Small Sock

I didn't really need to start another project, but I've been jonesing to start a new pair of socks. Since I haven't finished my last pair, I couldn't justify starting a new pair for myself, but I could justify starting a small pair for a certain someone. There's a little chill in the air and baby socks mean that I can not only stash bust, but stash bust from my sock yarn remnants, of which there are many.

How sweet are baby feet when they are 3.5" long and 3.5" around at their widest point? So sweet the baby feet.