Feet and Flowers

This is a Notecard from the Roman Holiday Series.  You can find it at the Ellie And Ada Etsy Shop.  I love my cat figurine.  It was a lucky find at a second hand shop a couple years back.  I actually got myself this print on a tote bag from my Society Six page.  I love it so much and use it everyday.

Was going to do a granny square with a lot of sock scraps.  I stopped here a long, long time ago.  Laziness and uncertainty got the best of me.  I don't know if I want to knit/crochet another wool blanket.  I do love the look of an auld granny square, not going to lie.  What do folks do with sock yarn scraps?  I've knitted log cabin blankets with mine.  I might make a Lifesavers Cardigan with some of the sock yarn leftovers.  It is another Tanis Fiber Arts cardigan.  I mostly knit worsted/Aran or 4 ply yarns.  In Ireland, you pretty much need some sort of sweater or cardigan all year round.

The flowers are my pansies from last year.  Hardy Soldiers, I think they're going to be just fine this Spring.

Going to work on some soup and finish off a present of socks.  If you are a sock knitter and want a really handy chart of all the shoe sizes.  This way, at least this is what I think, if you know their shoe size, you can figure out their foot in inches or centimetres.  In my experience, it is hard to get people to measure their feet.  Funny but true!

Sulley Socks

Mondays are my days off.  I spent most of today knitting.  I started a pair of socks yesterday.  I am using Wendy Roam 4 ply (2002 Derwent- colour)  I got it at This is Knit.  It is such a lovely colour.

I tend to knit socks using the magic loop method on 100 cm circular needles.  These directions are best suited for this method but easily converted to using dpns.

I cast on 60 stitches with 4 ply/sock yarn on 2.5 mm needles.  Arrange 30 stitches on each half on a magic loop.  

I knitted 2 x 2 rib (k2, p2) for one inch. 

Knit 2 rounds.  

Next round,  k1, p1 for one round, then knit 2 rounds.  Repeat the last three rounds to form the pattern.  

Knit in this pattern for 7 inches.  

For the heel flap, work on half of the stitches only. (work on one side of stitches - that's 30 stitches) back and forth in a slip stitch pattern.

Row 1 (RS): *Slip 1, Knit 1

Row 2 (WS): Slip 1, Purl to end of the row

You will be working back and forth on these 30 stitches and repeating row 1 and 2 a further 14 times.

(You will have worked 30 rows in all).

To Shape the Heel:

Row 1: Slip the first stitch, p16 sts, p2tog p1, turn

Row 2: Slip first st, k5, ssk, k1, turn

Row 3: Slip first st, p6, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 4: Slip first st, k7, ssk, k1, turn

Continue in the same way by taking in one more stitch every row until all the stitches from the heel flap are included, you will have 18 stitches on this needle.

Gusset Shaping:

Knit across the heel, pick up 16 stitches from the side of the heel flap.  Pick up the slipped chain like stitches and pick up an extra stitch if you have to for the gap between the heel flap and the top of foot.

Knit across the top of the foot in pattern (30 stitches)

Pick up the same amount of stitches on the other side of the heel flap (make sure there is no gap again)

Round 1: Knit across gusset until there is 3 stitches left, k2tog, k1 and before the top (the pattern part) section, knit across front in pattern, k1, ssk, knit across rest of gusset/round

Round 2: Knit across gusset, knit across top section in pattern, knit till the end of the round.

Repeat these two rounds until you have 30 stitches left on the bottom section and the 30 stitches left for the top patterned section.

Foot:

Knit sole (bottom) stitches and knit in pattern the top section (pattern section) until the foot measures 2 inches less than your desired length of the heel.

Toe Shaping:

Round 1: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on back, k2tog, k1. Repeat on back of foot.

Round 2: Knit around.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 12 stitches on each half/24 stitches in total

Then graft the two sides together using the the kitchener stitch.

Repeat for other sock.

Toys

Lexi got a stuffed animal at the car boot sale.  Her eyes light up and gets very attentive when there is a stuffed animal on the scene.  I decided to try her with stuffed toys again because before she used to destroy and eat them.  It wasn't good.  Now she is a mature lady of 2, she has just been playing with the toys the last couple of days.  I am still keeping an eye on her.

Socks are finished!  The Vestigial pair is finally finished.  I finished a plain pair of socks as well.  I almost finished the first sleeve of a sweater.  I also found a ball of yarn that I needed to find to finish a sweater that I spun and needed to finish the sweater.  Didn't even go looking for it and I wouldn't of found it.  It was in a project bag for another sweater.

Haven't sewn a stitch in a while.  Maybe this weekend.

I made applesauce.  It's my not favourite thing to eat but I had nothing to eat for breakfast.  I added too much sugar and it was like eating apple pie filling.  I added more apples.  Now I have lots.  I hope it's nicer now.  Going to make more chutney, hopefully this weekend.

Wednesday

The sock is also the second sock of the Vestigial pattern.  These I am hoping to finish today.  Had high hopes of finishing them last night but it didn't happen.  I love the Halloween print on that box bag I made.  It's September and it feels more like summer than August did.  Though in honour of Fall coming, I got out my Autumnal project bags.

I also like to spend my time thinking about what I am going to do with my sock yarn leftovers.  I am constantly tempted to crochet myself a blanket.  I have been looking at these blankets.  I really like these- Simple Solid Granny Square, the Little Hug Blanket and the Hexagon Blanket.  Another option is to use the sock yarn leftovers as stripes in other sweaters or scarves/cowls.

Tuesday

Every dog barked in the neighbourhood.  When they fly over my parents' house, Molly (my parents' springer spaniel pointer cross) goes mad as well.  One of the days I was home, Lexi ran around with Molly and thought it was great craic.  Lexi thinks Molly is a superhero.  (so do I)

Seriously, need to finish a knitting project.  I keep wanting to cast on something new but keep resisting.  Not easy!  I want to knit all the things.

The last photo is of the chutneys and apple and pear curd that I have been making.  It's been a lot of work taking off the labels then yesterday, I had a hard time keeping some labels I made on!  That is why you can see rubber bands on some of the jars.

Recently, I cleaned out my kitchen cupboard and fridge.  I got rid of expired foods and used up a lot of things like half bottles of vinegar and half bags of sugars when I made chutney and caramelized onions.  It was a great clear out.  I also like using up food that I have, recipes are guidelines.  I don't think I will ever have as much items to throw out again.  I buy and cook in a much more practical way or so I like to think.

Thank You

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
                                                                                                        Marcel Proust

Today was a busy day but a good one.  I am tired now but grateful for many things.  I'm going to keep things short and sweet tonight.  I am going to turn the heel on my second sock.  The pattern is called Vestigial by the very talented Hedgehogfibres.  I dyed the yarn but can't wait to knit another pair with some Hedgehogfibres sock yarn that I have.

Thinking of You

I have a cold at the moment.  Had it for a few days now.  Thought I was rid of it and it got a bit worst yesterday and today. I didn't sew yesterday.  There was no weekend sewing.  There was only sock knitting.  It was fine.  I didn't do much walking today.  Lexi has been patient but she is looking to go out for a walk soon.

New cards will be making an appearances in the shop.  Keep checking!  This Thinking Of You card is now available in the Ellie And Ada shop.

I am going to go for a little walk with Lexi.  I am getting some cough syrup and cough drops.  Need to stretch my legs and Lexi needs to stretch her little legs.

I am going to turn a heel on the Vestigial socks when I get back.  I love the look of them.  I normally knit plain socks on 2.5mm needles and cast on 60 stitches.  This pattern is knitting 56 stitches in a rib stitch on 2 mm needles.  I am sure they will fit.  I love mistake rib.  My favourite scarf pattern.