February socks

My son wanted socks after seeing his father’s January socks. Maybe I don't know where to look, but it seems that there are very few sock designs for little boys. I dug through my file of printed patterns and found an old copy of Ozyarn’s easy sock. I had forgotten that I had printed it out years ago. Since I couldn’t find any other pattern, I thought it’s a good time now to try out this short row heel. I knitted these socks with leftover yarn, so it was quite an exciting race to the finish to see if there was enough yarn. There was, just enough.

This short row method makes no holes and is easy to execute. But there is something wrong with how the heel fits. I have to pull and stretch the heel to fit and eliminate this little bump of sock that kind of juts out at the tip of the heel. You can see the bump at the heel in the photo below. Anyway, now that I have tried this short row heel, I’m happy to go back to the traditional Dutch heel. Somehow short row heels don't turn out very well for me.

This is the first time I have knitted socks with needles this small (Japanese size 0 = 2.1 mm) and I find that it makes a firmer fabric, hopefully it will make long-wearing socks. The only snag is that it is not as stretchable as the fabric that I get with larger needles.

Pattern: Ozyarn Easy Sock
Yarn: leftover Regia silk
Needle size: Clover Japanese size 0
Cast on 52 stitches
Started 14 Feb Finished 20 Feb

happy chinese new year

I haven't blogged in a while and there has been quite a bit of knit happenning here. I'll start with the latest - Mimi came to Singapore! We met and chatted and went to the yarn shop, of course. And she brought me presents! A Bugs Bunny zip-up case for all my paraphernalia, Diasilkombrer, Regia and some dark wine HYX Chinese lace yarn. And not forgetting that sweet ballerina for my daughter. The ballerina is a music box and her head turns with the music. Mimi didn't know it, but I have been looking for a ballerina music box for my daughter for a long time.

Right at this moment, I'm having a bit of a breather, sitting by myself, knitting and enjoying green tea with homemade pineapple cookies (the ones in the pink paper cups) and peanut cookies from my auntie. By the way, the yellow teacup and tray are part of the tea set used for the Chinese tea ceremony at my wedding. The red (it's a darker red in real life) project here is Alex from Rowan 31. I've added 2 inches to the ribbing to avoid navel exposure. It is still Chinese New Year as it lasts for 15 days culminating in yet another feast on the 15th night. So Happy Chinese New Year to you and I hope you'll find some time to relax this weekend.

distracted again

I am so close to finishing my Papiro sweater. Just need to set in the sleeves and knit the collar. But I have been distracted, once again.

Remember my visit to Kinokuniya last week? Well, I found a crochet book that I have been hunting high and low for. And I managed to get correct size crochet hook yesterday, so here’s a preview. Can you see the red bobbles? Of course the red coloured yarn will probably run, but my daughter and I cannot resist the bobbly redness. This is something for her. And it will have little red pom poms too. Can you guess what it is?

The other distraction is my current mindless car knitting project. I re-started the zig zag scarf using only the darker Tapestry colourway. It looks better now, with broader bands of colour. When I alternated 2 balls of yarn previously, the stripes were too choppy and the colour changes were to abrupt. I have plans for another fun scarf in the other colourway. I’m not quite tired of knitting colourful scarves yet.

January socks

Tried to document the sock in progress so that I will remember how long it takes me to knit a single sock. Second sock started on Monday night, knitted about 3 inches of the leg. Hardly any knitting on Tuesday night because I went to Kinokuniya after work. Wednesday morning, state of the sock at breakfast.

Flapping the heel at lunchtime

Turned the heel at night. Thursday morning, knitting the home stretch at breakfast.

Finished just before midnight.

January Socks
Yarn: Cygnet woolrich sockyarn
Pattern: Cable rib Interweave Knits Summer 2006
Needles size: 2.75 mm cast on 66 sts, foot worked with 64 sts as per pattern

The Cygnet sock yarn is soft and heathery and has a bit of that sturdy yarn halo that I like. I knit these socks with 2.75 mm needles because I was too lazy to adjust the pattern for a bigger size. Note to self: I should stop thinking that I can work out simple sock patterns on my own. I really don't have the time to think through a pattern, and it's nice to follow a pattern that someone else had taken the time to work out the design and sort out all the details, so I am giving myself the permission to go and buy all the sock knitting books that I want.