New sock

I cast on for this sock many weeks ago when I needed something to begin during one of Kris’s and my Thai knitting lunchdates, but then it languished.  Until now!  This is a fairly simple sock with a little surprise.  When it’s on the needle, it doesn’t look like much.  Mostly stockinette:But look what happens when it’s on a person (or a water bottle) – the stockinette forms branches!

The pattern is called “Hickory” and it’s in Clara Parkes’ The Knitter’s Book of Socks.  I’m using some of my Sock Summit 2011 yarn, a lovely 3-ply 80/20 BFL/nylon blend from Huckleberry Knits.  The colorway name is Creme Brulee.This yarn feels sheepier than the usual merino blends.  I’m anxious to see if it will wear well.  It should, as BFL is a longwool breed and those long staples should add strength to the yarn.  I sure hope it works well, as I bought 4 different colorways!  (My excuse was that I was hungry at the time.)

Book review: The Knitter’s Book of Socks

I posted this review on goodreads and wanted to share it here, as well.  Who else has gotten their hands on this book?  If you don’t already have it, it’s time to update your holiday wish list!

 

The Knitter's Book of Socks: The Yarn Lover's Ultimate Guide to Creating Socks That Fit Well, Feel Great, and Last a Lifetime by Clara Parkes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of Clara Parkes - The Knitter's Review, her books, her classes. I was fortunate enough to take her classes at Sock Summits 2009 and 2011, and this book is both a summary and extension of everything she presented there. It is wonderful to have it all together in one place, and in such an attractive place, too! As usual, Potter Craft did a beautiful job on the book design and photography. I have been known to pet this book gently as I pass by it in a room. It's not going on the shelf anytime soon - it's staying on the coffee table, the nightstand, etc.

The first quarter of the book is like a textbook for mastering knowledge about sock yarn. Clara reviews the performance requirements of sock yarn (which differ from yarn for other garments). She goes into detail about the molecular structure of different fibers sometimes used in sock yarn, and takes care to highlight the strengths and drawbacks of each. This is especially useful if you want to spin your own sock yarn. She talks about twist and plies - again, helpful if you're creating your own yarn, but also informative for consumers of commercial sock yarn. You'll find yourself untwisting a bit of yarn in the store to learn how many plies it has before deciding whether to buy! And finally, Clara outlines how the stitches used in socks affect the ultimate performance of the sock. When should you use ribbing? When cables? When lace? How should these be combined for best effect? How can you make your socks fit perfectly? Clara's tips empower knitters to design their own sock patterns or to modify existing patterns for the better.

And that's just the first 25% of the book! Ahead lie the patterns - 20 delicious, tempting patterns that you will not be able to resist. Clara designed one herself (Stepping-Stones) and it is perfect for a new sock knitter (or an experienced knitter who wants a darn fine sock that is simple enough to knit in public). The Stepping-Stones pattern (free!) appeared in some promotional materials over the summer, so some knitters have already posted finished socks in Ravelry. The other 19 patterns are designed by the Sock Celebs - people like Cat Bordhi, Cookie A, Anne Hanson, Nancy Bush, Lucy Neatby, Ann Budd... the list goes on. What a treat to have such a fine collection between two covers.

And the patterns! How many of these do I want to make! Let me tell you about a few of my favorites:

Stepping-Stones. Yes, I'm one of those crazy Sock Summiteers that got the pattern in Portland and cast on right away. This is a rib variation pattern that is fairly simple but looks fantastic. Perfect for women or men. I'll knit this again (and this time, I'll try the extra cushy heel, which I skipped because I got to the heel flap during a meeting at work).

Darjeeling. This Cat Bordhi pattern has an unusual architecture (Cat's hallmark). I can't wait to try putting the arch expansion on the sole. The toe decreases are different, too - but very attractive.

Hickory. This Jane Cochran pattern looks like undulating bark on a tree, gorgeous in its subtlety. I'll knit this in a semi-solid - and soon.

Elm. Another tree pattern, this one from Cookie A. Elm features wide but flat faux cables which should fit wonderfully. The branching movement really makes these socks come alive.

Salted Caramels. Stephen Houghton has designed a super handsome cabled sock that would look great on a man or a woman. This one is knit from Trekking Pro Natura, a yarn I've knit with before and loved. I'll definitely make this sock.

The photographs in this book are just what I want - clear, beautifully styled, and plenty of them shot from different angles. Most of the socks appear to fit exceptionally well (the exceptions are the Neatby and Morgan Oakes designs, which have shorter cuffs that appear to sag around the ankle).

Are you getting the sense that I love this book? It's my ideal knitting book! I predict that Clara's latest contribution will have the staying power of Interweave's Favorite Socks, which has proved to be one of the most popular pattern books of all time. It's that good.

Thank you, Clara! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

View all my reviews

Skinny enough?

…so I’m still trying to handspin a true sock yarn.  Here’s what I’m looking for:

• 3 plies
• fingering weight
• some nylon or mohair (aka “nature’s nylon”) content for strength

I’m using the 75/25 BFL (Bluefaced Leicester)/Mohair blend I got in Bedford:

BFL is a longwool breed (the staple length is 5-12”).  Clara Parkes’ The Knitter’s Book of Wool says:

Bluefaced Leicester fiber represents an ideal compromise among longwools: just the right amount of length, a crimp with open but smaller curls, a fine fiber diameter, and a silky demiluster with exquisite drape.  This means you can use Bluefaced Leicester for just about anything, from socks and sweaters to beautifully draping lace shawls.  The fiber also takes dye brilliantly – a good thing, because Bluefaced Leicester yarn has recently become a staple of many handdyers’ yarn offerings. (p.62)

The longer fibers + the addition of mohair should make this yarn super strong, a good thing for socks that have to live inside our humid shoes and endure endless friction.

In order to make a 3-ply fingering weight yarn, one has to spin the singles pretty darn fine.  I’m using the smallest groove on my new whorl for the first time – the ratio is 16:1.  (That means the flyer rotates 16 times for every revolution of the drive wheel.)  Here’s what it looks like on the wheel: I am being very studious and working from a sample card for this project (the card really is pink).  Here you can see the singles yarn (far right) and what a 2-ply from these singles would look like (created by letting the singles double back on itself – in the middle)).  The green yarn on the left is Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in color Willow, which I had out to swatch for the Treetop Socks I intend to start one of these days.  The green yarn is the size I’m aiming for. I’m definitely closer than I’ve ever been.  Now I need to spin spin spin to see where this ends up!

Solitude Sock

I first encountered Solitude at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in 2009. Gretchen Frederick’s farm is in western Loudoun County, Virginia, and she sells regularly at DC-area farmers markets but also does mail order. Her service is great - she took photos of her available sock yarn colorways and emailed them to me so I could make a decision!  I got this color, called “Oregon  Forest,” for me, and a manly navy blue for Steven.This special yarn is a Suffolk/Dorset/nylon blend. I’ve never before seen sock yarn made from these breeds. Clara Parkes’ latest book (The Knitter’s Book of Wool) says both Suffolk and Dorset would make nice, springy sock yarn, so I was eager to try it!

This is a 3-ply yarn in a heavier weight - 13 wpi is right between sportweight and DK.  Gretchen said that the 240 yards would make a pair of boot socks.

To a sock knitter, 240 yards sounds like way too little, so I wanted to knit these conservatively.  I split the skein into two equal(ish) balls and started a simple toe-up sock on US 4 needles (so big for me!).  In order to fit my foot, I only needed 36 stitches on the leg and foot.  Weird.  I started with the figure-8 cast-on and whirlpool toe described in Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters.  I don’t care for short-row heels and I didn’t have the brainpower (sinus infection) to do all the math in Cat’s book for a toe-up heel flap, so I decided to try an afterthought heel.  I knit half the stitches onto waste yarn when I felt like it was time and kept knitting up the leg.  I started a graduated rib pattern on the leg for a little interest, but I didn’t want anything too crazy because this yarn is fat and I felt the finished sock would be really lumpy if I used fancy stitch patterns. For the first sock, I took a break knitting the leg and went back to pick up the heel stitches fairly early.  I wanted to be able to knit the leg as long as I wanted without worrying about leaving enough yarn for the heel.  I knit a simple star toe, but on the heel.  Here it is before I have woven the end in: These knit up incredibly quickly (because of the gauge) and should be good socks for padding around the house.  I don’t think, though, that I want to knit more socks at this gauge.  The stitches look pretty uneven.  That may come out with the first wash, perhaps. I got plenty of length on the legs – the cuffs are a full 8” high.  And these are comfortable.  I’ll let you know how that star heel with purse-style closure wears. I really, really like this yarn blend.  The yarn is springy and sproingy and tightly twisted with just a subtle little sheepy halo.  I would LOVE for Gretchen to have this spun in a true fingering weight, or even sportweight. 

Overall, knitting these was a fun experiment on many levels – a new blend of sock yarn, a new yarn weight, and a new construction.  And now I have my first new socks of 2010.  Hooray!

The Knitter’s Book of Wool – book review

Ahhh… The Knitter’s Book of Wool did NOT disappoint.  How could a book be bad that begins with these most enticing endpapers?

Here’s the overview:

First, Clara begins by explaining exactly what wool is and how it grows.  This chapter is both a biology lesson and an explanation of how the science of wool translates into a knitter’s experience.  Great beginning.

Next, we learn about how wool becomes yarn – how it’s sorted, cleaned, spun, and dyed.  If you can’t take a behind-the-scenes tour of a mill, this is the next best thing.  (Actually, it made me want to take a tour of a mill!)  Clara points out what types and parts of wool don’t make it to the knitter’s basket and end up somewhere else in the textile world, instead. 

Next, we meet the breeds.  Clara outlines the broad categories (finewools, mediumwools, down and down-type wools, longwools, and dual-coated and primitives) and provides more detail about 5-10 specific breeds in each category.  We learn the basics about each breed, like the micron range (a measure of fineness), staple length, crimp, luster, its felting qualities, and what it’s best suited for.  Often, photographs of washed locks and finished yarns for each breed are also included.  This section helped me understand the genealogy of breeds better.  Other fun fiber trivia facts are sprinkled throughout this chapter.  For instance, a trademarked process called Optim is described, and I wondered if this is the process used on Knit Picks Felici yarn.  Also, I learned that the Lord Chancellor of Britain sits on a bale of Cotswold fiber in Parliament to symbolize the historic importance of England’s wool trade.  Fun facts.

Clara tucks in one short chapter about blending wool with other fibers.  What properties do other fibers like silk, mohair, alpaca, and plant fibers bring to wool yarn?  What do you use to blend for seasonal comfort?  How about strength?  Good stuff with lots of application for handspinners here.

Finally, we reach the meat-and-potatoes (or should I say tofu-and-broccoli) of the book: the patterns.  There are 19 patterns in the book, designed by Clara herself or other talented designers whose names you will recognize, and each was designed to showcase a particular type of yarn.  For instance, the Sweet Fern Mitts (Rav link) are meant to be made with a woolen-spun two- or three-ply yarn.  They could be made from a mediumwool yarn, a down or down-type yarn, or a finewool yarn… with different results depending on your choice.  I was instantly interested in knitting this pattern with several types of yarn, many of which reside in my growing stash of homespun.  A quick, low-yardage pattern like this is perfect for experimenting with different yarns, commercial and/or handspun.

The end of the book is chock full of reference information, like how to wash wool, how to keep moths away, where to get a fleece processed (either into spinning fiber or yarn), and what to read next.  A very fine glossary and detailed index are also included (you know what a wonderful thing a good index is).

I love this book.  Reading it is like taking a class with Clara.  I can’t wait to knit some of these patterns and understand yarn even better.  Thanks, Clara!

Fabulous Forty

What’s not to love about the fifth decade?  It sure started out great.  A huge birthday banner greeted me by the breakfast table:

This thing is BIG, like 4x6 feet.  Look carefully – it’s covered with balls of yarn!  S1 told the boys to draw pictures of things I liked. 

I also got a copy of Clara Parkes’ new book, The Knitter’s Book of Wool.  It’s dreamy, everything I expected and more.  I’ll post a review soon.

When I got home from work, a book box was waiting for me on the front porch.  S1 said “This is for you, but I don’t recognize the return address.”  I looked at it and said “I do! This must be a signed copy of Kristin Nicholas’s new book that Kristina had sent to me!”  And it was.  Check out the colorful note:The photographs in this book are exciting.  If there’s one thing Kristin knows, it’s color.  I’ve been meaning to make a couple of her patterns for a while now (like the big lilac bag and crochet Christmas ornaments).  I especially like how she embellishes knitted and felted items with colorful embroidery.  This book includes embroidery instruction, color theory, and much more.  I’ll post a full review another day.  I haven’t had time to sink my teeth into this book yet.  I just keep caressing the beautiful cover whenever I walk past it.  What a treat.  Thank you, Kristina!

In knitting news, I finished the pink sparkly socks last week.  I’ll post a full report with photo as soon as I get that photo.  Meggan wants to wear a specific outfit to pose with the socks.  You have to appreciate a handknit recipient who is so into the documentation process that she plans a coordinating outfit.  She also asked about laundry care right away!  (I gave her a Soak sample packet to try.)  This woman knows how to play the situation.  She just might get another pair one day.  Ha!

The Knitter’s Book of Yarn – book review

Some of you know this is one of my favorite knitting books.  It was published in 2007, and I received a copy for Christmas.  I devoured it in a day or two and was particularly intrigued by the front matter.  Clara Parkes explains everything knitters like me want to know about yarn: the difference between fibers (plant, animal, and manmade), how yarn is created, how plying affects yarn and the things that are made from that yarn, and more.  Clara also offers patterns for different types of yarn, with notes about why the pattern showcases certain features of the fiber. 

After reading this book, I found myself untwisting yarn to see how it is constructed, and I began to think seriously about making my own yarn.  I finally gave in to the urge in Summer 2008 and bought a Schacht Ladybug about a year ago.

I’ve met Clara twice.  She signed my book (and Kristina’s, and Kris’s) at MDSW 2008.  I was also thrilled to be able to take her class, “Finding True Sock Yarn Happiness,” at Sock Summit 2009 (blog post about that day).  Of course, I receive a personal email from her each week.  (Maybe you do, too?)  When I reflect on my personal yarn evolution, I find that Clara is a major contributor to my knowledgebase.

And so, you can imagine how excited I am that she has another book out: The Knitter’s Book of Wool.  We saw a preview copy at  Sock Summit, and it exhibits the same high production qualities of the first book.  I can’t wait to sit down and devour it.  You can read a little bit about it here.  Also note that there are a couple of free patterns from the book, and a list of 9 wools that inspired the book.  Fascinating.  As part of the pre-publication hype for this book, Random House published a Which Ewe Are You? quiz.  I’m Finn!

And wouldn’t you know, I just spun some mohair/Finn fiber in an attempt to make my own sock yarn.

The book was published last week (on Tuesday, 10/13, to be precise), but since I have a birthday next week, I am biding my time.  I’m pretty sure that a copy of this book is hiding somewhere in my house, but I can’t have it until Thursday.  In the meantime, I’ve been rereading The Knitter’s Book of Yarn and wondering how she can top it.  But I know she will!

Review of book #2 forthcoming!