The pursuit of hand-knit sock happiness

I first started knitting socks about two years ago. I'm not good at it, easily frustrated by it, and certainly not fast. But it's entertaining on those nights where I just 'have' to watch TV or when it's too warm to hold a quilt for binding.

Several weeks ago I finished these socks. They are very thick; way too thick for my taste to wear in shoes, so maybe house socks in winter or to wear in boots. As soon as those socks were done, I couldn't wait to start another pair. In fact, I wouldn't let myself start another pair until I'd finished them.

I've struggled with understanding short-row heels and have several sets of directions to try in the pursuit of happiness. Tried a heel and it came out perfectly (I was in love!) but the sock was too short and the heel too shallow. Knit, rip back. Knit, rip back. Knit, rip back. I wasn't willing to waste all my time finishing a sock that wouldn't be worn, so I perservered. I honestly ripped this sock out probably six times (from the heel to the arch) before I had something that fit and something I was happy with. Not only that, I finally understood what was going on with sock shaping! You are seeing it now it its half-a-sock glory because it's taken me 6 weeks to get this far and I don't see a 'pair' anytime in the near future. [Although 'near' is relative... can you believe it's July already? In 2009?]

Do you remember that I once said I was a tight knitter? My gauge on this is ~12spi and 13rpi on #0; that's a whole lot of knitting to do over and over on a 10.25" foot. But I don't want a sock that my foot is going to be sliding around in or one that the light shines through. The cramps in my hands tell me I may have to relax those specs a little if I want to continue knitting socks, but for now it is what it is.

And can I just say that all that ripping is a testament to this yarn (ONline Supersocke; thank you, Miss Howdy for the recommendation); for the number of times it has been ripped and re-knit, it doesn't look one bit different than it did when first pulled from the skein. I know it will wear like iron. And yes, I know it's not a particularly attractive color scheme (cough), but it was cheap on sale and expensive plain yarn would not have been nearly as entertaining to practice with.

Can you stand another binding tip?

The other day Carrie posted about her method for binding and Mary asked about our favorite tips, so I thought I’d combine the two.

I start with 2.5” strips and lay them in a single layer, right side up. However many layers you feel comfortable cutting is good; I have four strips here.

Since this is a plain pink fabric, I marked the right side with chalk so I wouldn’t get them flip-flopped while sewing.

Next I take my Easy Angle and position the flat-tipped end near the selvage and lop off the fabric through all the layers.

After the first ends are cut, grab all (four) layers at the other end of the strips (selvages again) and line them up… single layers, right sides up… and make the exact same cut. That bulge? I only line up as much fabric as is needed to fit under the Easy Angle; I don’t worry about the rest of the length. Repeat with the rest of your strips.

This is how two strips line up for sewing (but of course you turn it 45deg). Those flat-tipped edges make a nice little ¼” margin and it doesn’t take much time to feed through all the strips by chain-piecing.

I love my Easy Angle!! I will admit it took me a couple of years to figure out how to use it correctly, but once I did it’s been my tool of choice for everything from HSTs to those nasty little corner connectors to binding. All the cutting is done beforehand, so there are no rabbit ears to worry about or guessing about where ¼” is when lining up opposing angles.

Here I'm ready to clip the threads & press in half. I don’t bother with pressing open the seams until I get to each one.

One other tip. You know that ugly mess of slithering binding when you’re done pressing? I roll up the pressed binding around my outstretched hand and toss it on a flashlight (or something sturdy that won’t tip as it’s unraveled), set it beside my sewing machine and take off with applying it. I took this picture before it was fixed, but I feel the binding doesn’t get tangled as much when applying to the quilt if the raw edges are facing upward. Make the center hole big enough that the binding will just unroll from the flashlight as you apply it. Otherwise you spend all your time picking up the flashlight.

This picture shows the beginning and end of the binding; they’ve been measured, trimmed and I’m ready to sew these two ends together before the final stitches to the quilt. Since this final seam is so awkward, I use pins to keep it lined up.

I hope you enjoy these little tips. I’ve been doing my bindings this way for years and, to me, it saves so much time. After the binding strips are cut, it probably takes less than ½ hour to trim, sew, and press the strips and apply the binding.

Back tomorrow with more of the sweet stuff that's been filling my days.

Take care,

Sheila

Snippets of life

Life is chugging along... working and Nana-ing. with a little quilting and knitting thrown in.

I managed to finish the socks I was working on and I'll have to remember to get a picture of them. They're much to warm to wear now, but they'll be perfect in the winter. I ordered a bunch of sock yarn that was on sale so I could practice, practice, practice making heels with inexpensive yarn instead of all the horrible heels I made with pricey yarn.

I've been neglectful about publicly acknowledging some great wins I got in the mail. First was Megan's give-away quilt that only needed binding. I'm still amazed that she put so much work into this and didn't like it. Our Project Linus Make-a-Blanket day is this Sunday, so this will be one of the quilts I part with then. It will be really bright, adorable and hope-inspiring for some little girl who needs a hug.

The other great gift was from an Earth Day giveaway by Cheryl over at Ponderings.  They are faux paper towels, and I can't get a good picture of these to save my soul.  Let me tell you, these are so practical and I find myself using them all the time now.   Making more using her directions is on my agenda for the weekend too.

As much as I wish this next one were my little secret, I'll share.  I'm nice like that.   I found this great new book at the quilt shop a couple of weeks ago.  It was the only one left and I paid full price.  LOL  So unlike me, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to find it online, and with my luck it wouldn't be in the shop when I got back.   Let me tell you it is worth every penny.  It's geared toward 2.5" strips, but also gives directions for using scraps or fat quarters.   This has been my night-time read ever since I bought it.  Visit Kim!

Quilts to show soon... I've been binding, binding, binding.  And even some machine quilting! 

More later... I have to be to work in 15 minutes and haven't even been in the shower yet!

Take care,

Sheila

An Earworm for your Friday

Ahhh memories. Where were you in '77?

MTB

Smile Makers

Monday evening view from the 'penthouse.'

***

Now if I could only figure out which birds call in the dark of morning.

ooooh I won something!

Well, heck... if I'm not going to have anything blog-worthy of my own, I guess the next best thing is to win something!  Megan offered up this adorable quilt in a contest, so I put my two cents in and she announced today that I won.   I'm so excited!!  I'll be donating the quilt to the charity of her choice or to one locally here.   

My local Project Linus group is a wealth of information with regard to local charities, so I was pleased to learn through them of a teen center at our Children's Hospital and also of a Homeless Families Foundation.  I like that the HFF strives to house families together in apartment-like residences while helping them get back on their feet.  Both of these places are perfect for larger size quilts.

By the way, I learned of Megan's quilt give-away through Joanne's blog.  If you remember Joanne's quilty stimulus package offer (NOTE: the stimulus offer is now closed; the link is for reference only!), my number came up so I sent this quilt top to her last weekend.   

I am hoping to get it back in time (and bound and re-mailed!) for an April 25th deadline.  I'll be excited to count something toward yardage used with this backing, another backing, and bindings for three quilts.

Other than a few kiddie charity tops ready to quilt, not much else is going on around here.  I'm still working long hours, spending all the free time I can with the grandsons, and decompressing with a little knitting in the evenings.   We did have some fun on Easter... while hunting eggs in the yard, we all turned around and there were three ducks standing there.   Truly serendipitous, and GMan was beside himself over it.  

I guess I could count getting GMan to poop on the pot as my most memorable goal attained last week!  It turned a switch in his little brain and he's been accident free since a week ago Friday.   I wish everyone could be so easily bribed encouraged with stickers.  

I've been reading too.  No matter how tired I am, I can't fall asleep without reading.  Currently on the nightstand is A Single Thread (Bostwick) which I'm enjoying immensely.   I recently finished The Friday Night Knitting Club (Jacobs), which I liked (oooh... a movie in 2010 with Julia Roberts!) (as the mother???  LOL) and Comfort Food (also Jacobs), which I didn't care for.    She has another one out, Knit Two, which is next on my list.  [for some reason my tinyurl's aren't working for me... I hope they do for you!]

Until next time (which likely will not be today, tomorrow, or 40+ times in a week...), take care.

Sheila

Many months ago when I first found Quilting Gallery, I added to Google Reader several blogs of those who live near(er) me.  One of those was Joan in Cincinnati's Quilting on a Budget.  You can find all manner of interesting quilting tidbits and sales on her blog.

I received the last of the ordered yellow Kona cottons today from Hancocks, and I'm more sure than ever that I'm going the wrong direction.   I've been collecting teal/purple combos for years with the sole intention of making a Hunter's Star quilt.  I have no deadline to make it (it's for me), but every once in a while I get an itch to find the perfect 'other' color to use with those.   Maybe I'll  try some greens next.

Grant spent the night with Nana so we rented some videos and got BOGO blizzards from DQ with a birthday coupon (mine was Oreo CheeseQuake!  yummy), ordered some pizza, and enjoyed each other's company by playing with trains and Lincoln Logs while watching Horton Hears a Who.   Today we met up with his mommy, daddy & little brother for a pancake breakfast the local Kiwanis group was hosting.  [That wasn't a very healthy eating period for me!]

I've had a few 4-hours-of-sleep nights this week, then an insomniac grandson, so I think I'll take a nap then watch a movie and possibly stitch down binding and/or make headway on the never-ending socks.

Take care,

Sheila