More Socks

I haven't seemed to be able to get much craft work done lately.  Gardening, chores, housework, farming and bookkeeping seem to be keeping me busy.

Our congregation does a giving tree each year, this year there were several names that were still on the table after the 2nd sunday.  I couldn't afford to fill all those requests but I could help out with some socks.  So I started this past Thursday eve and Monday morning I finished the last kitchner stitches on the last pr.

I also have a friend that is battling breast cancer,  surgery, chemo and now radiation.  I have cranked a pr of socks for her too.

I have more yarn to make socks so need to get cranking. 

Socks for Sale!

I didn't realize it has been 3 months since my last post.  My how time flies.

I have done a bit of tatting but nothing that I really wish to post.  However, I have been knitting socks.

I have registered a company in my state - Farmgal's Twisted Fiber - and will be trying to sell socks, tatted lace and crocheted items at various venues in the area.  In the mean time,  I have a page on Facebook -- Farmgal's Twisted Fiber 

I have posted my first 4 pair of socks for sale.  If you click on the picture, you will be able to read the caption listing the fiber content and the sizing.

#1

$25.00 + postage

#2

$30.00 + postage

#3

$25.00 + postage

#4

$30.00 + postage

Each of these is made from SuperWash wool and a synthetic such as nylon for wear strength.  

Oh, I do not knit these 2 needles, I knit these with 60 needles.  Here is a picture of my 1924 Sock Knitting Machine

you can ignore the text boxes in this picture, that was for something else, but this is a good picture of my setup.  

If you have any questions, I will try to give you an accurate answer.  

On another note, I have a broody hen out in the chicken house.  2 more weeks, and we should have baby chicks. 

Thanks for being patient waiting for me to blog again.  

Quick post

I haven't been tatting, I have been knitting socks.

These are just some of the socks I have been knitting on my 1924 Gearhart Sock Machine.  I have actually done about 20 pr and I have maybe 20 pr left to get done.

I have also been doing a few toys on my machine for some small grandchildren

That is about it for right now.  Have to get to work

Some socks!

I have been tatting, but not ready to show it yet.

I have done a couple pairs of socks

This is my first pair of really good wearable socks.  They are not perfect, but they are wearable. And they feel really nice on my feet.  I wore them to work 1 day.

Deborah Norville brand but lost the label, so do not know the colorway

I finished another pair tonight

Herrschner's Sock Yarn Stripes in color Royalty

This pair didn't knit up as nicely.  I do not know if it is the dark color of dye, or the brand of yarn, but it was not as soft or knit as smooth as the first pair.

I hope you all are having a wonderful halloween.  This is my mother's 87th Birthday today.  She has always had a good sense of humor about being a "witch" at least on this day.  Today she went downtown to get her hair done and wore her witches outfit.  He He,  good for her.  I hope I am as carefree when I am her age.

some catchup

This has been a very cold winter. 
My office at work has a huge north facing window - it used to be a school.  The chill coming off the window even if I am dressed warm enough, has bothered my hands.  So there has been not too much tatting this winter.

I did get a few things done.

This is Frivole's Snowflake Celeste. 

Last November I shared the start the Clover Leaf Doily by Linda Davies. The links to her patterns are in the right hand column of her blog.

Looks great here doesn't it. Well, This is what it looked like when I finished the 2nd round .

I pulled and pulled the joins, but the picots are just too small.  So, I will have to start over.

I did a bit more on the sock machine as well.

I made my first pair of socks. 

The weather has suddenly gotten much warmer.  A couple weeks ago we are still having temps below zero and not just at night.  Now today it was 58 F and sunny.  Still very windy.  but the snow is disappearing and the ground is starting to dry out. 
I think spring might actually get here.

Have a good day tomorrow and count your blessings.

not tatting but Socks!

As the title says, there is no tatting in this post.

Some of you may recall a few months ago I posted that I was in search of a Sock Knitting Machine.
I have not found one to purchase yet, it is still on my wish list.  However, I have had a chance to use one.

A few weeks back I heard from a friend of mine (MB) who knew someone (JE) with a Sock Machine who wanted some help with her tatting.  I was willing to help and JE was willing to bring her Sock machine and let me play a bit.
We got together and spent an afternoon swapping knowledge.

She helped me learn to do some straight knitting, make a heel and a picot edge turned hem that became a set up basket ~ one of the ways to cast on when starting a project.

Heel knitted under the tutelage of JE

Set up basket, the loops in the spaces on the right are put over the needles to make the beginning stitches, the ring on the left is where you hang a lot of weight - several pounds.

 A couple weeks later another gal (PB) I know that shares a booth with me at WMSTR over Labor day weekend, agreed to show me her Sock Machine.

She has several and was showing me the differences in them.  Near the end of my visit she asked if I would like to borrow her machine from the early 1920's and work with it for a bit.  Well, I nearly jumped out of the chair I was sitting in YES!!

So, instead of tatting, which I need to get at quickly, I have been sloughing off and some one is patiently, or maybe not so patiently waiting for the rest of the snowflakes I owe her, I have been spending my spare moments playing with this awesome machine.

I didn't take any pictures of my work on the machine, but I have a few more pictures of things I have been doing.

The yellow is the first heel I made and you saw it above, the grey is from the cone of yarn that PB sent home with me and her machine. This heel I did by myself.  Not as good as the other, but not bad.

A section of mock rib.  I don't have the ribber attachment for the Sock Machine, so thought I would see if I could do some mock ribbing.  Not too bad.  Need to do more playing with tension.

This is what I accomplished this weekend.  Actually I did have another one up to about the middle of the heel and then didn't pay close attention to moving the weights to keep the stitches down on the needles where they needed to be and made a mess of things so took that one off and started again.

 This sock took me a couple of hours all told.  I did it in between laundry, housecleaning and attending a wedding reception for a niece last night. 

I finished it today after Mass

side 1

side 2

Not too shabby if I say so myself.  He he.
There were a few dropped stitches during the whole process, but I have "mastered" the technique for fixing dropped stitches.  The heel turned out pretty good.  The toe on the other hand, while you can't really see them in these pictures, I didn't do as well, and there are some holes along the mid line.  But I Kitchenered the toe seam and that looks pretty good. 

 Here is the sock on, it actually fits pretty good.  surprisingly, as I was simply doing rows between the hem and heel and between the heel and toe for practice.

I am sure that I will not be able to do another to match.

But I am rather "chuffed", as a well known tatter UK would say, in what I have accomplished.

in exchange

I finished the reticule and sent it on it's way.

now I will show you the really neat items that I received in exchange.

First, these threads were in the package.  very pretty colors.

 Then, because we had agreed to an exchange of warm, yummy hand knit socks for the tatted reticule,  I was expecting 1 pair of socks, but instead look what I got.......
 

a pair of 100% wool "practical" pair done is Eyelet Spiral 

and  a second fancy pair done in Cashmere.  yes there are beads around the top and ruffles. 

thank you Marybeth,  they will be worn with pride and thanks for keeping my feet warm.

if you are interested in the socks that Marybeth knits, as well as the other items she produces, both for sale and for her charity "Nimble Fingers on the Prairie" where she helps keep low income kids warm with hats, mittens, scarves, socks and other wearables  please visit her blog Socks