Tricotine

The Face Behind the Blog...

... and behind the Blanket! ;)

Afterthought heel... FINISHED!!!

I redid and finished the Afterthought Heel of the socks I am making for my MIL!

As some of you instructed me to, I made it deeper, making my decreases every 3rd row instead of every other row as previously. I also picked up 3 stitches on each side of the Heel opening and it fits much better around the ankle now!

The only concern I have is about the way my heel looks... kind of a little squared when it is held flat...

I guess it is due to the fact that I had to stop the decreasing because the heel would have been way too deep if I had continued until 12 sts remained on each side as instructed in the Socknitters instructions... But it doesn't show so much when the sock is worn though so I guess I am going to keep it that way...

As I am writing this post, I am finishing the ribbing 2x2 of the cuff. I have been using the Magic Loop method for the first time for knitting the whole cuff of the socks and I have to say that it came all naturally to me, especially after using the 2 Circulars method... It is very similar!

In fact, I realized that I have already kind of used the Magic Loop in the past - without knowing it - when I was knitting in a round a sleeve with a circular needle that was too long for the stitches I had to deal with...

For me, the Magic Loop method doesn't create any more laddering than the 2 Circulars method, as I pull tight the yarn on the plastic lengh of the circular needle when the needles meet.

I feel more confident about making solid color socks now! :)

Afterthought heel... THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to all of you who posted such helpful comments and tips on my previous post! You Ladies are the best! :) It seems like you all agree that the tightness of my socks' ankle was due to the fact that I didn't make the heel deep enough...

So, I ripped off my work until the Afterthought heel opening, I redid it but I didn't make the 8 decreases I had previously made...

I think I am going to put the cuff on hold for now because I am too impatient to work on the heel again and to follow your instructions to make it deeper... I need a little success now... ;D

Here are some Lilac flowers from my garden for you Ladies, to thank you for taking time to help me here and for caring about another knitter's distress!

[Click on photo to enlarge]

You made me feel better about that new sock experience and more confident about being successful with it! :)

My mood today is because I know now I can do it!

Project Linus

I found out today about Project Linus and I about becoming a Volunteer "Blanketeer" for that Organization that creates and donates handmade blankets to children in need (NICU babies, kids with cancer, poor children, etc.)

One of my LYS is in path to join the local chapter of Project Linus in our area and to become a drop off point for blankets and also a center for making the blankets.

Free Patterns for blankets and inspirational Links can be found here.

Afterthought heel is fixed but...

With the help of the Socknitters's lesson, I fixed the Afterthought heel and I am really happy with the result! :)

BUT... because I am afraid there is always a BUT with that Knit Picks pattern, I realized while trying the sock on that the top of the foot (GREEN arrow on the photo) is really tight and stretched compared to the body of the foot! You can tell by the way the self-striping of the yarn looks different...

[Click on photo to enlarge]

That makes the sock unseasy to put on so, I am afraid I have no choice but undoing my work to the point where the pattern instructs to do some decreasing on the ankle of the sock - 2 rounds after the opening for the heel - and redoing from there without the decreases... [sighs]

I really have second thoughts about that afterthought heel thing! (sorry, that was too tempting... he he he)
Right now, I feel

* Nancy, in her comment to my previous post about the Afterthought heel, says that she used the help of Keyboard Biologist for making her Afterthough Socks! I have to say that her socks look great although it was her first attempt to the Afterthought heel!

I really must be a sock dummy, now don't I? ;D

Afterthought heel spleen...

I stayed up late last night because I wanted to finish the Two-at-once, Toe-up Socks...

Well, I did finish but then I realized that my socks' looked really odd... Most importantly, they just won't fit on my feet as the heel is not deep enough!

Look at the photo! Isn't that a bizarre look?

[Click on photos to enlarge]

I went to bed at 03:00am, completely disgusted and exhausted, wondering what went wrong... I have read and reread the pattern several times and I don't see what I did differently than it was instructed... Still don't today with a refreshed mind... ???

I am afraid I am going to have to rip off that messy and weird looking heel and to redo it following the Socknitters's Toe-Up Afterthought Heel Socks lesson this time, meaning working the heel like the toe shaping on regular socks.

I thought that the Knit Picks pattern was instructing for a heel made like a top down sock but I was wrong. This afterthought heel is supposed to be made like the top of a hat, making the decreasing swirl counter-clockwise on the heel.

Definetely NOT the photo illustrating the Knit Picks pattern, by the way! The toe is different on their photo as well as the cuff...

I might redo the cuffing too, making the Stockinette part higher than 1 inch as instructed, and how it is on the pattern's photo also. It should be less tricky to rib the cuff this time as the afterthought heel scrap yarn is not linking the 2 socks together anymore... My yarn got tangled previously!

I thought that making the Geisha socks was my worst sock knitting experience but at least the pattern was matching the photo! My struggling back then was due to the fact that I was using solid color yarn (making my laddering problem pretty obvious) and to my inexperience with 2 circular needles!

What I have learned with this pattern: - There are 2 different kinds of Afterthought heels! The "Top down toe decrease" and the "top of hat decrease". I haven't tried the first one but I pitifully failed on the second one! I cannot really imagine how cute a sock heel could look cute as imitating the top of a hat though... - I did much better with 2 circular needles. No laddering! :) - I kind of like making 2 socks at once although using 2 skeins of yarn can be a little messy sometimes. 

I think I like making Top Down Socks better than Top-Up Socks. My next pair of socks might be a Two-at-Once, Top Down... but for now, I'd better stop "waisting my time" here (as my DH says - He knows what is best...) and find a way to fix those socks!

Progress on 2AO-TUS & Stuff

I am doing the cuff ribbing (2x2) of my Two At Once, Toe-Up Socks now.

I am still working with 2 circular needles but I am about to switch to only one 29" long cicular needle and try the Magic Loop method for the very first time.

I am pretty curious to see how it is going to work!

Then, I will be working on the heels. Another "Premiere" here because I have never done the Afterthought Heel either!

I understand that it is worked like a toe on a top down sock which I have done several times, so I guess it shouldn't be too difficult...

[Click on photos to enlarge]

I went to my local Wal-Mart last weekend and look what I found!

Some Yo-Yo Yellow Bernat Lulu yarn on sale for $1.50 instead of $4.50 each! I got 6 skeins but I am not sure what I am going to make yet... Probably some Layette... DUH! LOL

I am pretty sure I will find some inspiration on the Bernat website... :)

BTW, Do you remember my post about the GREEN Cauliflower? Well, I have some news!

First, we didn't find that it any sweeter or tasting different than the other varieties of Cauliflower. It is only (maybe) a little less stinky while cooking...

Second, after I cut it, I found out that under the GREEN top, the Cauliflower is in fact White!!!

I had read about that but I guess my little "discovery" really convinced me that it is indeed the Chlorophyl that gives to the White Cauliflower its GREEN color when it is exposed to the sun!

Isn't that amazing? Well, I feel a little like a Scientist now! LOL

Could you pass the US Citizenship Test?

Finally a test that calls for some knowledge! :)

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

 

More GREEN Fun - PHOTOS

 

I couldn't decide which GREEN photos to post here... There are so many of them and I like them all, so I decided to Publish a Slide Show. It certainly takes less space and I really like RockYou.com services... ;)

Wanna learn about Project Spectrum? Click on the button!

 

GREEN Cauliflower

A little while ago, I was talking in this blog about the Orange Cauliflower variety I discovered and tried.

Well, today, and more Project Spectrum spirited than ever, I decided to buy and try for the first time a GREEN Cauliflower!

My Grocerie store advertises that it tastes sweeter than the common White variety. We'll see...

Cauliflower is known for being an excellent source of Vitamin C and Folate (Folic Acid) and I have heard from Rachel that there is also a Purple variety of Cauliflower! I have never seen it yet though...

Maybe I will find it by July since Purple will be the Project Spectrum's color of the month...

Anyway, no matter what color, I personally prefer my Cauliflower slightly steamed and topped with an Olive Oil home made Vinaigrette and herbs, although there are so many ways to accomodate Cauliflower.