Tag: wool

Throwback Thursday: Socks

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

My current endeavors are not my first foray into knitting socks, as proven here in a picture from November of 2003. I was knitting with thicker wool, and sewed tooled leather to the soles to make a slipper. Tooling leather isn’t the ideal slipper sole, it is thick and stiff. Now I would use suede or a finished supple leather, something to reduce the chance of slipping while walking more than the simple tooling I tried here. I do like how neat my stitches are, though, and worsted weight yarn knits up much quicker than sock weight yarn!

Photo description: cream colored wool slipper socks with a lightly tooled leather sole whipped stitched with leather lacing.

This was over 20 years ago. Hm.

Blocking magic

On By CarynIn Craft

Blocking a knit item really can work wonders. My Helix scarf increased in length about a third, making it a nice size. I’m glad I didn’t add on.

Photo description: Helix scarf knitted from hand spun blended wool and silk yarn, then soaked with water and laid out to dry in a semicircle shape
Photo description: nearly dry Helix scarf hanging from the drying rack showing off the lovely undulations created by short rows.

This could be my favorite piece of spinning and knitting that I’ve done. I started spinning the yarn about a year ago, and knitting it took me about a month. That being said, this was not my only project during that time. I call myself a serial crafter, but really I should consider the title parallel crafter. A parallel serial crafter. A craft dispatcher. Hm. This train derailed, but I’m glad the scarf made it to the station.

Helix Scarf progress

On By CarynIn Craft

I finished knitting my Helix scarf! It has lovely ripples when laid out, but is a bit short. I used all my hand spun blended wool and silk yarn, so if I need to add on, it would have to be a different color. Hm. I think I will block it (get it wet and lay it out) before making rash decisions.

Photo description: Helix scarf made with hand spun fingering weight 2-ply yarn, showing opposing ripples along a central spine.
Photo description: same scarf, but folded in half and laid out in a circle.

I really love this pattern, and the way they do the short rows. It really is a wonderful way to show off hand spun yarn, and I like the subtle variation in color that the blended fiber produced.

Helix scarf update

On By CarynIn Craft

Ah, so that is why it is called a helix scarf.

Photo description: garter knit scarf held up vertically showing a helix twist.

The pictures that accompanied the scarf pattern showed a lovely wide double-sided ruffle, but the title was helix scarf, which caused me to wonder, until I had knit awhile. So cool that the short rows on each side make this twisted effect. I really like short rows, and I like this pattern because it is a three-row repeat, which is easy to remember.

Casting on

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft, dog
Photo description: beginning of a knitted scarf with short rows lying on a calico cat with a small black dog in the background.

I have cast on the Helix scarf from Spin Off magazine! I did make a modification, casting on thirty seemed very narrow, so I ripped out (only a couple rows) and cast on 50 instead. I adjusted the short rows to alternating 20 and 10. It turns out that I really like short rows, and the wrap and turn method. Izzy the cat doesn’t mind being on my lap as I knit, but Thor the cat thinks the yarn smells really good and keeps trying to take off with it, or chew on my circular needle.