Foothills Sock

The Foothills Sock is now available on  Ravelry and  SmokyMountainColors. I have to thank Cristi for the inspiration for the sock with the Twisted Edge. It's awesome. Here is a link for you to check out her wonderful knitted items. http://turtlegirl76.com .


Now how about a little catch up. :-)


It's been way too long and I have really missed blogging. But, I now have a good reason for updating and loading you all with photos. This afternoon I am headed with my daughter to New Orleans where she will be working at Emeril's. One of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants. Also I have to brag on my son, he is getting so close to his dream of being in the military. He has lost 60 lbs. He looks so great, and he is so healthy, loosing the weight the right way. 


Right after I published the Foothills sock everything got crazy. Also going on at this time is my mom's health has declined and she has been pretty sick. I had to take her to the hospital Friday. We missed her brother's funeral because of it. So you can see, I have had my hands full. The good news is that I have some yarn that is waiting to get dyed. A few of you have requested a colorway that will be the first one I do. As soon as they are dry, you will get an email from me. You know who you are :-)


I have an update about the Foothills Sock. A friend of mine who is also a indie dyer, MoonT of Moon Holler (you can find her on Etsy and on Ravelry) is knitting my sock in some of her beautiful hand dyed. Check it out. I think it's amazing and refreshing when women can support each other. There is truly room for all of us and all our gifts and dreams.


I have a few new things for you on SmokyMountainColors. First off there is a new coupon code. The first Monday of every month use FIRSTMONDAY to get 20% off. Another code is for FREE shipping between March 9-15. Since these are the dates I'm in New Orleans, everything will be shipped when I get home. MARCH915 . 




Thank you for your patience and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking a minute to stop and read my blog. You are great!

Socks and Kickstarter

I know, what a strange title. Well it's all that I've been working on today. Trying to come up with a good name for my new sock pattern has turned into me over-thinking it. So I'm working on the pattern layout, editing and the chart, hopefully by the time I'm done a name will come to me. One thing about my patterns, it is very important to me that each pattern reads like I'm sitting there with you. That you have a knitting instructor taking you step by step.


Now I'm really excited about what I woke up to and have to share it. I was getting a notice on my phone that I received a new email. When I checked there was an email from Kickstarter and I had gotten two people making donations. It made my day. I am so grateful and excited.


Here is a closing thought for you. We tend to always be looking for something big to happen for us in the future, (you know that "one day....) but, what if we applied that same expectation and hope every morning when we got up for just that day? Try it, and see what happens, you have nothing to lose and something amazing to gain.


Blessed Be

Coralicious Socks FINISHED!

I am so excited that these socks are done and just about ready to give away. The stretchy pattern makes it a pretty safe assumption that they will fit just about every foot. For the person these are going to, I know that they don't like a very long leg. Their preference is really just a little bit above the ankle. So that's what I aimed for. Also a little finishing touch was added to the 1x1 ribbing. I chose to knit the knits through the back but make sure that you use a stretchy bind off. Sometimes doing a toe up sock, the bind off is a little too tight. So they are finished, and I love them and the pattern. Please check out the pattern on Ravelry and add these to your knitting plans, you won't be sorry.


In closing a BIG thank you to Snapper Knits (Paula) the designer for letting me share her wonderful pattern on the blog.

Coralicious Socks & Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious Part Two

Coralicious Sock part two.
So the foot is done, the heel is turned and the heel flap is made. The first photo is of the heel turn. For the most part I usually prefer a short row heel. But, this heel turn and heel flap is so comfortable and easy to knit that I have incorporated it into other toe up socks that I've made. My only suggestion is if you have a thin or smallish heel, when you begin the heel turn, go down a needle size. I've had to do that when knitting socks for a friend. It works out wonderfully. Then when the heel flap is finished go back to the original needle size. Look how great and smooth the heel turn is and it flows right into the heel flap.

This photo is of the connection of the gusset stitches and the heel. I would like to note here that the pattern calls for M1's. Paula uses the K1f&b but she suggests that you can use the M1 that you prefer.  When it comes to the decreases the pattern calls for the SSK and P2tog. Recently I learned a little trick to the SSK. The first stitch I slip as to purl, the second stitch I slip as to knit. I just like how it looks. If you haven't tried it before, now's the time.î

These photos are of the finished heel and heel flap. I also wanted to show you the instep. I wear a size 8 1/2 shoe if that helps give you a little idea of the sizing.

So now it's time to decide how many repeats to do for the leg and how much of a cuff will look good then bind off and cast on for the second sock. Another wonderful things about this pattern is that it is easy to customize. Everyone likes their socks a little different. Finished photos will be next!

Coralicious Socks & Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious

A new thing for 2014 here on the blog is I'm going to start sharing a pattern and my thoughts on it and the yarn as I knit it. Maybe you will even want to knit a long with me and post your commits and questions. Here is the first one.

• Pattern: Coralicious Socks (found on Ravelry )
• Yarn: Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious  (found Here )
• My Ravelry Project Page (found Here)

Over the years I have knitted many pairs of socks, but there has been one pattern that I have knitted that I always look forward to and actually hunt yarn to make these. A couple of years ago I made these socks for a place I worked as a sample to show how the Mountain Colors yarn would look made up. At that time, I knew this pattern was special. So recently I found a skein of one of my favorite sock yarns, Kollage Yarns, Sock-a-licious, on sale and knew when I seen the yarn it would be perfect for this sock.

The Designer is Paula McKeever and her blog is SnapperKnits. The link to Paula, goes to her Designer page on Ravelry so you will get to see all of her designs.


Coralicious is a very well written pattern. The sock pattern is knitted toe up and if you have not tried that, this is a good time to start. Personally I enjoy toe up socks, you have the ability to do some sizing and it's always a good thing after putting all the time into knitting a pair of sock that they fit. :-)
Here are a couple of photos from the beginning. 

After finishing the toe increases the stitch pattern begins. This stitch pattern goes quickly and is easy to follow. This is about the first 16 rows. I now have about 6 of the repeats finished and beginning the heel. More pictures and info about the heel coming next.

Please let me know what you think of the pattern, and if you have knitted it. And by all means check out Paula's designer page on Ravelry. You wont be sorry. 

Blessed Be

Dorset Batt,

When I began this Dorset journey I had no idea where it would lead. Dorset was a new fiber for me to learn about. I have to say that I really like it. As I have posted before I went back to a colorway that I used a long time ago, but this time I used Jacquard dyes and was very please with how everything turned out. In fact it took the dye amazingly well.

 

So then it was time to knit. Since I have read and been told that Dorset is great for socks, of course that was the direction I went. I just wanted to find out what everyone was talking about. So on size US 1.5 circulars the test started.

 

The knitting experience was different. The Dorset makes a very solid fabric, because it grabs and clings to the stitches beside it. That makes a warm sock. To make gauge I did have to adjust the tension in how I let the yarn run through my fingers. After that, it was smooth sailing. The stitches are defined, close together and exactly what I was hoping for. Now I don't know if I would wear these in the Summer, but anytime it was chilly or cold, a Dorset fiber sock would be the way to go.

 

I had planned on just knitting one sample sock, but after finishing the first one, and enjoying the sock and it's fit, the second sock is on the needles as we speak. :-)

 

So I'm encouraging you to try some Dorset, I have several 4 oz bundles in the Etsy shop waiting for you to enjoy.

 

Dorset Batt, The Process I've Been Wanting To Share

A few months ago, Smoky Mountain Colors met a wonderful local woman who raises Dorset Sheep. We obtains one of her cleaned and processed batts and I couldn't wait to start spinning it. Here is a photo of what the batt looked like after I divided down to 4oz bundles.

As you can see it has a beautiful color, it's clean and a lot can be spun from 4oz. I've found it be airy and a little stretchy (which is fantastic for nice warm socks). Now I have to be honest and say that almost everything I spin has some silk or bamboo, or something in it to made it super soft. This is one of the few things that I have spun straight up, not blended. So with that said, I feel comfortable saying that it's a little softer that Lamb's Pride wool. If you have never used Lamb's Pride I guess it's comparable to Cascade 220 and maybe Galway.

So here is the next photo. I spin a little on the thin side, mostly fingering to sport weight. I spun this so that I could knit some socks since everyone has been telling me what great socks this fiber makes. :-) There is about 400 yards, 2-ply.

So my next step is to dye see how this yarn handles dye. I have changed the dyes I use and this gave me an opportunity to try out my new "goodies." Needless to say I was pretty excited about both learning how the new dye worked and seeing how the Dorset took the color. Let me insert a little side story, when I first started dyeing I did a colorway that I loved but sold it. So I've been looking forward to dyeing it again, and this was my opportunity. There is nothing like bright reds and yellows blending into a clean crisp orange, then that fading and then adding a touch of green and lightening it up to a lime so it will the blend into the color pattern. So here are my results.

 

Two days ago I started the socks and will have photos for you when they are finished so you can see how they look.

 

www.etsy.com/shop/smokymountaincolors

 

Merino and Tussah, :-)

Here we are. I hand skeined a beautiful cone of merino tussah, sock weight and it's ready for the dye pot. I am a happy girl.