Seventeen of Fifty-Two

I finally got outside on this gorgeous, sunny day to take a picture of the cabled baby sweater from this post. At least now you can see the cables. Darned indoor photos with flash! (It's over +20C today and nothing but blue sky! I love it!)

I also finally have my October socks and pair number 17 of 52 finished. I cast on the first sock at the end of September. I finished the toe on Saturday, cast on the second sock, and had the second sock finished on Sunday! Two days for the second sock, woo hoo! Doesn't happen very often.

Austerman Step sock yarn in color 11. I made the pattern up as I went. Here's how I did it if anyone is interested:

Cast on 64sts using 2.25mm needles. Round one and all odd rounds K3, P1. All even rounds just knit. Do this til you reach your desired length. (I knit a total of 88 rounds.)

Heel over 32sts. I did Eye of Partridge this way: Row 1 -- K1, Sl across. Row 2 -- Purl. Row 3 -- S1, K1 across. Row 4 -- Purl. I did these for a total of 43 rows, ending on Row 3.

Turn heel: Row 1 -- K1, P17, P2tog, P1. Row 2 -- K6, S1, K1, psso, K1. Continue in this manner til all end stitches are used. You'll end up with 18sts, and the last two rows end with P2tog and K2tog. (I only knit the first stitch on that first row, all other purl rows are just purled across. You don't have to knit that first stitch if you don't wanna, I just followed the turn from another pattern, and that's how they did it.)

Pick up 18-20sts for the gusset. Make sure you pick up the same amount on each side. (Sometimes I end up with one more stitch picked up on one side than the other, so I just have to remember to decrease that extra stitch on the first round after the pick-up.) You should have 32sts on one needle for the top of the foot, and the gusset stitches and 9sts from each side of the heel on the other two needles. Do standard gusset decreases til you have 16sts on each instep needle. (Needle 1 -- Knit to last 3sts, K2tog, K1. Knit across 32sts from Needle 2. Needle 3 -- K1, SSK, knit to end of needle. Knit one round.)

Continue until you are about two inches from desired foot length to start the toe. I did not continue the pattern on the top of the foot for this pair but just knit plain old stockinette. You could continue the pattern if you want to. Knit the toe down to 20sts and graft. (Standard toe. Needle 1 -- Knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. Needle 2 -- K1, S1, K1, psso, knit to last 3sts, K2tog, K1. Needle 3 -- K1, S1, K1, psso, knit to end of round. Knit one round even.)

For this pair I did something new, too. I will wash and wear them a couple of times first to see if I like it or not. I find that my Austerman socks and any other thin sock yarn socks (like Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock) always look like I have holes coming in the toes. I go to work, come home, take my sneakers off, and it looks like holes in my toes. (I do keep my nails cut, too, especially when it's hand-knit sock season!) Once they're washed they seem to go back to normal, but I'm afraid one of these times it will not be so. Sooo, for the heck of it I knit the toes of these socks with two strands of yarn. I found the spots I needed in the skein to match where I was at the toe. They don't look any different to the eye, but of course it's much more "stiff" at the toes. I haven't washed the socks yet or wore them for longer than what it takes to snap the pictures. I won't knit any other Austerman socks (cuz I have two more skeins!) til I have washed and worn these ones and see if I like the doubled toes. My feet are always cold in the winter, especially my toes, so it shouldn't be a bad thing, I don't think.

Got the new stickers on the truck. Hubby went to work yesterday for the first official day with the new company.


No more headache rack -- bye, bye, flatdecking!


The Boss Lady ordered some of that new Kertzer sock yarn, too. I heard third-hand that it was ordered, so I'm not sure what's coming other than variety bags. I think there's a variety bag of solids and two of the stripey ones. Plus the other lady that works there got the Boss Lady to call them back and tell them to send the bright ones since we have a bunch of blue and brown Austerman already.

Hope to have a diagonal bag finished and ready to felt tonight or tomorrow. The body of the bag is almost done, and the i-cord doesn't take that long.

I added a new link on the sidebar to another local knitter who attended Knit Nite last week. Check it out. Also did you see this neat sock pattern? I think I need some bright, firey sock yarn for a pair of these babies.

Also, pop on over to Dipsy's to spread some love. Her dear cat, Lady, passed away at age 18.

Happy knitting!