Listen here.
Latte: Progress is being made on the SPAKAL sweater and also on Odelia.
Grande: I finished the Tribute Socks. They're knit from Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Seaglass and they're super cushy and fun to wear.
Brewing: I gave away two pairs of socks recently, Marilinda and Twisted Flower, both by Cookie A. These socks were simply too big for me! This fact has propelled me into my own sock design, but left me with a question about using smaller needles than size 0, or other ways of knitting my socks just a bit smaller than they've been turning out.
I've also become enamored of the Wingspan shawl. Sparkli happened to have the exact extra ball of yarn that I need to create one! Twitter can facilitate minor miracles.
Flavor of the Day: This past week I wore: Rocky Coast Cardigan, Gable Mitts, Pogona, Clapotis, Stricken, Uptown Girl, Berlin Muster, My Heart Beets 4 U and Summer Sliding Socks.
Chai: Abby went to the Cheeseboard Collective for the first time and had fabulous thin crust pizza. Yum!
A Story: I talk about my first knitting project, and "relearning" to knit from Barbara Walker's Learn to Knit Afghan Book which, by the way is still in print!
Sofa: I have abandoned the idea of seeing 2 of the Oscar nominated films: Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild. I have been enjoying catching up on The Walking Dead and I'm thrilled about the new season of Smash.
Events: I will be at Madrona! Ping me if you'd like to get together.
hi abby, hiya hiya needles go down to 0.7 mm in both circular and dpns. and they're cheaper than addis!
ReplyDeleteHi Abby,
ReplyDeleteI have skinny feet and have to knit my socks on, get this, size 00, for them to fit. Wish I could knit them on size 2, but, alas, that is not to be. I have knit cable socks but don't like making cables on such tiny needles. Unfortunately I also can't knit socks in cars because of the road bumps, and picking up stitches on size 00 is a royal pain. Many sock patterns are way too big for me so I tend to knit vanilla ones. Love your podcast, your lessons learned, and the banter with Ben.
hotknitter
Maybe I need to write a book of small-feet socks. There must be more than two of us with this problem.
ReplyDeleteHi Abby:
ReplyDeleteSorry this comes so long after this episode aired, but I found my solution to getting custom fitted socks in the books of Cat Bordhi. All of her recipes in "New Pathways" can be precisely customized to your gauge and foot size, and the "Personal Footprints" method is also very effective for custom fitting and easier, to boot!
Lest you think that you have to knit her designs, this is not the case. You can use her books to create your own designs, or adapt existing patterns to fit your feet.
When I took her Personal Footprints workshop 2 years ago, Cat pushed me in the direction of knitting socks much more tightly that I ever did before. But the main point of doing that was not for a good fit (which can be achieved no matter what gauge or needles you choose to use), but to create a firmer fabric, for socks that wear longer and don't develop holes so soon.
As you discovered yourself, knitting more tightly means knitting more slowly. Sometimes I find myself cursing Cat for the slowdown and at the same time thanking her for the sturdy socks I now produce. I also find myself getting sore fingers and tight shoulders when I work too long on my socks. I don't have a solution for that, unfortunately, other than alternating socks with other less strenuous projects.
Sorry to rattle on so long. Long live sock knitting!
Barbara A.
(Potchke on Ravelry)