Runner up socks win; $12 blocking board how-to

Here is my friend, the other Liz, modeling her new socks.

Me: Ok, Liz, I finally have your birthday present, sort of. See, I made you these *produce socks* but they came out different sizes, so tell me which one fits better and I'll make another one to match.
Other Liz: They look like they're the same size...
Me: Perfect!

Her husband thought it was terribly silly to take pictures of feet for a knitting blog* so he's the one giving bunny ears.

In other news, the blocking board has blocked a swatch. So far it seems to be working out. So without further ado, here's my tutorial on how to make a cheapass blocking board.

Step 1: go to Hobby Lobby and purchase a Pattern Cutting board. Mine is 36 by 60" and made by Wrights. cost: $6

Step 2: go to Home Depot or similar store and ask about 5 people for help before finding what you needed on your own anyway. Purchase one roll of Clear Laminate adhesive, mine is Duck brand and was also about $6. This is sheets of clear plastic that you can use to laminate kids' projects, maps, things you don't want wet, family pets, etc.

Step 3, Prep: assemble board, laminate roll, at least 2 heavy books, and scissors. Unfold board.



Step 4: Cut a strip of laminate that will go across the board the short way, plus about 2". Lay laminate down across the far right edge and use books to keep it from rolling up on itself.

Step 5: Peel back paper from laminate and fold the paper under, while carefully sticking the sticky sticky laminate to the board. Leave an inch or so hanging over the sides. Secure with book, I used Barrington Moore's Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. Very useful and heavy.


(nice carpet, huh?)
Step 6: Press on laminate and smooth it out. Now pull the paper backing away and under Moore's book, pressing and smoothing as you go. Try to avoid wrinkles, but it's not that big a deal if some get in there. At least I hope not, because mine has several.

Step 7: Once you've pulled all the paper backing off, smooth it over with your hands again and then fold the edges of the laminate down, cutting off excess at the corners.

Step 8: Repeat as necessary to cover the board. Make sure that each sheet overlaps the one before it just a bit. I wound up needing three full sheets and a bit of change.

Step 9: Clean up trash and admire shiny new blocking board.



Because this is made with plastic that doesn't breathe well, I imagine it would be important not to put down any soaking wet knitted items for blocking, so don't forget to squeeze out excess moisture.

*I think he finds the knitting thing in general to be pretty silly, but that's muggles for ya.

Runner Up

I really enjoyed reading all your comments on the Journeyman Piece. I'm glad it gave you guys some food for thought.

Coming in at second place in the poll:



I'm glad the voting came out the way it did, because it gave me a great idea for the name for these socks: the Runner-Up Socks. Cute, huh?

These are for the February birthday of a good friend of mine. Sadly, they may not be done yet. Due to changing needles and changing stress levels, the second sock is *significantly* smaller than the first sock. Before you get on me about changing needles partway through a project (actually halfway through sock 1), I have to say that the Lantern Moon dpns I bought for this originally are the devil incarnate, and I would have lost my mind if I hadn't bought the Knitpicks ones and switched. For $25, I should not get two needles with splintered tips. (Yeah, I know I need to talk to the company or the LYS, but I really don't want them replaced. I want to forget they ever happened. I like metal now.)

I'm going to see if they block to the same size, and if not I'll just knit a third one. That'll be extra fun.

These socks were wonderful and simple, and I plan to use the pattern again to make footies for other people as Christmas gifts. I know it's only April, but what do you have to give your parents for their respective Mother's and Father's days?

Yay for free (copyrighted) patterns! Use it, love it, tell me if I made a boo-boo, tell me if you make some, but don't sell them!

Runner Up Socks: Worsted Weight Footies

Requirements: Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 2 skeins in your main color (MC) and 1 skein in the contrast color (CC) for heels and toes; any worsted weight yarn should work. The Mission Falls is superwash: bonus!
US 5 double-pointed needles

Gauge: 22 sts =4” (5.5 sts=1”)

CO 40 sts in MC and join to work in the round.

Work 6 rounds in 2x2 rib.

Work four rows in stockinette. Break MC. (I actually think these would work well if you added a few more rows of stockinette before starting the heel.)

Begin heel flap: Turn work and purl 20 sts in CC.
Row 2: *Sl1, K1* to end of row.
Row 3: Sl1, p across
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 22 total rows in heel flap, end with a RS row.

Heel turn:
Row 1: sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2: sl1, k3, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 3: sl1, purl to within 1 st of gap, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 4: sl 1, k to within 1 st of gap, ssk, k1, turn
Rep rows 3 and 4 until all sts are worked, end after row 4. Break yarn.

Gusset:
With MC, starting just to the left of the last stitch you worked, PU about 13 or 14 sts on side of gusset. Knit across top of foot, then pick up the same number of sts on the other side of the gusset. Work across heel flap, then arrange needles so that the round begins in the middle of the heel flap.

Gusset decreases:
Row 1: Knit to last 2 sts of needle 1, ssk. Knit across top of foot. On needle 4, k2tog, then knit to end of needle.
Row 2: Knit to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog, k1. Knit across top of foot. On needle 4, k1, ssk, then knit to end.
Row 3: K all sts.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 10 sts remain on all needles.

Foot: Knit to 2” short of the length of the foot. Break yarn.

Toe: Join CC for toe
Row 1: K all sts
Row 2 (decrease round): K to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog, k1. On needle 2, k1, ssk, k to end of needle. On needle 3, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. On needle 4, k1, ssk, k to end. 36 sts rem.
Rows 3 and 4: K all sts
Row 5: Decrease round. 32 sts.
Rows 6 and 7: k all sts
Row 8: Decrease round. 28 sts.
Row 9: K all sts
Row 10: Decrease round. 24 sts.
Row 11: k all sts
Row 12: Decrease round. 20 sts.
Row 13: Decrease round. 16 sts.

Knit across needle 1. Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Transfer stitches from needle 4 to needle 1 and from needle 2 to needle 3 so that all the stitches from the top of the foot are on one needle and all the stitches from the bottom of the foot are on the other. Graft the remaining stitches together.

I hope you like them!

Poll

I've got a bunch of stuff going right now, and each thing seems to deserve its own blog post. So here's a question: which would you like to see first?

1) FO report on the blue and white anklets, with free pattern.

2) How I made (will make, if you choose this option) my $10 blocking board.

3) A beautiful picture of all the ends I cut off of Venezia, with some musings on it.

4) Why I'm knitting prosthetic breasts.

You will get all of these eventually, it's just a question of what you want to see first.

Edited so I don't get your hopes up: The upcoming Venezia post will not contain a finished Venezia. It will just be about "the finishing".

Two completed socks does not equal one pair

The colors are pretty close in this pic. I may reknit the toe on the short sock, starting it sooner so there's more white and then tapering it so it isn't quite so pointy at the tip.

This picture actually shows some of the texture on the Roza's Socks. This is the Mountain Colors Bearfoot that Heather, my sock swap partner, sent me. Argh, it's awfully washed out though, isn't it? My legs are practically glowing!


I am utterly fascinated by the Cherry Leaf shawl, which is probably a good thing--I'm using smaller needles than the pattern calls for and may have to add quite a few more repeats. Right now I'm 10 repeats in and have used a little over half of the first skein. Pattern calls for 15, but I'll have to do at least 20.