i've heard it said that i give good knee. or, german stockings complete

German Stockings by Cookie A
Fearless Fibers Sock yarn, colorway "Royalty"-- 2 sk.
US 1, 2.25mm dpns -- 9 sts/inch **different gauge than patt**
Started: March 19, 2007 (?)
Finished: May 20, 2007

Beautiful, inspiring, impractical... all the things forbidden love should be! I really like this pair of stockings :)

I think I wrote about the things I wanted to cover already when I finished the first of these, but a little echo. The yarn is FF Sock and knit at a tighter gauge than the Louet Gems Pearl of the pattern (9 sts/inch v 8 sts/inch), but that with Cookie's sizing options in the pattern, I was able to use her numbers for a large sized stocking (I'd usually fit a M) and it worked out well as far as fit goes. This is pretty cool, since as long as you know your gauge and can spotcheck your math for the important circumferences (calf, ankle, foot) you can easily switch in your yarn of choice.



The Fearless Fibers yarn is great-- I love the color. I know that this stocking's patt pops more on a solid background, and also more when on a light colored background, but since I knit the sample pair of these stockings in white I wanted something different this time around. When on, the pattern pops much more than when taking unmodelled shots (you can see some pics of the stockings off in my flickr stream). The variation of color in the yarn was just fun for me to knit with, and I'm happy with the choice-- however impractical.



I used US 1's to get 9 sts/inch with the yarn, but I think that the yarn will do best on US 0's. I have a mental block when it comes to the idea of kneehighs on US 0's, though. :) I used 2 hanks of yarn (4 oz each, 120 gm) but only used 70 gm & had 50 gm left over from each. That means I have enough for another pair of purple socks (yay! I'm thinking anne from knitspot's smoke socks...?) and that if you have a smaller calf/leg than me you may be able to eke out a pair of stockings for yourself from only 1 hank of yarn.



Don't think that the 2 months it took me to knit these was an indication about the pattern or yarn... life and spinning just has a way of distracting me sometimes. I think it took me less than 2 weeks to knit the (XS) sized pair, so its not a tough knit at all... just one you need to stick to. (To be honest, the "hardest" part is the cuff ribbing... it seems to go on forever! Stick it thru and you'll just sail, really.)



I know, in the back of some of your minds you're thinking this is an obnoxious color pairing for these, and if I wore them out the house I'd look a mess. (It's okay!) Really though, they're already impractical since I don't wear skirts or shorts, and looked actually pretty silly taking these pictures downstairs with my neighbors all wondering about my apparent foot fetish again. I think they're just really fun, and will be a little nostalgic for me... I used to wear thigh high stockings with a garter belt when I was in high school-- underneath my jeans. I did it for me, because I liked the way they felt and looked, and that they were a secret that no one else knew about. I think these are going to be like those.



I also think I may need sock garters for them. They slouch a little too much during actual wear for ocd-me, but they feel really good on. :)

I think that's it! Very anticlimactic :)

not a german stocking.

Handspun socks
"Crying of Lot 49" roving, superwash merino (from my shop)
Started: March 22, 2007 (?)
Finished: April 12, 2007
US 3 (3.25mm) dpns, 4

I think I will keep spinning my superwash merino sock yarn at a dk weight... I love how bouncy and squishy these turned out. I spin too finely in general, but somehow hit that sweet spot with this roving.

Not really a lot to say... I used PGR's Simple Socks formulaic heel & short row toe, toe up. The formula has a # of stockinette rounds around the ankle once you complete the heel-- it resulted in that bunching you see (usually, I just start into ribbing after completing the heel). I don't think I'll use the stockinette again like that; it may also just be more pronounced as its a thicker yarn. Also, I did more of a squared off heel and toe, less pointy... just because :)

Y just because again, more pics...









Not to say the German Stockings aren't keeping on.


German Stocking #2, Cookie A
Fearless Fibers' superwash merino
garnet/pearl and iolite/pearl stitch markers

Just a few more repeats and I'll be on the heel-- the decreases are done for the leg. I'm a little sidetracked by spinning though...


Pouch by JapaneseHandmadeEtc.etsy.com (see review here)
70/30 merino/tussah silk inside

I thought I'd be able to spin the silk/merino at a thicker weight, but its an effort. We'll see :)

Have a good weekend! :)

one German down

There's no good way to take these on my legs, especially inside... (better pics when the pair's done, promise!)


German Stocking by CookieA.com, single
Started: March 19 (?)
Fearless Fibers Superwash Sock, "royalty" colorway
Susan Bates US 1, 2.25mm **9 sts/inch**

These are going to be really cool done. :)

I used Deb's superwash sock yarn since I'd used the solid white for the test pair already and though they're beautiful and the patterning really pops... white's not my bag. I don't know if purple is, but when I spied 2 hanks still for sale at Deb's store, I pounced. The Fearless Fibers is thinner than the Louet Gems Pearl the pattern calls for-- they *look* the same, but the Louet has more density (and Koigu has more density than Gems, but that's another post.) The white pair were knit on Susan Bates US 1's (2.25mm) at the pattern's gauge, 8 sts/inch, but the FF on the same needles ended up at 9 sts/inch.



Cookie's done a bangup job with the pattern though... she's sized it with over 200 different size combinations (seriously). So instead of worrying about the math, I just breathed a sigh of relief that Cookie'd done it all for me already. I would normally fit into the 3rd size of stocking, but knit using the 4th (next larger size) to account for the smaller gauge of the yarn. I did do a quick and dirty check to make sure my gauge would work out in the larger numbers, but they did and as you can see, it worked out beautifully.



Deb gives you a laaaarge hank for your money-- 4 oz/560 yd. Even so, I will need to use the 2nd hank for the second sock... the first weighs in at 70 gm with 50 left over. I've decided to just wind the second hank and and knit the second from it-- with any luck, I'll have another 50 gm left over for a pair of "regular" sized socks. If you have smaller legs than me (totally possible ;)) you may be able to get away with using only 1 hank of Fearless Fibers superwash sock, and that'd be a $16 pair of handpainted kneehighs!! Dude.

Yo quiero this yarn though-- the color's great, so was the service. I think I'll knit the "regular" pair at a tighter gauge though on US 0's... I could have done it for these, but kneehighs on US 0? Uh, no.

Speaking of etsy... the mailman just handed me the coolest package. (When will he get used to me answering the door in pyjamas?)



A new Superheros card pack from April at Creative Apples. Yow. She was one of the vendors from my choka/etsy contest... and I already had her Superheros I card pack as well as a custom order from her. I'm addicted to buying cards on etsy, and April's are always *so* cool and have real range. I hate (mom always said, hate is too strong a word to use for anything) buying duplicate cards, but with her flickr photostream and etsy store, I never have to :) I'm also addicted to the idea of custom *anything*... its rare for me to be able to afford it and not feel like I'm putting anyone out asking for it.

Thanks again April... sending mail has never been so fun. :)

And just to show *my* range in card purchases thru etsy...



Thank you coloring cards from Cre8tiveMama, also etsy-based. Yall know my kid's penchant for trains by now... a wonderful way to send thank you cards for (insert made up holiday here where my relatives shower the munchkin with candy and holiday themed toys). She says she does custom orders, too... may need to look into that as my kid needs to send plenty of these :)

There's way more etsy love out there, maybe for my next post I'll show off some of my favorites. Especially since the second stocking still (five times fast!) hasn't been started yet... no worries though. I'm employing a carrot-horse-cart approach... bought myself some rad new shoes that I can't wear til they're done. (Amazon is running a shoes.com/shoemall promo-- $20 off $80 and free shipping thru 4/15 so it was a good deal, and of course I bought them in red :))

...til then!


eta!! i need to get in contact with Lindsey, if anyone knows her or if you're reading, please email me at the addy below. (need to claim your prize!) thanks! :)

tally

of things I learned over the past few days.





Stockinette soothes my troubled soul.



So does an excellent pattern and fabulous yarn.



The bent wire stitch markers from my shop help, too.

Also...

Don't wax your own eyebrows when sad.

(pictureless, you sadists.)

:)

Have a good week!!

german stockings, stitch markers... blip on the radar

Its been so long, I don't even know how to start!

How about with some rainy day pictures...


German Stocking, pattern by Cookie A.
(edit... these are on the wrong foot-- easier for me to take them like this, but this is the right leg stocking. the left will be reversed.)

You may have noticed I've been away from blogging for a while. Its been a combination of things (mainly a touch and go relationship with my pc), but also this stocking :) I'm knitting a sample pair of Cookie's German Stocking for her retail booth debut at Stitches West this year-- I was just tickled red when she asked.



yes Virginia, it *is* hanging on for dear life. This is the XS size and I (ahem) am not... but I couldn't resist the 5 seconds these took. The proportions don't look right on my leg, but it doesn't stop my admiration for twisted stitches, movement, and just plain "wow."



Aside from the obvious wonder of the travelling cable, the heel is just... !!! She really has me thinking about the standard heel treatment-- and how boring it can be. Here you see the edge of the travelling cable down along the side of the heel, and here you see the faux seam down the back...



Lordy.

I love patterns that don't just plug a stitch pattern in that fits the cast on number. I also love when I don't see "repeat for second sock." :) These are really showstoppers, I think... without relying at all upon color or yarn (louet gems pearl) to carry the pattern, it still pops like a mofo. (That's not to say I've not already planned my fantasy pair when this whirlwind is over... in Fearless Fibers' superwash merino, sublime colorway.)

Speaking of etsy, my shop's also been keeping me surprisingly (and happily!) busy...



These are my new favorites... handmade paper beads (long strips of colorful paper taken from magazines and prints, rolled into a bead and varnished shiny and hard) that I've wrapped with copper colored wire. I also have made a few sets of row counters (that have already sold, I should have more up soon and have taken custom orders for them, too)... inspired by the German Stocking and its decreases for the calf shaping...


Grey freshwater pearl and turquoise row counter, 4-row repeat

I don't mean to make this a "look at my shop!" blog, but its been taking quite a bit of my time (in a good way) and I'm also quite proud of the response... I've sold over a hundred stitch marker sets since opening, way more than I ever thought possible, and it just... makes me grin and I like to share :)

(edit-- i just read that paypal is running a $15 rebate for $30+ purchases made thru march 31. its not only my accepted method of payment, but lots of other etsy sellers as well.)

I'm also thrilled that Cookie will be selling zerO stitch markers at Stitches this year... so on top of finishing the German stocking's mate, I'll be literally drowning in stitch markers up til Stitches (February 22-25) and my updates will prolly be just as sporadic. But the good things just keep on coming-- I *just* found out I had something accepted to Knitty so we'll have to have a contest to celebrate when the new issue rolls around! Pinch me! :)

(...and speaking of the mother of all sock yarn contests. April's giving away 30 skeins of sock yarn in February. Not a typo, thirty. Run, run, run.)

I missed you :)