melissa's toe-up socks.

time for a new class!

materials
yarn:fingering weight (sock yarn)
needles: 2 – size US 1-3 circular needles, 16”-24” long (or size to get gauge)
gauge: 7.5st –8st = 1” stockinette
size: 7.5” (8.5”, 9”) ankle circumference

cast on.
using the figure-8 cast-on, CO 24 sts (12 on each needle).
{instructions for figure-8 cast on: holding needle A together with cable B, make a slip knot and place it onto the needle in back (A). do not count this slip knot in your CO count! we will drop it later. take your working yarn UNDER both needles, up over the front cable, down between the 2 needles, up and over (in back of) the back needle, down between the 2 needles, etc. a great tutorial by adrian of hello yarn is here.(she does not use a slip knot, though.)

make the toe.
take your working yarn and put it between the cable and needle so that it is in the back, ready to knit.
knit the first row. using working yarn that was just passed through cable & needle, knit across back needle to slip knot. do not knit it – just drop it!
with that row complete, slide stitches to cable (pull needle to the left). now, slide next set of stitches to front needle (pull front needle – B – to the right) and turn work clockwise. you will notice that these stitches are twisted, so you will need to knit these stitches THROUGH THE BACK LOOP. make sure you are using the front needle with the front needle. A with A, B with B! REMEMBER: DO NOT MIX NEEDLES!
you have completed your first round! go ahead and knit one more round before increasing. at the end of this round, you may want to place a marker or small safety pin in your work to mark the end of the round.
now, to increase.
round 1: M1 (kfb), k to 2nd to last st, M1 (kfb), k. turn. Repeat for 2nd needle.
round 2: k all sts
continue this pattern until you have desired number of sts.
for size small, CO 28 sts each needle, total of 56. medium, CO 32 sts each, 64 total. large, 34 sts each, 68 total. to customize – measure your ankle. (example, 8”). take your gauge (example 6 sts=1”). Multiply circumferencexgauge=CO total! (ex=48) divide in half for each needle (24 each).

make the foot.
Knit in the round, adding any desired pattern to instep until 2” short of heel.

come back next week for the short-row heel and some patterning ideas for your cuff!

spinning

so, with school done for the year, we took a week off. played on the slip-n-slide, in the sprinkler, played "sorry", cards...and i got some spinning done!

this is the first skein of hello yarn fiber club "loch". 2-ply, 220 yards, light worsted, i'm guessing. i have another 4oz. to spin. hope to make it similar!

close up...

hello yarn fiber club "pallid" fluff...this is a quarter of what i have...

here's about 2 oz spun into singles...i might keep it this way and do a shawl? not sure...