I Was Away at PLY Away

So, I was one of the lucky ones who participated in the First Annual PLY Away spinning retreat. I taught workshops on Saturday and Sunday. What a delightful experience.

Of course I took advantage of the vendor hall, purchasing a lovely support spindle, some hemp (which I plan to spin/weave/knit into kitchen curtains), some silk to spin just for me, some merino for a future project inspired by Lake Michigan, and some supplies that I’ll be using in workshops this summer.

Other highlights: the goody bag awaiting me upon arrival (t-shirt, snacks, and more!); gifts from attendees (Thanks, Terri, for the beaded threader. And thanks, Maja, for the sea salt and toffee.); Chris Pappas’s talk at the banquet about the first spinners (she’s an archeologist); and the amazing lightning storm that I watched on the last leg of my flight home.

But the most wonderful thing about this particular adventure was that I connected with so many pleasant, cheerful, happy, generous, delightful people. The folks who took my workshops were amazing, wonderful, attentive, full of good questions. I couldn’t have asked for better company. So, thank you: Kandys, Andrea, Marte, Catherine, Marci, Teresa, Barbara, Brian, Rachael, Robbin, Susan, Leanna, Patsy, Tove, Becky, Grace, Janine, Karen, Lynn, Joan, Teresa, Pamela, Joan, Karen, Laura, Susan, Deborah (and thanks for the book recommend), Kathleen, Karen, Tara, Rachel, Kris, Suzanne, Laura, Jamie, Evelyn, Natasha, Maja, Irene, Barbara, Barbara, and Janette.

I also had some authentic conversations with other airline passengers, with hotel employees, with other instructors, with vendors, and with friends old and new.

This was truly an event made especially special by the people who were there. Fiber Folks Rock!

I failed to take any photos while I was there. So, here are some photos I took of the garden when I returned home. Notice that there are no pictures of snow.

 

 

 

 

 

Used Bosworth Journey Wheel for Sale

I am helping a friend sell one of her many spinning wheels. It is a Journey Wheel, made by Jonathan Bosworth. This unique wheel folds into its own box. Folded up for travel, its dimensions are 14" x 16" x 7". Open for spinning, it is 32” tall, with the orifice at 29” from floor. It weighs about 15 lbs.

It has a carrying strap and a fabric travel cover. She bought it new in 2012. It’s made of beautiful cherry wood. It comes with 5 bobbins. There are 4 drive ratios on this wheel. It’s double treadle, scotch tension, with a special u-shape orifice, so no orifice hook is necessary.

 

Here are pictures of the wheel:

 

 

You can find information about this wheel (including manual) here: http://journeywheel.com/journey-wheels.html

This is a gorgeous wheel in excellent condition. My friend is selling it because she has several wheels and this one is not getting the attention it deserves. I’ve spun on it, and it works great. It treadles very smoothly.

Mr. Bosworth is not currently taking any orders for this wheel. When my friend bought it she paid $1810 plus shipping. I have noticed on the website that the extra bobbins and scotch tension currently cost more than my friend paid. Asking price is $1750. I’d rather not ship this wheel, but if I did, the buyer would cover packaging, shipping (USPS Priority), and insurance costs. I am willing to drive a bit to deliver or meet. I live in Lake Ann, MI. Zip 49650. Interested? Contact me: atyler@centurytel.net

5 x 12 = 60

Here is the third of twelve sock patterns in my journey of 60 stitches. The featured stitch pattern has a 5-stitch repeat. So, 12 repeats equals 60 stitches total. I’m using a simple lace pattern from Susanna Lewis’s book, Knitting Lace. It’s pattern #41. This book is true gem. It was originally published by Tauton Press, but is currently available through Schoolhouse Press.

The yarn I used was a gift from one of the students who took my workshop at last year’s Panoply 2015, Ontario Handweavers and Spinners Biennial Conference.  It’s a Plymouth Yarn, “Happy Feet”, which comes in 50 g skeins, approximately 192 yards per skein. I used two skeins of color # 6. This yarn is 90% superwash Merino wool and 10% nylon. I got my gauge (7 ½ sts per inch, 11 rounds per inch) using US size 1 (2.25 mm) needles in the lace pattern (as described in the Leg section below).

When I was first given this yarn, I liked the colors just “ok”, but as I’ve worked with the yarn, I’ve grown quite fond of the colors. It’s such a pleasure to fall deeper in love with a yarn.

Cuff:

Loosely CO 60 sts. I used a long tail cast on, with US size 3 (3.25 mm), then changed to US size 1 (2.25mm) for the sock. I used a set of 4 double pointed needles and distributed the stitches so that there were 20 sts on Needle 1, 20 sts on Needle 2, and 20 sts on Needle 3.

Rounds 1-3: knit.

Round 4: *k1, p1, k2, p1; rep from * around.

Repeat Round 4 until cuff measures 2” (I worked 20 rounds of rib).

Leg:

See the previous blog post for notes about yarn-overs.

Round 1: *k1, p1, yo, ssk, p1; rep from * around.

Round 2: *k1, p1, k2, p1; rep from * around.
Round 3: *k1, p1, k2tog, yo, p1; rep from * around.
Round 4: same as Round 2.

Work these 4 rounds until sock measures ~6 ½ inches, end having finished a Round 4.

Heel Flap:

Knit the first 15 stitches on Needle 1. Place the next 30 sts onto 2 needles. Slip the last 15 stitches from Needle 3 onto Needle 1. The heel flap is worked flat on the 30 sts on Needle 1. The 30 sts on the other 2 needles constitute the instep.

Row 1 (WS): sl1, purl to end.

Row 2: *s1, k1; rep from * to end.

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until heel flap is approximately 2 inches long, end having finished a Row 1.

Heel Turn:

The turned heel is made up of “short rows” with decreases. This process shapes the heel. As a result, for each row you will work a different number of stitches, and you will end up with fewer total stitches than you started with.

Row 1 (RS): sl1, k16, ssk, k1, turn work.

Row 2: sl1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn work.
Row 3: sl1, k to 1 st before “gap”, ssk, K1, turn work.
Row 4: sl1, p to 1 st before “gap”, p2tog, P1, turn work.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until 18 sts remain, having finished a row 4.

Next row: sl1, knit across.

Gusset:

Pick up and knit 18 sts along the right side of the heel flap. To do this, insert right needle under the first edge stitch (under both strands of the stitch), wrap the working yarn around the needle, and pull a stitch through (one stitch has now been picked up and knitted). Repeat this process until 18 stitches have been picked up.

Slip the following 30 sts onto one needle. These stitches constitute the instep of the sock. Work these 30 sts following Round 1 of the instep pattern (see below).

Pick up and knit 18 sts along the left side of the heel flap.

Onto this same needle, knit the next 9 stitches (from the remaining heel stitches). Slip the remaining 9 heel stitches onto Needle 1 (with the right side gusset).

You now have 27 sts on Needle 1, 30 sts on Needle 2, and 27 sts on Needle 3. The middle of the heel falls between Needle 3 and Needle 1. Consider this point to be the beginning of the round.

Round 1: On Needle 1, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. On Needle 2, work Round 2 of instep pattern. On Needle 3, k1, ssk, k to end.

Round 2: On Needle 1, knit. On Needle 2, continue working instep pattern as established. On Needle 3, knit.

Rep Rounds 1 & 2 until there are 15 sts on both Needles 1 and 3 (60 sts total).

Instep Stitch Pattern (worked on Needle 2):

Round 1: k5, place marker, (k1, p1, yo, ssk, p1) 4 times, place marker, k5.
Round 2: k5; (k1, p1, k2, p1) 4 times; k5.
Round 3: k5; (k1, p1, k2tog, yo, p1) 4 times; k5.

Round 4: same as Round 2.

Foot:

After completing all the gusset decreases, cont working even, and cont repeating the instep pattern for as long as you want. I worked the instep pattern all the way to the beginning of the toe. Then I continued in st st.

Toe:

The toe is 28 Rounds total.

This toe is shaped so that it gradually narrows. To achieve this effect, you will work a “Decrease Round” more frequently as the toe progresses.

Perform a Decrease Round on Rounds 1, 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, and 28. On all other rounds, work even.

Decrease Round: On Needle 1, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. On Needle 2, k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. On Needle 3, k1, ssk, k to end.

At this point, there will be 4 sts on Needle 1, 8 sts on Needle 2, and 4 sts on Needle 3. Now, knit the next 4 sts onto Needle 3, leaving 8 sts on Needle 2 and 8 sts on Needle 3.

Graft the toe using the Kitchener stitch:

Cut the working yarn, leaving a 20 inch or longer tail. Thread this tail through a darning needle. Orient the sock so that the 2 needles are horizontal, the instep side of the sock is facing you, and the working yarn is coming off the right side of the needle in the back.

Step 1: Insert darning needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit, pull the yarn through and slip this stitch off the needle. Insert darning needle into the next stitch on the front needle as if to purl, pull the yarn through and leave this stitch on the needle.

Step 2: Insert darning needle into the first stitch on the back needle as if to purl, pull the yarn through and slip this stitch off the needle. Insert darning needle into the next stitch on the back needle as if to knit, pull the yarn through and leave this stitch on the needle.

Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until all stitches have been worked and slipped off the needles.

Weave in all ends.

If you have any questions – or if you find any mistakes – you can either leave a comment on this blog page or email me: atyler@centurytel.net or amy@stonesockfibers.com

This pattern is free, but it is still copyrighted. So, feel free share a copy of this pattern or knit these socks, but please do not sell the pattern or sell socks made from this pattern. Thank you.

Yarn-Overs My Way

The next sock in the series of “60” Socks contains a sweet and simple lace pattern. Lace involves yarn-overs. And the lace pattern that is in this sock involves yarn-overs that occur between a knit stitch and a purl stitch, and also between a purl stitch and a knit stitch. So, I just want to share a bit of advice about these maneuvers.

But before that, I want to mention that in my standard knitting – for both the knit stitch and the purl stitch – I work into the front leg of a stitch, and I wrap the working yarn counter-clockwise around the tip of the right needle. If your knitting maneuvers are different, you may have to “translate” my yarn-over instructions to suit your method of knitting.

Here are my general instructions for yarn-overs:

In all cases, the working yarn must start in the front of your knitting and then it goes over the right hand needle from front to back. Then the yarn goes to where ever it needs for the following stitch. So,

Between two knit stitches: bring the yarn from the back to the front between the two needles, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, then knit the next stitch.

Between two purl stitches: the yarn is already in the front of the knitting, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, bring the yarn to the front of the knitting between the two needles, then purl the next stitch.

Between a knit stitch and a purl stitch: bring the yarn from the back to the front between the two needles, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, bring the yarn to the front of the knitting between the two needles, then purl the next stitch.

Between a purl stitch and a knit stitch: the yarn is already in the front of the knitting, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, then knit the next stitch.

I find it interesting that a yarn-over performed between a knit stitch and a purl stitch requires a lot of movement, while a yarn-over between a purl stitch and a knit stitch requires next to no movement. I love something for nothing in my knitting!