Heel Help?

I have the beginnings of a Marigold to show...

I got up to the heel last night and now I've hit a snag. I'm not a fan of the straight short-row heel in toe-up socks because I like my socks snug and a short-row heel just doesn't have the fit of a gusset and heel flap.

I decided to try the heel from Knitty's Widdershins, which is basically made up of...

1. Increases to form the gusset (pretty easy, M1 at beginning & end of sole)
   
2. Short row increases (i.e. the heel turn bit in top-downs, but in reverse) - slightly confusing as the pattern is given for a 54-stitch sock whereas I have a 64-stitch sock so I wasn't sure how many increases or where to start/end the short row shaping
   
3. Followed by the slip stitch (K1, sl1) heel flap from bottom up with decreases at the same time on both sides of the flap - thoroughly confusing as by this time I wasn't sure how many stitches I was supposed to have on my needles, and therefore how fat my heel flap was supposed to be, and therefore where the decreases (P2tog/ssk) were supposed to take place
4. HELP!

I wish there's a formula somewhere that helps you calculate how many stitches you need for different parts of this pattern for socks with different stitches... Anyone game?

For the sake of expediency, I'm thinking of ripping the whole thing out and trying the toe-up gusset by Wendy Johnson which I found thanks to Emily on Ravelry. (Check out her Marigolds - they're beautiful.)

In other news, what happened to my mum's birthday cardigan? Well, I came so close to finishing it on time (I was literally weaving in ends minutes before we had to go to her birthday dinner), but alas, I completely forgot about buttons!

I gave it to her to try anyway and while she expressed all the admiration and gratitude to sooth the nerves of the giver, it is clearly too small!

I'm hoping a bit of heavy blocking will fix the problem but we'll see. Here it is blocking in all its glory.

Sockapalooza Panic!

The Sockapalooza 4 socks are due to be sent on August 2nd. I've been eyeing other people's gorgeous finished socks for weeks but have I done anything about my own socks? No, siree!

Well, at least I have now got the yarn.

This is the 5-ply 100% superwash merino (Joan) from Live 2 Knit in Lilly Pilly. I've never used this yarn before but it feels quite soft and bouncy. And the colours are perfect for my pal (she likes pinks and purples and lilacs).

I'm thinking the Marigold pattern by Flint Knits. (Pal likes lace socks and I think this pattern would work well with the stripy yarn.)

Of course when I put in the order for my sock pal's yarn I had to get some for myself. (Plus it's universally acknowledged that sock yarn doesn't count as stash.)

This is in the Choc Cherry colourway. I think the name made me think there would be more browns but the yarn is actually a mixture of blues, reds and greys. Lovely nonetheless.

Part of the reason I haven't started on my Sockapalooza socks is because, despite a great start, my mum's cardigan is still unfinished and her birthday is this Saturday! I'm up to the shoulder shaping of the 2nd sleeve and I still have hope that it'll get done in time but I don't think I'd be able to block & dry it properly. I also haven't found buttons for it. Panic panic panic.

Spot the Difference?

Some of you may be wondering what's happened to the Child's French Socks I started way back on my last holiday. Have I unknowingly fallen victim to the Single Sock Liberation like so many before me?

Well, the answer is, no.

However, perhaps worse than that, the reason why sock #2 has taken me so long to produce, is due to a serious case of dopiness. First I miscounted the number of repeats in the leg (frog #1), then I picked up 1 less stitch on one side of the heel flap (frog #2), then I lost a stitch at the start of the foot and didn't realise until halfway down the foot (frog #3), then I miscounted the number of repeats in the foot (frog #4), then I dropped a stitch in the toe shaping (frog #5), and then the best one of all...

In my infinite wisdom, I decided to use KnitPicks dpns on the 2nd sock as opposed to the bamboos I used for the 1st. I know, I know, it's a cardinal rule of knitting to use the exact same needles but I've broken this on many many occasions, swapping between same sized aluminum and bamboo needles with negligible impact on sizing. (Actually, the main reason I swapped needles this time was because the bamboos weren't sharp enough to pick up the K2tog's and it frustrated the hell out of me on the first sock.)

Anyway, the result is that the KnitPicks sock is about 2cm shorter in both the leg and foot (which you can see from the photo above - it's not just an illusion). When I put the needles through the needle gauge, the KnitPicks went through just a tad easier than the bamboos but clearly a little bit of difference all adds up!

There was no way I was going to remake either sock, so the only way to purge myself of this curse on my knitting mojo was to give the socks away. Which required frog #6 - to make it smaller to fit the recipient. She barely noticed the difference but in my heart of hearts, I know!

More photos here.

Yarn: 4ply Merino in Roses from The Knittery
Pattern: Child's French Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Needles: 2.5mm dpns

Started: 20 April, 2007
Finished: 21 June, 2007

Thanks Secret Pal!

I've been waiting for one sunny day so I can take a proper photo of the haul I got from my SP10.

The fabulous Kae sent me not one, not two, but THREE books...

Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann - my first EZ book and current bedtime reading. This book is even better than I expected. Her no-nonsense writing style really appeals to me and it'll probably be the first knitting book I read from cover to cover. I am tempted to take up her challenge of knitting socks on 4 different sized dpns to see if my fingers will really magically adjust the tension.

I'm already planning to make the seamless jumper with the saddle shoulders (especially after seeing the drool-worthy version here).

Stupid Sock Creatures by John Murphy - This is more an inspiration book rather than a practical step by step. It's laid out a little like a comic book, with stylised illustrations of the sock creatures (some of which, I must admit, are a bit scary looking). Having said that, there are lots of good ideas and techniques that I will probably used in different combinations. I especially like the different types of lips/pouts.

Finishing Techniques for Handknitters by Jane Crowfoot - An informative book on finishing (and other) techniques. I particularly like the very clear photos showing what different types of increases and decreases look like (for increases I've always just picked up the horizontal bar from the row below and knit into the back but now I think I'll use the pick up the stitch from the row below and knit into the back method as it's so much more invisible!)

In addition, I also got the following goodies...

• Cherry pattern by Anna Bell from My Fashionable Life
• 2 skeins of Berroco Bonsai - a surprisingly soft bamboo ribbon yarn
• A pretty spiral diary
• A box of chocolate Pocky sticks (not in photo as it no longer exist)
  

Thanks again, Kae!

Meet Sophie

I made her a while ago for a friend who's expecting her first child. The baby is now a reality and Sophie has been gifted so I can show her off to the world.

I used a pattern from Aranzi Aronzo's Fun Dolls but I had a Japanese copy from my local Kinokuniya. The pictorial instructions are super easy to follow.

It's my first doll creation sewn from scratch (i.e. not from socks/knitted). She's not entirely symmetrical but still very cuddly. I think I'll definitely make more of these.

A couple more pics on my flickr including one of her cute button tail.

Lethal Weapon

It had to happen.

I sustained an injury involving a KnitPicks dpn and blood, real blood, on the train yesterday (okay, it was only a small amount) . I was trying to grab it as it fell out of my hand but instead I pushed it into my leg. It went straight through my jeans, grazed the skin and left a red swollen patch on my inner thigh. Lovely.

The culprit.

In other knitting news, mum's Jo Sharp cardi is making good progress. I've finished both fronts and the back. Now I just need to calculate the sleeve shortening - darn these people with short arms!

And pzzzzt... I'm so excited to hear that KnitCast with Marie Irshad is returning to our podwaves soon!

7 Random Things Meme

Emmms tagged me a couple of weeks ago but I was rude and just ignored her. (In my defense, I was sick as a dog when we first got back and then I was swamped at.... Well, let's not bring that four letter word up here.)

The rules: 'Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.'

1. The name of this blog is a variation of the nickname 'Princess Pee Pee' which my friends gave me because of the frequency at which I needed toilet breaks every time we took a road trip. (You can see why I needed to change it slightly.)

2. 'Sodium' is another nickname I've had. It sounds like my Chinese name. (Incidentally, my friend Kay was nicknamed 'Potassium'. K, get it?)

3. I have eaten dog. It tastes like corned beef.

4. I've never had a pet (possibly due to 3.) tho I've been plotting to catnap one of my neighbour's cat since he wanders into our house uninvited anyway. (He's the brown one.)


5. My favourite number is 7.

6. If I could speak an additional language it would be Japanese.

7. Just for something with a knitting spin, my oldest WIP is a granny smith apple green (what was I thinking?) cardigan I started around 1998. I found it recently and I've actually only got half a sleeve to go. Should I finish it?

I haven't tagged anyone as most people in the blogworld seem to have been tagged already. Anyway, if you want to be tagged, just leave a comment here and consider yourself tagged.

Happy Blogversary

I didn't even realise until now that this blog had its first birthday a few days ago.

In celebration, here's another photo from our recent trip. Taken at Wilfert's in Copenhagen.

Yarn makes me happy. Awwww.

Sick Puppy

Well we're home.

Actually we've been back for over a week but I caught some nasty bug on my first day back at work and have been one sick puppy since.

Being sick does have its advantages (more knitting time) but I got into the Artemis Fowl books just before our holiday (yes, I'm regressing back to junior fiction) and spent my bed/couch ridden time reading books 4 & 5 instead.

I did get some knitting done. Like the 1st project using my newly acquired Scandinavian yarn - or the first sock anyway.

The main project I'm currently working on is the Jo Sharp cardi from Knit 2 for my mum. So far all I've done is the back and half of the left front. I love the feel of this yarn (Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette)...

Her birthday is not til mid July so I'm taking it easy at the moment (maybe I shouldn't be). We'll see.

World Tour of Yarn Shops

If you've been reading this blog you might be under the impression that we've been on a world tour of yarn shops. I assure you it's not true. But here are a few more if you haven't overdosed on yarn shop descriptions already...

Goteberg...
Strikk (Vallagatan 23) - One of the best I've seen on this trip. This place was like an Aladdin's cave. You go through a little door down some steps into 3 spacious rooms full of yarn and knitted goodies.

The first room is full of Collinette, and their own brand of handspun single ply. They have quite an extensive range under their own label (but I've found this to be the case in many Scandinavian yarn shops tho the yarns are the same, they just put their own label on) including a 100% silk, gotland wool, and linen.

They also stock Malabrigo, Araucania from Chile, and of course, Garnstudio. Lots of buttons too. The highlight is their own knitted designs. Quite modern and very clever use of yarn and notions.

I also visited another yarn shop just a street away but it's tiny and I've forgotten the name.

Lund
Sländan (Lilla Fiskaregatan 1) - Again their own line available, including a 100% mohair with similar meterage to Kid Silk Haze (but comes in hot pink, amongst other, more subtle, colours). Their line also includes a super soft baby alpaca (below) which I couldn't keep my hands off.

Small shop but chock full of the standard Scandi yarns.


Malmö
Stopped by Irmas Hus, Kalendegatan 13, but it is mainly a habedashery shop with just one shelf of yarns. Only Rowan and Drops.

Also wandered past Signe Svensson Garnaffär (Davidshallsgatan 25) but it is tiny. Some very nice shops on the same street though.

At Yllet (Jöns Filsgatan 2) there is a small line of yarns including linen and gotland wool again but it's mainly a clothing shop.

One thing worth mentioning is the artist collective shop Formargruppen (Engelbrektsgatan 8) run by 20 local artists. Lovely ceramics, textiles, glass work and jewellery. My favourite was a felted penguin by Yvonne Bävman. There's a photo of the penguins on her site here.

Copenhagen
Wilfert's (Gammel Kongevej 102) - Best shop here in my opinion. Run by Wilfert and her friendly black labridor (I think, I'm not good with dog breeds). Again their own line of yarns including Duo (100% wool) and Duo Silk (wool silk) from Jutland in Denmark, but I found the textures slightly coarse and opted for 4 balls of their Bambini (100% superfine merino).

The shop is very tastefully decorated, with chandeliers and glass cabinets brimming with buttons and notions. There is a very good collection of Rowan yarns and magazines.

I was completely taken by the no brand but luxurious 100% cashmere that they 'buy from some woman up in Jutland'.

Also visited Sommerfuglen (Vankunsten 3) and Strikkeboden (Krystalgade 16). The former is quite good and another treasure trove packed with yarn and lots of knitting books. When I walked into the latter, a woman barked at me 'What do you want?' which led me to leave at unprecedented lightning speed. You can read a pretty good review of both here.

(Front room of Sommerfuglen)

Adventures of a Little Red Sock

Bergen is a quaint little town, despite being touted as the capital of Western Norway, with a much more relaxed laid back feel compared to Oslo. It was nice to chill out in pubs and meander the streets without an itinerary. On Saturday night after we arrived, we took a stroll after dinner and pretty much covered all the main sights (including the yarn shops, but more on that later).

Pubs along the waterfront in Bergen.

On Sunday morning we took the floibanen up the side of Mount Floyen (320m above sea level) to breathtaking views of Bergen city. Then we took a long walk up to the peak which gave us magnificent views of the landscape - snow covered peaks, glassy water holes, pine forests... you get the idea.


The first red sock came with us as well and I took some photos, much to the amusement of passing walkers.

The pattern is the Child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.

There are probably 3 yarn shops in Bergen (there maybe more but I couldn't find them). Also we were there on a Sunday and none of the shops were open so all this is just from peering longingly outside the shops...

Husfliden - similar to the one in Oslo but smaller. Tho it looks like it has more modern souvenirs like fleecy blankets and designer homeware. The range of yarns look pretty much the same - Drops/Garnstudio and Tynn Alpakka etc.

Modellstrikk (Vaskerelven 15) - cute little shop on a street full of cafes and other cute little shops. Looked like it mainly stocks Drops yarns and patterns. They have pictures of the types of yarn they stock on the website which gives you a pretty good idea of the kinds of yarn you find in Norway.

Pinnsvinn Designs (Jonsvollsgaten 9) - Had a sign on the door saying it has English patterns. Had some Rowan patterns and yarns. Also sells toys. They have a few pictures of the store on their website.

On our train ride back to Oslo, it gave me a little thrill when we passed Dale (pronounced 'dahl' here) of Dale of Norway fame. I noticed that they have a factory outlet there but as we were on a schedule, we had to give it a miss. Oh well.

Stockholm Knitters

Just to prove I was there, look here!

Day 1 in Oslo + Yarn Shops

Took a stroll around Akershus Festning (Royal Fortress) this morning before boarding the ferry to Bygdøy to the Vikingskipshuset (Vikingship Museum). Quite an austere little museum with bits and pieces from 3 buried Viking ships, and of course, the ships themselves. The interior strangely resembles a whitewashed church.

I was struck by the simple yet functional nature of these boats, in contrast to the complete uselessness of the extravagant and elaborately decorated ship Vasa we saw in Stockholm.

We then went to the Norsk Folkemuseum nearby. For the NOK70 entry fee, the place is not really worth it. There are quite a few restored houses but very little interpretation (in either Norwegian or English). There are only so many houses labelled 'Farmhouse' you can look at before it gets really boring (strange that). One redeeming feature is the toy exhibition. I was particularly taken by the intricate doll houses. In a music room, there's even a miniature bust of Beethoven!

Okay okay, the yarn shops.

For lunch we went to the Grunerløkka district. On the main street was the Elna Sy-Og Servicesenter (Thorvald Meyers Gate 48) which is basically a sewing machine shop, but had some very 'sensible' knitting yarns on the back wall - 100% wool in 4, 8, 12 ply, mohair, alpaca and cotton in a variety of solid colours.

On a quiet side street was the find of the day - Guanako garn & design (Seilduksgate 7). This is a more 'modern' shop owned by a 29 year-old. It's only been opened for over a year. She stocks a lot of Rowan yarns and magazines, but also the more traditional Norwegian brands. I picked up a mixed bag of colourful Egyptian mercerised cotton, baby merino and some sock yarn for an absolute song (thanks to Jerms' reassurance that he'll carry it in his luggage).

She's also got some beautiful pieces knitted up, including the Butterfly Camisole in both short and long versions. Also a few Birch shawls in different mohair yarns. The shop is gorgeous and well worth a visit if you're in town.

Finally, we paid the obligatory visit to the tourist oriented Husfliden (Rosenkrantz Gate 19-21) right in the centre of town. They have a massive range of traditional Norwegian yarns. The costume and ribbon section is worth a look and they have quite a few mits and socks knitted up. They also sell Hanne Falkenberg knitting kits, drop spindles and embroidery tools and kits. They even have a working loom in the store!

P.S. The next day we visited another yarn shop near Vigelandsparken (the massive sculpture park) called Tjorven (Valkyriegata 17) but it sold pretty much the same stuff as other Norwegian yarn shops. They have some Rowan magazines and books and a small selection of Noro.

Garn Garn and More Garn!

Here are the garn (yarn) shops we visited in Stockholm.

Yesterday I went to Marias Garn (St Paulsgatan 20 in Södermalm, closest station is Mariatorget). This one had lots of brands I had not seen/heard of. Mostly yarns from small local mills I think. I must say I was somewhat disappointed - most of the wool is really coarse and stiff, though I did see a few balls of very soft 100% cashmere by their own label and some Drops alpaca. The shop is very nicely presented and had lots of gorgeous scarves however.

Today we were wandering around Gamla Stan (the old town) when I hit the jackpot.

On Österlånggatan I first came across Anntorps Väv (Österlånggatan 11). I was served by a lovely lady who was very bemused that I wanted to take photos in her shop. The store stocks a wide range of Collinette and Noro, and some Malabrigo. It also has a range of soft lace weight to aran yarns that look hand spun and dyed by Östergötands Ullspinneri (although she assured me it's not hand dyed) in solids and varigated colours. They also have plenty of Drops and Garn Studio yarns and a few other Scandi brands, like one called 'Love'.

I ended up with 2 skeins of the not hand dyed stuff in approximately 4-ply, and two smaller skeins of a snubbly single ply in pale minty green and blue.

Further down the same street, we came across Sticka (Österlånggatan 20). This place has some gorgeous knitted up stuff, a few pieces I recognised, including the butterfly camisole from Rowan 37 (ex. the beads) and a hooded top from Vogue Knitting not too long ago. She also had 2 triangular wraps that had stunning colourwork. Initially I thought they were Kaffe Fassett designs, but she told me they were by a Danish designer named Christel Seyfarth. The kits were about SEK1300 each (AUD260!!) and included about a dozen balls of cashmere, alpaca and wool yarns. I held back and only walked away with a couple balls of sock yarn. The restraint!

On our way back to the train station we stumbled upon Ullcentrum Öland (Stora Nygatan 36). This is strictly not a yarn shop, they mainly sell knitwear and felted things like pot holders and coasters, but they had a couple of shelves of yarn at the back. Again, a lot of the coarse yarn but they also had some interesting 3-ply linen/1-ply cotton mix. It feels quite stiff in the skein, almost like paper, but the girl at the counter showed me some scarves knitted in that yarn and they were softer. I'm still skeptical but somehow left with a skein of the stuff.

Finally, I made a deliberate visit to Nysta (Luntmakargatan 50, closest station is Rådmansgatan), recommended by a couple of Swedish bloggers. It stocks some Debbie Bliss, Noro, Malabrigo and Collinette (I got a skein of Jitterbug in Copperbeach). The main range, however, like all the other yarn shops mentioned here, are Scandi brands and the wool is quite coarse and the yarn is not as tightly spun as ones done in Italy ( e.g. Zara).

The highlight of my day was visiting the Stockholm Knitters. It was great to be able to meet complete strangers in a foreign city and be welcomed into their midst. Thanks girls!