I might have had a lot of fun putting together the patterns (and, as you can see, the photo shoot) for this August’s sock club shipment. The socks are knit in Enchanted Knoll Farm EKF Superwash Sock yarn which is squishy yet durable.
This is Jedi Mind Tricks – which of course looks far more complicated than it is.
And this is Gyokuro, named for a type of Japanese green tea.
These patterns are exclusive to the Cookie A Sock Club until August 15, 2013.
The Cookie Crumbs KAL group on Ravelry is also hosting a knitalong! Their members chose to knit the Rotation cardigan.
Rotation is a standard-fitting cardigan with asymmetrical fronts. The sizing notes give the chest measurement and suggest choosing a size with 0-4 inches of positive ease. For Rotation, which doesn’t close all the way down the front, you’ll get the most accurate fit by sizing by the cross-shoulder measurement.
I think proper shoulder fit is more important than chest, i.e. a little extra positive or negative ease in the chest is more forgiving but for proper drape the shoulders should hit at the right spot. In general, I would recommend that for all sweaters with set-in sleeves.
So much like I did for Conic, here are some photos of the Rotation cardigan on other people. The sample was knit in the 35″ size.
Rotation is pretty much perfect on me with 1″ of positive ease.
Kathy, who is 5’1″ (with heels on) and slim, should actually be wearing the 32.5″ size instead of the 35″ – see how the shoulders are too large?
Eileen is much taller than Kathy but is also slim. She might also choose to knit the smallest size.
With 5″ of negative ease in the sample, Gus might be more comfortable in the 37.5″ or even the 40″ sweater. A larger size would drape better in front.
The Rotation sample was knit in The Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering, a merino-cashmere-nylon blend fingering weight yarn. It’s got a lot more bounce than the Malabrigo Sock that Conic was knit in.
You can see all the photos of Rotation on flickr by clicking on the Rotation tag.
Veronica, Gus, and I have cast on for Conic, and we’ve been joined by other knitters in the Cookie A Socks and More group on Ravelry.
Conic is knit beginning with the back, which is knit top-down. After the back is finished, you pick up (and cast on) for the sleeves, which are then knit in the round to the cuff. Finally, you knit ribbing all the way around the body.
Here’s the start of my Conic in Socktopus Sokkusu Original.
This is what the finished back looks like.
Veronica has started her Conic in a brown silk and wool yarn.
Here’s Gus’s nifty cast-on photo (hooray Instagram!) Â She is using some beautiful Wollmeise sock yarn that she got from her recent trip to Munich. Lucky girl got to make the pilgrimage to the actual Wollmeise shop!
After seeing Veronica, Gus, and I all working on Conic at knit night, Abigail has decided to join us too! She’s allergic to wool and most animal fibers and had a hard time finding an appropriate yarn that wouldn’t set her back a fortune. She swatched some Soie Naturelle from her stash which she hand dyed earlier. She’s still not sure about the color but figures if she doesn’t like it, she can overdye the finished garment. She is getting 5.5 stitches to the inch instead of the 6.5 called for in the pattern. For the back, she will go down a size, but we may need to do some arithmetic for the sleeves.
We’d love for you to join us and knit along on any of the sweaters from Shapes + Form here on the Ravelry group: Shapes + Form Knitalong!
Conic is one of the runaway hits of the Shapes + Form collection with over a thousand hearts on Ravelry. Local-to-me knitters Veronica, Gus and I have decided to do a little Conic knit-along. I have some beautiful Socktopus Sokkusu in grey from the lovely Alice Yu. Gus picked up some gorgeous turquoise Wollmeise sock yarn while she was in Germany, and Veronica found some rich chocolate brown wool and silk yarn in her stash. The original sweater was knit in Malabrigo Sock, but any light fingering weight yarn with a soft hand and good drape is probably a great choice.
The sizing notes say to choose a size with positive ease using the waist measurement which may seem kind of odd to size a shrug based on the waist. The reason is that the arms and body are extremely forgiving with small incremental differences in the neck, arms, and body between the sizes. If the wrists of the sleeve are tight, it’s easy to modify the pattern to have fewer decreases in the sleeve for better fit. The larger difference comes in at the waist as the back gets wider, and I recommend some positive ease there for movement, but I like my sweaters pretty drapey. If you want a snugger fit, and depending on where your weight is distributed, you can get away with less ease than recommended.
Here is the Conic sample sweater, knit in the smallest size, on Eileen who has a 36 inch bust and 26 inch waist.
Here it is on me. I’m a lot shorter at 5’3″, have much broader shoulders than Eileen, but my waist is 27 inches and bust is 34 inches.
Here it is on Veronica. She is 5’5″ with a 30 inch waist and 37 inch bust.
I don’t have Kathy’s measurements, but she is 5’1″ and tiny!
And finally on Gus, who’s 5’4″ with a 40″ bust and 34″ waist.
Conic fits Eileen and Veronica well and has a little more ease on Kathy. By her measurements, Gus might have chosen to knit the next larger size, but the smaller size still works well on her. You can see more fit pictures of all the garments in my Flickr collection.
I’m itching to cast on. If you want to join, I started an informal knitalong thread in the Cookie’s Socks and More group on Ravelry.
August has been busy! It’s also time to release two more patterns from last year’s sock club, featuring Metamorphosis yarn from A Verb For Keeping Warm.
Kristine Vejar, owner and dyer of A Verb For Keeping Warm, uses natural dyeing processes that she learned while studying in India. Like me, she was born and raised in the Midwest but now lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. We both share a love for current and past fashions, and the color idea sprang from a discussion about honeysuckle, the Pantone Color of the Year for 2011. Metamorphosis has a 70% merino / 30% silk composition. The silk gives the yarn strength and a little sheen, but it also gives the sock a rustic look.
The color, as well as the design, for Daphne is feminine but a little nerdy. The ebbing lace pattern is simple but showcases the texture of the yarn. As always, I incorporated a rib that flows into the pattern.
Get a copy of the Daphne pattern for yourself: 
Where Daphne is feminine and flirty, Velma is more blunt and has a little extra depth. Swathes of stockinette create an almost swirling V from the side profile which are separated in the front by garter stitch diamonds. Depending on what angle you view Velma from, you might find the pattern blunt and textured, or you might find it elegant and sophisticated. Either way, Velma is a lot of fun and not just what first meets the eye.
Get a copy of the Velma pattern for yourself:
Is it hot enough yet? Everyone seems to have been hit with a heat wave this past week. Maybe I can help cool off with socks from last month’s sock club shipment inspired by Iceland.
As you know, I headed over to Iceland earlier this year for a trip filled with adventure, lots of sheep and wool, and wonderfully cool winds. If you’ve never been to Iceland, I can’t recommend the Knitting Iceland tours enough!
What I found astounding about Icelandic culture was the emphasis placed on design and art. Everywhere we went we were greeted with visual feasts for the eyes. Not only is the landscape amazing with glaciers, lava rock, black sand beaches, fjords, and snow capped mountains, but homes and towns were also decorated beautifully.
While this month’s designs are certainly inspired by the Icelandic ways, they aren’t a literal inspiration. I haven’t incorporated the traditional Icelandic knitting methods or yarn which would involve stranded colorwork and lopi, a very sheepy yarn. Instead, I was drawn to the iconic artworks around Reykjavik, the capital, and the bright cheerful colors.
The yarn for this month’s patterns is Plucky Knitter’s Primo Fingering, a delicious merino-cashmere-nylon blend with a tight twist, dyed a beautiful shade of blue by Sarah Dimond in Michigan. In keeping with the theme, the colorway name is Vintage Icebox which is perfect.
The first design is named Sólfar after the iconic sculpture on Reykjavik’s waterfront designed by Jón Gunnar Ãrnason. Sólfar translates to “sun voyager†and is a modern sculpture of a “dreamboatâ€, and ode to Iceland’s rich history with the sea. The curves and symmetry of the sculpture translated well into the stitches of a sock, taking on an almost floral appearance.
The second design, Reykjavik, is modeled after another iconic Icelandic landmark, the Hallgrimskirkja cathedral, which is visible from all over Reykjavik and is quite an impressive sight with such elegant lines and simplicity. I designed the socks so that when looking down at your feet, you will catch a glimpse of Icelandic architecture down to your toes. The elegant lines and textures are translated into a twisted rib and wider angled lines.
These patterns are exclusive to the Cookie A Sock Club until June 15, 2013.
It’s mid-June and that means it’s time for the release of two more patterns from last year’s sock club. Get ready for a celebration of all things orange!
When I started putting together my (very long) list of dyers I wanted to work with for the club, Wendee of Hazel Knits was a must. I first encountered Wendee’s yarn at Bobbin’s Nest Studio, my (sadly now closed!) local yarn shop, where she came in for a trunk show. I took home a skein of Artisan Sock in the Olympic Rainforest colorway. Later, I found that three other knitters in my knitting group had bought the exact same yarn and color! It was an instant hit. We loved the tight twist, the colors, the durability, the colorfastness, pretty much everything about the yarn.
When Wendee and I first talked about color, I matched her up with “orange†and told her to run with it. Her High OcTANG colorway is one of my favorite oranges, so I felt like she “understood†orange. Boy, was I right. Orange is Wendee’s favorite color and she did an entire series of oranges in search of the perfect one. I think we found it.
For the sock patterns, I wanted one to be simple, textured, and just plain fun. That’s where Jubilee came in. The pattern pairs a variation on garter stitch with mirrored lace panels. Sounds complicated, but it’s such a simple knit that I can imagine making it over and over again. It’s a true celebration of orange-y goodness.
The other pattern, Orange Pekoe, showcases bold leaves that mirror each other in the right and left socks. A bit more “high brow,†the name is a reference to a system of grading tea leaves. The full leaves in the Orange Pekoe sock pattern are fitting because the highest grades of tea have full unbroken leaves. Orange pekoe tea actually isn’t orange at all, and it’s suspected that orange actually refers to the house of Orange. In any case, the Orange Pekoe socks are an orange-ification of a non-orange thing.
I’ve been really excited about the Sock Club this year, and I’m glad to finally be able to unveil the April patterns! Socktopus Sokkusu Original is one of my new favorite yarns. It’s custom-milled for my friend Alice Yu, who then dyes it in all sorts of fantastic colors. I especially like that her colors have depth and nuance to them. The yarn has a great twist for showing off stitch patterning, the merino fibers are wonderfully soft yet durable, and Sokkusu Original is just the right density knitting up comfortably at 9 stitches per inch for socks that will last quite some time. I like that it balances a springy, soft and comfortable knitting experience with the durability of a long staple fiber and thin (but not too thin!) yet dense fabric.
This is the Nanaimo sock pattern, named after the coastal town where my mother-in-law lives. They feature a simple and cozy knit-purl pattern with left and right socks mirroring each other.
And these are Turbulence. They have lots of fancy stitch work and are also mirrored. I think they are a club favorite.
These patterns are exclusive to the Cookie A Sock Club until April 15, 2013.
Four patterns from last year’s Sock Club are now available to non-club members.
From February 2011, Ripple Leaf and Haleakala were inspired by a trip to Maui full of amazing experiences like paragliding down Haleakala (a MUST if you go). The fantasically scrummilicious String Theory Caper Sock is heaven to knit. Onto the socks.
Ripple Leaf
The Ripple Leaf pattern combines earth and sea elements reminiscent of waves and leaves. Depending on your perspective, you’ll see the ocean or forest or both. Because travel has been a large part of my life, these socks include a traveling component across the top of the foot of the sock after which they transition to stockinette. Perhaps this is my way of wishing for the simple life in the future.
Haleakala
There are two versions to this pattern – Straight Laced and Twisted. The Straight Laced pattern features a panel that continues from the top of the foot to the toe. The Twisted version has traveling ribs that begin at the heel flap and travel across the top of the foot.
And from April 2011, featuring Lorna’s Laces Solemate, are Boysenberry Yo and PB & J:
Boysenberry Yo
The Boysenberry Yo socks are my own sort of triple word play. For starters, yo is the abbreviation for yarnover, and there are a lot of them in these socks. The name Boysenberry Yo is also a shortened form of boysenberry yogurt, one of my childhood favorites. And of course, I love to say Yo.
I don’t know if I actually preferred the flavor of boysenberries, but I know I liked the sound of them.
PB & J
The PB&J socks feature two twisted stitch cabled panels, one that reminds me of spreading peanut butter and another that looks like berries. They travel around the sock and cross over one another, but they never actually mix. My confession: I never liked peanut butter and jam together. Separately, absolutely, but never the two should mix for me.
Keep your eyes peeled in mid- June for the release of two more patterns from last year’s club: Orange Pekoe and Jubilee.
Also, we have winners from last week’s blog giveaway! Roopali wins a copy of Contemporary Irish Knits, and Barbara A wins a copy of Little Red in the City.
There was a bit of a blogging hiatus, so I have some catching up to do! Here’s another peek at the 2011 Sock Club. For the second shipment, club members received a sneak preview skein of Lorna’s Laces Solemate yarn which features a phase change material that helps regulate temperature. It’s totally space age techno stuff that’s used by NASA! The color inspiration was jam, and I think Beth got it just right. The exclusive colorway is Boysenberry Jam, and it is delicious.
The two accompanying patterns went with the jammy inspiration.
Above we have the Boysenberry Yo sock in front and the PB&J sock in the background. Every shipment includes a simple pattern for when times are rough and another pattern. The simple pattern in this case is definitely Boysenberry Yo.
A closer look at the PB&J socks from the side show the two twisted stitch panels criss-crossing over themselves. My favorite detail on the PB&J socks is at the toe.
I love how many club members are knitting the socks, chatting away in the Ravelry group, and posting photos of finished projects. Josiane (who lives in Switzerland!) knit the Boysenberry Yo socks in the club yarn:
And enjoyed them enough to knit a second pair in Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. She’s got some Lorna’s Laces love going on here.
And here’s a look at Boysenberry Yo in even more yarns. Sarah knit them using String Theory Caper Sock yarn. I forgot to ask her if she fell in love with the yarn after the first shipment or if she already had some lying around.
And there have been some striped versions in the works. Gretchen‘s Morning Glory Yos show off the striping and the patterning beautifully.
If you didn’t get in on the fun this year, these patterns will be released in April 2012. Or you can sign up for 2012 Club announcements.
