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Yellow Rainbow Socks

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The Yellow Rainbow Socks are the fourth post in the Rainbow Sock Collection Series that began with ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?’

During early summer when I discovered I needed some new hand knit socks I thought of just casting on for a new pair using one of the basic patterns that I knit regularly. But then I began thinking about which of the socks I have made that felt most comfortable when I was wearing them. This lead to a scribbled out table in my journal in which I started writing different heel and toe combinations. When I had reached 7 I decided on a rainbow theme. What can I say, I really love a nice colour theme!

Yellow-Rainbow-1web[Read More]

How to Do the Jogless Jog

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When knitting stripes, as for the Yellow Rainbow Socks below, you can end up with a little step up or colour jog at the colour changeover. This is because when knitting in the round, you are really knitting a spiral. There are several ways in which this can be camouflaged but the first one I read about was the Jogless Jog described by Meg Swansen in her book Knitting published by Interweave 1999. I have continued to use this one because it is just so easy to work.

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The Yellow Rainbow Sock has solid areas of knitting which are joined together by a series of 3 row stripes. I used the jogless jog to hide the change over of colour in the stripes where you would otherwise have a colour jog. Using the jogless jog gives you nice even stripes when the socks are viewed from the back.[Read More]

Orange Rainbow Socks

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The Orange Rainbow Socks are the third post in the Rainbow Socks Collection Series following on from ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘. The collection came about after my search during the summer for the perfect basic sock pattern.

Do you love the colour orange?

Every so often it is good to stretch yourself and try using one of your less favourite colours. Orange isn’t one of my favourite colours Although, having said that, these socks are wonderfully autumnal!

So, what do you do to make using a colour that isn’t a favourite easier to work with?

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Red Rainbow Socks

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The Red Rainbow Socks is the second post in the Rainbow Sock Collection Series. It follows the first post ‘What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?‘.

The Rainbow Sock Collection Series came about after  my search during the summer for the perfect basic sock pattern. I wanted a sock that fitted my foot snugly and was comfortable to wear.

I chose Lang Jawoll Magic in Red Stripes and knew that I wanted the self striping yarn to repeat evenly from cuff to toe so that there was no break in the pattern when the heel was being knit.

It was also important to me that the finished sock would look elegant.

Red-Rainbow-1web[Read More]

What is the Perfect Basic Sock Pattern?

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Have you ever wondered what is the most comfortable basic hand knit sock?

I have.

It is a question that has often caught my imagination as I pondered it. I suspect the answer to this question may be different for each of us. Okay, I know for some of you, this may sound obsessive. But honestly, sock knitting is a little addictive to those of us who have caught the sock knitting bug.

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I offer no excuses. I love knitting socks. I’ve knit socks for my family as Christmas presents as well as knitting socks for myself. I’ve been knitting socks for a long time.[Read More]

Diagonal Eyelet Scarf

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If you are anything like me, you’re always looking for an elegant scarf pattern that will use only one skein of yarn. The perfect project for that beautiful unique hand dyed silk or cashmere concoction that caught your eye as you browsed the Etsy Stores or wandered around the yarn show.

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The perfect pattern is one that shows off the special yarn, its vibrant colour and luxurious fibre.[Read More]

Entrelac Scarf

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When I first saw photographs of a garment knitted using the Entrelac technique, I remember thinking, “wow, that is amazing.” My next thought was, “how do I do that” quickly followed by “I suppose, it is really really difficult to do.”

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Entrelac was a technique that I’d wanted to try for a long time. And as I was to find out, it’s much easier than it looks while successfully achieving the “wow” factor when you are wearing the finished scarf.[Read More]

Colony of Gonks Spotted in the Glens

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At the weekend we went for a drive along the Coast Road. We parked the car and walked up the steep stony lane towards the lost village. We were looking for a good setting to photograph a new project that I have finished knitting.

It was a sunny summer day with a cool breeze blowing in from the Ocean.

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I paused and looked across the mountainside. The wild rugged landscape was amazing. Tiny windswept hawthorns were growing between the rocks.[Read More]

Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute

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I love reading books! Don’t you?

And a novel that has a knitting element to the story makes a wonderful change from reading actual knitting books. I’ve intended adding a few reviews of these novels for a while now. Okay, Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute is a bit of a mouthful so I can quite understand why the title was shortened to Mad Men, Bad Girls for the print version of the book.

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Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute is an enjoyable book written by Maggie Groff. I listened to the unabridged audio book brilliantly read by Georgie Parker whose Australian accent brought Scout Davis to life. I don’t know about you, but I think audio books are just brilliant to listen to while you’re knitting or sewing.

Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute is an intriguing mix of mystery, romance and comedy. The story unfolds against the backdrop of Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. As I’ve never been to Australia, I found this to be a refreshing setting for the novel.

The protagonist Scout Davis is a freelance journalist who’s investigating a secretive American cult that has recently relocated to the Australian Gold Coast. We find out a bit about her; she’s in her early 40’s and has a long distance romance with another journalist who’s away more than he is at home. She loves real tea (with tea leaves and a teapot), is a diabetic and shares her home with a cool cat called Chairman Miao.

The main story line is about the investigation into The Luminous Renaissance of Illustrious Light. Which leads to Scout planning to infiltrate the cult as a possible new recruit. The story looks at the egomaniac leader who entrances vulnerable people with a message of peace and love but then controls them with brutality and fear. This investigation becomes more personal for Scout when she finds out that a one of her daughter’s childhood friends has left her family while suffering from post-natal depression and joined the group.

There are other subplots running through the story. With strange goings on in the private school her sister Harper teaches at. A blossoming romance with Rafe a local police officer. And a crazy plan for the Guerilla Knitters Institute to yarn bomb a public building in the middle of the night in which she involves her nephew. I don’t want to reveal too much as it might spoil you’re enjoyment of the book.

The only bit I found a little, well naff, was when taking an insulin injection was used as, mmm… how should I put this… foreplay… yeah, well, don’t really see it myself. When I take my insulin, I just find it to be painful, best done quickly, certainly not by someone else, and definitely not an interlude to romance. But maybe, that is just me!

Other than this Mad Men, Bad Girls and the Guerilla Knitters Institute is a fun light read for the summer. An interesting mystery. A bit of silliness. Some quirky humour. A touch of romance. And a very likeable character in Scout Davis. Would have enjoyed a bit more of the yarn bombing but maybe this will happen in the next book.