Okay, I’ve been hinting at a method of grafting sock toes that I was finally successful at. Having had no luck with standard Kitchener stitch, I ran into this goodie just before Christmas and have been saving it to try on my next sock effort.
I grant you this isn’t exemplary, but it’s better than I’ve ever done before. The trick is that you are actually knitting (and purling) the stitches rather than trying to emulate stockinette with a length of yarn and a tapestry needle. Details are here, courtesy of Interweave Press’ Knitting Daily. I need to keep things a bit looser but I am greatly heartened that it’s possible at all! Very cool tip, there :)
I left the house this morning, intending to hit the mill shop on my way home, after lunch with dad. He, however, wanted to hit his favorite thrift shop before lunch and what do you think they had in three baskets at the front counter? Well, I can tell you what they don’t have any more :)
12 balls of Peer Gynt DK, 8 in a slightly coral pink and 4 in cream (dyeable!)...
A couple of pairs of socks in Opal (which I’ve used before) and Regia (which I’ve yet to try)...
Two gorgeous hanks of Mountain Colors 4/8 in their Purple Mountain colorway. One has been rather tightly wound (a condition I suffer from myself on occasion!) - but a re-skeining and a soak should take care of that :)
And last, but certainly not least, 5 hanks of Manos Del Uruguay in 4 different, but compatible colorways…
I came home with all of this amazing stuff for less than $30.
Dad? Didn’t even find a tie :)
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Weren’t you blessed?
Poor ol’ dad!
Nice haul!!
I’ve used Regia quite a bit; it’s good stuff. :)
Hi Lynne :)
Blessed - exactly the right word!
Ev - It was unbelievable - and I’ve got the 5 hanks of Manos sitting right where I can see them. WHile I don’t have a project in mind for them (and others to finish first), I don’t want to put them away just yet. Such amazing colors…sigh…
Thanks for the word about the Regia! I’m looking forward to trying it.
You must be living right to find such goodies!
What lovely yarn swag! And for such a steal!
Charlotte - Heh - “Living right” was one of my grandfather’s phrases. When he hit a string of traffic lights that were all green for him, he’d say that he must have been living right :)
Opal - Believe me, it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time - but I’m very grateful to the universe for arranging for both me and the yarn to run into each other :)
WOW! WOW WOW WOW! What a super find. I was thinking things were great when I saw the Pier Gynt, then the sock yarn, but then I hit the Manos. Amazing… what fun knitting you are going to have.
Rob - I had decided I was going to try some of the Manos (I was thinking one, maybe two hanks) after Christmas. But, the one shop that I know carries it only had yucky colors - all the others having sold out for the holidays. So this was an incredible treat :)
I have put it away, but it’s been nagging me all day to take it out again :)
What a find, you really scored today.
Wendy - I sure did :) It’s probably a once in a lifetime find - but I’m terribly grateful that it’s my lifetime!
wow - fabulous haul! LOVE that purple!
Susan - It’s an amazing colorway! It’s also as soft as a goat’s nose :) I’ve got 500 yards (about 457 meters, I think) - what would you suggest?
Here’s how I do Kitchener…
First, make a preliminary purl pass through the first stitch on the front needle, and a preliminary knit pass through the first stitch on the back needle.
Then -
Knit through stitch one, drop off, purl through stitch two on front needle.
Purl through stitch one, drop off, knit throught stitch two on back needle.
Repeat.
knit, drop, purl on front needle.
purl, drop, knit on back needle.
End with another compensating pair of stitches at the end: purl through last remaining stitch on front needle, knit through last remaining stitch on back needle.
Summary:
set up: purl, knit.
repeat the following:
knit, drop, purl; purl, drop, knit.
finish: knit, purl.
Somehow this version works for me. Fits the knitterly part of the brain.
Keep practicing! You’ll keep improving!
DIane - Thanks - that sounds do-able :) I intend to keep working on it as seamless is desireable sometimes even when sock toes aren’t the determining factor :)
I think doing it on the needles is going to be the way for me to go. The tapestry needle never worked for me. Now I just need to remember the pattern sequence!
Which you’ve nicely out-lined for me :)
Interesting kitchener method! I’ll have to try that sometime. I avoided kitchener stitch like the plague until I found Lucy Neatby’s method of using what she calls a sock toe chimney. It’s in her book Cool Socks Warm Feet, and also in her Knitting Essential’s DVD’s. It’s a great method, too.
