Finally, I got back to my sock machine to finish the second mock rib sock.
Despite my efforts to write down what I did, and to count rows carefully, the second sock turned out longer than the first. Oops! They fit but are a tad loose, especially at the cuff. I think I’ll increase tension a bit for the next pair I do with the Lorna’s Laces yarn.
I’ve also been spinning on my wheel this week! Here’s some Spunky Eclectic merino/tencel fiber in Sangria. Look at that sheen!
It hardly needed any predrafting, and wanted to be spun fine. It took some experimentation to find the right amount of twist for it to be strong yet still soft.
Here’s the first 2 ounces of singles on the bobbin. I’ll do another 2 ounces to make a 2-ply laceweight. Mmmm!
Obviously, I still need to work on filling the bobbin evenly. But it is pretty, no?
July 26, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I love the colors of the roving… reminds me of Hokie colors.
July 27, 2008 at 6:10 am
My dh spun me a sweater’s worth of yarn from a merino/tencel blend. Definitely one of my favorites — so soft, with just a bit of sheen. Enjoy!
July 27, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Beautiful spinning! Those colors make me think that Fall isn’t so far away.
July 27, 2008 at 11:14 pm
OOOH so fantastic!
the socks and the yarn!
July 28, 2008 at 4:28 am
That’s some fabulous handspun! I need to get spinning again.. it’s been a while (like a YEAR almost!!) since I really did any spinning… yikes. I’ve gotta fix that.. and spin some sock yarn!
I’m finding that my “second” sock if a pair usually comes out a teensie bit bigger. I finally figured out that it’s the additional weight from my heel hook (which I have to leave on to weigh down that side of the cylinder) plus the weight of the knitting itself.. it’s just enough to make a *tiny* difference in gauge between the two. So I’ve actually been taking sock #1 off the machine entirely and starting over fresh for sock #2… which has worked better for the past 3 pairs. I suppose an alternate solution there would be to never take any knitting off the machine, so I’m always cranking out a sock after another sock.. but I’m not that patient yet (I want to SEE what each one looks like right away!) Perhaps someday I’ll be able to have a long chain of socks going.