Socks for Soldiers

September 9, 2009| Lindy| 0 Comment | 7:44 am

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I just joined Socks for Soldiers. This is a nonprofit group that knits socks for our military men and women serving in the Middle East and then distributes them. See this link for more information: Socks for Soldiers, Inc.

When you sign up for this group, you make a commitment to knit daily on the socks and to make 2 pair of socks plus 5 caps in a twelve month period. There are very specific requirements for the yarn that can be used to knit the socks and you are required to follow the “regulation socks” pattern. Since I like to knit socks, this seemed like a small way to give back to our service men and women who willing serve in our military and place themselves in harm’s way regularly. I just received my first shipment of sock yarn in the regulation color, so I am off to swatch on small needles to make certain I can knit my first pair of socks to the correct gauge. I need to be able to knit 8 stitches per inch and also 9 stitches per inch with the same yarn. Starting with size 2 (3.00 mm) and working my way down to size 0 (2.00 mm).

FO: Basic Anklets — Cuff DownFO: Basic Anklets — Cuff Down

March 4, 2012| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 5:25 pm

After doing two pairs of the “Fancy Feet” Anklets, I came to the following conclusions:
1) I really, really do not like to knit socks of any type toe-up. (I know that may shock those of you that swear toe-up is the only way to go — but there it is. I just don’t like to knit ’em that way.
2) I don’t like the repeating short rows that make the heel on this pattern. I don’t care for it’s depth or it’s shape.
3) I prefer using the German Short Row method over the “Wrap and Turn” method.

As knitters, we do have the right to our preferences. These are some of mine.

That said, I got out my needles and some leftover sock yarn and started working on a basic anklet pattern, cuff down. I have now finished my first pair and my notes are a bit sketchy — so I will need to knit a couple more pairs before I put out my basic pattern. But here a couple of pictures of the completed anklets:

Details:
Yarn: Leftover Serendipity yarn in colorway Amethyst
Needles: US 2 (2.50 mm) circulars, 48″
Magic Loop method. Pattern has a basic rib cuff and a short-row heel. Knit in stockinette stitch.

You will note the pooling on this yarn. I wrote about how this variegated yarn pools depending on the size of needles and the number of stitches back in 2010. If you’re interested here’s the link: A Study of Pooling in a Variegated Sock Yarn

Update on SFSUpdate on SFS

October 15, 2009| Lindy| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

SFS_HeelFlap2
I have finished the legs on my SFS regulation socks and knitted the heel flap.

Then I did the heel turn – which required some juggling. I slipped one sock heel onto a another circular needle while I knit the heel turn and then repeated the process for the second sock. This seemed easier than trying to knit the two heel turns with the same circular needle at the same time.

SFS_HeelTurn3

The real challenge was to pick up the gusset stitches and at one point I had 4 circular needles in use. But I was successful in picking up the gusset stitches on both sides of the heel.

Now on to knitting the gusset and switching back to larger needles about halfway through.

First pair of SFS Socks Finished!First pair of SFS Socks Finished!

November 2, 2009| Lindy| 2 Comments| 12:25 pm

Yesterday, I finished my first pair of regulation socks for Socks for Soldiers, including weaving in the ends.

These are very long socks! I now have them washed and they are currently drying in the dryer. I need to run to the store and pick up a few extra “goodies” to put in the package and write my letter to the soldier who will receive the socks. Then, I should be ready to package everything up and send it off to Sarge at SFS.

Here’s a picture of the finished socks:
SFS_Finished2_103109