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:
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The subtitle for this book is “mastering fit + plus-size style + 15 projects”. The first two chapters of this book cover the basics of how to knit garments that fit. While the focus is on plus-size, the information is applicable to any knitted garment. The information in these two chapters is worth the price of the book if you are wanting to learn more about how to modify patterns so that they actually fit your body. Chapter One discusses the common elements of a sweater and “what they mean to you” and Chapter Two covers the use of measurements and how to redesign patterns for a custom fit.
The remaining five chapters cover different types of sweater styles: The Drop-Shoulder, the Set-In Sleeve, The Raglan, The Seamless Yoke, and The Dolman. There are three projects for each type and these are really lovely designs for us plus-size gals. Each project also has helpful notes for the knitter. So this book is both a “how-to” guide and a set of 15 plus-size patterns. And some of those patterns are the sort that makes a knitter’s fingers itch to pull out some yarn and needles and get started. The “Poppy Cardigan” on page 67 is on my list of future projects for sure.
If you are interested in this book, click on the picture at the top of this post. It will take you to the book on Amazon.com.
I have decided to do some book reviews on my blog during 2012. I am going to start with my review of Perfectly Plus by Mary Arnold, Colleen East and Kristin Hansen.
This is a “How to” book — as it says on the cover, it features the “Knit-to-Fit Workbook For the Full-Figured Woman”. If you have read my blog about knitting sweaters without a pattern, you know that I am a proponent of taking measurements and adjusting your patterns to get a better fit. This book follows that philosophy and focuses specifically on what plus-size women need to do to get better fitting sweaters. The first chapter covers all the basics: the importance of gauge, making adjustments using your own measurements, using schematics and calculating yardage. If you read just this chapter, you will learn a great deal about knitted garment construction.
The book includes a basic pattern for a knitted shell and another for a knitted cardigan. It is designed as a workbook, so these patterns have places for you to fill in your measurements and do the necessary calculations to adjust the pattern so that it fits you. For those plus-size ladies who need help with the math — this book really walks you through all of it.
The remainder of the book contains sweater patterns showing variations from the basic patterns. These are nice patterns, but I think I am more likely to go with the basic patterns and do my own thing in terms of stitch patterns and details. This is a good reference book for those of you who are looking for information on how to knit better fitting plus size sweaters.
If you are interested in this book, just click on the image of the book to go to Amazon.com.
I have started another project even though I have at least two others on needles. I just got the itch to knit the Clapotis Scarf pattern along with some of the other members of my knitting guild. It took me a bit of time to decide to join the knit-along, because I wanted to use yarn from my stash rather than buy yarn for this project. I finally settled on the Jaggerspun Zephyr lace weight yarn I had left over from a lace scarf I knit for my DD a couple of years ago. This yarn is 50% fine grade merino wool and 50% Chinese Tussah silk in 2/18 Lace Weight. The colorway is Teal. I am using size US 4 (3.5 mm) needles.
This scarf is knit by starting at one point of a parallelogram and increasing stitches until you reach the desired width of the scarf. Then you knit a series of straight row sections until you have your desired length and then you decrease stitches until you reach the far corner of the scarf. Along the way, you drop stitches to create an open pattern between rows of stockinette stitches.
So far, I have knitted the increase section to the point where I will begin the straight rows and start dropping stitches. Here’s a picture:
The Clapotis pattern is free on Knitty.com. Here’s a link to the pattern: Clapotis Pattern
Wow! Those feet look huge compared to the leg! I bet the solidier will love having hand knit socks! I’m glad you got them finished!
If I unwrapped a present from a kind person who sent me a gift without even knowing me, I’d be absolutely knocked out to receive these hand knit beauties.
Thank you Ms. LindyKnits. If the soldier who gets your present can’t write to thank you himself, let me thank you for him.
Come to think of it, I hope the soldier is a ‘himself’ and not a ‘herself’; a woman might have a hard time filling out these socks. Oh! Even worse to be a woman with feet so large that manly socks were the only ones that would fit her gargatuan tootsies! That would be awful, wouldn’t it?
Oh dear me! Now you have me thinking. No telling where this will end.
(I do love your socks, though. That remains.)