skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Now, is fancy an adjective here, or a noun? Gentleman's fancy sock, as in the sock has a fancy pattern, or, this sock is named for a gentleman's fancy (that is something that a gentleman fancies)? In which latter case, what does a gentleman fancy?
Well, my gentleman (aka Tim my husband) fancies me because he has warm toes in the socks that I hand-knitted for him.
The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks (did I need to clarify?)
Yarn: Patonyle in a variegated blue that I bought on sale for $5.00 a ball at the Stitches and Craft Show.
Needles: 4:00mm bamboo dpns to cast on; 2.25mm bamboo dpns to knit - they've bent a bit but I think that's ok.
Start to finish: 25 April 2008 to 31 October 2008.
Last month when my mother was visiting we went over to Bainbridge Island on the ferry and bought a ball of Noro Kureyon sock yarn at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. I joked to my mum that I was going to knit myself a pair first but not to worry, it only takes me six months to knit a pair of socks. Darn it - turns out that it does take me six months to knit a pair of socks! Oh well, this is because they are my background knitting - I work away at them in the odd moments, in the car when Tim is driving, at knit night, on the bus if I have my hands to myself. And again, I ran out of yarn just at the very end, just like with Tim's dad's socks, and had to use up a bit more of that same extra ball that I bought (again Patonyle).
This is a good pattern and as an added bonus, it looks really great inside out as well! The pattern looks like bamboo when the two plain rounds are in reverse stocking stitch. If I were to knit these again I would consider knitting them like this deliberately.
I followed the pattern to the t on these - using k1 sl1 psso instead of the usual ssk and making the quite pointy toe - to keep them authentically vintage.
So, next pair of socks are for me - hooray! It's just that there are so many patterns out there to choose from ...
I am making some great progress at the moment on stitching projects, much to my delight. I think it is inevitable that I will be working on many things at once, it just seems to be the way that it happens. What I need to do is just keep working on things in small manageable doses, keep track of things and keep focussed. So, here's a bit of keeping track:
roses quilt
I sewed the last mechanical seam on this yesterday evening, that's the binding attached to all four sides now. Yes, last night's stitches were just to sew that last seam but I got there so it feels good. What remains is some serious pinning and hand slip stitching to completely finish it off!
gentleman's fancy socks for Tim
Yes, I still knit. I have been plugging away at the second sock every chance I get and have just reached the end of the foot. Toe to go (and toe to finish on the other sock because I ran out of yarn just a few rows from the end).
vintage fabrics quilt
I have finally had to add this to the works in progress list - 36 squares chosen, cut out, placed, pinned and now this evening six of them sewn together. I don't think that I can keep pretending that this one is just an idea. So, a little update on that - the Ralph Lauren blue and white stripe with floral bouquets didn't make it in - it's pretty, just a tad insipid for this quilt. I did cut up the dark purple doona cover but regret it - great colour but the texture of the cotton was just too overwashed. I used a dark purple pillowcase that I picked up later instead. The deep red sheet turned out to be a twill and I couldn't cut a square square from it, no matter how hard I tried so it was replaced by another red sheet, not quite such a deep hue but easy to cut.
The curtain swag, blue sheet and polished chintz made it in, as well as three more florals and the purple geometric floral pillowshams. I also added (contrary to my mother's advice but hey, isn't that what mother's advice is for, to lead you in the opposite direction?) the very graphic black on cream print. I think that it will balance out the florals and help to lead the eye around the quilt. We shall see.
Last month when my mother was visiting we went over to Bainbridge Island on the ferry and bought a ball of Noro Kureyon sock yarn at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. I joked to my mum that I was going to knit myself a pair first but not to worry, it only takes me six months to knit a pair of socks. Darn it - turns out that it does take me six months to knit a pair of socks! Oh well, this is because they are my background knitting - I work away at them in the odd moments, in the car when Tim is driving, at knit night, on the bus if I have my hands to myself. And again, I ran out of yarn just at the very end, just like with Tim's dad's socks, and had to use up a bit more of that same extra ball that I bought (again Patonyle).
This is a good pattern and as an added bonus, it looks really great inside out as well! The pattern looks like bamboo when the two plain rounds are in reverse stocking stitch. If I were to knit these again I would consider knitting them like this deliberately.
