:woohoo::cheering::woot::woohoo::woot::cheering:
Yea Lieke! :woot: betcha thought that day would never come. (or are you saying your socks are done?)
Debbie, most any sock pattern can be started toe up, if you have one specifically that you’d like help with try to link it here so we can give you specific pointers.
The heel is turned on my DH’s second sock :woot: I’d love to finish it today so I can start something else for knit night tomorrow night. Mom wants fingeless gloves; out of sock yarn, anyone have a pattern you’ve tried and like? She just wants them plain. Then I wanna start my clapotis!
Julie I have not tried to convert so this is my musing. Other than direction the major difference between toe-up and top-down seems to be how the heel is constructed. If you have a toe-up pattern for the foot of the sock that you like you would then only have to layer the pattern on top of this. Very simplistically can’t the pattern be read bottom up?
Chris the main difference is the starting point, the toe instead of the cuff. Then the pattern will be reversed, if it’s leaves cascading down a top down sock then they’d be climbing up the sock from the toe. As for a heel, personally I’ve only done short row heels on my toe up socks, (I dont care for gussets anyway) but the Sensational Knitted Socks 2 book has directions for all the socks to be started either toe up or top down & has different toes to do & heels to choose from too-great book! Check amazon.com for deals.
As for reading the pattern bottom up, sometimes I think this would work fine, however if there’s ssk & k2tog or cabling then I’m not sure as I havent tried those being reversed.
Most of the time I see a yarn I like then work a st pattern that looks pretty so I dont care much as to whether it’s toeup or to down. The best part about toe up is that you will be sure to have enough yarn (esp if you do 2 at a time) and you can just knit till they’re long enough on the calf or until you run out of yarn.
going to clean the kids rooms :wall: gonna need a :clink: afterwards. 
Hey Socksters,
Since 1/11 I have knitted 14 dishcloths but DH and DS are already 
. They just don’t get it…I think I’ll keep them in my craft room until I need to gift them.
Dustina, I didn’t rejoin on any sock groups. Dishcloths are going to be my [I]thang[/I] this year.
Debbie, with socks there are so many wonderful toe-up patterns. So when you get into Ravelry, just type in toe-up socks in the pattern search and you will be set. I just never enjoyed trying to convert a pattern.
Take care,
I think I kinda got it figured out. But I’m not sure. I will be looking for more toe up sock directions!
No, actually. By the time I finally finished my homework it was 3am. We are expected to take notes and I normally just highlight and take notes in margins when I have to. This time, though, I had 30 pages of my textbook to read and outline… I write slower than I thought.
the neurons, or easily distracted hyperactive professors?
OK, I have a fleece tie blanket to make and then I WILL sit down and work on my tam. Or start some socks… I’ve got needles stuck through balls and patterns chosen, but I haven’t had time to do any of them yet.
OK I have 4 trashbags full of kids stuff and have boxed up my favorite baby toys to put in the attic (just in case/or for visiting babies). Now I’m going to knit while they nap…then back to cleaning out stuff-my room is a disaster! I can’t find my sewing table, it’s under too much crap. Why can’t I tell Mom nah, dont have room for stuff? Instead I just say ok & then set it somewhere until I have a day like today where I"m so sick of ‘clutter’ that I throw stuff out like a mad woman? The Vietnam Vets will be here next Wed to pick up the stuff! ok now to knit…Just have to do the gusset, foot & toe & Dh’s second sock is done :woot:
Carey, your party sounds fun! What’s Pasta Fagioli? Having people over always makes me clean the house, too! Glad the dryer’s working!! I need to clean my vent! CUTE baby set!
Jess, YAY on the sewing machine! What kind? You’ll have to KNIT yourself some malaria!
Karina, what brand/kind of machine has the button on the machine? Sounds convenient! Hope all the kids are better soon!
Dustina, I need to do the laundry, too. I’m putting it off, though!
Julie, YAY that the class is good! It makes it So much more fun to have hands-on, practical application! Good for you for getting everything sorted!
Lieke, CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING that paper done!:woot:
Mare, how’s the sock going?
Debbie, YAY on starting your first sock! Let us know if you need help!
Carla, that’s a LOT of dishcloths!
Christine, your sweater came!!! I’m excited to get started on it! I have to re-print the pattern first, but I’ll do that when I’m done tutoring today. Hope you’re doing well! I know too much typing isn’t good for you, so I understand. I’m going to start the other front and check that mine matches yours. Then I’ll do both fronts at once. Do you perchance remember how many rows of ribbing you did to get your 4"? I can count, but I seem to get off…
Carey, do you still want to do the sleeves? It’s okay if you don’t…it will just take more time until Christine gets her sweater. If you do, PM me your address. I think i have it somewhere, but I’m not sure where!
Okay, off to tutor. Happy knitting, friends!
Lol, no, I don’t say my socks are done. But I was sure that day’d come but it always seemed so far away. Anyway, I’m sure there are things I need to improve, so I’m not officially done, but for now, there’s nothing I can do, so I can knit and play WOW and clean my house for a change.
So, I did knit on my socks today, I knitted on my brocade leaves cardigan today, I cleaned my house today, I listned to podcasts today and I finished my day with some WOW. Now, I’m tired and I think I’ll go to bed. No alarm set for tomorrow:woot:.
Gail, so far so good. LOL I have been looking on the net for toe up patterns. I don’t know if I really have it figured out how to turn a leg down sock pattern into a toe up one, but I am going to try. Right now, I am doing a plain sock. Ribbing on the leg part, but stockingette stitch on the foot and what ever the heel is on the toe up sock instructions that I have.
I think I will probably take the sock yarn and a pattern when we go on the cruise.
I bought me a sinus rinse kit yesterday. Man what a difference using one of them makes. (It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.) I did one rinse yesterday and didn’t wake up with a sinus headache this morning. First time in over a week. Just did it again a bit ago, too. If I need to, I will do it twice a day, but, so far so good!
Happy Knitting Everyone!
Debbie my DH uses the sinus kit thing and 
it! My mother in law (his step mom) uses hers twice a day. Glad you dont have a headache today! :happydance:
The sewing machine is a Brother, I don’t remember the model. I will post photos when I unwrap it. My mom has a major attachment to the unwrapping step, despite my repeatedly telling her that really I have no psychological need to unwrap things.
If anybody else sews and would like to do a blanket/quilt chain letter thing, one of my coworkers gave me one and it kind of sounds like fun but I don’t know anybody who would want to do it. My mom and grandma sew but neither would do a chain letter. You send out a total of 10 8" squares and theoretically receive a total of 72. Just pm me your mailing address.
OK now to commence finishing the Tam… :woot:
Wow, I sure did get behind!
OK, Pasta Fagioli is white bean soup with pasta shells. It’s so simple and delicious!
Ingredients:
thyme, rosemary & a bay leaf- the recipe says to wrap in cheese cloth, but I just use a tea ball.
1 c chopped onion
3 oz pancetta, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
5 3/4 c chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
3/4 cup pasta shells - I like to use the multi-colored ones
freshly ground black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 c freshly grated parmesan
Saute onion, pancetta and garlic in a little olive oil about 3 minutes. Add broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Add shells and boil with lid on till al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove the sachet and season soup with black and red pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Lieke, congrats on finishing your paper! That’s awesome!
Jess, I am cracking up at Gina’s suggestion to knit yourself some malaria. 
My chem teacher in HS had a shoulder mole that he wore to class every day…
So I had an interesting morning this morning… someone hacked into one of those electronic detour signs on a major road and changed the message to say “Nazi Zombies in area! Zombies in area! Run!” I almost wet my pants, I was laughing so hard when I saw it on my way to work. I called a radio station to tell them about it, and they thought it was so funny, they gave me tickets to see Blue October. I have no idea who that is, but hey! Free concert tickets!
My HS physical science teacher (Freshers take a year of “physical science” - physics and chemistry - and then have options for the subsequent years) had two pickled moles. Yes, actual moles preserved in alcohol. It was almost disturbing, actually, and I’m a biologist with a healthy appreciation for the value of dead things preserved in alcohol (or formaldehyde)…
that teacher was more than a bit eccentric, though… when he left, fire drills decreased substantially in number.
My friends and I always enjoy discussions of “How to survive a zombie attack.” The first thing one must always do is determine what type of zombie one is dealing with. Next time, I will be sure to suggest that we discuss what to do in the case of Nazi Zombies.
Oh yes, and all of our friends have given each other permission to kill any of us who become zombies, in the case of most types of zombies. Some of the less dangerous types we figure we can keep each other around.
As for the tam: It’s done, its done! It’s somewhat small - I blame my extremely tight knitting - but the yarn itself stretches when wet. I was a little concerned about stretching it to block it because the article describes the yarn as “almost mushy” when wet, but when I got it wet it stretched without loosing too much shape, and was easily formed as I needed it. It may need just a little more stretching, but I’m waiting to see it dry before I decide: I can always get it wet again.
I feel like I have been successfully productive today!
Dustina - I have ordered some yarn from Jamieson & Smith for the workshop, hope it will get here in time. I got the Fair Isle book in the post. the charts in it is very small. will have to copy and increase the size.
Gina - I had a Janome Memory Craft, but I think the button is becoming increasingly common on machines like Bernina, Huskvarna and Brother etc. It was strange to use at first but after a while I prefer it to the foot pedal.
Julie - I go through phases like that. I always do big clean out when the kids are at school. If I do it when they are here the toys I pick out for the Charity Shop suddenly become their long lost favorite.
Leike - Congratulations on finishing your paper. Sounds like you had a perfect day yesterday, well except for the cleaning bit.
Carla - What a lot of cloths. Well done. I think I will be making the dog paw one somebody is doing a KAL for at the moment.
Carey - That’s great about the tickets, Have you found out who they are yet?
Emily - look forward to seeing your Tam. Nice idea about the quilt squares.
When facing zombies, as a US Government worker it is often hard to tell zombies from normal government workers, the main question is who is the slowest runner in the group. If it is not you then you have a chance when the zombies gang up on the slowest runner. If you are the slower runner you must practice tripping other runners with out loosing your stride.
As for blocking the Tam. When I knit or purchase a new Balmoral/TAM I block it in place. Once is is felted to about the size I want and as much water as possible is out of the hat I wear it for a while. I am careful not to stretch the hat band while shaping the crown in the manner I want.
Where are the pictures?
:blooby: Good Morning Socksters!
Chris~If the pattern is on a chart just start the chart at the top instead of bottom on the toe up sock :happydance:
Carla~I like to make them for gifts too, I have one friend that asks for them a lot…I keep telling her I’m going to teach her to make her own . I let the sock groups go too I was starting to feel overwhelemed…
Julie~YAY for cleaning stuff out! :yay:
Gina~I do the same thing with laundry…if it was on the main floor of the house I would prolly do better but going down in that dark freezing basment…makes me go umm nahh :teehee:
Lieke~YAY no alarm enjoy your time!! :woot:
Debbie~I use the neti pot and it works wonders for me and my sinuses. If you are wanting to start your ribbing all the way up the leg then after you work the heel just start it :happydance:
Carey~:rofl: that is too funny, I don’t know who/what they are either!
jess~ we need pictures of your pretty tam! :happydance:
Karina~I read on ravelry that the book had small charts…I’m waiting till the 1rst when the LYS has it’s big super bowl sale to get my yarn :yay:
Hi everyone!
Nothing much going on here today, hoping to finish up the Farmer’s Wife socks…I did get another test knit sock finished it went fast and I’m waiting to hear about 2 more socks :happydance:
I really would like to work on my mittens but not sure when that will happen. :oo:
I hope you all have a great day of knitting :blooby:
Jess pictures? I understand it’s drying, but hello? we’re a picture crowd!
Carey that’s too funny! Do you think somone haked in to it or do you think an employee was just bored? Blue October.
Yes Karina the long lost friends, esp the stuffed animals they NEVER play with. I plan on finishing Jacob’s room this morning after this post while he’s at school.
Chris
Christine? Are you doing ok? What’s going on?
Ok I got the first of 3 loads of darks going (yes I did all my laundry last Tuesday, but it piles up fast with 5 people!)-then I just have to knit the toe on Brian’s sock and then that’s done! I’ll post pics when finished.
Dustina when can we see pics of your test knits?
Have fun today!
Julie~ The Farmer’s Wife (I posted pict last week) I can show when I finish them up 'cause it was already released but she wanted a couple more eyes to go over it. The other 3 that I have in my projects I don’t know when I’ll be able to show them. I would think the last 2 I did would be soon…esp the latest 'cause we had a fast deadline (the 28th) :shrug: …the first or the three (I did back in Aug) it looks like it will be awhile on that one…we never really know how long it will take I’ve had some take almost a year before I can show pictures…others have a fast turn around…can’t wait to see the socks! :yay:
I put on a big pot of Chilli soup today it smells so good…waiting for the next snow storm to roll in and dump about 8 more inches on us…