Fiber Arts Friday: Challah Progress

I mentioned the beginnings of my Challah socks in December... Can it really have been that long ago?

I was knitting along and feeling pretty confident when I realized I messed up one of the larger cables... right at the beginning. :-/

It doesn't look too bad in this photo, but you can see the big cable on the right does not mirror the big cable on the left. :-/

Also my purl stitches are looser than I would like them to be. I changed to smaller stitch markers a few rows back which helped... but ugh.

I talked it over with both Hubba and Kristi and I tried on a few ideas...

(1) it will be in shoes and no one will see it anyway,
(2) it's my first cabled sock, so no one really cares if it's messed up,
(3) it's a design feature and
(4) I might just knit three socks.

I knit a few more rounds and the whole time I was thinking, the toe is wrong, the toe is wrong, the toe is wrong. It really started to bug me and I couldn't let it go. So I pulled it out and started over.

I meant to post the corrected sock at the same place as the photo above, but well, I'm a lot further than that now.  :-)

Check that out... a real sock that fits my very own foot. :-D

This sock demanded my full attention when I was working on the gusset increases, especially at the beginning... keeping track of whether I was on an increase round or not and where I was in the cable pattern.  It was a little challenging at first.  Now I'm past the heel and about ready to cable until my heart is content.
:-)

There are several mistakes in this sock... even after the big rip-out, but they are smaller and less noticeable, so I have decided to leave them.  I know the next sock will be better.  :-)

That being said it was a little snug pulling over my heal.  So I am planning to tink back a few rounds and switch to larger needles... as recommended in the pattern.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday.  Be certain to check in with everyone over at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

Fiber Arts Friday: The Fiber Fool and Nourishing Knits

I met Kristi Schueler a few years ago on Twitter.  Hubba and I were living in New Mexico and planning our return to Colorado.

Kristi was a knitwear designer based in Colorado.  I was smitten.  :-)

After Hubba and I got settled in our Colorado home, Kristi and I realized we were almost neighbors.  We met a couple of times.  She helped me overcome my fear of cables.  I was still smitten.  :-)

She invited me to join her knitting group.  I was intimidated.

I came a few times when my travel schedule allowed.  I was at ease.

Kristi wrote a book.  I want to tell you about it.

As a matter of fact, a few of us will be talking about it.  Today is the first post in a blog tour highlighting Nourishing Knits.  Kristi will be announcing a couple of giveaways over on her blog today, so you will definitely want to check that out.

Nourishing Knits is jam packed with delicious recipes and beautiful knit designs.  I have had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of some of these test recipes and the name for one of the patterns came from a suggestion I made.  :-)

The Alpaca Dog has been a taste tester as well.  One night, he knew there was something in my bag for him as soon as I walked thru the door... He devoured it and begged for more.  This dog doesn't generally care for treats, so let me tell you...  If you get this book for nothing else, get it for the Bow Wow Biscotti.  Your best friend will thank you.  :-)

It's pretty easy to write about something that's fantastic.  The trouble is finding the one piece I wanted to focus on.  I have 5 or 6 of these designs in my queue.  Not just the favorites.  They're in my queue.  That means I will make them.  It's only a matter of time.

The one I've been thinking most about knitting next are the Challah socks.

I am a new (and excited) sock knitter... and Kristi helped me overcome my fear of cables... and the socks in the book are made from alpaca.  So really, I do think this is the perfect choice.  :-)

I have selected a charcoal/green Malabrigo to knit this pattern.  I hear Malabrigo is lovely to work with, and now that I've wound the skeins into cakes, I'm getting excited. :-)

I'm about half-way into the first cable repeat for the first sock.  I am trying to follow only the charts, but I am cheating a little and looking at the written out instructions every now and then.  Since I don't have a lot of experience with charts, I want to make sure I'm reading the marks correctly.

I do have to say that I like following the chart in the round... it means I'm always reading it from right to left.  :-D

And I love seeing the roots of cables forming...

I am enjoying these socks so far and am looking forward to some dedicated sock knitting this weekend.  :-)

If you don't already know Kristi, follow her.  You'll learn something.  You'll be inspired.  You'll have good food too.  :-)

The Fiber Fool on Twitter
The Fiber Fool Blog
Designedly, Kristi on Facebook
Designedly, Kristi on Ravelry

And of course, be sure get your copy of Nourishing Knits soon!

Photos courtesy of Kristi Schueler

Then once your finished checking out all of the Nourishing Knits goodness, please also check out the other fiberistas who have linked in for Fiber Arts Friday.