Update on SFS

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.

Related Post

Last FO of 2010: Dishcloths #10 – 12Last FO of 2010: Dishcloths #10 – 12

It’s been awhile since my last post. The month of December simply flew by with all the preparations for the Holidays and I just never found time to post. Now that the New Year’s Day holiday is over, I am hoping to get back to much more regular postings.

I finished dishcloth #12 just after Christmas. I had planned to get my dozen dishcloths done well before Christmas — but you know that saying about best laid plans? Other things just kept popping up and interfering with my knitting time. Ah well… at least I finished the last dishcloth before the end of the year. So here are the last three of the set of 12:

Dishcloth # 10 – Slanted Squares

Slanted Squares Dishcloth
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Peaches & Cream Cotton, color Teal. This is a textured pattern made up of combination of stockinette, reverse stockinette and seed stitch.

Dishcloth # 11 – Basic Diamonds

Basic Diamonds Dishcloth
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Peaches & Cream Cotton, color Teal. Purl stitches are used to create the diamond patterning. The pattern is very similar to the “Diamond Brocade” pattern I used for my DD’s scarf last year. This pattern is based on 6 stitches and 6 rows, whereas the Diamond Brocade pattern is based upon 8 stitches and 8 rows.

Dishcloth # 12 – Shapely Diamond

Shapely Diamond Dishcloth
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Peaches & Cream Cotton, color Lemon. This was a fun pattern to knit and it knit up fairly quickly. The pattern is based on 34 stitches knit over 59 rows.

Links to Dishcloths #1 through #9:
Dishcloths #1 — #3
Dishcloths #4 — #6
Dishcloths #7 — #9

Link to “Kitchen Bright Dishcloths” from Leisure Arts (2004).

German Twisted Cast On (a.k.a. Old Norwegian Cast on)German Twisted Cast On (a.k.a. Old Norwegian Cast on)

The German Twisted Cast On, which is also known as the Old Norwegian Cast On, is a variation of the standard Long Tail Cast on. This cast on has an extra twist in the working yarn. This makes it more elastic than the LTCO and it also uses a little more yarn.

The cast on has a nice edge that looks good on both the right and wrong sides of the fabric.  It is a very good cast on to use for cuffs, mittens, gloves, and hats.

Link to video on Twisted German Cast On.

Link to slow motion video for Twisted German Cast On.

Suzanne Bryan (Master Hand Knitter and excellent teacher) has developed a new variation for a stretchy twisted long tail cast on. Link to video: Twisted Long Tail CO in Pattern.

This post ends my series on cast ons for now. I hope my readers have found this information helpful.

New Pattern: Knitted Turban Style Chemo HatNew Pattern: Knitted Turban Style Chemo Hat

To all the women that read this post: When was the last time you had a mammogram? Are you overdue? I was one of those women that put off getting my mammograms done — and when I was diagnosed, I had just had my two years overdue mammogram done. Please ladies, if you are over due for your mammogram, schedule it and get it done as soon as possible.


October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I am celebrating my seventh year as a breast cancer survivor. I feel blessed and very lucky that I am cancer-free.

In honor of my being cancer-free for seven years, I am making a pattern for a turban style chemo hat that I created available on my website. I created this pattern because I have knit a number of different patterns for chemo hats, but I wanted something that was a little more stylish for an older woman.

I knit this hat using one of my favorite cotton yarns: Knit Picks Comfy Sport Weight Yarn. Chemo hats knit in cotton are washable and are very soft — they feel good on the head that is sensitive due to chemo and provide a degree of warmth as well.

The pattern is here: Turban Style Chemo Hat.
Please feel free to knit this hat for any loved one going through this experience with my blessings.