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

A 65th Wedding Anniversary CelebrationA 65th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday, my husband’s parents, Irv & Wauneta celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary. Yes, I said 65th. This is a remarkable milestone even with an increasingly aging population.
Irv & Wauneta's Wedding Picture

We held an open house for them at our house and had more than 35 guests attend. It was a joyous day filled with conversation, food, and laughter. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this occasion. My in-laws have a knack for collecting friends, so we had old friends attending that have known them since they were kids growing up in Hastings, Nebraska and new friends who have come to know and love them since they moved here to Omaha, Nebraska. We also had many family members come share the day with us. What blessings friends and family are!

Irv & Wauneta April 2008
Irv is now 89 and Wauneta is 85. They are still both very active and enjoy life to the fullest. They are my role models for how to age gracefully and I can only hope to follow their lead.

And finally…The Third Hat: Beret in Bee StitchAnd finally…The Third Hat: Beret in Bee Stitch

As you know from my previous post, I have been side-tracked with switching to a new computer and then finding that my blog had been hacked.  Well, I think I have recovered from the hack and I have all of my pictures and files transferred to my new computer — so, now to catch up and post about the third hat I started in January and finished in February.

My third hat is a beret knit in Bee Stitch.

Beret in Bee Stitch

This hat was also inspired by the thread about Hermione Granger’s hat in the Deathly Hallows, Part I, in the Harry Potter Lover’s group on Ravelry.  Again, I think the beret is fairly close to the original hat.

Bee Stitch Beret 4Details:  Hat was knit with Stitch Nation Full O’ Sheep (100% Peruvian Wool), using US Size 7 (4.5 mm) needles.  This yarn is very soft, aran weight, though I did find it a bit splinty.  The color is Passionfruit.  Stitch Nation is manufactured by Red Heart (Coats & Clark). 

When increasing for the beret, I basically doubled the number of stitches and it created a very slouchy beret, so if you’d like it a less slouchy, I’d only increase by 50%. I converted the Bee Stitch so I could knit it in the round and I wrote up the pattern to share with others, so here’s the link: Bee Stitch Beret.

To see my notes on Ravelry, use this link.

Provisional Cast OnProvisional Cast On

A Provisional Cast On is a method for making a temporary cast on that can be removed later. The method I use requires a crochet hook and either waste yarn or an extra cable from a circular needle. If you are using waste yarn, you should use a slippery yarn in a contrasting color so that the cast on stitches can be easily removed.

Where this cast on is used:

  • Knitting hems or edges where you want to add a border or knit in the opposite direction
  • Knitting scarves when you want the ends to be identical

To make the Provisional Cast On use a crochet hook the same size equivalent as your knitting needle. Start by making a slip knot with waste yarn and placing it on the crochet hook.(This does not count as a stitch.) Hold your knitting needle in your left hand and the crochet hook in your right hand. Make a stitch over the needle or cable by holding the yarn strand under the needle and taking the crochet hook over the needle, grabbing the strand and pulling it through the loop on the crochet hook. Repeat this process until you have the desired number of stitches.

If you are a crocheter, you can do a Provisional Cast On by making a crochet chain and then knitting into the bumps on the back of the chain. Tips: 1) Make the chain longer than the desired number of stitches; 2) Use a crochet hook one or two sizes larger than the knitting needle you will be using to make it easier to go into the bumps.

Links for Provisional Cast Ons:

Provisional Cast On – One Step Method

Crochet Chain Provisional Cast On