Toe Up Heels

I've been working on my first pair of toe up socks. Wait, that's not right exactly, I did start another pair but had to frog them because the pattern was just too big for my foot. So this is the first pair that is actually gonna be finished. My goal is Sunday, since I started them last Sunday, I want to see if I can complete one sock in a week. However, I have a cold and that is slowing me down!
Anyway, I received a skein of Colinette Jitterbug yarn in a swap and I've wanted to try this yarn for some time now so I was really excited about it! After looking at project pictures of the yarn, I have colorway Mardi Gras, I decided a pattern was just going to be obscured by the bright colors and crazy pooling. That and I don't play well with patterns, especially sock patterns LOL Basically my socks are going to be plain vanilla but with ribbing along the top of the foot, hopefully this will keep them on better as I have problems with socks, storebought or handknit sliding down in my boots and that is very annoying!
Doing the toe up wasn't difficult, I cast on using the instructions from my previous toe up socks, the difference being these are magic loop as I've found I prefer it to DPNs. I've had no problem with the foot but the heel is confounding me!
So I turned to the internet (I've only one sock book and one pattern in it is toe up, that's it!). I could do an afterthought heel but that seemed a bit more work then I wanted to do. I discovered a few different ways of doing the heel but I didn't seem to like most of them (anything that involves x + y = z is evil).
These are the ones I liked best:
Wendy Johnson's toe up sock pattern She's written many sock books so she really knows her stuff! I like her pattern but it involves wrap and turn and I don't have a good track record with that - i.e. my sisters' doll slings that still aren't done.
This site lists several different links to other toe up formulas on the net. Quite handy since it led me to:
Fleegle's Blog This is the one that makes the most sense to me. No wrap and turn, no algebra, just basically a gusset. Gussets, I'm good at! I understand them, I know how to knit them, and it isn't that difficult either! I guess really this isn't a short row heel like I'd originally looked up but it works for me and I understand the instructions, double whammy there :)
Any other good toe up heel instructions out there that I didn't find or list? I'd like to try two at a time toe up next!

Time for a Change

I like to blog, I really do. The problem is sometimes I don't want to talk about knitting. So, I've decided to change the blog a bit. I still will talk about knitting - it is why I started the blog after all - but I'm also going to include other things like book/tv/dvd reviews, my ramblings about the coolest names, giveaways (hopefully. Anyone wanna host one?), and maybe some reviews like the upcoming CSN review (No, I did not forget about that - it's coming later this week). Also, anything else I feel like talking about!
I hope my followers understand this move and still like to follow :) Thanks!

The least popular girls name: Zyriel, 5 of them!
The most popular : Isabella ,22067 of them last year!

The least popular boys name : Zyvion, 5 of them
Most popular : Jacob, 20858 of them last year!

Bummer

Okay, I LOVE knitting socks. They're my favorite thing to knit plus sock yarn is so versatile - you can use it for all sorts of things from socks to hats to shawls. So, when I got the Interweave Magazine e newsletter today I was thrilled to see it all about their new sock magazine. Now, no where in the newsletter does it mention that you have to pay for it. So I click on the link. They want $14.97 for ONE issue??!! Whoa, hold on there! That's a heck of a lot of money for three patterns! You can buy a frigging book on Amazon for that much money, with a lot more patterns in it.
For example -
1. Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd $12.89
2. The Sock Knitter's Workshop: Everything Knitters Need to Knit Socks Beautifully by Ewa Jostes $13.59
3. Knitting The Perfect Pair: Secrets To Great Socks by Dorothy T Ratigan $4.22 (WOW!!!!)
4. Socks - Socks - Socks: 70 Winning Patterns from Knitter's Magazine Contest by Elaine Rowley $14.96 (same price yes, but 70 patterns compared to 3)
5. The Sock Knitter's Workshop: Everything Knitters Need to Knit Socks Beautifully by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Linden $13.59

Even better, most of those, and I didn't even list half as many sock books as there is, are CHEAPER then the ONE issue of Sockupied! Hmm, what is a better bargain then?

Autumn Knits

I live in Texas. This means actual winter doesn't start until January but fall is already beginning - the leaves are starting to turn and fall and it drops into the 70s at night (yes, I know that isn't cold in the slightest but compared to the over 100 temps it's been, it is quite nice!). I grew up in Florida so it is fun to see fall and winter because in FL there is one season - summer. It does get cool there and occasionally even goes down to the 50s but usually it is not very cold.
One thing I have learned about living here, well, knitting! I learned to knit when I was thirteen, about twelve years ago, but it was an on/off kind of thing because knitted items are not really needed in FL. But here, I knit at least a dozen hats each winter, socks, fingerless gloves (storebought are two for 1.50, I can't make them that cheap but they're too short, so I layer them with the fingerless ones), scarves, a few sweaters and slippers. Nice warm things!! I get cold easily so I wear a lot of knitted items!
I thought I'd share some of my favorite autumn patterns. Inspiration for me to get up off my butt and knit them and inspiration for you because everyone needs new patterns :)
I get a lot of nice patterns from Knitty.com I don't usually make them because so many seem too complicated but I did make (almost finished!) an Annis shawl! I like this pattern called Falling Leaves. i think I'm going to use it for a Halloween knitalong my sock knitting group is doing. If I actually follow the pattern anyway - I have this tendency to just go off and do my own thing. One of these days, I'm going to submit a pattern to Knitpicks IDP program, hopefully. If I can ever write one down well enough for people to understand!
This Clapotis is super popular and can be altered to be made into a stole. Generally, I try to stay away from the super popular patterns but this one is really cute and I can see the potential of a scarf that can also double as a stole, keeps you extra warm that way!
This hat is perfect for fall, one, it's named Foliage and it'd look great worked in fall colors! Dig out those reds, oranges, yellows and browns!
I've been looking for a good sweater pattern for me lately. I've made four sweaters so far - two baby sweaters and two little girl sweaters. I think it is now time for make myself one! I particularly like this one called Mr Greenjeans. It's casual but not too casual, you could wear it running errands or out to dinner. It does have some basic cabling which I've never done but it claims it is simple! You could even, if you wear a medium, make it for just $16 if you buy Knitpicks Woold of the Andes! Wow, now that's a bargain - you can't even find a really nice wool sweater for that price!
This wrap is really pretty - Muir by Rosemary Hill. It's named for California Bay Laurel trees in Muir Woods in northern California. And what better symbol of fall then a tree?
I seem to have a thing for cabled sweaters because I also really love the http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/PATTholla.php sweater by Jennifer Lippman-Bruno. I particularly like it because it has longer sleeves that fall over the hands - not exactly practical but a feature I love anyway :)
This is a really trendy style - the peacoat! This is the Saity pattern with princess seams and peacoat styling. I don't know if I'd have the patience to knit this but it looks really nice!
I truly love the Victoria cardigan in Knitty First Fall 2010. It wouldn't be too terribly expensive to make if you used Knitpicks yarns, especially the Wool of the Andes. I really think I'm going to use that yarn in my first sweater and maybe I'll choose this pattern!
This would knit up super fast using super bulky yarn!The Jewels Cardigan is a cropped style so popular nowawdays. You could even probably knit it in a weekend. Hmm, people always say that and then it takes me like a month.....
This isn't a warm thing but it is real cute and in honor of my youngest brother's 2nd birthday this weekend I present the Bubby bear pattern. Cute isn't it?? Could also be made into a bunny if you prefer :)

What do you like to knit in the fall?

Needles

I've been knitting for about ten years now and I've learned a few things about needles.
One, I prefer wooden. Especially since I have the tendency to leave my knitting on the floor next to my bed - in the winter those metal needles are COLD! So, I prefer wooden or plastic if they're chunky needles.
Two, I like the shorter needles. Around ten inches, I think they are. The fourteen inch needles just seem too long for me. I do have a lot of fourteen inch needles though, all metal!, so I end up using them anyway :) But I do have several pairs of bamboo needles in ten inch length and I love them!
Three, circular needles are easier then straights. You can't lose one of the pair, the project can't come off as easily, and you can straighten your work right on the cable without taking it off the needle so you can see exactly how big something will be - can't do that when it is all scrunched up on a straight!
Four, my favorite needles of all are the Knitpicks Harmonys. I have a set of DPNs for sock knitting from that line. First off, they're only 5 inches long LOVE THAT!! The typical DPN is eight inches - way too long in my opinion. Secondly, they've got this grippy thing going on so my stitches aren't all over the place, but they're also slick and pointy which is great for sock yarn!
Five, plastic needles are easily broken especially the smaller sizes. If it is smaller then a US 8, and plastic, it'll be broken! I had a set of plastic DPNs in a US 4, hmmm, I think I've one or two of them left LOL

What are your favorite needles and why?