Grace Ennis Graphic Knitting Patterns Pipe Dream Socks, #7262 from 1953

This is just the leg portion of Sock #1 of Grace Ennis' Pipe Dreams but wanted to show some progress.

 This is knit using Knit Picks Palette yarn in Camel Heather as the Main Color, Black, Oyster Heather, Bison and Serrano.  The smoke is knit in Trendsetter Yarns 100% Angora yarn.  SO soft and fuzzy!

See!!

That fuzzy little stuff is EVERYWHERE!!  This is the front of my shirt.  Looks like I've been holding a CAT!  WOW!

Grace Ennis #7217 Triangle Overlay Socks

I cast on the Triangle Overlay Socks back in the summer and got so far, put them down and didn't think about them again.  I picked them back up last week and completed them.  They are really easy, large blocks of color, no floating.  The instep is another story.  I didn't do them as written.  Decided to knit this in the round after creating the heel and gusset, like any other top down sock.  Then I proceeded to pull too tightly and have a huge mess on sock 1.  RIPPED it out, said some not-so-nice words and made sure to leave a long span of yarn over the orange area.  TA DA!  Now, there are a million little ends to weave in this way rather than, say NONE, the other way, but oh well!

These were knit in Knit Picks Palette yarn using Corn Flower Blue, Oyster Heather, Cornmeal and Orange.

Grace Ennis Jet Airplane Socks #7231

About a month ago now, I finally completed the Jet Airplane Socks.  I didn't get many pics of this pair in progress but I used my usual Knit Picks yarn in White, Black, Royal Blue, Serrano and Semolina.  I used a size 1 needle and my purl rows are usually knitted more loosely than my knit rows but on this pair I used a size 1 circular needle and found that not to be an issue.  Can't explain why that is though.

Grace Ennis suggests Angora yarn be used for the contrail or smoke but I didn't have any and used plain white wool.  It works and is MUCH less expensive.

Since all of Grace Ennis' Graphic Knitting Patterns socks are knit flat on two needles (or 1 circular as I did here) this is what the "leg" looks like before stitching up the back using the mattress stitch and starting on the heel flap.  

I didn't knit the instep according to the pattern.  If the design runs down into the instep, Grace wrote that you were to knit the instep flat as well and then stitch it to a gusset that was created without working in the round.  I did it this way on 1 pair and didn't like that I could see the stitching on the foot.  So, from then on, if a pattern extended into the instep I have been doing it in the round.  This means TONS of little ends to weave in later and you also have to be very careful that there is no pulling or puckering.  I may give the written pattern another go, who knows.

SNEAK PEEK:  I have also been working on #7217 Triangle Overlay Socks and will post progress pics as they are available.

Knit Picks, Corn Flower Blue, Cornmeal, Oyster Heather and Pumpkin.

Grace Ennis Graphic Knitting Patterns Interlocking Diamonds Socks, #7268 from 1954

I've been working SO hard on my HexiPuff quilt and popping those little puffs out 1 about every 35 minutes or so but I really needed to get back to my socks.  I looked at my stash of sock yarn to see what colors/color combos I could come up with (I CANNOT buy any more yarn!) and decided I would Cast On the Interlocking Diamonds socks.

I have all the colors listed in the pattern albeit my yellow is Semolina and not bright yellow but I like the colors together and that's all that matters.  I cast on while watching The Lost Room in my little craft area last night and got just past the ribbing before calling it a night.  More to come, these really do knit up quickly, it's the second sock that takes so long!  I suffer from Second Sock Syndrome for sure!! 

Leg complete as well as instep.  Now to stitch up the back leg seam, work the reinforced heel, gusset and foot so I can then stitch up the foot and the instep.  The toe will be worked in the round.

It is even Bee-utiful on the back because no stitches were carried but done using bobbins of color.

Since the design on this particular sock travels down the instep, you have to knit the instep and heel/sole areas separately then join the two using the mattress stitch. 

Grace Ennis Graphic Knitting Patterns Diving Girl Socks #7260 from 1953

So, I had to put the Red Devil #7257 Socks down, I just couldn't face Sock #2 with all those bobbins and color changes!  I needed something simple and fast!!  I chose the Diving Girl Sock to knit and used Knit Picks Palette Yarns in Caribbean for the body of the sock, Blush for the Diving Girl, Rouge for her Swimsuit and White for her Bathing Cap. (I'm just guessing this is a bathing cap, maybe she is a Platinum Blonde and the Rouge is her bathing cap, or a bow!!  LOL)  This yarn is fingering weight and 100% Peruvian Wool.  I used Size 1 Boye metal Single Point needles for the leg portion.

This is the leg portion almost complete.  I had just started the Bathing Cap section in White here.

With the actual antique pattern beneath the work, the upper leg portion is compete.  Now to take 18 stitches off each end.  Placing these stitches on one needle folds the piece into the Sock form.  The only thing, your working yarn is now trapped in the center!  What to do, what to do...

You cut a long length of yarn and start stitching up the back using the mattress stitch.  Little plug here:  See the cute little Dragon ends on my needles?  These are the Needle Holders that I am making and trying to sell here and on Ebay.  The Dragons are from my Magical Kingdom set which also has the White Knight, Wizard, Unicorn, Princess, and Frog Prince Needle Holders.  I wanted to show them in use because I really do use these holders on every project.

Further up the seam, see you can't see one!  Good old Mattress Stitch!

Now, the back of the sock is all seamed up and I am ready to begin the heel! Dragons still hard at work keeping the instep stitches safe. Onto the heel, 2 inches of Row 1: Sl 1, K1; Row 2: Purl back to form the reinforced type heel. Be back at the end of my heel flap. June 15, 2011 @ 12:11pm CST

Here is the completed reinforced heel flap.  The pattern or texture on the flap is created by Sl1, K1 for the first row and Purl back for the second row.  You repeat these 2 rows for 2 inches or with my tension/gauge, 25 rows. I did go ahead and shape the heel (the little cup where the heel rests) and pick up the stitches along the side of the flap which is the beginning of the gusset. Now we work one Row decrease (you knit 2TOG on the last 2 of Needle 1 and SSK on the first 2 of Needle 3. A little confusing I'll admit. Row 2 is knit around. You repeat these 2 rows until you have 18 stitches on Needles 1 and 3 and 36 stitches on Needle 2. Then you knit around until the foot is 2" shorter than you want your sock and start the Toe decreases. This is done by doing a decrease at the end of Needle 1, beginning and end of Needle 2 and beginning of Needle 3.

So after you finish the heel flap, turn the heel, pick up the gusset stitches and knit down the foot you have to decrease for the toe. For all of Grace's socks you decrease 1 row, knit 4, decrease 1, knit 3, decrease 1, knit 3, decrease 1, knit 2, decrease 1, knit 2, decrease 1, knit 1, decrease 1 then decrease every row until there are only 16 stitches left. You will have 4 on needle 1, 8 on needle 2 and 4 on needle 3. Now to graft the toe together. Start with your 2 needles parallel and 8 stitches per needle. The working yarn in in the back.

Take your darning needle and insert it into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit. Slip stitch off knitting needle. Now go into the second stitch on the front needle as if to purl. Leave this stitch on. Put the needle into the first stitch on the back knitting needle as if to purl and slip this stitch off. Go into the second stitch on the back needle as if to knit and leave on. Front needle, second stitch as if to knit, slip off. Next stitch, as if to purl, leave on. Back needle as if to purl, slip off. Next stitch as if to knit leave one. Repeat this process until there are no more stitches on your needles! You have just grafted a toe! YAY! Weave in your ends and put those babies on your feet!!!

Here with the darning needle going in as to KNIT.

Slipping a stitch off.

Completed toe after grafting.

YAY!!

Grace Ennis Red Devil #7257 Socks

UPDATE June 9, 2011: I know I said I was not ready to tackle these difficult socks but after saying that, they were all I could think about!! LOL. Since this sock is knit flat to the heel you have to stitch the back together to form a sock. I do this using the mattress stitch. I quickly ran a seam up the back for photos so there is a little puckering going on that won't be there when the sock is compelte.

After adding all the necessary bobbins to the sock, see, I wasn't kidding about this having the potential of turning into a giant knot!!

Moving on with the flames, not too bad yet.

Pattern complete! The back needle is the back of the sock where the heel flap will begin. The bottom needle is the end of the pattern down the instep. I will begin the heel flap next, hence the stoppers, and then move onto the gusset. After, these two sections will be stitched together using the mattress stitch, which if done correctly is invisable. You then work the remainder of the foot and start decreasing for the toe and you're done!!

I started the Grace Ennis, Graphic Knitting Patterns Red Devil Sock #7257 from 1953 the other day using Knit Picks Palette yarns in Silver, Semolina, Serrano and Black but had to stop at the beginning of the flames. More to gather my thoughts and steel my nerves because geez at the bobbins on this one!! There are 7 yellow flames and 6 red flames! Yes, I could float/carry the red flames but didn't want the extra thickness and chance of wonky tension! I can ruin a sock in a heartbeat by pulling a row of floats too tightly! I can also completely tie myself into a giant knot with too many bobbins so I will continue to work on my Cozy Toes charity socks which don't take any time at all to complete and when I'm feeling up to this challenge I will resume!! Thanks for looking!! Let me know what you think! =)

Carrots and Beets by SpillyJane!!

APRIL 29, 2011: UPDATE!! I didn't try these guys on until it was time for the toe decreases (Duh!!) only to find that the heel flap feels really thin to me. They are also just a wee bit snug on the carrot leaves so these will be ripped out and started again at just under the first row of beet leaves! =( Sigh...They were really a lot of fun and pretty quick so I will just count this experience as colorwork practice that Lord knows I need anyway! =)

How CUTE are these? This pattern is called Carrots and Beets Socks by Jane Dubois AKA SpillyJane (on FB and Ravelry) I LOVE LOVE LOVE her stuff but have never attempted a project. So far so good although the gusset instructions have me a bit dazed. I may not be able to figure it out but I am not afraid to rip it out and start again!!

If you knit look her up! She has cupcakes, flamingos, gnomes, beer pints, cheeseburgers, etc. in both socks and mittens!!!