How do I. . .?

How do I make sure the socks and gloves I knit are the same length?

There are several ways to make sure the socks and gloves match. You can use a long circular needle and make both at the same time. This is an advanced technique that takes time to master. Wait until after Christmas to try it or those cozy Christmas slippers may become an Easter bunny surprise.

Make one sock or glove. Hold the second sock against it as a quick measure. Unless you are making chunky yarn slippers there is a real risk one of the pair will be an eighth or even a quarter inch shorter than the other.

The same thing can happen when you measure each half of the pair with a ruler or tape measure. Even if you block them to the same measurement, the truth will out when they are washed.


To make sure socks and gloves are the same length when you are knitting one at a time, clip small lengths of contrasting yarn (I use 4" to 6" pieces) and set them aside. Knit a specific number of rows on the first sock or glove of the pair, 10 or 20 works for me. Slip the last stitch of the completed row you are going to mark to a cable needle and hold it in front. Wrap a small piece of contrasting yarn around the base of the stitch. Make sure the tails of the scrap yarn are to the front of the stitch. Return the wrapped stitch to its original position. Repeat this every 10 or 20 rows and complete the first half of the pair. Do the same with the second sock or glove to make sure they are exactly the same length. When the pair is completed, gently remove the scraps of yarn from the marked rows. You have a perfect pair of gloves or socks for that special person at Christmas.

The Joy of Knitting

There is no aspect of the knitting process I do not enjoy. I can spend hours in a yarn shop exploring the bins of yarn. I slip the thread through my fingers to assess its texture and weight Questions come to mind as I examine the evenness of the thread itself.
What is the best way to show the glory of this yarn? I ask myself.
Is it the right fiber for my grandson's new socks? Will my friend Mary wear a hat made of this pumpkin blend? Can my cousin with a wool sensitivity tolerate a small amount of merino wool in the blanket she asked me to make for her? Do my son's friends really wear the skull logo gloves they bought last year?
Some yarn just insists on coming home with me, project undetermined. I have a special basket in my work room for this yarn. I call it the surprise bin. When I am at loose ends I poke through the bin and find a skein or two of yarn and sit with it on my lap. After a time the project this yarn was made for presents itself. Surprise! That turquoise and brown cashmere and silk blend is perfect for the Victorian neck warmer I have wanted to make for months. The colors were interesting on their own, but twisted together they bring out the undertones in each other, showing the variations hand dying alone provides.
Casting on the stitches is the most time consuming part of the process for me. The first row is the most important. It is either the top or the bottom of the garment and the most visible when the project is finished. I take my time and sometimes repeat he process two or three times to make sure the tension is just right.
Watching the pattern develop as I knit and purl and move stitches with cable needles fascinates me. Following a new pattern requires a leap of faith. I have to believe the person who wrote the instructions did not miss a step. I have to stop and remind myself which direction I am going on the graph. Completing the first repeat always makes me smile.
Tension disappears as I focus on the thread turning into a piece of fabric art, either to wear or grace the table or bed. Time shifts from the present to a higher plane. It passes without my noticing or worrying that something else has to get done.
Casting off the stitches after knitting the last row is the beginning of the end of the project. I have been told that I smile and sigh as I cut the thread and tie off the last stitch. Weaving in the seams seems like the end, but the steaming and blocking are yet to be done.
If you share my joy of knitting, let me know. If you want to see the results of my communicating with the yarns, let me know. If you have questions about a project, ask me. If I can help you I will.

Easy Modified Gloves Part I

Good morning everyone!  Want to make a super easy and cheap pair of half-finger and fingerless gloves?  On Sunday, two of the Poison Garden girls Melissa and Crystal happened upon a great deal at Payless grocery stores.  We went there to get incredients for homemade biscuits and gravy (which were DELICIOUS) and ran into a bin of .69 cents lady's gloves.  They were just basic full-fingered gloves in both striped and solid colors (we were so excited to start the project that we did not snap any pictures of the original gloves, but you get the idea).  We of course grabbed a bundle and, after breakfast, set about modifying the gloves.  They looked basically like these gloves:

We ended up shaping the gloves into two different styles.  In the first, we simply clipped the finger tips down low to make a half finger style.  We then used a lighter to stop the ends from fraying.  This style was especially cute on the striped gloves!

We also made another open fingered style.  We cut the thumb down low like in the first style, but then cut the other fingers off.

In Part II, we fancy up some of these basic glove forms by adding hems to the edges and adding lace and other embellishments to the gloves.  Check back soon!