First there was 100 g of strange-looking fibre; a mix of wool, angora, trilobal and my nemesis, mohair. Obtained in a fibre swap, this ugly duckling languished in the cupboard for some time. One day, for reasons mainly of curiosity, it made its way onto the spinning wheel. It was chain plied and came out [...]
You could be forgiven for thinking that not much knitting has been happening at Sparkle Towers, but this is not the case. I have a new pattern in development (more about that soon) and a couple of pairs of socks to share with you. A recent a bout of illness left me unable to do [...]
These KoolAid dyed Jaywalkers were my first proper pair of socks. Despite not being a fan of the pattern (they have no stretch and had to be re-knit several times to get them big enough to get on and off), I am fond of the socks. I’ve worn them a lot and they’ve lasted well given [...]
My were pretty good but with my latest pair I have well and truly nailed the perfect sock, and proved that simple is best. No more baggy-toe, foot-wriggling-into-too-tight-sock, heel-slipping-down – just comfy socks. Here is the updated recipe (assumes familiarity with sock techniques): Using a standard 4 ply weight yarn (I used Fyberspates Sheila’s Sock), with 2.25mm [...]
My quest for the perfect-fitting sock pattern may have come to an end, quite by accident. After previously following , I had a go at Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock by Jasmin Canty. What’s good about this pattern: It’s well written; it’s written for circular needles; it has variations included in the pattern. What’s not so good about [...]
With just a few days to go until my trip to Norway, I’m making things to keep me warm while I’m there. I had a wake up call while sledging on Christmas day in the harshest British weather I can remember. My performed well but my face and extremities froze. I think it was about [...]
