Have socks will travel

Well one week after last post I have made a pair of socks for my nephew Martin who is off to sea with the Merchant Navy. I think he is going to cold places and not the Tropics!  These were made in 4ply  Trekking on my A.K.M.C machine.

Back to business

Katie and Mark .Aug 2012

Time has flown since I added anything to this blog.  Things have happened :- Katies wedding, New bathroom, Different car, and Health blip. But all fine now and back to making socks, jackets and jumpers etc. in a BIG way. 
I am still getting the shopping cart up and running on www.strands-knitwear.co.uk.  Should be finished by the summer.
No knitting tomorrow either because I have a birthday (21 again)  but Monday I hope my machines will not overheat with all the work that has got to be done.

Keeping Going

Looks better on a human leg!

Well over halfway through January and I am still on track with 'a sock a day'.
Not all socks though but the leg warmers have been done on a sock machine so they do count. I have made 3 (not 3 pair!) The first was the proto type and as the weather has turned very cold again (well it has here in Devon) I think I will be doing more. I have found that the easiest way to make a cast off edge on 1/1 rib is to do the last rib row as loose as possible. Leave a very long end of sock wool attached, then do several rows of waste yarn . Remove knitting from machine. With waste yarn still on pick up last row of ribbing on sock using small circular needle. Remove waste yarn and with a larger size ordinary needle cast off in rib with the long end of sock wool

Welcome to 2011

Another year has begun ...so more New Year's Resolutions!!!
I have really let myself in it this time I have announced on the Vintage Krankers Sock Knitting Machine Group that I will knit one sock A DAY.!!! No I hadn't been drinking but I am mad.
We have reached day 4 and I have completed 3 socks to date, so today's sock will match day 3's, a pink sock in our latest yarn  55% Alpaca 25% Merino and 20% nylon in 3ply thickness. I have made it on a 72 needle cylinder on the same tension as I would use for the Trekking Sock Yarn   It is wearable but the leg knitting is a bit loose. The foot I knitted with the heel spring in place which tightens up the tension and it has come out perfect.  So next pair also in pink (as haven't got time to dye any more yet) will be done on a tighter tension and only the heel spring used for heels and toes.
Now back to flat bed knitting finishing orders before continuing  building the shopping cart on my website
www.strands-knitwear.co.uk  (by the time it is completed I will be too old to knit!!)

Unravel in Farnham

Welcome to 2010!!!!

At the end of February Jacquie and myself took a stand at 'Unravel'. A show for all types of fibres and yarns, held in Farnham Maltings. It was a marvellous show and very well organised.
We had a stand selling my knitwear, our very own hand dyed sock yarn, socks and of course we demonstrated the sock machines. (Our dyeing experiences are another story for later). I think we were the 'Morcombe and Wise' entertainment for the weekend. It all began with me getting lost on the A303 detour and arriving in Surrey at 8.30 pm far to late to unload the stand and set up ready for Saturday. I did an extra 40 miles going on their detour route.
We got to the show very early on Saturday and at last set up our new stand, all very smart but for the rest of the weekend I felt I was always searching for things in our 100's of bags under the tables. My brochures turned up Saturday evening in one of JACQUIE'S boxes!! Sabotage, I hope not???????
We had good sales and the demonstrations went down well.

My next big show is not until May when I shall be at RHS Rosemoor for the May Bank Holiday weekend.
I am doing 2 little craft fairs in Chagford on Dartmoor in April. Then twice a month until December. I shall post when other shows have been booked.

How time flies!

I cannot believe we are in the middle of July already! In the last month the chicks have got nearly all of their feathers. As hoped they are Speckled Sussex. One a cockerel and the other a hen. I have named them appropriately Hastings and Lewis. Brighton and Hove were the alternative names.

The garden is looking a bit better and the million plants I ordered have been spread around and looking good.

I have been knitting on my flat bed machines completing orders from the Exeter Craft Fair and the Axminster Garden and Craft Show. I now need to knit ready for the Mid Devon show in 2 weeks time.

The bamboo yarn knits up very well, producing fine, very soft silky socks and people are showing a lot of interest in it. ( there is enough yarn per ball to make two socks even though I have only showed one sock in each colour)

Another distraction!

Another distraction from ALL types of knitting. 2 chicks have hatched. We started with 6 eggs and 2 hens decided to share them, so in the process only 2 hatched and one 'mum' is looking after both. SO a new house had to be found for her, which meant clearing a place in the shed. Not an easy task.
Now its setting up a run to protect all from magpies and Pip the dog!
What about these craft fairs that are approaching fast?---and nothing to sell! except 2 chicks and a million bedding plants that have arrived in the post, which I had completely forgotten had been ordered. Watch this space. Nervous breakdown fast approaching.

A Very Old Griswold Machine

Have been busy knitting on 'flat beds', but now back to Sock Machines.
My latest aquisition is a very old Griswold Stocking Knitter. I have done a bit of research and it dates from around 1880 and it STILL WORKS. It is all very oily and gungey at the moment and needs a lot of tlc.
It has a 72 cylinder that is about 1/2" shallower than the later Griswold cylinders and the yarn travels around the outside of the camshell.

I shall post another picture when I have restored this 'oldie' and have a sock hanging from it.

Another order completed

Today I sent off a sweater order to Essex.  The design is Saddletor .  I haven't shown this sweater design for a number of years until last December and suddenly I am having to make several more.  The one here is in 'sea holly and white' Shetland wool.

More Snow!!!!

Woke up this morning to more snow. It was raining very hard when I went to bed, so didn't expect snow. Thought Katie would try and stay off college but no she has caught the bus at 7.30am this morning.

She has her work assessment today. Good luck Katie.
Business at the Craft gallery is a bit slow, but as we are in the 'middle of nowhere' in a garden centre car park it's to be expected (Who wants to do gardening this weather even if there wasn't a recession?)
Well I have to clear my workroom (the Skip) today as I have work coming from London (this is my 'proper job') I have to make some overalls for an ad. They must be as worn in 1929. So will clear a path to my sewing machine and empty the table (another avalanche in the making)
I am aiming to start knitting one sock a day (one sock ,not one pair) from today. I want stock for the summer when it arrives.