tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7974820280706097392024-03-13T10:26:51.078-07:00The Unapologetic KnitterKnitting. Knitting. Knitting. San Diego Knitting. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-637257523747619772014-10-31T16:10:00.001-07:002014-10-31T16:10:42.705-07:00New Pattern: Ombrélac CowlLooking for something to knit this weekend - something that you can FINISH this weekend? Well have I got a project for you! <br />
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Knit on US size 8 (5mm) needles, using a lofty worsted weight yarn, not only does this project make you look like a goddess among knitters, but it's addictive beyond all reason so you'll be done in no time.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ombrelac-cowl" target="_blank">The Ombrélac Cowl</a></span></b></div>
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Featuring <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/wooly-worsted/" target="_blank">Wooly Worsted</a> from <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns</a> in four shades, this ombr<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;">é-inspired cowl is sure to please not only the knitter in you, but the wearer in the </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">recipient</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"> (that is, if you can handle giving it away after you make it). </span></div>
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And this weekend only, in honor of it being Halloween (and the weather is FINALLY cool enough to want to wear this in my neck of the woods) let's do 25% off this beauty of a pattern using code "<b>LOVEMESOMEENTRELAC</b>" (I recommend copying and pasting that so you get all the e's). </div>
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Have fun with it - mix and match and see what color comboinations you come up with - there are 20 fun colors from Ewe Ewe Yarns to try. I can't wait to see what you come up with. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Ombrélac-ing!</span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-85825673303901902272014-10-31T12:34:00.002-07:002014-10-31T13:11:53.164-07:00Falling Down MKAL - WINNERS!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Happy Halloweeeeeeeen my lovelies! </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year - cuz I LOVE candy! I'm really awkward around kids so it's definitely not handing out the candy to the kidlets that excites me. Thankfully the Hubband is good with kids so I let him answer the door.<br />
<br />
And do you know what I love more than candy?! Giving stuffs away!!! So let's do that. Let's announce our winners and give some stuff away. <b>ON </b>Halloween! Best. Day. EVER!<br />
<br />
I randomly generated our winners using <a href="http://random.org/">random.org</a> and assigned the prizes to the winners in the order in which I announced the prizes in our <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/2014/10/falling-down-mkal-prize-announcement.html" target="_blank">Prize Announcement</a> post.<br />
<br />
To claim your prize, please email me directly at <a href="mailto:meaghan@unapolgeticknitter.com" target="_blank">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a>. If you're getting the patterns, I'll email you back directly via Ravelry. If you're getting something in the mail (i.e.: the other two prizes), email me with your full name (first and last) and mailing address. Please no PO boxes since I can't guarantee that a package will be delivered.<br />
<br />
So, in that order, our winners are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Winner 1 - <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#sort=best&query=No Tricks All Treats" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats</a> double-pattern prize: <a href="http://instagram.com/samandramones" target="_blank"><b>@samandramones</b></a></li>
<li>Winner 2 - <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns</a>' "<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/respectfully-twisted" target="_blank">Respectfully Twisted</a>" socks and the yarn to complete the project: <b><a href="http://instagram.com/lorriep" target="_blank">@lorriep</a></b></li>
<li>Winner 3 - <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sixmunchkinstitching" target="_blank">SixmunchkinStitchings</a>' Project Bag: <b><a href="http://instagram.com/knittingleft" target="_blank">@knittingleft</a></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Thank you <i>ALL </i>for knitting along with me. I'm always honored to have folks support me in my designs and teaching and I love seeing both the familiar names and all our NEWBIES who joined us.<br />
<br />
I'll be announcing a new KAL before the end of the year and this time we're going BIG: we're gonna make sweaters! And I don't want to hear anyone saying they've never made a sweater before. That's the whole point - to make your first sweater. Or maybe your umpteenth. But let's make sweaters together. We're going to make sure that you not only make a sweater, but that you make a sweater that FITS!<br />
<br />
Have a wonderful Halloween. Watch out for those sugar comas! I can't wait to knit with you all again!<br />
<br />
Happy knitting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-82246093102874081762014-10-22T10:13:00.000-07:002014-10-22T10:20:52.672-07:00New Pattern: Finly CowlWoo hoo! The colder weather is descending on sunny SoCal and wearing this new pattern actually almost makes sense. Growing up in Canada I never thought I'd cheer on the cold weather but lemme tell ya - it's easy to start missing cooler temperatures when it feels like I've been trying to stay cool since February.<br />
<br />
I'm so excited to share my latest knit creation with you - this fun-to-knit, lightweight cowl, which comes in two sizes, a neckwarmer and a double-wrap option, is wonderful for both tonal and variegated yarns alike. I, of course, highly recommend a base with cashmere in it, like the SoCalMeaghan Special in the <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/catalog/costello-sock" target="_blank">Costello base from Black Market Wool</a>, but maybe I'm the only one who likes to be pampered by my knits.<br />
<br />
No?<br />
<br />
Didn't think so.<br />
<br />
So here she is, my shark-inspired cowl in "MY" colorway:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/finly-cowl" target="_blank">The Finly Cowl</a></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPyld48PVh2saM8RMP6nmbFdw9uKwHukQwdPHKdDoTp-zeRb9cwb2HGdNOsDDHgfhwijGfz6uA-5TlGxzRobsIaeWQF4E_Y2c8gjFw9Da7waTK4rEiP4jYVu8sznROdUuywFz2EoWTYo/s1600/_MG_9924_CROPPED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPyld48PVh2saM8RMP6nmbFdw9uKwHukQwdPHKdDoTp-zeRb9cwb2HGdNOsDDHgfhwijGfz6uA-5TlGxzRobsIaeWQF4E_Y2c8gjFw9Da7waTK4rEiP4jYVu8sznROdUuywFz2EoWTYo/s1600/_MG_9924_CROPPED.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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This delightful cowl is knit in the round and uses approximately 300 yds of fingering weight yarn. The size is relatively customizable to your tastes - worked in multiples of 8 sts you can adjust the pattern to fit your desires. </div>
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Whatever size you make, I hope you make it and love it. </div>
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Happy knitting!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-37502712870830941032014-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:002014-10-17T07:00:08.064-07:00Brioche Chic - Book Review and Giveaway!<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark is <i>practically</i> my best friend. She doesn't know it yet, but she is. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why? I'll explain shortly, but first, let's talk about her amazing new book:</span></span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1qzUzog" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Brioche Chic - 22 </span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1qzUzog" target="_blank">Fresh</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1qzUzog" target="_blank"> Knits for Women & Men</a></span></span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEihotN4dxSWhI72sMafWi88M3ZL8wZmA4WSd0QubPT7n5ADIzU8K6Sw3R9GX8aZVUnTfK7KaPmhc7f8JXHrIZFg9cOHdM8UBJNhW4h-sImQQ96jxK_N1ty4Sr02HT1uBzXu4oLV4z9as/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+jacket+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEihotN4dxSWhI72sMafWi88M3ZL8wZmA4WSd0QubPT7n5ADIzU8K6Sw3R9GX8aZVUnTfK7KaPmhc7f8JXHrIZFg9cOHdM8UBJNhW4h-sImQQ96jxK_N1ty4Sr02HT1uBzXu4oLV4z9as/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+jacket+art.jpg" /></a></div>
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First I feel the need to discuss just how easy this book makes brioche knitting. <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/brioche-chic" target="_blank">Brioche Chic </a>taught me how to brioche knit in 20 minutes. </div>
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NO KIDDING! </div>
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I should probably back up and say that <i>technically</i> 3 years ago I took a brioche knitting class and while I walked away with a swatch that looked like brioche, I had no idea what I'd just done and had no idea how I'd just done it. I truly had no business being in that classroom as I could barely sort out a right increase from a left, and knew only one cast-on and one bind-off technique. So <i>technically</i> it doesn't count... in my books. </div>
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But this <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/brioche-chic" target="_blank">beautiful book</a> had me knitting away happily, feeling like a total rockstar, in 20 minutes. It might have even been 10 minutes. There might have been a glass of wine involved so who is really watching the clock when that happens? AMIRIGHT?</div>
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Ok, for serious, I opened the book, had some yarn and needles on hand and just... brioche'd. The begining of the book walks through the <b>Brioche Basics</b> and features the perfect set (in my opinion) of diagrams to accompany the descriptions of how to create the structure of bricohe.</div>
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Turn a couple of pages to the <b>Knitting Brioche</b> section and you'll find directions for working one-color brioche rib. In the flat AND in the round. </div>
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So I did. And after brioche knitting 5 rows or so I felt ready to tackle increases. And then more increases. And then DECREASES! It was so exciting. I did all of this while I watched the Hubband cook. </div>
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Want proof? </div>
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I cast on 16 sts, worked my setup round and then boom! I was off to the races. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqWdxfjS4VVqLQFvLnftGKMTD0hdl77nbL2Psp_spLoNhPGZQbXYiHlUmWFgzhSzdMSHGl17tankapku5d4DP22Ng0jW3UHfhhILIIL1HFJ9_zUcldyPT6Et4N01dpXJQpxjHC_ksB4E/s1600/Berry_Swatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqWdxfjS4VVqLQFvLnftGKMTD0hdl77nbL2Psp_spLoNhPGZQbXYiHlUmWFgzhSzdMSHGl17tankapku5d4DP22Ng0jW3UHfhhILIIL1HFJ9_zUcldyPT6Et4N01dpXJQpxjHC_ksB4E/s1600/Berry_Swatch.jpg" /></a></div>
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Obviously my tension needs a bit of work to get the increases and decreases evened out but for my first crack at it, I think the proof is there that this book is worth every penny.</div>
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Well, I wasn't satisfied with a one-color swatch anymore. So as I continued through the <b>Brioche Basics</b> portion of the book, I arrived at <b>Two-Color Brioche</b>. And not just two-color brioche but two- color brioche with CABLES (technically faux-cables but for realsies - it's so cool). I decided to try my hand at that. </div>
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And while I was at it, I tried a new-to-me cast-on, the Italian Tubular Cast-On which is also thoughtfully diagramed out in the <b>Cast-Ons and Bind-Offs for Brioche</b> section. Here's what I ended up with:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCk15cdAWaSF1V_q3Z6699pkEnKOXlXWJUANY7rqN5REsFGrlN4a1cppvY7seo1fiofxDHJXXAVCb7jnhFDO4tIWCDLgD8avrWkH4BHf4Fmh2pqGgl80JCgbHvP-ZF7X-ikQrPQwaIgo/s1600/Twotone_Swatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCk15cdAWaSF1V_q3Z6699pkEnKOXlXWJUANY7rqN5REsFGrlN4a1cppvY7seo1fiofxDHJXXAVCb7jnhFDO4tIWCDLgD8avrWkH4BHf4Fmh2pqGgl80JCgbHvP-ZF7X-ikQrPQwaIgo/s1600/Twotone_Swatch.jpg" /></a></div>
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I had a few mis-steps the first time I tackled this two-color swatch: the first go-round I forgot that I had to brp instead of brk with the second color (read: "I had to burp instead of bark"- *giggle*). The next time, I tried brp'ing and brk'ing on the wrong sides. But the third try I sorted it all out in my head and from there on out was happily knitting along, all the while thinking "I'm a rockstar, I'm a rockstar, look at me goooooo!". Surely you have a knitting mantra? No? Well, you should get one. </div>
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Once I finished these swatches I started to consider <i>HOW</i> to apply brioche to things other than these beautifully squishy, light-as-air swatches. This was such a different feeling from the first time I tried brioche (you know, the time that <i>technically</i> doesn't count?) - I was excited to see how it was applied to modern designs. I think the main reason I felt so differently from my class-that-does-not-count, was because I could see the patterns in the stitches, and how they would work for shaping. Again, I have to chalk all of this up to the <b>Brioche Basics</b> section. And that's only the first chapter of this amazing book. </div>
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I was so inspired by the ease with which I created these swatches after "not really" having tried brioche before that I pored through the rest of the book and started marking off all the projects that I will be making in the near future. In no particular order, here are some of my absolute favorites:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-brioche-cowl" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Basic Brioche Cowl</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGX-1XU26mYHdyUOjS4kRQZFkzb1lC5cwWTibxuiusUJBSRKCaX5c-scDH_m09QxGS7lIgBGe4-2o5vzLVp3OF1qykk9yarqpPc4eluKgeGTuNYfYfFgVi0hL5gmLJhGJwXVGpLl-i2I/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Basic+Brioche+Cowl+beauty+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGX-1XU26mYHdyUOjS4kRQZFkzb1lC5cwWTibxuiusUJBSRKCaX5c-scDH_m09QxGS7lIgBGe4-2o5vzLVp3OF1qykk9yarqpPc4eluKgeGTuNYfYfFgVi0hL5gmLJhGJwXVGpLl-i2I/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Basic+Brioche+Cowl+beauty+shot.jpg" /></a></div>
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Beautiful in its simplicity and found in the <b>Basic Brioche</b> chapter, this cowl would be divine in just about any colorway and will be a great beginners project. </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lattice-edged-cardigan" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">The Lattice Edged Cardigan:</span></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiICvbVOHuOOmrZz1p2us-xnT5olP6N2YJ7XmVOOon7iCAvUKyCdcFcCgTzByqNzRBKjQ7doMV2-8DEuQAQwa7MsNWF_gvLNexkq2ZMPU-1iQa5z1iRBJ0seawg7wf-haKetYw1etqwfY/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Lattice-Edged+Cardigan+beauty+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiICvbVOHuOOmrZz1p2us-xnT5olP6N2YJ7XmVOOon7iCAvUKyCdcFcCgTzByqNzRBKjQ7doMV2-8DEuQAQwa7MsNWF_gvLNexkq2ZMPU-1iQa5z1iRBJ0seawg7wf-haKetYw1etqwfY/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Lattice-Edged+Cardigan+beauty+shot.jpg" /></a></div>
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This beauty looks like a total "grab and go" sweater to me. Found in the <b>Brioche with a Twist </b>section<b>, </b>it couldn't be more cozy. Featuring a garter stitch foundation, it's dolman style so there's no sleeves to sew on. And the cuffs? Come. On!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leaf-motif-raglan" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Leaf-Motif Raglan</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeifc0U1samPhmCKKhFCv3UgQeaD3dz0-5-laIBt_QR6muXsj8Z16nYZLgXuuUB6PJVY7q_LciLsriBFYpDispLnjhI8JD4guAQ8i40j7Ftj0Nx3qpDbVY_P-UpYB2EHmQnJn7gnFMNg/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Leaf-Motif+Raglan+beauty+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeifc0U1samPhmCKKhFCv3UgQeaD3dz0-5-laIBt_QR6muXsj8Z16nYZLgXuuUB6PJVY7q_LciLsriBFYpDispLnjhI8JD4guAQ8i40j7Ftj0Nx3qpDbVY_P-UpYB2EHmQnJn7gnFMNg/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Leaf-Motif+Raglan+beauty+shot.jpg" /></a></div>
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Also found in the <b>Bricohe with a Twist </b>section, this sweater has the perfect amount of embellishment to it - the brioche sleeves seam beautifully up the raglan shaping and the little leaf motif on the hip? Perfection! </div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mens-textured-vest" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Men's Textured Vest</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5NFqbdzLsneupezuSQcRSPfQRr4-J7sK1Su3cVZTfS2CoAgVb5drQXQDuLP8msC7oLEhwpOpVT8bt42RL8Cs0goMQOJFKFFGklUncBuG3ZMu6j6r2LEeOb7Dfhaq3gBQfZVkecoqjNw/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Men's%2BTextured%2BVest%2Bbeauty%2Bshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5NFqbdzLsneupezuSQcRSPfQRr4-J7sK1Su3cVZTfS2CoAgVb5drQXQDuLP8msC7oLEhwpOpVT8bt42RL8Cs0goMQOJFKFFGklUncBuG3ZMu6j6r2LEeOb7Dfhaq3gBQfZVkecoqjNw/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Men's%2BTextured%2BVest%2Bbeauty%2Bshot.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Hubbs is a total geek for vests and I think he'd look dreamy in this creation. Located in the <b>Colorful Brioche </b>section of the book this vest features a syncopated brioche stripe that looks far more complex than it probably actually is, making it perfectly accessible to any brioche fanatic. </div>
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And last but not least: </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/arrow-yoke-cardigan" target="_blank">The Arrow-Yoke Cardigan</a></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Ni4zFyHsVDhdNc2U6KNGSt_-bjciyN66utpMUMsjEJuVVAWL1TwJx31l3f2qmAZJ9CjJHjqnAeJFJE-mQc2OQqr1bwmKuJJalBy8qBPkA_sqHc05bXMn1aJffWHYaQgn5u359MCg-w/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Arrow-Yoke+Cardigan+beauty+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Ni4zFyHsVDhdNc2U6KNGSt_-bjciyN66utpMUMsjEJuVVAWL1TwJx31l3f2qmAZJ9CjJHjqnAeJFJE-mQc2OQqr1bwmKuJJalBy8qBPkA_sqHc05bXMn1aJffWHYaQgn5u359MCg-w/s1600/Brioche+Chic+-+Arrow-Yoke+Cardigan+beauty+shot.jpg" /></a></div>
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My swatch above looks surprisingly like the colorwork on this beautiful sweater in the <b>Colorful Brioche</b> section - I'm practically done making it already! Or not so much, but a girl can dream!</div>
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So what do you think? Are you DYING to get your hands on this book?</div>
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I did promise a giveaway. And we're gonna do one. But first I have to talk about why Mercedes and I are besties. Obvi, 'cuz she knits. And is super adorable. And someone once thought I WAS HER!!! </div>
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<b>Total geek out moment:</b> I was at the 2013 Interweave Knitting Lab in San Mateo wearing Mercedes' <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/emmanuelle-sweater" target="_blank">Emmanuelle Sweater </a> and as I was walking up the stairs, another young knitter stopped me and was like "Oh my gosh - YOU'RE Mercedes!". </div>
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I think my jaw actually dropped. Little ol' me mistaken for a top-notch designer like Mercedes?! </div>
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<b><i>Best mistaken-identity moment. Ever. </i></b></div>
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Also the Emmanuelle Sweater was my first intarsia work and my first finished sweater that actually fit. So... there ya go. Besties at heart.</div>
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But enough about me. </div>
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<b>GIVEAWAY TIME! </b>This book is amazing and would not only be an excellent Christmas gift for a knitter, it would do wonders on YOUR knitting inspiration shelf. I'm going to give away one copy of this amazing book to one lucky, randomly chosen winner on Thursday, October 23rd!</div>
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Since I'm a total Instagram-aholic we're going to base our drawing on Instagram. To enter, visit the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/brioche-chic" target="_blank">Brioche Chic page on Ravelry</a>, snag a screen shot of your favorite design in the book, and post it to Instagram, being sure to tag me, @socalmeaghan, and using #briochechicgiveaway. </div>
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Post your favorite pattern image by <b><i>11:59 PST on Wednesday, October 22nd</i></b> for a chance to be entered. I will announce the winner here on my blog on Thursday, October 23rd.</div>
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<i>Please note: this giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Once the winner is announced, I will contact you via direct message on Instagram to get your mailing address - please don't post your address publicly! </i></div>
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If you aren't the lucky winner - you can get your very own copy of this amazing book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LLOOT2E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LLOOT2E&linkCode=as2&tag=mercedesknits-20&linkId=7KDKQNXL57DNRIGK">Brioche Chic</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mercedesknits-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00LLOOT2E" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. And what's more? If you're a Kindle user you can get a digital copy of this book too! Who doesn't love an e-book?</div>
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Happy knitting! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-38400312334304961232014-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:002014-10-16T09:00:06.590-07:00Falling Down MKAL - Prize AnnouncementWeeeeeooooo! It's been just 4 short weeks since this MKAL started and there are 3 of you finished already. That's amazing! Four if you count mine... but... well, mine don't really count, now, do they?<br />
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Let's take a look at these finished beauties:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbLgjyCAjcvOd4jJlhSAGKhFOuKZsJjSiNrBa8zdXtRJKqmiuKst7VEXUCOQY0hmsIDGt21sM33RdEVPvacKmX5-_Lt39ygV50LUBtZf19GkWXRrHhn0mo9SUJJhnCz1t5ydVn2tA9KE/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbLgjyCAjcvOd4jJlhSAGKhFOuKZsJjSiNrBa8zdXtRJKqmiuKst7VEXUCOQY0hmsIDGt21sM33RdEVPvacKmX5-_Lt39ygV50LUBtZf19GkWXRrHhn0mo9SUJJhnCz1t5ydVn2tA9KE/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" /></a></div>
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Acer Aces from <a href="http://instagram.com/bcrlmom" target="_blank">@bcrlmom</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhmiKUSf9RHObyqTAwcky3UGBuIFdnCa0eWfCFofX7HZjnIqbPYoGCzn04hJ5vEEMsoKtgmONccn_J5LuFQ64RAZdcqCDNANXNuW0-e_tGw37fmlWItM4xnjjBuUaxGvUZ8JM4vyj-Go/s1600/lorriep.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhmiKUSf9RHObyqTAwcky3UGBuIFdnCa0eWfCFofX7HZjnIqbPYoGCzn04hJ5vEEMsoKtgmONccn_J5LuFQ64RAZdcqCDNANXNuW0-e_tGw37fmlWItM4xnjjBuUaxGvUZ8JM4vyj-Go/s1600/lorriep.PNG" /></a></div>
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Mighty Poplar by <a href="http://instagram.com/lorriep" target="_blank">@lorriepi</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjs0pptEkqV8X8JafhNviUuEMAWWKUTwCwUQ5-yf-CLZ3ZLWTvLY7rr8XOoNRQu1Q8JJIfPiuqEwF4c7Jeiot631-9O50StgMMJBd2JYfMwPRcw8Q0xxUVpDBMm3Ifkk4avjx1ntVW4k/s1600/samandramones.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjs0pptEkqV8X8JafhNviUuEMAWWKUTwCwUQ5-yf-CLZ3ZLWTvLY7rr8XOoNRQu1Q8JJIfPiuqEwF4c7Jeiot631-9O50StgMMJBd2JYfMwPRcw8Q0xxUVpDBMm3Ifkk4avjx1ntVW4k/s1600/samandramones.PNG" /></a></div>
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A wonderful colorway (and some winning at yarn-chicken) by <a href="http://instagram.com/samandramones" target="_blank">@samandramones</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauQA8RahfqI0ndLXm95ML6RkmcbqzvaQCWfsRrMhlJSywW3ojnbEt6CPe_rKUuK_PuZUUZ1mlJSNtQLCt6idao4h94qm4MbNN2ybTQnA5MQLWep06Auq0cY3t94jjZ2fhbyxUWrBoUUM/s1600/socalmeaghan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauQA8RahfqI0ndLXm95ML6RkmcbqzvaQCWfsRrMhlJSywW3ojnbEt6CPe_rKUuK_PuZUUZ1mlJSNtQLCt6idao4h94qm4MbNN2ybTQnA5MQLWep06Auq0cY3t94jjZ2fhbyxUWrBoUUM/s1600/socalmeaghan.jpg" /></a></div>
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And just 'cuz I love 'em - <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">MY</a> socks. This is the Monstera Deliciosa colorway.</div>
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But lets get to the main reason we're all here: the PRIZES! Well, hopefully you were initially here for the socks but are NOW here for the prizes!</div>
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This time 'round cuz it's a smaller group of KAL'ers I've got only two prizes. Two prizes that aren't from me. I'm kicking in a THIRD prize cuz I love my knitting friends. So let's start there since it's fun to build the suspense. </div>
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So since it's still October and I freaking LOVE Halloween (and the typically-colder weather that comes with it but not in SoCal this year) I'm going to give away a set of my two No Tricks All Treats patterns. These babies: </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-socks" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats Socks</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZcG8QoIfPZtr8asjQWHZ6Pw4mJr-sikk6dRkvt-oM5NgY4b5trFPtaa27Nm3xsCZt5jOO0nraRYDCqow8cJc0aUdTq2ctl9N9HrHJXGwtG1t1Um1djcxQfr0cbtKCqVFzaVDbF7TvCM/s1600/On+Rock+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZcG8QoIfPZtr8asjQWHZ6Pw4mJr-sikk6dRkvt-oM5NgY4b5trFPtaa27Nm3xsCZt5jOO0nraRYDCqow8cJc0aUdTq2ctl9N9HrHJXGwtG1t1Um1djcxQfr0cbtKCqVFzaVDbF7TvCM/s1600/On+Rock+Side.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmvg-ydjqieLjiHYv2-yV7t6zmKtnHqA8IesiQERos2ZQ74yQiitpbZ-g0v-sAodmwPlW5sjj0J89PZid7ly1pcBLP1COLudELFcDTz_RZUUSEmlPBVkXgnf6rbzT-Ut147U_q_Y4HRU/s1600/Bottoms+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmvg-ydjqieLjiHYv2-yV7t6zmKtnHqA8IesiQERos2ZQ74yQiitpbZ-g0v-sAodmwPlW5sjj0J89PZid7ly1pcBLP1COLudELFcDTz_RZUUSEmlPBVkXgnf6rbzT-Ut147U_q_Y4HRU/s1600/Bottoms+Up.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZcG8QoIfPZtr8asjQWHZ6Pw4mJr-sikk6dRkvt-oM5NgY4b5trFPtaa27Nm3xsCZt5jOO0nraRYDCqow8cJc0aUdTq2ctl9N9HrHJXGwtG1t1Um1djcxQfr0cbtKCqVFzaVDbF7TvCM/s1600/On+Rock+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-fingerless-mitts" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats Fingerless Mitts</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfkppFo-CzxjITuywFoEVR7TDrnUFs38DV2Pmzpo7I1Za0a5Q559FZeZGsIqOuFVTqZJIb5AUenwN_-_cghUcg4NlGQMb7P9BIRGrJLRjVigCLCMkVuhrB7kepZPEyohb18AWzv5geQI/s1600/Drink+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfkppFo-CzxjITuywFoEVR7TDrnUFs38DV2Pmzpo7I1Za0a5Q559FZeZGsIqOuFVTqZJIb5AUenwN_-_cghUcg4NlGQMb7P9BIRGrJLRjVigCLCMkVuhrB7kepZPEyohb18AWzv5geQI/s1600/Drink+2.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6fr62_jkvsAqmKyGCi-WvaxUwiRj1evZPd9Q6CTM9DDk5eJVttVbh2boS0t_54V-1TELS4eJ8d6LuJ8XLpb0H3oSK6xuJeiqpqasIN7Cgal4Qjr6i0c-8Bhe6oeN6cjjs9KzvcC60tg/s1600/Top+&+Bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6fr62_jkvsAqmKyGCi-WvaxUwiRj1evZPd9Q6CTM9DDk5eJVttVbh2boS0t_54V-1TELS4eJ8d6LuJ8XLpb0H3oSK6xuJeiqpqasIN7Cgal4Qjr6i0c-8Bhe6oeN6cjjs9KzvcC60tg/s1600/Top+&+Bottom.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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If you have already purchased either of these patterns, as I know some of you have (thank you!!!) you can either choose another pattern or two from my store (up to $10 of sales) or you can bank it with me and I'll send you future pattern(s) at your request since I've not updated my store in a bit. It's up to you tho I really do love these patterns!</div>
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Next up on the Winners Block is a pattern and yarn combo prize from <a href="http://eweewe.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ewe Ewe Yarns</b></a>! The winner will receive a digital copy of the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/respectfully-twisted" target="_blank"><b>Respectfully Twisted</b></a> sock pattern and the yarn needed to make the socks! It just so happens that these socks are my design and the first pattern I sold to a company. Double win!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGLVBtQ_1epVrcAalJYaMiZkVUwfr_NQfPQUDzJksNPybf0eO5O27PYi5uMqNDn0DlseooyIyZbxvjzG1QvJJNnI16-bGJSCzr-xdyVwDAEV2seXe4vJB_mFI3FnrizvvFyNew6r0cfQ/s1600/Respectfully+Twisted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGLVBtQ_1epVrcAalJYaMiZkVUwfr_NQfPQUDzJksNPybf0eO5O27PYi5uMqNDn0DlseooyIyZbxvjzG1QvJJNnI16-bGJSCzr-xdyVwDAEV2seXe4vJB_mFI3FnrizvvFyNew6r0cfQ/s1600/Respectfully+Twisted.jpg" /></a></div>
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And our third prize is a delightful sock-sized project bag, with fabric inspired by this very MKAL, by the incredibly talented <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sixmunchkinstitching" target="_blank">Sixmunchkin Stitching</a>.</b> </div>
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This prize is especially noteworthy because the lovely Lisa of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sixmunchkinstitching" target="_blank">Sixmunchkin Stitching</a> is going to make project bags for the sweater KAL I'm hosting in early 2015! Her bags, which will be themed to match the KAL, will be available for pre-order as an add-on to the kits so save up your pennies. The quality of the bag is astounding so it'll be worth every cent!!! Check out the style of the bag and the quality of the details. I'm in love (and totally jealous of the winner who gets to keep this lovely bag). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP70R0xcOcDlhQ-xSPypojYLKrhq_iC2E3JRkLvMtveL5Ecr0GiOJ-2Un6-XA-lIF93rvaTjTsy_srcQl2e4FebASI-gaf2UYlbB-Ln3Ns51LXtpJKpGg9z4Pv-EFDhcPgEaD3Vr8BHE/s1600/IMG_3254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP70R0xcOcDlhQ-xSPypojYLKrhq_iC2E3JRkLvMtveL5Ecr0GiOJ-2Un6-XA-lIF93rvaTjTsy_srcQl2e4FebASI-gaf2UYlbB-Ln3Ns51LXtpJKpGg9z4Pv-EFDhcPgEaD3Vr8BHE/s1600/IMG_3254.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjUaluy6jhz0QP54FJXRT4B0YT2oFlzglSyPGnOE6VUVcIj5GVELpF6owGAZ4cdgILkMqW6pXdph8WS3CgXkPrUuvxoIkVoLXid0BTfAWpbSHsPpsurb6Dlk4L72ULQaKDBO8MJbrWyI/s1600/IMG_3253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjUaluy6jhz0QP54FJXRT4B0YT2oFlzglSyPGnOE6VUVcIj5GVELpF6owGAZ4cdgILkMqW6pXdph8WS3CgXkPrUuvxoIkVoLXid0BTfAWpbSHsPpsurb6Dlk4L72ULQaKDBO8MJbrWyI/s1600/IMG_3253.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstgji4EMoBdvAaoadGIcaD1D7Q6NdYmBQovKOY4Yl0eTs-evCY_1UQ1vOyvUadu13KnEGPOnm0_BlWO24vHEOxYKB1IdC1kVsQii6wGm7h1rEA89v-cU8Qk6sHH2A7_wqW2QkUH2CBHk/s1600/IMG_3257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstgji4EMoBdvAaoadGIcaD1D7Q6NdYmBQovKOY4Yl0eTs-evCY_1UQ1vOyvUadu13KnEGPOnm0_BlWO24vHEOxYKB1IdC1kVsQii6wGm7h1rEA89v-cU8Qk6sHH2A7_wqW2QkUH2CBHk/s1600/IMG_3257.JPG" /></a></div>
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Do you see that? There's a snap to keep your working yarn at hand - AND you can undo it so you don't have to cut your yarn to remove it from the bag. I LOVE IT!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIlHRvbEnP_FtOQv77w0Dz8SNoj9Hqj5xNbVVg5OtcoxGhz9YjaCQuNhTyDjWslZ21uuPxjDNOvAOe3Fwn7b4bY4ig0lZUi_hIQo1cpiiknALbWzvkCj-Y9S6f7kS6MRAN-speyoyXDI/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIlHRvbEnP_FtOQv77w0Dz8SNoj9Hqj5xNbVVg5OtcoxGhz9YjaCQuNhTyDjWslZ21uuPxjDNOvAOe3Fwn7b4bY4ig0lZUi_hIQo1cpiiknALbWzvkCj-Y9S6f7kS6MRAN-speyoyXDI/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jBTW-QV_5CDBjweCjtGoPAfbRv6tnZ7eCWvnYe5ZPJVlhWALw_OXfdriw34QykFV7OvzOrV8cyILIJEl-AM4W-5b9FWzitRXgmxcB4HpfEt13zsAbpL3AOSXvUTpzT060M3awQENkRA/s1600/IMG_3256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jBTW-QV_5CDBjweCjtGoPAfbRv6tnZ7eCWvnYe5ZPJVlhWALw_OXfdriw34QykFV7OvzOrV8cyILIJEl-AM4W-5b9FWzitRXgmxcB4HpfEt13zsAbpL3AOSXvUTpzT060M3awQENkRA/s1600/IMG_3256.JPG" /></a></div>
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And having had my hands on this bag and photographed, I can tell you that this bag is most definitely made with LOVE. </div>
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So, with all this said and shared, get those socks finished and submit them so you can win these awesome prizes! How, you ask?</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Join our group on Ravelry: </span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" style="color: #2198a6; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter</a>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Tag me on Instagram: </span><a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" style="background-color: white; color: #2198a6; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-decoration: none;">http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> and use #fallingdownmkal, #unapologeticknitter and/or #tuksockmkal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And by all means, if you have questions, email me at <a href="mailto:meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a> or message me on Rav (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan</a>), leave a comment here, or leave questions in the Discussion board for the MKAL on Ravelry (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23</a>). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">**NOTE**</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">There have been issues with me seeing questions on Ravelry in the past because, despite me being the owner of the discussion board, I don't get notified when people comment; I'm only notified if I'm tagged. </b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">So, if it's urgent, please be sure to ear burn me. </b></div>
</span><b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To do this enter my username in square brackets and follow it by tying the word "person" in parenthesis: </span></b></div>
</b><b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">[socalmeaghan](person)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
Lastly, a friendly reminder about our prizes: to be entered to win make sure to submit your photos to me via email, Instagram (being sure to tag @socalmeaghan) or in our Ravelry MKAL discussion <b><i>NO LATER than 11:59pm PST on Thursday, October 30th.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Knitting!!!</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-51373116677201833102014-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:002014-10-09T09:00:04.530-07:00Falling Down MKAL - Week 3 - End of Foot & ToesLet's check out some HEELS! I'm loving how excited you are about the heels. One of you is so excited you managed to get BOTH feet into the socks that are stuck together. I LOVE it!<br />
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<i>Photo caveat: just because your photos aren't up here, doesn't mean you aren't doing a killer job. I just click on the #fallingdownmkal on Instagram and choose the first few that pop up!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqcUEY3Cc2irInlsJ0T-6Qll8B9kiOAU17H6vn25bXoeg5hm6yhmcA4n6TvggsChPtZIDn9AmzfxAUrsAFELJjCEudYuAEZRFo5bZ4dlGoHjHzopUurdC8IgXkXitroX9KLMdHneVKDo/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqcUEY3Cc2irInlsJ0T-6Qll8B9kiOAU17H6vn25bXoeg5hm6yhmcA4n6TvggsChPtZIDn9AmzfxAUrsAFELJjCEudYuAEZRFo5bZ4dlGoHjHzopUurdC8IgXkXitroX9KLMdHneVKDo/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" /></a></div>
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Front and back of some lovely heels from <a href="http://instagram.com/bcrlmom" target="_blank">@bcrlmom</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDiLOGiZzwkBmVrTrXXye2simJox_80uAKcTkEI6QPXImpFOL-V0iY17dx6YAARA2TdyChSNgXf6lFlWDh49WJixIjYyhGn2kX9ENI2fu_npSnY6-axw_LTzy7IZ-4sOZ4GYQ5ul0Crs/s1600/christelleb78.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDiLOGiZzwkBmVrTrXXye2simJox_80uAKcTkEI6QPXImpFOL-V0iY17dx6YAARA2TdyChSNgXf6lFlWDh49WJixIjYyhGn2kX9ENI2fu_npSnY6-axw_LTzy7IZ-4sOZ4GYQ5ul0Crs/s1600/christelleb78.PNG" /></a></div>
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Look at those blocks fall away on <a href="http://instagram.com/christelleb78" target="_blank">@christelleb78</a>'s socks</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcL9u6z4eJpgQvwmPdoauCPeBvE4EdiIygZ3smpyoLpglEzKWuQKDbK0W_61eE-dP24CD5BNG6WCrlUEJqF4o97BhgdVnpawfvsueNr1m_tWX1RQF6UkfCYacDVJyGMFeL0JteDYmUoM/s1600/samandramones.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcL9u6z4eJpgQvwmPdoauCPeBvE4EdiIygZ3smpyoLpglEzKWuQKDbK0W_61eE-dP24CD5BNG6WCrlUEJqF4o97BhgdVnpawfvsueNr1m_tWX1RQF6UkfCYacDVJyGMFeL0JteDYmUoM/s1600/samandramones.PNG" /></a></div>
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And the intrepid (and death-defying) <a href="http://instagram.com/samandramones" target="_blank">@samandramones</a> getting right into her socks!</div>
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It's so good to see folks surviving the 2aat gusset heels. The first time I tried them I *might* have used a few bad words and thrown the lot across the room. Might... not saying it actually happend but it miiiiiiight have. </div>
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So this week we're going to finish the feet and the toes and well... the socks! It should be way less crazy than the heels. Finishing off the feet is pretty similar to working the legs with the minor difference of working the pattern across the top of the foot only and working in stockinette across the bottom. How much faster is it, right? I love designs and making beautiful patterns but getting to the foot part rocks - I love the simplicity of the sole. </div>
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Anyway, I digress. Let's talk a bit about how to plan for the toe decreases. In the week 1 clue release on the last page I talked about how long to make your foot from the back of the heel to the tip of the toe. This is where that math now comes into play. I'm going to use MY numbers as examples but let's look at how to best work the rest of your foot and your toe decreases. </div>
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My foot is 9" long from the tippy tip of my big toe (cuz my second toe is actually shorter than my long toe - I know this isn't the case for everyone so take the measurement from the longest digit) to the back of my heel. I like a 10% negative ease on the length of my foot so that the sock still fits nice and snug at the end of the day. So at 8.1" (90% of 9") and my row gauge of 42.5 sts / 4" I need 86 rows for the sole of my foot. </div>
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<b><i>NOTE</i></b>: I do <u><i>NOT</i></u> count the bind off of the toes in this measurement. </div>
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So, since we start the heel on row 71, I count that as Row 1 of my foot row counts. And since I was very nice when designing this sock, I made each pattern repeat 10 rows. As a result, counting my completed rows of foot length is super easy. </div>
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But - if you weren't working this pattern and you wanted to count your rows, here's a little trick I like to use. I place a marker after each 10 rows completed so that I just have to count the markers up. Also - feel free to poke fun at the fact that I'm completely obsessed with alternating my markers. Always. I dunno why. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EuyfCOQ1j3VvFNB6rHCzXacrKgWH4Ylm_nrxsHmFmVXnysJGc6jaA7EzBCEwnHemTv0Ec6xdbbjiow4aK_0Z1vumJQz_UdoubEjlXjUnO_wv-MqAAA0nx72Wgpw_hmna1ZSiZl38AL8/s1600/Row+Counting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EuyfCOQ1j3VvFNB6rHCzXacrKgWH4Ylm_nrxsHmFmVXnysJGc6jaA7EzBCEwnHemTv0Ec6xdbbjiow4aK_0Z1vumJQz_UdoubEjlXjUnO_wv-MqAAA0nx72Wgpw_hmna1ZSiZl38AL8/s1600/Row+Counting.jpg" /></a></div>
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Getting back to the maths for the foot: my overall row count is 86. Knowing that, I need to look at how many rows of decreases I'm going to do for my toe shaping. So here's a little bit of math for YOU to do for yourself (again - substitute your numbers here):</div>
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Overall foot row requirement: 86 rows</div>
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Overall foot st count: 56 sts (28 sts on front needle and 28 sts on back needles)</div>
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Desired finished toe width: 1.5" (which works out to 12 sts on each needle based on my stitch gauge)</div>
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28 sts minus 12 sts = 16 sts</div>
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Working the toe shaping per the pattern I know it will therefore take me 16 rows to complete my decreases.</div>
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86 rows total desired minus 16 rows for the decrease = 70 rows of foot before starting the decreases.</div>
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Lucky for me (truly... I PROMISE I didn't plan this) my even knitting ends on an even row. If that were not the case, I would have the choice of continuing to knit in pattern right up to the point where I need to start decreasing, or I could work in pattern to the last 10 repeat and then knit even in stockinette until I need to start decreasing. The choice is yours. </div>
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So now you've sorted out your decreases, you've WORKED the decreases and now you have to work the Kitchener Stitch. Let's get our yarn cut and find our tapestry needle. I usually leave about 10 inches of working yarn for the Kitchener finish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHksWIONzXC8FCAXknER9Brt0ZZLUdsA5D2ELIS_78dkkWCxTBh1vkcHnCNCi0-OqV92DywhAMR1k1GX0GH8BS-fB4M71zsVy6eTAykhCoNdBbuGaiT9v57jR9E2Q42Xq8Axb3hsX7-XQ/s1600/Kitchener+Tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHksWIONzXC8FCAXknER9Brt0ZZLUdsA5D2ELIS_78dkkWCxTBh1vkcHnCNCi0-OqV92DywhAMR1k1GX0GH8BS-fB4M71zsVy6eTAykhCoNdBbuGaiT9v57jR9E2Q42Xq8Axb3hsX7-XQ/s1600/Kitchener+Tools.jpg" /></a></div>
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Folks don't seem to like the Kitchener Stitch. If you're one of those who LOVES it like me - welcome to the club, new bestie! </div>
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I think the reason folks have trouble with the Kitchener is they don't see the pattern in it. At least that's what I'm guessing. I'm not sure why otherwise. But basically what I always remember is that each stitch has to be worked twice - once knitwise and once purlwise and the "bind off", aka: the direction by which you remove the stitch from the marker can be chalked up to whether it's "Right" of "Wrong".</div>
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Say what?</div>
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Stay with me on this. </div>
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When you're working in stockinette, there's a Right Side and a Wrong Side. The Right Side is when the "V's" are facing you, the Wrong Side is when the worms are facing you (yes, I call the back side of stockinette "worms" - I think that's what they look like). </div>
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When you're removing the stitch from the front needle, with the RIGHT SIDE facing you, you're going to remove the stitch knitwise (which is conveniently the side of the fabric that is facing you when you would be working a knit stitch). </div>
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Conversely, when you're removing the stitch from the back needle, the WRONG SIDE of the inside of the sock is "facing" you. I know, it's kind of a loose theory since you're not necessarily looking into the sock but I think you know what I mean. So in this case, you'd remove the stitch purlwise since you're looking at the wrong side of the work. </div>
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Clear as mud?</div>
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If not, that's not unexpected. I've watchted the following video about a dozen times in the past. Thankfully I now know how to Kitchener without it, but one last time I'm going to refer you to the guru, Knit Purl Hunter, and her awesome Kitchener tutorial:</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq2U0w2UHuM"><b>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq2U0w2UHuM</b></a></div>
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Also - did you notice she says knit WAYS and purl WAYS instead of WISE? Have I been saying it wrong all this time?! Now I doubt myself. </div>
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One more thing before I let you go for the week. Let's talk about sock blocking. Some folks use Sock Blockers. I am not one of those people. Why? 'Cuz I figure socks are socks, right?! Do they really need to be shaped to a foot? Some folks love them. I have no personal disdain for them - I just haven't bothered investing in one. </div>
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Does that mean I don't block my socks?! HECK NO! I always block my socks. But it's a simple process for me. </div>
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I grab a bowl, my <a href="http://soakwash.com/store/cdn_retail/soak-yuzu.html" target="_blank">SOAK Wool Wash</a> (my favorite smell is Yuzu), my socks, and some cool water. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIRnzrz_VDPs_-q12nhw5bXxspVPHJKUAVz93rLs6zwkdhNbJVAGR8bpsnrrnSS-5tVMxy31SYu31115ktKhJYQyxcCw-Gh2YqKW3bKZg-nXVZsyjp1u9ent7WkpOQx-46nHRexjDbCM/s1600/Soak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIRnzrz_VDPs_-q12nhw5bXxspVPHJKUAVz93rLs6zwkdhNbJVAGR8bpsnrrnSS-5tVMxy31SYu31115ktKhJYQyxcCw-Gh2YqKW3bKZg-nXVZsyjp1u9ent7WkpOQx-46nHRexjDbCM/s1600/Soak.jpg" /></a></div>
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I squeeze about a teaspoon of soak onto my socks and then run the water over them until it's all nice and foamy and good smelling.</div>
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Then I walk away for about two hours 'cuz I forget the socks are there in the water. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LU3odfFlTaWr3EvXEPxaHmaatijXf-JffAuL8SwMusqp8Ebam2a9Dir5nN1RHpMr4kE_Todbv1Vux3ChOldpepq3nbNngTm4fZdAfCwAS65q7Wcb2nk7V5RqGpFe_skbxQuiIFze8aY/s1600/Soakbabysoak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LU3odfFlTaWr3EvXEPxaHmaatijXf-JffAuL8SwMusqp8Ebam2a9Dir5nN1RHpMr4kE_Todbv1Vux3ChOldpepq3nbNngTm4fZdAfCwAS65q7Wcb2nk7V5RqGpFe_skbxQuiIFze8aY/s1600/Soakbabysoak.jpg" /></a></div>
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When I finally remember about them I run back upstairs, squeeze out all the water (you don't need to rinse them of any leftover suds) and then simply lay them out on a blocking mat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPy_viprdsocOBOB4gNvYPz0WtdtIOU_H3UmjSpdkQI5m7MiIJ2hJ9C6d72NOKjhffEUDgr5MOca7V-uCsmyPzcbmy2nSpt_PkgaC_3ptHvxfhgSdpBMsn7efaZ1HpROAwoN4x8J5ube0/s1600/Blocking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPy_viprdsocOBOB4gNvYPz0WtdtIOU_H3UmjSpdkQI5m7MiIJ2hJ9C6d72NOKjhffEUDgr5MOca7V-uCsmyPzcbmy2nSpt_PkgaC_3ptHvxfhgSdpBMsn7efaZ1HpROAwoN4x8J5ube0/s1600/Blocking.jpg" /></a></div>
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And that will about do it! If you're like me and you block under a fan, you'll have new socks to wear in about 8 hours. GO YOU!</div>
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Can you believe we've knit socks in 3 weeks?! WOW! Way to go all of you. I'm so honored to have had the chance to knit with you, and I look forward to the chance to do it again (think "Sweater"... it's gonna happen in early 2015). </div>
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And don't worry - I haven't forgotten about the prizes. We've got some coming your way - I think I'll post them NEXT Thursday so I can share some more photos of your excellent work. Speaking of photos, keep sharing them! Please! I love to see your progress!</div>
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Join our group on Ravelry: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter">http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter</a></div>
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Tag me on Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan">http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan</a> and use #fallingdownmkal, #unapologeticknitter and/or #tuksockmkal</div>
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And by all means, if you have questions, email me at <a href="mailto:meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a> or message me on Rav (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan">http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan</a>), leave a comment here, or leave questions in the Discussion board for the MKAL on Ravelry (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23">http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23</a>). </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">**NOTE**</span></b></div>
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<b>There have been issues with me seeing questions on Ravelry in the past because, despite me being the owner of the discussion board, I don't get notified when people comment; I'm only notified if I'm tagged. </b><b>So, if it's urgent, please be sure to ear burn me. </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>To do this enter my username in square brackets and follow it by tying the word "person" in parenthesis: </b></div>
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<b>[socalmeaghan](person)</b></div>
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Lastly, a friendly reminder about our prizes: to be entered to win make sure to submit your photos to me via email, Instagram (being sure to tag @socalmeaghan) or in our Ravelry MKAL discussion <b><i>NO LATER than 11:59pm PST on Thursday, October 30th.</i></b></div>
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Happy Knitting!!!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-31901499067516349072014-10-08T07:54:00.001-07:002014-10-08T08:22:01.333-07:00New Pattern: No Tricks All Treats Fingerless MittsThey're done! They're done! The matching mitts to the <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/2014/10/new-pattern-no-tricks-all-treats-socks.html" target="_blank">socks I released last week</a>. And I couldn't love them more if I tried.<br />
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Ok, that's a lie.<br />
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I could love them MORE if I hadn't had to rip out the initial design three times before I was happy with the finished product. But I DO love them. Oh. So. Much.<br />
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These mitts are loooong... meant to be worn the full length of your forearm to keep you nice and toasty on these chilly fall days. They're fitted to the arm so they fit under sweaters and jackets easily and are mirror images of one another.<br />
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And the BEST part (IMO of course)? They're fully reversible so if you want to wear the Chevrons on your palms instead, you can go right ahead.<br />
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The mitts feature the Trusty Sock base from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NomadicYarns" target="_blank">Nomadic Yarns</a> in two colorways: a solid, "Smoke, and a self-stripping, "<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/204059552/ready-to-ship-trusty-sock-the-slutty?ref=shop_home_active_22" target="_blank">The Slutty Pumpkin</a>". Ashley has a wide range of self striping yarns that would be beautiful in this pattern - go check them out and decide which one makes you happiest. I kind of want to do the "<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/202908728/dyed-to-order-poolside-self-striping?ref=shop_home_feat_3" target="_blank">Poolside</a>" - it's amazing!<br />
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And guess what? Nomadic Yarns has done up a Dye to Order kit for these patterns so you can order them in combo. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/205535300/dyed-to-order-no-tricks-all-treats-sock?ref=shop_home_active_18" target="_blank">Check it out!</a><br />
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<b><i>**DEAL ALERT**</i></b></div>
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For the month of October - if you have purchased the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-socks" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats Socks</a>, you can use coupon code "NOTRICK50" at check out to receive 50% off your copy of the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-fingerless-mitts" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats Fingerless Mitts</a>.</div>
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<b><i><u>OR</u></i></b></div>
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If you purchase both patterns together you'll automatically receive 50% off the price of one pattern.</div>
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Anyway - here are the mitts... do you love how the Smoke decreases at the elbow mirrors the increases for the thumb? Makes me SOOOOOOOO giddy!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-fingerless-mitts" target="_blank">No Tricks, All Treats Fingerless Mitts</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLeqzT-BFizgE1zcD6fTXBHHe-lf4WWd5rE6iyRG2HWCszX7LeTrovKBCiDqp0r7HTVh55yt9F6fM51L5mPA-DL_CPYb9M9cDe3Vn8zumErhR9rLxGFTpTSGEDar_zfqHSM7voB1Z3xs/s1600/Drink+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLeqzT-BFizgE1zcD6fTXBHHe-lf4WWd5rE6iyRG2HWCszX7LeTrovKBCiDqp0r7HTVh55yt9F6fM51L5mPA-DL_CPYb9M9cDe3Vn8zumErhR9rLxGFTpTSGEDar_zfqHSM7voB1Z3xs/s1600/Drink+1.jpg" height="550" width="550" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EHRE4QltkFZ7o8nWng_SxfwJNFs2waJB2TAww5sH9w2iwmvAukAivP8gda6m2ZCbV0fgkxankVzAE87PI3Ub2HxA2c9AndvDUpAT0ma77L4mczyv049iT_Qb76jFBOpHXkRBxaNNQm8/s1600/Top+&+Bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EHRE4QltkFZ7o8nWng_SxfwJNFs2waJB2TAww5sH9w2iwmvAukAivP8gda6m2ZCbV0fgkxankVzAE87PI3Ub2HxA2c9AndvDUpAT0ma77L4mczyv049iT_Qb76jFBOpHXkRBxaNNQm8/s1600/Top+&+Bottom.jpg" height="550" width="550" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOqhW84XpMWOWunylBoP4D5hY634PDUTqzQKR5-k8Hfq8EZC6BKukNnnKvpbMASoLzftkHyniPr2aKhok-xTJw2GHKwgvmqncNhf2-fqqAONI3LHJa2k-aMf-vpmKOzwNfXipdZC9Er0/s1600/_MG_9866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOqhW84XpMWOWunylBoP4D5hY634PDUTqzQKR5-k8Hfq8EZC6BKukNnnKvpbMASoLzftkHyniPr2aKhok-xTJw2GHKwgvmqncNhf2-fqqAONI3LHJa2k-aMf-vpmKOzwNfXipdZC9Er0/s1600/_MG_9866.jpg" height="550" width="550" /></a></div>
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Go make your own - keep your fingers warm when you're drinking your winter beers (and I hope you get a glass as awesome as the one in these photos!). </div>
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Happy knitting, lovelies!!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-35233221798095391402014-10-02T08:46:00.000-07:002014-10-02T08:46:08.638-07:00Falling Down MKAL - Week 2 - End of Leg, Heels and Start of FootOk... where did September go? For serious. I can't believe we're already into October - I feel like 2014 just started!<br />
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Anyway, all whining about time aside, HOW MUCH FUN did you have making these socks? Was it too much in the first week? I hope not. I tried to take cues from the first MKAL this spring which seemed like the socks were broken down TOO much and folks were antsy for more in one week so I hope I've hit a better balance. Feel free to leave your feelings about this in the comments so I know if you're finding it a better balance of clue in a week.<br />
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I DO know that some of you are ROCKING your socks already. Check this out:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg1Dct0tNlVA_LZpuSynWIr3ouCElP12Y9Hf53hwIk6g99-Buq3Fb7ExHDBRKPcAQV2CQmDg7vzNU6J9Z4kJ_0mdPqoGFVbH39-KllRxovmiVCRKz9Y7r3Sz29FKkjnJjog8YIF8nMLQ/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg1Dct0tNlVA_LZpuSynWIr3ouCElP12Y9Hf53hwIk6g99-Buq3Fb7ExHDBRKPcAQV2CQmDg7vzNU6J9Z4kJ_0mdPqoGFVbH39-KllRxovmiVCRKz9Y7r3Sz29FKkjnJjog8YIF8nMLQ/s1600/bcrlmom.PNG" /></a></div>
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Here we've got <a href="http://instagram.com/bcrlmom" target="_blank">@bcrlmom</a> using Acer Aces for her socks and making some major strides. </div>
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(what <i>DOES</i> "bcrl" stand for, Gretchen?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW25cQQXidxpoK9O_Fm8_y0t-JGmql6IUmMM8ZidZ1DxU_0LY_GBGOQR6F5x9wdEAH58JP5eVBVJkSz7wF6v1cczQpSdWj6j20uy6pP9eKnw4CpSdo0RnJw05gHD69J2m6uDpJWSnQ4E/s1600/christelleb78.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW25cQQXidxpoK9O_Fm8_y0t-JGmql6IUmMM8ZidZ1DxU_0LY_GBGOQR6F5x9wdEAH58JP5eVBVJkSz7wF6v1cczQpSdWj6j20uy6pP9eKnw4CpSdo0RnJw05gHD69J2m6uDpJWSnQ4E/s1600/christelleb78.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/christelleb78" target="_blank">@christelleb78</a> showing off her amazing gauge... seriously - that ribbing?! Ah. Maze. Ing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpqOnFjyn8nBbVEFHjmFEf2xfXL31W-7HrQDRK4_SBiT0ITi90-zrYUCAU-iJ1dXFTqK8GK7wk9g-uc5LTUkJ__trgNqgBRWQVdaQfQoD-W2giKx033qMsqYe9PF4sJYC5vuowsHckEI/s1600/kznit.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpqOnFjyn8nBbVEFHjmFEf2xfXL31W-7HrQDRK4_SBiT0ITi90-zrYUCAU-iJ1dXFTqK8GK7wk9g-uc5LTUkJ__trgNqgBRWQVdaQfQoD-W2giKx033qMsqYe9PF4sJYC5vuowsHckEI/s1600/kznit.PNG" /></a></div>
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Mighty Poplar is looking good on the backs of <a href="http://instagram.com/kznit" target="_blank">@kznits</a> socks... I love seeing those blocks falling away. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxT1Megd_MppR6LAQMkAp0SdtO2btlHMlLr9Ya3iuKp5ll9pyOWQLbkd7-uQp86RiNC32gCGjc4PDPPW3cl988U2QiiP3GYJ1zOoSq7qhexrc1T8MH0YasfJ08O_7cJDxmV5tWp5oOzY/s1600/sixmunchkinstitching.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxT1Megd_MppR6LAQMkAp0SdtO2btlHMlLr9Ya3iuKp5ll9pyOWQLbkd7-uQp86RiNC32gCGjc4PDPPW3cl988U2QiiP3GYJ1zOoSq7qhexrc1T8MH0YasfJ08O_7cJDxmV5tWp5oOzY/s1600/sixmunchkinstitching.PNG" /></a></div>
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And last but certainly not least, <a href="http://instagram.com/sixmunchkinstitching" target="_blank">@sixmunchkinstitching</a> is getting a great start using a lonely skein she had on hand. </div>
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Squee! I just love seeing your socks coming together. It makes me all warm and tingly inside. :) </div>
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Let's get down to some BIZ-NISS about this weeks clue release. The pattern part on the remainder of the leg is pretty clear, right?! Just keep on doing what you've been doing up to this point with the next piece of the chart and you're off to the races. It's this 2aat gusset heel that needs some discussion. </div>
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Let's chat about my choice of heel first. If you've worked the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks" target="_blank">Hermione's Everyday Socks</a> before, this is going to look mighty familiar. It was my first successful gusset heel so I've stuck with it because I think a) it looks awesome and b) it is, in my opinion, one of the easiest gusset heels to work with. The designer called the heel a "Modified Eye of Partridge heel". Here's why:</div>
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A standard Eye of Partridge heel looks like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt9N8q1HtFgSdc29dXeQbgP34z_TawyeoJrvEkSTMPmr8aYDC-vb-RUi-x5vnvAsgOJ864V4LbItTG4nX-2vzVM-2oc3_0oE4xZKhqjuytEpEOT6HzySypTvuIzQYUhVGPdu_Me7rJkA/s1600/cts2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt9N8q1HtFgSdc29dXeQbgP34z_TawyeoJrvEkSTMPmr8aYDC-vb-RUi-x5vnvAsgOJ864V4LbItTG4nX-2vzVM-2oc3_0oE4xZKhqjuytEpEOT6HzySypTvuIzQYUhVGPdu_Me7rJkA/s1600/cts2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2006/10/oh_maggie.htm" target="_blank">via</a></div>
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The slip 1/ knit 1 pattern runs from end to end of the heel. And, again, IMO, it's REALLY HARD to pick up those slipped edge stitches. For me. I'm not saying that it's hard in general, I just lose the stitches really easily somehow and end up with the wrong number of stitches. Like, all the time. </div>
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What the modified version of the heel does is create a section, 3 stitches wide, that is pretty much a road map saying "Hey, you, pick up the stitches here, and here, and here..."... You get it. </div>
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Hat's off to <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/erica-lueder" target="_blank">Erica Lueder</a> for her awesome modification of this heel that makes Meaghan a happy knitter. </div>
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So you've worked your flap, you've turned the heel so you have your decreased number of stitches on what will be come the bottom of the heel (the very back part where the sock cups the bottom of the back of your heel) and now you have to pick up these stitches. So here we go - my best attempt at a photo tutorial of these tiny stitches. </div>
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Below you can see the 3 st garter panel down each side of the heel flap. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Bvs3OLnO8ACaY5TAduyRcQCWvoxQV1Kx9mA5wgjE0lwCAZizQOLIXS357xMzsS0w-_RlnOhbtdCZsTjMX0uHMqjxVLz5S78i2ujMEao0KEOfiCmTdtXejtLcBWVcxLF_0Y-1x33McE/s1600/Heel+flap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8Bvs3OLnO8ACaY5TAduyRcQCWvoxQV1Kx9mA5wgjE0lwCAZizQOLIXS357xMzsS0w-_RlnOhbtdCZsTjMX0uHMqjxVLz5S78i2ujMEao0KEOfiCmTdtXejtLcBWVcxLF_0Y-1x33McE/s1600/Heel+flap.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here's the heel with the turned stitches on the bottom. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXlKCiwReiEQd8NXRBnotcswN1dAaTKmO2UPeK1RQn9P3sfgNMaLZDKiXBPiqKlNWKtJmrXLO5TmTuNH3KRzg4p6-E4D-dTbcG746-B_FYSSjVDnCs0NirpibIcR5oCte0P1lTQhFOkQ/s1600/Turned+heel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXlKCiwReiEQd8NXRBnotcswN1dAaTKmO2UPeK1RQn9P3sfgNMaLZDKiXBPiqKlNWKtJmrXLO5TmTuNH3KRzg4p6-E4D-dTbcG746-B_FYSSjVDnCs0NirpibIcR5oCte0P1lTQhFOkQ/s1600/Turned+heel.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here's the count of the garter rows up the side of the flap starting from the leg side (the 14th row of garter is right up against the needle).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWFzfCbifEJI4p0ztWW6Je8GVm19XNdG5UeE8QKOR657GFhpXQbKmFvLTTr4RXNf2QFuo53WEYgceDUu9R-hlRq_mWuXlS5GbWTzfbTsPQEGxMkcGZoNHRveFUJmHcKtZ9lrpFQCJvNw/s1600/Edge+sts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWFzfCbifEJI4p0ztWW6Je8GVm19XNdG5UeE8QKOR657GFhpXQbKmFvLTTr4RXNf2QFuo53WEYgceDUu9R-hlRq_mWuXlS5GbWTzfbTsPQEGxMkcGZoNHRveFUJmHcKtZ9lrpFQCJvNw/s1600/Edge+sts.jpg" /></a></div>
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To start picking up the stitches to create the gusset:</div>
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1) Locate the first bump adjacent to your live heel sts. Put your needle into the first WHOLE stitch, making sure you're picking up both legs of the st, and we're going to pick up and knit a stitch from this stitch. </div>
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2) You're going to repeat this process just above each bump along the side edge of your heel flap until you have the required number of picked up sts. </div>
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3) Now you have to pick up one more to close the gap. Now, let me preface and say that this isn't REQUIRED but I think it closes up any would-be gaps very nicely. See that little "V" between the left leg of the stitch on the heel, and the right leg of the first stitch on the Front needle? Make a stitch using those two legs. Easy peasy, Mac 'n' Cheesy! </div>
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You're going to repeat this process on the 3 remaining sides of your heels. This starts the gusset section and turns the stitches so they're now all running in the same direction as the instep of your sock. </div>
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Now, let's talk about the craziness that is about to ensue when you have all of your heel sts on the back needle. I know... I know. It's totally wacky, right? But it's doable. I've done it. I've seen other folks do it. You'll survive. I promise. I do recommend being over-generous with stitch markers if you feel like you're going to move stitches all around on your needles. Mark the instep sts and the heel stitches where you can so that if the cable of your needle gets pulled through in the wrong spot you won't panic and throw your knitting down in disgust. By no means are stitch markers required but if this is your first crack at 2aat cuff-down socks, it might be advantageous. </div>
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So once your stitches from the gusset are all decreased and you have a beautiful little triangle of gusset stitches on either side of your socks, you're ready to keep going with the Foot chart. The foot will be comprised of the Instep stitches (these are the stitches on the Front needle that make up the top of the foot and house all the design) and the Sole stitches, which are the stockinette stitches (knit all sts, all rounds) that will hide under your feet. It's a lot like working the leg except you don't have to worry about any design on the bottom. It's so fast!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alrighty - I think that about wraps up the tips and tricks for this weeks' clue. Remember to keep posting and sharing your photos on social media. I love seeing them pop up. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">How, you ask?</span></div>
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1817783303282169787" itemprop="description articleBody" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; width: 590px; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Join our group on Ravelry: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter</a>Tag me on Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;">http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan</a> and use #fallingdownmkal, #unapologeticknitter and/or #tuksockmkal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">And by all means, if you have questions, email me at</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> </span><a href="mailto:meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-decoration: none;">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">or message me on Rav (</span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">), leave a comment here, or leave questions in the Discussion board for the MKAL on Ravelry (</span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">**NOTE**</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">There have been issues with me seeing questions on Ravelry in the past because, despite me being the owner of the discussion board, I don't get notified when people comment; I'm only notified if I'm tagged. </b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">So, if it's urgent, please be sure to ear burn me. </b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">To do this enter my username in square brackets and follow it by tying the word "person" in parentheses: </b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">[socalmeaghan](person)</b></b></span></div>
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Lastly, a friendly reminder about our prizes. To be entered to win one of our fabulous prizes, please submit your photos to me via email, Instagram (being sure to tag @socalmeaghan) or in our Ravelry MKAL discussion <b><i>NO LATER than 11:59pm PST on Thursday, October 30th.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b>Happy Knitting!!!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-44053705984669045042014-10-01T08:03:00.000-07:002014-10-01T08:10:11.383-07:00New Pattern: No Tricks All Treats SocksOh man, how long has it been since I've published a new pattern? It feels like forever (though it's only been a few months).<br />
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"Why?", you ask.<br />
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Because I've been a busy bee knitting up samples for magazines (yeah baby, I'm gonna be PUBLISHED), designing for <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns,</a> and generally keeping my fingers busy with lots and lots of knitting, but no new designs. Until now! With any luck, October will be a banner month and I'll get some "me" knitting done with some new designs out the door.<br />
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Today is the first step in achieving this - and what better a day to release it than the first of the month? And the first of the BEST month: October! Halloween is just around the corner and (in theory) the weather is cooling down so I can wear all the knits (though not so much here in SoCal... the Santa Ana's have arrived and its' gonna be hot, hot, HOT!).<br />
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But despite that, I wanted to share my latest creation with you: the No Tricks All Treats Socks. I absolutely love these babies. They're fun and colorful and LOOK super complicated but they're really not.<br />
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Featuring <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NomadicYarns" target="_blank">Nomadic Yarns</a> in two colorways: "Smoke" as the base color and "<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/204059552/ready-to-ship-trusty-sock-the-slutty?ref=shop_home_active_2&ga_search_query=slutty" target="_blank">The Slutty Pumpkin</a>" both in the Trusty Sock base (75% Merino superwash, 25% nylon, 463 yds/100g) these socks show off some very basic colorwork with sideways chevrons and a short row heel. LOOOOOOOOOVE!<br />
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I'd also like to give a major shout-out to Sheila (<a href="http://instagram.com/knittysheshe" target="_blank">@knittysheshe</a> on Instagram) who knit these lovely socks up and provided these awesome pictures. I wouldn't have made my October 1st deadline without her.<br />
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So, introducing... the <b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/no-tricks-all-treats-socks" target="_blank">No Tricks All Treats Socks!</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAt_v7vtVZoQ9EM3O56s2gOSA2eT5LZUFgVXxx_yhLtezDauJlRGHeTchoF4EqNqZ5uHB0Kmo6sk5Rltu3mTnz7xuFyz1j22F4DPU7lEy31XoevIDduJB2bFNjXiBWHPz9Amwtcq3vbvE/s1600/Bottoms+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAt_v7vtVZoQ9EM3O56s2gOSA2eT5LZUFgVXxx_yhLtezDauJlRGHeTchoF4EqNqZ5uHB0Kmo6sk5Rltu3mTnz7xuFyz1j22F4DPU7lEy31XoevIDduJB2bFNjXiBWHPz9Amwtcq3vbvE/s1600/Bottoms+Up.jpg" /></a></div>
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And how about one more Treat to go with these socks? There's going to be a matching pattern released in the next two weeks that will be available for 50% off for the month of October with the purchase of these socks. Huzzah! </div>
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Get these babies while they're hot! I can't wait to knit up my own pair so that my feet feel super Halloween-y. Hallo-weenie?! LOL. I kill me.</div>
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Knit 'em. Love 'em. Happy knitting, lovelies! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-18177833032821697872014-09-25T09:00:00.000-07:002014-09-25T09:00:07.779-07:00Falling Down MKAL - Week 1 - Casting On, Cuff and Start of LegOk - lemme just start out by saying I'm SO FREAKIN' EXCITED to be knitting with you all again! I feel like it's been AGES since we did the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/turn-it-up-to-11-mkal" target="_blank">Turn It Up To 11 MKAL</a> and I've missed the interactions. I hope you are all as excited as I am to get to these socks which will, with any luck, be your new favorite fall socks.<br />
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First and foremost - didja get your pattern? If not, go get it here:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/falling-down-sock">http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/falling-down-sock</a></b></div>
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OK, now that THAT's outta the way, let's talk about one sock vs. two. Well, I mean by the time you're done you're gonna have two socks. Its not like I tell you to make one and than vamoose, right? Right! It's more a question of whether your'e going to knit 1aat (one at a time) or 2aat (two at a time). </div>
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If you joined us for the <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/search/label/turn%20it%20up%20to%2011" target="_blank">Turn It Up to 11 MKAL</a> where we learned all about how to knit 2aat, toe-up socks then you're probably like me and kind of addicted to 2aat so you don't end up with second sock syndrome. In this MKAL, we're gonna have info for both: 1aat and 2aat socks. </div>
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<i><b>Small, eensy weensy caveat for 2aat addicts:</b></i> 2aat top-down socks ROCK! But fair warning, the heel is a bit fussy. Nothing that can't be managed, especially by all you sock-knitting gurus, but there will be some fiddly bits. The rest is easy as pie! So don't let that discourage you - I just believe in transparency of what we're embarking on. </div>
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With that caveat out of the way, I'll be knitting my socks two at a time cuz Mama likes a challenge!</div>
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So let's get down to it. First step, obvi, is winding up your skein of yarn into a cake (or a ball for those of you with the patience to do it by hand rather than a winder). Here's a shameless sharing of a corner of my craft room since I like pictures in blog posts and so far we're picture-less:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKC1y64qF6y8sG9NjYEiUCXOiMWO_x6Hkp46cXs9PzTHge3cfbcThIerqkB7PsekNuY5TossPYBSmDFfVFMqI__vGihW7slgJn4YJA7Gh9cyE_l4JdgNx3FC7MedkVlDGPGk9bB3ziiw/s1600/IMG_3964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKC1y64qF6y8sG9NjYEiUCXOiMWO_x6Hkp46cXs9PzTHge3cfbcThIerqkB7PsekNuY5TossPYBSmDFfVFMqI__vGihW7slgJn4YJA7Gh9cyE_l4JdgNx3FC7MedkVlDGPGk9bB3ziiw/s1600/IMG_3964.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: small;">I need some color on these walls, eh?!</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">**NOTE** </span></b></div>
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<b>If you have NOT yet done your gauge swatch, don't split the yarn yet. Knit from one ball before splitting the skein.</b><br />
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<b>ALSO!</b><br />
<b>If you are choosing to knit your socks 1aat, please don't split your skein. </b></div>
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<b>You'll be SO mad at me (and yourself) if you do!</b></div>
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Now to split this sucker once it's wound. Using a scale, set to 'grams' if possible, find out how much your wound skein weighs. If you've done your gauge swatch like good little sock knitters, you'll likely have between 95 and 97 grams left. I have the distinct advantage of having had used this yarn a bajillion times before so I know my gauge so I don't have to do a gauge swatch so I still have a whole skein left (and then some apparently). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTAv-aBf5YUxH869VIvJn6FePNokGTVXa6trcInQPVXs5EGAigoGzccv-DeTY1zlRRuumh1IKydFx6noIQ-em6LBeWLmbtzMmEHSXz2kuS4P0RAt7NuQ9H2iUQ11Fp1_VxJcccIZnP78/s1600/IMG_3965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTAv-aBf5YUxH869VIvJn6FePNokGTVXa6trcInQPVXs5EGAigoGzccv-DeTY1zlRRuumh1IKydFx6noIQ-em6LBeWLmbtzMmEHSXz2kuS4P0RAt7NuQ9H2iUQ11Fp1_VxJcccIZnP78/s1600/IMG_3965.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pretty easy math follows - 103g divided by two balls is 51.5g per ball. Obviously I'm not going to get half a gram so I'm going to have one ball that is 52 grams and one ball that is 51 grams. THE HORROR!</div>
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Next you'll wanna keep your original ball on the scale and start winding directly from the scale onto the winder (or a new ball if you're doing it by hand). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HmvmnlWmNIb6FDgVSNV8503_HJemZu-lfQoqbcADL-ATOTdunV-5oOL2bIii88jWjppd4q34ahymcSdI_i2e6qHdu3xkC0JRwweK4Y8L2nSa5gviDB4RS09B0iqzqGKC6PgFKdFpap4/s1600/IMG_3967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HmvmnlWmNIb6FDgVSNV8503_HJemZu-lfQoqbcADL-ATOTdunV-5oOL2bIii88jWjppd4q34ahymcSdI_i2e6qHdu3xkC0JRwweK4Y8L2nSa5gviDB4RS09B0iqzqGKC6PgFKdFpap4/s1600/IMG_3967.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once the ball on the scale gets down to half of the original weight of the wound skein, cut the yarn. I always re-wind the second ball since the original gets all wonky and loosey goosey on me but that's my OCD talking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJahZ-QCf-KRXU9rvfZTylpRqxc0dD5VvYg_Y_1zNY64IZxcmNMB15GQGTk3b-SOa97uwAZgIBzweTaYw01OD4OcPGPXgfgqNNU32NBClTMS5gEPn4Feol-_7wOXXOaOnMz463z2MnOs/s1600/IMG_3968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJahZ-QCf-KRXU9rvfZTylpRqxc0dD5VvYg_Y_1zNY64IZxcmNMB15GQGTk3b-SOa97uwAZgIBzweTaYw01OD4OcPGPXgfgqNNU32NBClTMS5gEPn4Feol-_7wOXXOaOnMz463z2MnOs/s1600/IMG_3968.jpg" /></a></div>
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You now have two balls of yarn (or 1 if you're going that way). Grab your needle and let's cast these babies on!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzQJT0wQY9N6VqYmusTrjanpMBXIVYqmrjBErEX66PFogGkpnM5avC_cA_3KSreyntiMD_Sq3YYd4zSMMMlKeVgGQ7U04v0GxbatKmNJGgiz_4ehaeEAt1hlPB8eOH1KUyT6vgKLq60E/s1600/IMG_3969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzQJT0wQY9N6VqYmusTrjanpMBXIVYqmrjBErEX66PFogGkpnM5avC_cA_3KSreyntiMD_Sq3YYd4zSMMMlKeVgGQ7U04v0GxbatKmNJGgiz_4ehaeEAt1hlPB8eOH1KUyT6vgKLq60E/s1600/IMG_3969.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>IF </b>you are working 1aat, you're going to cast-on your multiple of 8 sts according to your gauge. If you're not sure how to get gauge, or how to measure for your own gauge, see pages 4-7 of this weeks' clue. I've got detailed How-To instructions from a previous MKAL. </div>
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<b>IF</b> you are working 2aat, you get to have some casting-on FUN! I've included a link to a video tutorial by the esteemed Knit Purl Hunter if the following photos don't make sense. Basically you'll cast on the first half of the first sock with Ball 1. Then you'll cast on ALL the sts for the second sock with Ball 2. And then you'll cast on the second half of the sts for your first sock with Ball 1. </div>
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Clear as mud, right? OK, photo tutorial time. </div>
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Using <u>Ball 1</u> and using the long-tail cast-on method (or your preferred stretchy cast on), cast on the first half of your sts for sock 1. In my case, because I'm knitting over 56 sts, I'll be casting on 28 sts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3oHQtfYc9pgSnIs9ewz-bLzbf71LZlZl88bD1wAbjMLMqItJd0Vrr520iQ1vC4aru1YSeO8MpwQqkyv0DmwlEf33-qNGyUzGNWpfNUoNbmij6XAt-BsOmgdtgAD1jtVhOF-JpMtSkj0/s1600/IMG_3970_annotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3oHQtfYc9pgSnIs9ewz-bLzbf71LZlZl88bD1wAbjMLMqItJd0Vrr520iQ1vC4aru1YSeO8MpwQqkyv0DmwlEf33-qNGyUzGNWpfNUoNbmij6XAt-BsOmgdtgAD1jtVhOF-JpMtSkj0/s1600/IMG_3970_annotated.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>In life, a little yarn barf must happen *grumble grumble*</i></div>
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Next, using <u>Ball 2</u>, I'm going to cast on the entire number of sts for my second sock. So, in my case I'll be casting on 56 sts adjacent to the first 28 sts I already cast on, but using the OTHER ball. </div>
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LOL - OMG - do you just LOVE my giant, dodgy-looking pixelated parentheses? I'm not even close to a graphic person... sorry 'bout that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5-fkwiX0NgExv5kPPbCXKzWwkF_MHHYi8w5XoMZyerBt0aSpxH22xZO5hqNjE8fLnq2FNxIGMx3QDH9Nk-hoyJ0_JvsRepseSdzhVVDc_juO8LFRSNkf9Y65BYiooUZ96dNktBhyDNk/s1600/IMG_3971_annotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5-fkwiX0NgExv5kPPbCXKzWwkF_MHHYi8w5XoMZyerBt0aSpxH22xZO5hqNjE8fLnq2FNxIGMx3QDH9Nk-hoyJ0_JvsRepseSdzhVVDc_juO8LFRSNkf9Y65BYiooUZ96dNktBhyDNk/s1600/IMG_3971_annotated.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's where we divide this second set of sts, the 56 sts, in half and fold our needle in half, adjusting the sts around so that we can knit in the round. You'll see in this photo below that there are 28 sts from the First sts cast on at the end of the needle, next to that are 28 sts of the Middle sts cast on, then we've folded the needle and we have the remaining 28 Middle sts cast on, on the "other" needle (same needle in the long run, just the other end of the cable). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3rgue3eYPAEfCbqsaCSMzJfwYPiNpbzg4nca5uOlYTXwZelL3FiMtJ5ovTIpopic_piwkZA4S8-fBB9ciZ963uBfmMPbajfeGTLXIlC-RZ9gR72pLZuQONGSWxzmaLzHoj3gzWGY2L4/s1600/IMG_3972_annotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3rgue3eYPAEfCbqsaCSMzJfwYPiNpbzg4nca5uOlYTXwZelL3FiMtJ5ovTIpopic_piwkZA4S8-fBB9ciZ963uBfmMPbajfeGTLXIlC-RZ9gR72pLZuQONGSWxzmaLzHoj3gzWGY2L4/s1600/IMG_3972_annotated.jpg" /></a></div>
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Lastly, we cast on the remaining 28 sts for sock 1, using <u>Ball 1</u>. This can be a bit fidgety as the needle with the first sts on it tends to want to get in the way, but as long as the first st cast on is nice and snug you shouldn't have any gaping. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KBWz0F3FBdJrYkHBkMgyHuYFA4XDTHUdCy-K1lzrkbjTwEXclERn9sNm9hJeCzWODV4TDU5dAPLSnLO-wI61gb0N6f3xz13-kWAywce1m2L4srMjKRN04gYQXOMI6CVXqK4FD6RMR8M/s1600/IMG_3973_annotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KBWz0F3FBdJrYkHBkMgyHuYFA4XDTHUdCy-K1lzrkbjTwEXclERn9sNm9hJeCzWODV4TDU5dAPLSnLO-wI61gb0N6f3xz13-kWAywce1m2L4srMjKRN04gYQXOMI6CVXqK4FD6RMR8M/s1600/IMG_3973_annotated.jpg" /></a></div>
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Et voila! You now have all the sts needed to begin your sock. No increasing, no decreasing. Just start working your cuff and leg per the pattern you downloaded this morning and you're off to the races! Well, sorta... sock knitting isn't a fast thing, is it?</div>
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Maybe not, but dude, it's SO worth it!</div>
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Thanks for checking in for week 1. I am SO pumped to start knitting my cuff and leg. I can't wait to see how yours all knit up so please, please PRETTY please, share photos with me. </div>
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How, you ask?</div>
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Join our group on Ravelry: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter">http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter</a></div>
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Tag me on Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan">http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan</a> and use #fallingdownmkal, #unapologeticknitter and/or #tuksockmkal</div>
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And by all means, if you have questions, email me at <a href="mailto:meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a> or message me on Rav (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan">http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan</a>), leave a comment here, or leave questions in the Discussion board for the MKAL on Ravelry (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23">http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/3013583/1-25#23</a>). </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">**NOTE**</span></b></div>
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<b>There have been issues with me seeing questions on Ravelry in the past because, despite me being the owner of the discussion board, I don't get notified when people comment; I'm only notified if I'm tagged. </b><b>So, if it's urgent, please be sure to ear burn me. </b></div>
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<b>To do this enter my username in square brackets and follow it by tying the word "person" in parenthesis: </b></div>
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<b>[socalmeaghan](person)</b></div>
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Lastly, a friendly reminder about our prizes. To be entered to win one of our fabulous prizes, please submit your photos to me via email, Instagram (being sure to tag @socalmeaghan) or in our Ravelry MKAL discussion <b><i>NO LATER than 11:59pm PST on Thursday, October 30th.</i></b></div>
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Happy Knitting!!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-61964823093502891432014-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:002014-09-16T09:00:00.239-07:00Falling Down MKAL - Get Yer Kits!You can get your kits for our MKAL right here:<br />
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<a href="http://unapologeticknitter.storenvy.com/">http://unapologeticknitter.storenvy.com/</a></h2>
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The kits will ship on Thursday, September 18th and we will cast on together on Thursday, September 25th. </div>
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Final MKAL Details:</h3>
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<li>The pattern will be available for download on Thursday, September 25th. Each kit will include a download code. Otherwise the pattern will be available for $5 in my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/the-unapologetic-knitters-ravelry-store" target="_blank">Ravelry Store</a>. </li>
<li>You do NOT need a kit to participate, but they are fabulous colorways so it'd be fun to have one (plus they come with a little treat to make you smile). </li>
<li>The MKAL will have detailed instructions on how to knit socks from the cuff down, two at a time (or one at a time, depending on your preference).</li>
<li>Each new clue will be released on Thursdays: the first week, of course, being September 25th, then October 2nd, and 9th. </li>
<li>The KAL final submission date to win prizes will be Thursday, October 30th so you'll have new socks to wear on Halloween!</li>
<li>Whether or not you're not going to use a kit, here's what' you'll need:</li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 skein of sock-weight yarn, approximately 400 yds, </span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">US size 2 (2.75mm) needle(s), or your preferred size </span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're doing the Magic Loop method, I </span>recommend<span style="font-family: inherit;"> a 32" circular for 1 sock at a time, and a 40" circular for two at a time socks.</span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gauge: 30 sts & 42 rows 4" in stockinette (or your gauge to fit your foot in a multiple of 8 sts)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At least 4 stitch markers (8 if you're <i>not</i> going to use the Magic Loop method which is perfectly acceptable),</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sense of adventure and...</span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sense of humor. </span></li>
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I think that's enough to go on. Go get your kits! I can't wait to knit along with you again!</div>
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Happy knitting!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-31712328330138729622014-09-05T11:22:00.000-07:002014-09-05T11:22:29.858-07:00Falling Down - MKAL - Kit Sneak PeakHello my knitting lovelies and Happy Friday! These short weeks after a long-weekend always surprise me when the next weekend shows up so quickly. This week has flown by but that means we're just that much closer to the start of the MKAL and I am so excited!<br />
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And guess what?<br />
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<a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool </a>(we'll call her Rijel) sent me over pictures of the yarn samples, since I don't have them in my hands yet, and they're delicious! Fall colors just waiting to be put on your feeties! So without further ado, allow me to introduce our fall line up:<br />
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Acer Aces</h2>
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A warm reddish-brown that reminds me of the Maple trees back home (up in Canada).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfMgetrfZqK0VpgZGRp52slrynKZrNvVef9Mi5jjmvjO_2LO4uuvVjxhPLkcNUYWa4335JkOlB2_V1D1diwTpexOWiURJK96oVs5m62qFJONgfhSBie4V79xg7blmQA_NEDpqgGMR92w/s1600/Acer+Aces+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfMgetrfZqK0VpgZGRp52slrynKZrNvVef9Mi5jjmvjO_2LO4uuvVjxhPLkcNUYWa4335JkOlB2_V1D1diwTpexOWiURJK96oVs5m62qFJONgfhSBie4V79xg7blmQA_NEDpqgGMR92w/s1600/Acer+Aces+-+7.jpg" height="168" width="400" /></a></div>
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Golden Ash</h2>
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A throwback to my time as a Landscape Architectural Technologist - this makes me think of all those boulevard trees that I counted, categorizes and dreamed about!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLgqdbhUFIdgHs5But7dzR6LFtswUdUCPbydqrMiOVzx_ql_1a6tit_DPmu32KhxKqcxGWtIntwZXg_5ovJ4dF-8Qy6QXnGH1QCi5J1im9S7Y9B2GGai9c4BiwSODX2luR2lEMyEKVcc/s1600/Golden+Ash+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLgqdbhUFIdgHs5But7dzR6LFtswUdUCPbydqrMiOVzx_ql_1a6tit_DPmu32KhxKqcxGWtIntwZXg_5ovJ4dF-8Qy6QXnGH1QCi5J1im9S7Y9B2GGai9c4BiwSODX2luR2lEMyEKVcc/s1600/Golden+Ash+-+2.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mighty Poplar</h2>
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One of the first trees to leaf-out in the spring, and one of the first to turn a golden yellow to indicate that summer was over and winter was on its way!</div>
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Monstera deliciosa</h2>
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Now that I live in Southern California I have greenery all year and this colorway is perfect match to a tropical plant in my backyard. </div>
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These beauties are up for sale through Storenvy on Tuesday, September 16th at 9am PST (a link will be hosted here on the website for direct access) and will come all wrapped up with a bow (or at least tissue paper) ready for you to knit your way to happiness (and warmer toes). </div>
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Happy Knitting! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-20948914072598228742014-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:002014-09-02T14:03:16.951-07:00Falling Down - Mystery Sock KAL - Coming Soon!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">**NOTE: I've updated the sale information for the kits. Please see below in RED**</span></b></div>
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Oh man - what a SUMMER it has been?! I hope you've all had lots of time to knit outdoors and enjoy the sun. Goodness knows my fingers have been busy making all sorts of things, some of them secret, some of them not.<br />
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As promised after <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/turn-it-up-to-11-mkal" target="_blank">our last MKAL</a> this spring, it's time to do a new MKAL to get us rolling into the fall and (gulp... dare I say it) winter season. I had so much fun knitting with you all this spring and was amazed to see not only how many of you lovelies finished, but how many first time sock knitters we had on board. I was honored to have you knit along with me and can't wait to start again. This time I expect less hiccups with a) the charting size and readability (thank you to all who were able to give me feedback) and b) with errors in the chart itself. I've had a lot more time to prepare for this knit along and hope it will be a smooth and fun process for everyone. Yay - you're no longer "guinea pigs".<br />
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<i><b>*QUICK SIDE NOTE* </b>The sweater KAL did get more votes in the grand scheme of things. Your opinion matters to me and I want to honor that choice so we WILL do a sweater Knit Along. I had hoped to do it this fall but life got CRAZY busy so we're now going to do the sweater KAL in January so keep your eyes peeled. </i><br />
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If you participated last time, you'll be familiar with how the pattern is disbursed and how kits are sold, but if not, here's the deets:<br />
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<b>WHEN: </b></h2>
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<li>Kits go on sale on Tuesday, September 16th at 9am PST. <span style="color: red;">I will be hosting the sales of the kit on my new storefront on Storenvy. A link will be posted on this blog to the store on the morning of the 16th. </span><strike>We will host the sales through this website (unapologeticknitter.com) </strike>and I'll announce on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/topics/3013583" target="_blank">Unapologetic Knitter group</a> and on <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">Instagram</a> when the sale goes live.</li>
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<li><b>*Note</b>: you do <i>NOT</i> need a kit to participate in the KAL, just the stuffs listed below and the pattern which will be available on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/meaghan-schmaltz" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. </li>
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<li><strike>There are 15 kits and they are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. More details on this below in the "How" section.</strike></li>
<li>The Kits will ship on Thursday, September 18th to all those who get one so that you have them in time for our start date.</li>
<li>The pattern will go live at 9am PST on Thursday, September 25th at which point we can cast on and start the first clue.</li>
<li>The second weeks' clue will be sent to you on Thursday, October 2nd and the third and final weeks' clue will be sent out on Thursday, October 9th. </li>
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<b>WHAT: </b></h2>
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<li>We're going to knit top-down socks! And they will rock! </li>
<li>You're going to need: </li>
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<li>1 skein of sock-weight yarn, approximately 400 yds, </li>
<li>US size 2 (2.75mm) needle(s), or your preferred size,</li>
<li>At least 2 stitch markers (4 if you're not going to use the Magic Loop method which is perfectly acceptable),</li>
<li>A sense of adventure and...</li>
<li>A sense of humor. </li>
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<li>If you get a kit, it will include 1 skein of a custom colorway by <a href="http://www.blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool </a>and a download code for the pattern on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/meaghan-schmaltz" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. The kit will entitle the buyer to 20% off the pattern (which is included in the cost of the kit). </li>
<li>The kits will sell for $25 plus $4 shipping (shipping outside of the U.S. <i>*may* </i>be subject to a higher rate for shipping but I try to ship as cost effectively as possible so I'll try to keep it as low as I can). A tracking number will be emailed to everyone who has a kit. </li>
<li>I'm <i>NOT </i>going to include stitch markers in the kit like last time because, honestly, I didn't think they were totally awesome enough for YOU. They were good, and some folks liked them, others didn't, so I'm going to keep the kit simple. </li>
<li>There will be another small surprise in the kit but I'm not gonna tell you what it is 'cuz, well, it's a surprise... but it'll make you smile. </li>
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<b>HOW:</b></h2>
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<li>To purchase a kit, be here at 9am PST on Tuesday, August 16th. There will be a brand new blog post with a link to the kit page on our new <span style="color: red;">Storenvy Storefront</span>. <strike>so you can order your kits. Like last time, be aware that they sell out quickly (last time it was 18 minutes) so be sure to prioritize what color you want before you get to the site (the colorways will be revealed later this week).</strike></li>
<li><strike>Once you submit your kit request I will email you back (or text if you deem that acceptable) to confirm your choice. **<b>PLEASE</b> be checking your email and/or texts within the first hour of submitting your kit request so I can confirm all orders for all buyers ASAP.</strike></li>
<li><strike> If your first choice isn't available, I'll confirm whether you even <i>WANT</i> the second, third or fourth choice. If you do, I will then send a PayPal request and your order will be complete once it's paid. </strike></li>
<li><strike>Orders not paid within 24 hours will be forfeit and the kits will be opened up to the next buyer (not trying to be a jerk, it's just what's fair to everyone who wants a kit).</strike></li>
<li>On Thursday, September 25th, a blog post will go live with details about the first weeks' clue and you'll be able to download the first pattern clue from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/meaghan-schmaltz" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. </li>
<li>Following weeks' clues will be pushed out to you through Ravelry at 9am PST.</li>
<li>Each week there will be a blog post that includes tips, tricks and "how to's" for the weeks clue release. My goal is to have everyone make socks that fit and are fun to make (and show off once done). </li>
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PRIZES:</h2>
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<li>Of COURSE there will be prizes! It's almost my favorite part - I love giving stuff away. But I'm not going to tell you what they are yet. There'll be patterns and one Grand Prize of a pattern plus yarn from one of my local peeps, Heather of <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns.</a> </li>
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Ok, I think that's all the information to get us started on this Mystery Knit Along. Save your pennies and set your alarms for Tuesday, September 16th to get your kits. I can't wait to knit with you all again!!!!</div>
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Happy knitting!!!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-65939455083665862512014-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:002014-06-26T09:12:53.826-07:00I wanna make you some socks!!!!<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Raffle time!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have the extraordinary honor to partner up with some awesome folks in the crafting world to bring you something amazing and fantastic! Check out this all-star lineup:</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a> (<a href="http://instagram.com/rijelviolet" target="_blank">@rijelviolet</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/seaandlake" target="_blank">Sea And Lake</a> (<a href="http://instagram.com/seaandlake" target="_blank">@seaandlake</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://pickandthrow.com/" target="_blank">Pick and Throw</a> (<a href="http://instagram.com/befadee" target="_blank">@befadee</a>) </li>
<li>and <a href="http://candyskein.com/" target="_blank">Candy Skein</a> (<a href="http://instagram.com/candyskein" target="_blank">@candyskein</a>)</li>
<li>Oooh... and me, too! (<a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">@socalmeaghan</a>)</li>
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This is Part 1 of a 3-part reveal coming to you over the next couple of weeks but THIS PART of the reveal is your opportunity to win a custom-fit pair of hand knit socks designed and knit by yours truly.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're fortunate enough to win, you will receive a pair of socks out of the colorway Emerald Bay dyed by <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a>. This is an exclusive colorway so you're gonna want to get in on this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've decided that instead of a plain old giveaway where you post to win and gain us more followers, we're going to do a raffle. Do you love animals? Do you want socks that will fit your feet so perfectly you'll never want to take them off? Do you want to know how to enter to win??!?!??! Well, here are the deets:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To get in on this and win a pair of socks, it's $5 per entry. I know what you're thinking, what the heck? You guys just want my money! Well, we do... but we won't be getting it at this time. Instead...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your $5 will be going to RedRover. They are a nonprofit organization in Sacramento, CA that rescues and helps animals in need. They help with natural disaster relief for pets and even provide grants for people who are no-income or low-income to help cover costs of seriously injured pets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if you want to participate AND help some unfortunate pets, head on over to <span class="s1"><a href="http://www.redrover.org/">http://www.redrover.org/</a></span>, hover on "donate" at the top of the page and click "make a donation." Here you'll be able to make your donation. As it was said before, it's a $5 minimum donation. Feel like donating $10, your name will be entered 2 times, $15 - 3 times, $20 - 4 times, $25...you get it, right? Yep, FIVE times your name would be entered for the raffle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, <b>the important part: </b>Once you've donated, you will receive an email back from Red Rover. The email will have your address (which I will need to be able to ship the winner his/her beautiful socks), and the amount donated (which will be needed to put your name in the raffle). <b>Forward this email to: </b><a href="mailto:pick.throw@gmail.com"><span class="s1"><b>pick.throw@gmail.com</b></span></a> Stephanie and Rijel will be monitoring this email and adding your names to the list for the raffle.</span><br />
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We'll be selecting our winner next Thursday, July 3rd, just in time for the holiday weekend! And your yarny goodness socks will be shipped to you no later than the last week of July.<br />
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Oh, and one more thing! If you donate AND respost our image on Instagram using <b>#magicloop4lives</b> (cuz we're saving the lives of some pretty needy animals) you'll get ANOTHER entry into the draw. So go get your wallets, give up ONE fancy schmancy coffee this week and make a difference in the lives of some animals (and for your feeties)!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay tuned for our second and third reveals coming soon. Happy knitting!!!!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-4254377816657403732014-06-19T08:03:00.001-07:002014-06-19T08:03:58.513-07:00Winner Announcement - Turn It Up To 11 MKALWell - my trip to Scotland was awesome but not quite as awesome as coming home and seeing how many of you finished your socks. 33 of you amazing KAL'ers finished and posted pictures of your socks. I'm absolutely blown away and am so glad you seemed to have such a good time with it. I feel like I have a longer list of folks on my "friends" list, even though I may never meet any of you. Thanks for taking this journey and making socks with me.<br />
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Ok, so let's get down to the winning! I have 4 prizes to give away to our winners. These winners were chosen randomly with a <a href="http://www.random.org/" target="_blank">Random Number Generator</a> online and associated with a list I compiled. I did my best to keep it in order of submission. You can see the list in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/2886688/576-600#591" target="_blank">Discussion Board</a>. I was able to add one final name to that list last night.<br />
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So, without further ado, and simply in the order in which the <a href="http://www.random.org/" target="_blank">Random Number Generator</a> spat out numbers, our first prize, a skein of "Barbie Girl" from <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a>, goes to... *mental drum roll*...<br />
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<a href="http://instagram.com/thathookerjess" target="_blank">@thathookerjess</a> (A FIRST TIME SOCK KNITTER!!!!!!)<br />
Here are her finished socks (her first ever hand-knit socks... knit anything if I'm correct...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoRGtCTuEi4cOi_PONG4Iv6AIlPXZFeJ5OrXru7x4AfEVX4ydAUWcx-XbQaQ2lGugrWTXQloei8SbgujnWcclvjwNSGZBVlcxJAV3_uecdwQ43QB2pWmfIx-MhlmsuVktS0QKkzvA9dE/s1600/IMG_3439.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoRGtCTuEi4cOi_PONG4Iv6AIlPXZFeJ5OrXru7x4AfEVX4ydAUWcx-XbQaQ2lGugrWTXQloei8SbgujnWcclvjwNSGZBVlcxJAV3_uecdwQ43QB2pWmfIx-MhlmsuVktS0QKkzvA9dE/s1600/IMG_3439.PNG" /></a></div>
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And here's what she's gonna get in the mail lickety split!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64Uo_jht0fSa_4FQUlxMKrEAEjgvl5SrKZcHzSiC3ootCOwCtHQxnUjcZRW9cQgGMhYXOOwyCXN3cCFG-5xU1foVg2GLfspX4tE50R_dvybBuOtX_bn0uZtOh8D3gWPYI1Wx22hEjdRc/s1600/Barbie+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64Uo_jht0fSa_4FQUlxMKrEAEjgvl5SrKZcHzSiC3ootCOwCtHQxnUjcZRW9cQgGMhYXOOwyCXN3cCFG-5xU1foVg2GLfspX4tE50R_dvybBuOtX_bn0uZtOh8D3gWPYI1Wx22hEjdRc/s1600/Barbie+Girl.jpg" /></a></div>
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Moving right along, our second prize, a free pattern from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/knitsomniac-designs-2" target="_blank">Knitsomniac Designs</a> goes to... duh da da duuuuuuuuuuh: <a href="http://instagram.com/hnd_kntra" target="_blank">@hnd_kntra</a>!!! Here's a picture of her oh-so-pretty socks in the "Sensible Heart" colorway (yep, she was a kit-owner too... lucky duck!). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel9KKyzIUv8pXIxHY2iV1bvXsg7JPGe6giHSWBvy0j2EQIlA3FYsry6VZn_M0ZL2nuhiekaJrZDbxVSMwhMuQbxsOsqdKXqB-EIXS5xgEwOyN2m67yeW-H_ysz6cDjXIVM7uUlVhsPvg/s1600/IMG_3438.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel9KKyzIUv8pXIxHY2iV1bvXsg7JPGe6giHSWBvy0j2EQIlA3FYsry6VZn_M0ZL2nuhiekaJrZDbxVSMwhMuQbxsOsqdKXqB-EIXS5xgEwOyN2m67yeW-H_ysz6cDjXIVM7uUlVhsPvg/s1600/IMG_3438.PNG" /></a></div>
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Our third prize ALSO goes to a kit owner (remember, random generation here, folks), the lovely <a href="http://instagram.com/aclui" target="_blank">@aclui</a> and here are her socks in the "Knit Me Up, Buttercup" colorway: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5va6hRwH7Nxgocw46k3mgU0Z97Rf6DAM0OZgWI9bCGhHJIv2zd5OtLN5jk7-yrk00uspyUZIDxOF41zjjUJt_UUGj7-HCdla1O66fZVyeUqQSB51tsA0sHL18jAUTO6-I7kcgnpq-AIA/s1600/IMG_3437.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5va6hRwH7Nxgocw46k3mgU0Z97Rf6DAM0OZgWI9bCGhHJIv2zd5OtLN5jk7-yrk00uspyUZIDxOF41zjjUJt_UUGj7-HCdla1O66fZVyeUqQSB51tsA0sHL18jAUTO6-I7kcgnpq-AIA/s1600/IMG_3437.PNG" /></a></div>
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She'll be getting her very own hand-crafted project bag from an other SoCal'er, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/Sarahinajar" target="_blank">Sarahinajar</a> (same name on <a href="http://instagram.com/sarahinajar" target="_blank">Instagram</a>). <b>Woot! </b></div>
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And last but certainly not least, our final prize, a free pattern of the winners choice from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/the-unapologetic-knitters-ravelry-store/patterns" target="_blank">MY Ravelry Store</a>, The Unapologetic Knitter, is... <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/KnitterSue123" target="_blank">KNITTERSUE123</a>!!!! And here's a shot of her finished socky-goodness!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRVyqJD8neEkVoePFN5fZisMWJgEQwyQ03HGmH3_i8DeMCgZoAJbnoX8-NZ9DVmIFYQ_thEopmVbXzc1tLRmfSxaARl0pAl8bl5Y4BqOfC3YNH5SnVOYV4yk9LKBZ_HCoEgt_V5asALs/s1600/IMG_3440.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRVyqJD8neEkVoePFN5fZisMWJgEQwyQ03HGmH3_i8DeMCgZoAJbnoX8-NZ9DVmIFYQ_thEopmVbXzc1tLRmfSxaARl0pAl8bl5Y4BqOfC3YNH5SnVOYV4yk9LKBZ_HCoEgt_V5asALs/s1600/IMG_3440.PNG" /></a></div>
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Thank you all, so much, for knitting along with me and working through all the dreaded MATHS to get such nice-fitting socks. I hope you'll continue forward knitting lots of socks that fit... or anything, really. The skills you learned here for taking gauge will translate to anything you make. </div>
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Just as a heads up for those of you who DIDN'T get kits when we started (I know... they sold out in like 12 minutes or something), Rijel over at <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a>, will be re-releasing these four colorways to the public this coming Saturday, June 21st. As a reminder, here they are: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhNlxx4BqM8fecitZrV18BOhDdZoBoddJfp7IBbzw-PyZnliJwOMoYtN8BauY7iOTr0aHjh1oljiqf0zSL5KCjNlrygbELcU8GgTUBXvPEsCxnQ7mS8txQg7uEv8QedOsZ9eTWL5DYOY/s1600/Carey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhNlxx4BqM8fecitZrV18BOhDdZoBoddJfp7IBbzw-PyZnliJwOMoYtN8BauY7iOTr0aHjh1oljiqf0zSL5KCjNlrygbELcU8GgTUBXvPEsCxnQ7mS8txQg7uEv8QedOsZ9eTWL5DYOY/s1600/Carey.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Carey"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFhOyRkdAAtw-rsjobyqGiDhcmOPevm7kaMKdCziQHx6C30VWXzAi969dFm-r4HpFgn8iFmPiZOTCRiKuTBBnXd1efX_WmoPCOUBdZlSXDwS_mUmrNebELlwEPZM_HZoMP8pCj9pSr7k/s1600/Tweeter+and+the+Monkey+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFhOyRkdAAtw-rsjobyqGiDhcmOPevm7kaMKdCziQHx6C30VWXzAi969dFm-r4HpFgn8iFmPiZOTCRiKuTBBnXd1efX_WmoPCOUBdZlSXDwS_mUmrNebELlwEPZM_HZoMP8pCj9pSr7k/s1600/Tweeter+and+the+Monkey+Man.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Tweeter and the Monkeyman"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg002sujNjtrKIewz9FLRQxWZQhisUbOGdmxof07TOcLnPAp_sJK8DvFNbx1nzYpHlpoKJXrk2ZZGCy_PIBsMtNgnNTmPSwfMhH0AnSXm43Xkq1KQD1Bx-aF-U5HBkVSZsk9lIBHcHC1wk/s1600/Knit+Me+Up+Buttercup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg002sujNjtrKIewz9FLRQxWZQhisUbOGdmxof07TOcLnPAp_sJK8DvFNbx1nzYpHlpoKJXrk2ZZGCy_PIBsMtNgnNTmPSwfMhH0AnSXm43Xkq1KQD1Bx-aF-U5HBkVSZsk9lIBHcHC1wk/s1600/Knit+Me+Up+Buttercup.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Knit Me Up, Buttercup"</div>
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"Sensible Heart"</div>
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Please go support Rijel - not only are her colorways a ton of fun, but she is too. You can find her on <a href="http://instagram.com/rijelviolet" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and follow along with her knitting escapades and see her adorable FIANCÉE (woot!) and her ridiculously cute pupsters, Ella and Heimdal who are often patient (if not overly gracious) models of Rijel's knitwear. </div>
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And speaking of Rijel, <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a> has it's first anniversary coming up. She's got an exclusive colorway being released to celebrate, which will come in a kit with a sock pattern designed by... well... by me! I'm pretty excited about it. The colorway is "Like Nigel but with an R" and the pattern is "Chevron Schmevron". This pattern will be exclusive to the kit until July 25th so if you want the pattern you'll have to snag the kit (and accompanying yarn of awesomeness). </div>
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Ok, enough bragging! </div>
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I've had a request for instructions on adapting toe-up to top-down socks, or vice versa, and I'm not ignoring that request. It's something worth delving into and once I have some time to put together a good approach to this, I'll likely host another KAL to get those skills honed up. </div>
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In the mean time, if you ever have questions about fit or adjustments, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm all legit now and have a proper email address so you can email with questions anytime to meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com.</div>
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And for all of our winners, please email me at this email address so I can either send you your winnings, or put you in touch with the person who will provide it for you. </div>
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Thanks again, lovelies! Happy knitting! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-20266234969485017542014-05-26T10:05:00.001-07:002014-05-26T10:13:49.082-07:00New Pattern: The JoyceBeing a relatively new knitwear designer, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/the-unapologetic-knitters-ravelry-store" target="_blank">each pattern that's published</a> is a thrill. I still get nervous uploading the pattern to Ravelry. Every. Time. What if people don't like it? What if there's errors (despite testing it and having it proof read)? What if, what if, what if?<br />
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But with today's release, I'm over the moon. I've had this pattern in my head for about 6 months but couldn't find the right fiber for the hat. I wanted something that would show stitch definition, something that was bright, but not tonal. And when I saw <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/190547448/tomayto-tomahto-single-ply-100-merino-dk?ref=listing-7" target="_blank">"Tomayto, Tomahto"</a> by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/theflyingkettle" target="_blank">The Flying Kettle</a>, I knew I had to make the hat in this yarn. It's fun and punchy, with lots of bright colors, but still shows the pattern well. And I'm in love with this hat.<br />
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And between now and June 18th (my 6th wedding anniversary!!!) if you purchase <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/190547448/tomayto-tomahto-single-ply-100-merino-dk?ref=listing-7" target="_blank">"Tomayto, Tomahto"</a> from Joyce over at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/theflyingkettle" target="_blank">The Flying Kettle</a>, you'll receive a discount code for 10% off the pattern. I hope you'll knit up this lovely hat and love it as much as I do. It's a nice quick knit, perfect for a weekend out on the back patio with a cuppa or a glass of your favorite wine!<br />
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Introducing...<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-joyce" target="_blank">The Joyce</a></h2>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-65203150490442900792014-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:002014-05-22T06:00:07.782-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - MKAL - Week 4OMG - you guys!!!! I'm so sad this is coming to an end. It has been an absolute blast knitting with you, watching your progress and seeing your "AHA!" moments when things clicked. I. Heart. You!<br />
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But! Here we are, at the end of our sock journey, though hopefully not at the end of our knitting friendship. And it's time to wrap things up, rock those socks and win some prizes. Because I LOVE giving away prizes! Let's wrap up the business end of stuff and then get to a the party business. Wait... is this the mullet part of sock knitting?! Am I flying this crazy plane all by myself? Alrighty then!<br />
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So we're folding our socks. I know, its kind of weird and totally un-mathematical (non-mathematical... someone correct my grammar here) but it works. It just does. So we've got our socks folded from the heels...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkAbiUf77cndAUEnu4RvGeci_ccX0DQiqWKv4-icRePAuP8s8dZ9bod_7tHmkR3TgoU24-eAAdF9JXihNgQv584OPGeiam2jiX0M6WWdk5rhoDopqw_Y6NvNX6SQ_L-Xp6VlF1v7IR2k/s1600/Measured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkAbiUf77cndAUEnu4RvGeci_ccX0DQiqWKv4-icRePAuP8s8dZ9bod_7tHmkR3TgoU24-eAAdF9JXihNgQv584OPGeiam2jiX0M6WWdk5rhoDopqw_Y6NvNX6SQ_L-Xp6VlF1v7IR2k/s1600/Measured.jpg" /></a></div>
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If your socks are LESS than or equal to 1-1/2" short of your toe, then it's time to start your ribbing. If NOT... you'll wanna keep knitting until your 0" disappears under your needle when the 1-1/2" mark is aligned with your toe. </div>
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And once your get there, feel sad, because you can't knit any more of the pattern. I have such short feet that I only got to row 103 before I had to start my ribbing so I didn't get much of a pattern repeat. Boo! But I still love them and can't wait to wear them. </div>
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See... they're even when folded in half!</div>
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So I ribbed, I bound off, and now it's time to soak and block the socks. We're going to employ the same blocking technique that we used in the swatching exercise. Get that wool wash out. I'm using a new scent since I ran out of my last one washing socks last week. This time I have <a href="https://www.soakwash.com/" target="_blank">Soak's </a>"Yuzu" scent in my favorite sunflower blocking bowl (which is only good for one hat or one pair of socks, really). But its kind of lovely!</div>
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I'm gonna submerge these puppies for 15 minutes, or so, to let the fibers get saturated. Them I'm going to squash them out. You read that right - squash. We want to push everything together as tight as we can without wringing or twisting to get as much water out so we can then lay them down to dry.</div>
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Again, like with your swatch, we want to use the same technique for drying. I, for example, squashed the water out and then just plopped them down on a blocking mat. If you used a sock blocker when you did your swatch, use a sock blocker now, to get the same gauge. I tend to just nudge them into the shape I like and let 'em go. Then when I pull them on they feel oooooooohhhhhhh sooooooooo goooooood! Like my feet are wearing puppies. </div>
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Wait... no. That's gross. Like they're wearing clouds. Let's go with that. Soft. Warm. And SPOILED! 'Cuz for serious... how spoiled are feet that wear handmade socks? RIDICULOUSLY spoiled. Maybe, dare I say, "Turn It Up To 11" spoiled? Too far? Ok... too far. Can't blame a girl for trying.</div>
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Anyway, now the socks are dry. And I tried to photograph them. Which was hard because I didn't want to stand in my white box of photography since I think they look better in their natural surroundings (read: on my dog-covered floors and rugs). So I tried. And I think they look pretty darn good.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And now to the reason we're all here - the PRIZES! Did you forget there were prizes? I know some folks have so let's review what's up for grabs, shall we?</span></div>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A skein of yarn from <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a> (and since its a MYSTERY KAL, it'll be a mystery as to what the skein looks like, but trust me, is awesome)</span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A free pattern from the lovely <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/knitsomniac-designs-ravelry-store" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Knitsomniac Designs</a> (WOOT WOOT!)</span></li>
</ul>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A small project bag from my local peep, <a href="http://instagram.com/sarahinajar" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Sarahinajar</a> (amazeballs!)</span></li>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A free pattern of your choice from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/meaghan-schmaltz" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ME</a>!!! You can choose from any of my patterns or from the patterns I have with <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns </a>and I'll buy it for you (since they're now not technically mine to give away). Or you can hold on to your credit for a free pattern and claim it when you see something of mine you like. Whatever makes you happy!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">And how do you win said prizes? Welp, firstly, you have to FINISH the socks. Only finished socks are eligible for prizes, but don't panic, they're not due just yet. I, lucky duck that I am, am headed to Scotland for two weeks on May 30th. I'll pretty much be on an internet black out except those few times we get some Wi-Fi so I'm giving you until June 18th (my 6th wedding annivesary, as it happens) to finish your socks and submit images.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Secondly, you send me pictures. Oodles and oodles of pictures! Ok, don't overload me, but you know... send me pictures. The best way to do this is on <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Tag me (<a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">@socalmeaghan</a>) and use the following hashtags so I can find them: #tuksockmkal #turnitupto11mkal #unapologeticknitter. Or post your finished socks in our </span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/2886689/1-25#5" style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;" target="_blank">HO's and FO's board</a><span style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> or if you're not into that, you can just email me at </span><a href="mailto:meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com" style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">meaghan@unapologeticknitter.com</a><span style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> with the subject "Finished MKAL Socks".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Th-th-th-that's all folks. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time and putting your trust in me, to learn how to make socks. It's been a blast from my end of things and I hope you've had fun too. I know math is rarely something that makes people excited but I think you can see the beauty of it when applied to knitting. Have fun knitting. I hope you'll knit oodles and oodles of socks. And always feel free to contact me with questions about socks (mine or any others you try). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Knitting, my sock-knitting ninja lovelies!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ML4L!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-17441216552717322652014-05-16T07:43:00.000-07:002014-05-16T08:16:28.275-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - MKAL - Week 3Good morning lovely Knit Along-ers. I hope your knitting went well yesterday and that you're not too upset at me for not posting this yesterday. Rest assured that any disappointment you feel in me for not posting I feel a thousand-fold. I slept quite poorly last night as I was up drafting this post in my head wondering how much to share, how to share it, whether to share it at all. So, I've decided I WILL share since I've pretty much fallen in love with the Instagram and Ravelry community I've had the good fortune to meet and get to know.<br />
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So, before we get to the socks, here's the dealio.<br />
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As many of you saw on Wednesday, I was evacuated because of the fires. Wednesday is the day I make all the final tweaks to the pattern, make sure there aren't any glaring errors (albeit a few sneak past and I always hate that), and the day I photograph my socks for the blog and write the blog post. So, Wednesdays, as you might guess, are integral in the MKAL process. Being evacuated put a huge kink in that. So I woke up at 5am on Thursday morning to get the final tidbits done and posted to you all. I hate that it was late as I know so many of you on the East coast are up hours before I am and love getting the pattern. I appreciate all of your kind words and concern.<br />
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And then yesterday happened. And here's where the over-share may come in. If knowing personal things about me ins't a priority then please feel free to skip this part but I feel awful about not posting yesterday but I feel like it was necessary for me not to. It would not have been a happy post. And all I want is for you to have a good time knitting, and if possible, a good time reading my blog, too.<br />
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<b><i>**SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW**</i></b><br />
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Back in 2008 I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. We did the surgery. Got it out. Did a round of radiation and everything was good. Is good, I should say. There was a scare in 2011 when the docs got a false positive (thank God) but otherwise things have been pretty darn good.<br />
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Last year I found a lump in my breast. Naturally, the doctor took all the precautionary steps and sent me for a mammogram and ultrasound. The GOOD news was I was told, categorically, that I'm still young and it's just dense tissue. The bad news is that I had to spend an entire day with my boobs out. By no means am I suggesting that I'm the only person this happens to. Far from it, and my situation is far from the worst of what happens. My goodness - I'm LUCKY I have a doctor who cares, and the insurance to cover it. I'm just an exceedingly private person physically and situations like that make me want to curl up in a ball and hide from everyone. Also, I realize that I'm not the only one who feels this way. No one I know is like "YAY! Today I get to get my boobs smashed into machine, and fondled by a perfect stranger". No, I know no one feels that way. I just know I react very badly to it and get uber negative and sad and exhausted.<br />
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SO - yesterday when I went in for my annual check up there were a few more issues and so, once again, a day I had hoped would be dedicated to you guys after a short visit to the docs, turned into a very long ordeal that left me starving, emotional and exhausted. So the thought of coming home and trying to stay positive while I helped all of you, my favorite peeps, with your knitting questions, kind of broke me. So I collapsed into my knitting chair, did some joy-knitting (a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sockhead-hat" target="_blank">Sockhead</a>, which I now realize I did wrong since I did 1x1 rib instead of 2x2 but I'll deal... I'm not ripping out 4" of rib on size 2's) and drank a few cocktails to take the edge off.<br />
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But now I'm back. And I hope you haven't abandoned me, disappointed in my lack of commitment to my promise to write the blog post yesterday. The long and the short of it, the docs found a small cyst but it's nothing they're worried about. They want me to keep an eye on it and despite being under 40 years old, I'm going to have to do annual mammograms (yay.... NOT!) but otherwise, things are good.<br />
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Now that the drama is out of the way and I feel like I've just unloaded on your all (please forgive me) I'd like to get on to the sock business since that's what we're here for, right? Ok. Let's shall.<br />
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<b><i>**END OF PERSONAL SECTION - back to the good stuff**</i></b><br />
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Ok, so to the heels, to the heels. I love the heels. And hate them all at the same time. I'm not sure I have yet to discover "the perfect" heel as I think changing directions in knitting, like the direction change needed to make a heel, is something that will be a challenge forever in knitting.<br />
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Why do you love and hate, you ask? Because I LOVE the look of short row heels, and they feel like they knit up quickly and let's be honest, who doesn't want a heel to knit up quickly? We want to get back to patterns which are rarely on heels, but I HATE that they almost always have awkward gaps or tension issues. Even the Ribbon Heel, which I love, still feels like it's not "perfect". It feels fussy with the pick ups. I don't think it's as bad as a standard short row heel, but it still feels fussy sometimes.<br />
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And what about the Fleegle? Yes, I love it, also, as I think it has simple steps and produces a very nice looking, comfortable heel, but it feels like it takes forever to knit and I think it's awkward having so many stitches on the back needle compared to the front. I work it on patterns where the fabric we create with the stitches isn't as flexible (a lot of cables, for example) but it's not my go-to for sure.<br />
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But I had to choose some heel options for you - I couldn't just say "Go find a heel, suckers, and figure it out yourself!" now could I? No, I couldn't. So I chose two heels that I could walk you through and hopefully help you find success and satisfaction.<br />
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For my sock, I decided to go with <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/p/the-ribbon-heel.html" target="_blank">The Ribbon Heel</a> since I think it's trickier for folks to sort out with the pick ups. I've had mixed reactions, not only from you folks, but from folks who have done test knits of it in the past. Some people LOVE it and have started to use it instead of any other short row heel (and that makes my heart sing) others are take it or leave it. And I'm ok with that. I know the Fish Lips Kiss heel is very popular. It's on my "to try" list, but as I haven't done it yet I can't really speak to it.<br />
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I think I'm digressing here. Short row heels, like the <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/p/the-ribbon-heel.html" target="_blank">Ribbon Heel,</a> are called "Short Row" heels because each time we turn the work, we work a shorter row of stitches because we leave one more stitch "unworked" (i.e.: not knit or purled). In 2aat sock construction, short row heels are worked one at a time. Could we work the heels simultaneously? Sure. I suppose we could. We'd still be working back and forth across the back needles only so there would be no working on the front of the needles, but it's just standard practice to finish one heel before moving on to the next. I feel more accomplished finishing one first, also. PLUS! (and this just came to me) what if you made a mistake somewhere... it would be better to rip back only one heel rather than both.<br />
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Ok, I'm digressing yet again. Here's my first heel finished:<br />
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From the top</div>
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Of course when I say "finished" I suppose I mean "95% finished" because we do have one unworked stitch left on the right hand side. You might be wondering why... and I'm happy to say that I have an answer for that! If we worked back across on the WRONG side of the work to pick up and knit that remaining unworked stitch we would then have to work BACK across on the right side row in order to get to the point where we want to turn our socks around and knit across the front of the sock. By doing that, though, we're creating an extra row, effectively making the back row of the sock a row taller than the front. When this happens, we get a gap between our front and back rows, and end up with a hole in our sock. SUPER annoying. Is the sock less wearable? Not at all. I have socks with this little hole (because I learned this trick after I started my Vanilla sock marathon earlier this year). Do those little holes plague me and make me want to re-knit the socks? Wellllll... maybe a little because I'm an uber-perfectionist like many knitters are, but I deal. There will be more socks, more lovely yarn and more important things to worry about than a tiny hole. When things like that get to me, I remember a saying I heard from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/wisehilda" target="_blank">Kate Atherley</a>: If a man riding by on a horse can't see the error, it's not worth worrying about. I daresay if a knight in shining armor WAS riding by on said horse and thought to say something asinine about my hand-knit socks, he'd probably get stabbed with my size 2's!<br />
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I will say this, if you're still working on your <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/p/the-ribbon-heel.html" target="_blank">Ribbon Heel</a> heels... the tension when purling back across the row on the wrong side, when you're slipping that first stitch, is KEY. I have days when I've had a cocktail or three, and I sit down to do heels... no bueno. I end up ripping them back the next day because I was too relaxed and my first stitch on the wrong side isn't tight enough and I end up with floopy heels. Yes, floopy. Makes me made. So that's my big tip - keep that first purl stitch after slipping your first stitch, nice and snug to get a cleaner looking heel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFP0R8c7j-UTLgABdsyVBKwiMXHLjlFgaLOBeZtGG6wqvgNM3BulWJSdcwCKy8y0Tqahu-mnt9exYZ-LI_6e-_Ap-H8x3eYuLetiQebcBVGz6ZI98hl6iIOU7dSeVeCf32oLgss9GOPQ/s1600/2+Heels+finished+from+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFP0R8c7j-UTLgABdsyVBKwiMXHLjlFgaLOBeZtGG6wqvgNM3BulWJSdcwCKy8y0Tqahu-mnt9exYZ-LI_6e-_Ap-H8x3eYuLetiQebcBVGz6ZI98hl6iIOU7dSeVeCf32oLgss9GOPQ/s1600/2+Heels+finished+from+top.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>If I had knit a standard toe rather than an anatomical toe, as many of you have, you'll find your heels and your toes look almost identical. </i></div>
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So my heels are done and I'm ready to move up the calf in pattern. But before I get to that, let's briefly discuss the Fleegel Heel. The genius of the Fleegle Heel is that it looks like a gusset, but it's worked from the toe up (or top down, both ways work the same) but it doesn't require any pick ups like a standard top-down gusset does. It's pretty amazing. However, with the way that we do create the stitches that will wrap around our heels, we create a longer heel because it takes so many more rows to get to the full number of stitches required. I do find myself doing a lot of shuffling of stitches to get my ends to meet up as the number of stitches increases on the back. If you're knitting the Fleegle heel you'll know what I'm talking about. The potential for laddering is a bit higher with this type of heel but I still think its a great solution for high arched feet. </div>
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I did see a comment in our <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry discussion board </a>about working extra stitches in a short row heel to accommodate for a higher arch. I'm not familiar with this technique so I can't speak to its effectiveness BUT I'm going to look into it because I'd love to find a short row solution for folks with high arches. </div>
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Alright, so to the calves. I've given you the option of working the pattern up the front AND the back, or just working up the front. I think both will look awesome. I will be knitting up the front and back - after working so much stockinette on the sole of the sock I want a bit more of a challenge. The combination of stitches we have here shouldn't make your fabric too tight so if you're worried about it working up your calves and being too tight, you should be just fine!</div>
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Thanks for tuning in today (a day late). I want to say thanks again for choosing to knit with me. I'm having a blast and am now off to respond to all the questions on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. I won't let you down again with the timing. Thank you for your kind words and concerns on Wednesday. We're safe, sound, and happy (if not a bit smokey).<br />
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Happy Knitting!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-21655244698795806662014-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:002014-05-08T06:00:06.431-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - MKAL - Week 2Ok, was that <i>THE LONGEST WEEK EVER</i> waiting for this second clue to come out? Right?! I know how many of you were excited to move forward and I'm so pleased you guys had fun. Trust me when I say I was as anxious as you were to move forward but I did promise a schedule and some lovelies didn't get their toes done until just yesterday so I feel less bad now.<br />
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Can we just look at some of the TOOOOOOOOOOOE NUBBINNNNNNNNNNNS from this past week? OMG! They're looking totes amazeballs! I've pulled a few from Instagram...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxNyeIC5Dw4oPBtd1rc4JapHcb2qCU_ojNvSQJNsrGbdVkYIKDL85x6zIQvTlbKzjo2T2wmFizZgxRC-PkjhGqquCt5slOjy-MDv7Qs3uXu1LO8RRM49FH15y7BmRL9S62T5MnnZDgBc/s1600/befadee.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxNyeIC5Dw4oPBtd1rc4JapHcb2qCU_ojNvSQJNsrGbdVkYIKDL85x6zIQvTlbKzjo2T2wmFizZgxRC-PkjhGqquCt5slOjy-MDv7Qs3uXu1LO8RRM49FH15y7BmRL9S62T5MnnZDgBc/s1600/befadee.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/befadee" target="_blank">@befadee</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLOJxBSH0yBCLDbmWn1zJAOI5zOV92CqVy5Oz5UZ8bYnNmL5_8jr3o18P2P3bIr8M-ohdjJgAxkiXpAnkzLtTpLUERzdM38HfDlLIlOnDJtpZbqEW1aq9-q3QPVe2eB3U4DfE_k21-1k/s1600/lorriep.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLOJxBSH0yBCLDbmWn1zJAOI5zOV92CqVy5Oz5UZ8bYnNmL5_8jr3o18P2P3bIr8M-ohdjJgAxkiXpAnkzLtTpLUERzdM38HfDlLIlOnDJtpZbqEW1aq9-q3QPVe2eB3U4DfE_k21-1k/s1600/lorriep.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/lorriep" target="_blank">@lorriep </a></div>
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(using our MKAL Kit colorway "Sentimental Heart" from <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrJchHZDxwDaK8E4s0HUZy3QJuFSnTTQ_OrFW5hyphenhyphenDNwaqiIssAmmBwdXpFez_-n_LosTGC7PrMDHoSFnQUEg2JPzvosfhnwG7GstPuPoH8Fes2vr_b3TU2xlyjchAS-fBd01ZAE4vpS4/s1600/maidoforleans.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrJchHZDxwDaK8E4s0HUZy3QJuFSnTTQ_OrFW5hyphenhyphenDNwaqiIssAmmBwdXpFez_-n_LosTGC7PrMDHoSFnQUEg2JPzvosfhnwG7GstPuPoH8Fes2vr_b3TU2xlyjchAS-fBd01ZAE4vpS4/s1600/maidoforleans.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/maidoforleans" target="_blank">@maidoforleans </a></div>
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(also using our MKAL Kit colorway "Tweeter and the Monkeyman" from <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7kWCLK1xNMdHLBGIclf6pKqocLeMlzwAT6GFeZdGawVVhbArP0tannLgtkCHfvqvmS0ycaTTuPeHj7oJ6df8UObEI2sFLneqze0OHpxxjELc5Camsn5gV3g-YlSFvt5qumYXPghbAZM/s1600/ncampbez.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7kWCLK1xNMdHLBGIclf6pKqocLeMlzwAT6GFeZdGawVVhbArP0tannLgtkCHfvqvmS0ycaTTuPeHj7oJ6df8UObEI2sFLneqze0OHpxxjELc5Camsn5gV3g-YlSFvt5qumYXPghbAZM/s1600/ncampbez.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/ncampbez" target="_blank">@ncampbez</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-NBiN5gCrNFB_kd9cFrJz7JX741cGO2kRZdtP9lF5ndC1w-SiGnbiHgRWwEkw-rKdmYV6IWkp7DKfXfkozZitEMPJU1zfzmyBNOF-gwxrjnV4Wlb3krUtKjJObQwZIwrEjGjryTPr8U/s1600/thathookerjess.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-NBiN5gCrNFB_kd9cFrJz7JX741cGO2kRZdtP9lF5ndC1w-SiGnbiHgRWwEkw-rKdmYV6IWkp7DKfXfkozZitEMPJU1zfzmyBNOF-gwxrjnV4Wlb3krUtKjJObQwZIwrEjGjryTPr8U/s1600/thathookerjess.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/thathookerjess" target="_blank">@thathookerjess</a></div>
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(a FIRST TIME sock knitter)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3bZ73pfTCgrRP_SkJJUryXU9pdVlH-V0G7MQ_4sQyWG3NjaDvtIWcEtTuPRQKf7XibOxoT1XGFVBgdq-hurMO_b4BGSV5CZYiz2P43bNedLx7styOpfOavrOIHu-s6Ov7cPsXWDZWWM/s1600/thecraftydarling.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3bZ73pfTCgrRP_SkJJUryXU9pdVlH-V0G7MQ_4sQyWG3NjaDvtIWcEtTuPRQKf7XibOxoT1XGFVBgdq-hurMO_b4BGSV5CZYiz2P43bNedLx7styOpfOavrOIHu-s6Ov7cPsXWDZWWM/s1600/thecraftydarling.PNG" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/thecraftydarling" target="_blank">@thecraftydarling</a></div>
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THE COLORS! I am so excited to see what happens this week now that we've got a pattern to introduce to these yarns. I die!<br />
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Now, there were a few typo's in last weeks clue release and I apologize for that. It seems that a few folks found them right away and let me know (THANKS ladies) and I hope you weren't too frustrated with the second release just hours after the first. I was uber embarrassed but that's life right? Every pattern has to have a small error somewhere. Let's hope that was it, shall we?!<br />
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So now your toes are done and you're ready to get on to the instep. Let's DO this thing! And it's gonna be a chart! I know, I know, some people are better with written patterns but when it comes to something like this, with custom sizing, written instructions just don't work. I have done my best to make the chart as legible as possible. With that said, if you need larger charts let me know and I'll split it on to two pages. I figured many people would view it on a computer screen or an iPad and can zoom in, but I did see that some of you printed out hard copies. <b>PLEASE DON'T BE SHY! </b>Tell me what you need and I'll provide it happily!<br />
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Ok, so with the chart - I can already hear at least one person furiously typing me a text message saying "I hate you... starting rows with a purl stitch... dammit WOMAN!". Seriously, that's exactly what it'll say. Allow me to say this, then: if you don't <i>WANT</i> to start a row with a purl stitch, then don't! That's the beauty of a custom sock. You can do whatever you want to do with it.<br />
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<i>IF</i> you decide (and yes, that's supposed to be all caps, not a typo) to start each row with a knit stitch, and that's totally ok, you'll simply end up with a vertical line of stitches separating the front of your sock design from the back of your sock design. And that's A-OK in my books. Many folks who haven't yet sorted out their tension, and end up with ladders, will do this as purl stitches at the beginning of a row <i>can </i>look sloppy.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">!!!!!</span></b> Let me say: it's not a lack of ability in a knitter if there are ladders. It's simply something that everyone has to learn the trick of. Please don't get discouraged if you have a few ladders. Most will come out with blocking and wearing<b><span style="color: red;">!!!!!!</span></b><br />
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However, with regards to starting a row with purl stitches: I think if you use the handy-dandy little trick in the pattern about purling with a backward wrap (i.e.: clockwise instead of counter-clockwise) that you'll find your tension is pretty darn good. It seems to have eliminated most of my issues.<br />
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I bet you're wondering WHY I've had you work rows that start with purl stitches if this is a teaching MKAL... because I can! Mwa ha ha ha!<br />
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Ok, for serious, though, because I want you to see that knit stitches and purl stitches worked in a variety of combinations won't affect your gauge and will allow you to continue to knit socks that fit. Some things do affect gauge, of course, like cables, YO's, dropped stitches, etc. but many combinations won't.<br />
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I want to encourage you all to start looking at patterns through new eyes: eyes that have seen YOU make socks that fit rather than just blindly following a pattern and ending up with socks that don't fit. Uh... been there. Done that. So over it. So now you'll be able to see how patterns work up, adjust for YOUR foot and always get socks that fit.<br />
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<i>*stepping off my soap box*</i><br />
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Back to the program? Yes, let's shall.<br />
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So now you've got 60 rows of charted pattern to work on your socks. REMEMBER! You're knitting this pattern on the front of the socks ONLY! The back of the socks, which will be the soles of your socks, will be worked in stockinette (knitting every row). Please remember to stop your sock 2" short of the desired total length. We'll get into why next week.<br />
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Also! If you get to the end of the chart and still need more pattern to reach your desired length minus 2", patience grasshopper: next week will have more chart to work and details on the heels.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, if you have questions or are just downright lost (but hopefully not frustrated because I want you to love these socks) please ask questions here on the blog, on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> in our discussion group (or private message me, I'm <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">SoCalMeaghan</a>), and of course you can come harass me on Instagram where I'm also <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@socalmeaghan</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />If you're posting on <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unapologeticknitter" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or <a href="https://twitter.com/SoCalMeaghan" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a> please use #unapologeticknitter, #tuksockmkal and/or #turnitupto11mkal so I can find you and see all your fabulous work. I'm so excited to be knitting with you all and look forward to seeing your toe nubbins crop up on social media!<br />Happy Knitting, lovelies!!!</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-6865178461151427942014-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:002014-05-01T13:30:31.363-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - MKAL - Week 1Hello my lovely knitting friends. I hope you had a good time knitting up your gauge swatch... if that's possible. I know a lot of people hate them and see it as a waste of time and yarn but if it means an expensive project (either financially or time-wise) will fit it, seems worth it to me in the end.<br />
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Ok, so the toes! It finally feels like the MKAL has <i>OFFICIALLY</i> started now that we're actually casting on and doing some legit knitting. I couldn't wait to cast on and it makes my heart happy to see how excited you all are in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry discussion board</a>. Seeing your yarn choices... EEEE! So fun!<br />
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So I chose to do an anatomical toe for my socks. I don't do this if I have vanilla socks since I then have to pick them up and check which way the toe is going before I put them on but, as a sneaky-peaky into the upcoming pattern, what I WILL tell you is that the pattern is somewhat directional, and mirrored on each sock, so that if you DO decide to do the anatomical toe, you'll easily be able to tell which sock is made for each foot.<br />
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If you haven't chosen which toe to do yet then here's a bit more information about the Anatomical Toe vs. the Standard Toe: the anatomical toe is longer (i.e.: it takes more rows to do your increases from your cast-on to your desired count of stitches).<br />
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Why is that? Because you're not increasing 2 stitches every increase round, you increase 2 stitches on the first increase round and then only 1 stitch on the next increase round.<br />
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Compare that to the Standard Toe where you are increasing 2 stitches EVERY increase round.<br />
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Well... now that I type this up I realize I'm thinking of only the front stitches. On every increase round for the Standard Toe you actually increase 4 stitches... are you confused yet?<br />
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Let's go back and look at this with a bit more clarity: The Anatomical Toes will increase a <i>TOTAL</i> of <u>6 stitches</u> over 4 rounds whereas the Standard Toe will increase a <i>TOTAL</i> of <u>8 stitches</u> over 4 rounds. I'm going to go into the math of it all here so you may either want to go get a cup of coffee so you can stimulate your mind and stay awake for this math, or, you may want to skip the next two paragraphs. Either way, you've been warned.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>*WARNING... WARNING*</i></span></b></div>
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<i>If you're not a math person or don't really care how it all works out, don't read this next section.</i></div>
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I'm going to use my sock numbers as an example. Obviously you would want to use your own numbers for this section.<br />
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As a reminder: I cast on 24 sts (12 sts on the front needle and 12 sts on the back needle) and am increasing to a total of 56 stitches (28 sts on the front needle and 28 sts on the back needle).<br />
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If I subtract 24 from 56 I get 32 stitches. So to complete my toe shaping I have to increase by 32 sts (16 on the front needle and 16 on the back needle). For a standard toe, I can divide 32 by 4 (since we increase 4 stitches on EACH increase row) and I get 8. We also have to factor in that, between each increase round, we have an all-knit round so we can double 8 to accommodate these knit rows. All said and done, it will take 16 rounds to increase for the toe. If I look at my row gauge, which was 42.5 sts over 4", that means my toe will be 1.5" tall (deep? long? how would you measure that distance?).<br />
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Now, compare that to an Anatomical Toe. The same math applies... kinda, sorta!<br />
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I still need to increase 32 stitches but we work our increases in 6's rather than 4's. If I divide 32 by 6 I don't get an even number; it's 5.33333 ad nauseum. So, I'll multiply 5 (since we want to round down to the nearest whole number) by 6 increased stitches and get 30 which leaves me 2 stitches short. And per the *Note* section in the pattern release for this week below the Anatomical Toe instructions, I'll work one more repeat of rounds 3 and 4 to increase those 2 extra stitches.<br />
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BUT! Those 32 stitch increases are worked over multiples of 4 Rounds rather than multiples of 2 Rounds. So 5 multiplied by 4 rows is 20 rows. Plus two more rows for the extra increases is 2 for a total of 22 rounds to reach my final stitch count of 56 stitches. 22 rounds is 2.07".<br />
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I realize it's a marginal difference, but if you want your pattern to start half an inch shorter, work the Standard Toe (even though the Anatomical Toe looks way cooler, IMO)!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ok, back to the land of non-glazed over eyes.</span></b></div>
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The long and the short of it is that there's tons of math that CAN be done, or you can just knit along without worrying about the math and just enjoy the process.<br />
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But by the end of this week you'll have what I lovingly refer to as Toe Nubbins. However... there's a caveat. If you're ALSO going to call them that when you say "Toe Nubbins" in your head you have to say it like "TOOOOOOOOOOOE NUBBINNNNNNNNNS" - and kind of sing it. It makes everything better.<br />
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So, here are my TOOOOOOOOOOOE NUBBINNNNNNNNNS:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQXN7nlW5BLZK25_kNRMaT8aWsAyVplJEq-agPKWXPX44N2JGJw4G6WvYi3_PDGn_9e1QBtUoLI-a-rHz4oUhfx97QjiwF9dcdlxEimua8gWPLPuzUO9XePLMhD7gXTpU8UvQsa2met0/s1600/Toes+and+Balls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQXN7nlW5BLZK25_kNRMaT8aWsAyVplJEq-agPKWXPX44N2JGJw4G6WvYi3_PDGn_9e1QBtUoLI-a-rHz4oUhfx97QjiwF9dcdlxEimua8gWPLPuzUO9XePLMhD7gXTpU8UvQsa2met0/s1600/Toes+and+Balls.jpg" /></a></div>
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If you look REALLY closely you can see the increases on the left side of the toe in this bottom picture are every 4 rows rather than every other so theres some subtle toe shaping for the Anatomical Toe.</div>
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Ok, I'm not sure what else to write about this week's work. I think I've fired enough math at you for one week. There's just a TINY bit more next week but mostly it's all fun and knitting games. </div>
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As always, if you have questions or are just downright lost (but hopefully not frustrated because I want you to love these socks) please ask questions here on the blog, on<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank"> Raverly</a> in our discussion group (or private message me, I'm <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/SoCalMeaghan" target="_blank">SoCalMeaghan</a>), and of course you can come harass me on Instagram where I'm also <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">@socalmeaghan</a>.</div>
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If you're posting on <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unapologeticknitter" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or <a href="https://twitter.com/SoCalMeaghan" target="_blank">Twitter</a> please use #unapologeticknitter, #tuksockmkal and/or #turnitupto11mkal so I can find you and see all your fabulous work. I'm so excited to be knitting with you all and look forward to seeing your toe nubbins crop up on social media!</div>
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Happy Knitting, lovelies!!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-3510093393409432342014-04-24T07:49:00.003-07:002014-04-24T08:09:31.033-07:00New Pattern: Hello & Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The last month has been very good to me personally. I've had so much joy come into my from the support of my virtual friends on Instagram (some of whom I'm finally starting to meet in real life) and I've had the honor of being commissioned to make not one, but two pairs of custom socks. Oh sure, I've made socks for people before... but they were for free because they won them. I was asked, and PAID, by two lovely ladies to make socks for them. And today I'm rolling out the first pair so you can make your own. Because I love them and can't wait to make some for ME!!!</div>
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Introducing...</div>
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I really wanted a sock that had a cable, but a cable that sort of disappeared like it was saying "Hello!" but also "Goodbye" as it hid back into the stockinette. I'm pretty happy with the results and can't wait to make more of these. They're a blast to knit. </div>
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As is the case with most of my designs, this yarn is from Black Market Wool in the Hello & Goodbye colorway. Rijel's new shop will open this Saturday (at which point I'll come back and update with a link to her new space). </div>
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I hope you love knitting these. As always, if you have any questions find me on <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or on my group page on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. </div>
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Happy Knitting!!!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-41747394593962240042014-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:002014-04-22T06:00:06.108-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - MKAL - Getting StartedOk, so as I type this I'm wondering if this is "technically" the start of the MKAL. But I kinda feel like it's not because "technically" anyone can join us on May 1st and still catch up by the time the second clue is released. Consider this pre-work... the stuff you gotta do so that you totally rock at the KAL.<br />
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But before we get there, let's make sure you've got the pattern downloaded: </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/turn-it-up-to-11-mkal">http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/turn-it-up-to-11-mkal</a></b></div>
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So this pre-work is pretty simple. This week we're just doing a gauge swatch. We aren't even measuring the thing yet. That's gonna come next week. And yes, I know you know how to measure a gauge swatch. But just in case you have done it before and stuff STILL hasn't fit (you KNOW that's happened... it's happened to me) we're going to walk through all the simple steps on how to measure it and then how to apply it. And we're also going to knit the toe so don't be all like "aw man, this MKAL is LAAAAAAME". It's not. I promise. By the time you're done you're gonna rock at knitting socks and will want knit them all the time.<br />
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Ok, so, per the steps in this week's initial release, we're going to cast on and work in the round using the Magic Loop Method. Again, I know many folks know how to knit in Magic Loop so if you already know, you can stop reading right now and go cast on and do your thing. If you're not 100% sure, let's go through it.<br />
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First, using the standard Long Tail Cast-On method we're going to cast on the stitches.<br />
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Oh, and yeah, I'm using the "Carey" colorway. It's sooooo pretty!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZe55GECHhaOjoWFxcvLOhDbQy0paYNBRf30TcmNp-q5NRoogMz4E9hftb7dvH1RsFYWxYaVGhyphenhyphene2nqy5W8omPC0yU5KzoygUxRetReucp7IF1eawjsoKsf51ZOYD32mdsAXgSsEzR3U/s1600/Carey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZe55GECHhaOjoWFxcvLOhDbQy0paYNBRf30TcmNp-q5NRoogMz4E9hftb7dvH1RsFYWxYaVGhyphenhyphene2nqy5W8omPC0yU5KzoygUxRetReucp7IF1eawjsoKsf51ZOYD32mdsAXgSsEzR3U/s1600/Carey.JPG" /></a></div>
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Now to create your Magic Loop using this crazy long needle.</div>
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Step 1: Move all of your stitches to the middle of the cable:</div>
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Step 2: Divide the stitches in half and pull the loop through the middle two stitches so you have an even number of stitches on either side of your cable:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV-3m71J-k171RVHEg6Z93pOvmwO8AEn2sqKCPyFBPcKoTz1VAPON4YdS04ExKYH8FyOPJ5gG0cFDI1F_chdh_ccXMY1KufGe-vgOFZDNV9J3giT6fYTiarRi2CwqkCyeY4NjVuVw3zM/s1600/60+split.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV-3m71J-k171RVHEg6Z93pOvmwO8AEn2sqKCPyFBPcKoTz1VAPON4YdS04ExKYH8FyOPJ5gG0cFDI1F_chdh_ccXMY1KufGe-vgOFZDNV9J3giT6fYTiarRi2CwqkCyeY4NjVuVw3zM/s1600/60+split.JPG" /></a></div>
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Step 3: Move your two sets of stitches out to the points of the needles, being sure your stitches aren't twisted:</div>
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Now you'll have the tails from your cast-on on the right hand needle. This "right hand" needle with the tails is the one you pull forward so that the cable is holding those stitches and your right hand needle is just like any other needle you would knit ONTO. </div>
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I'm not going to bother reinventing the wheel on this with a video as there are TONS of Magic Loop video tutorials out there. I <i>CAN</i> if you want (because apparently my voice makes some people giggle...) but only if you ask nicely. :) Otherwise I recommend you check out YouTube if the above pictures haven't cleared it up for you.</div>
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By the time you're done with your swatch and bound off you'll have a little tube with nice roll-y edges. And when I say "nice" I mean super duper annoying. But that's knitting in the round without any purl stitches. It's just part of knitting. </div>
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Ok, for serious. I love this colorway. I hope you are all loving your yarn as much as I am despite the fact that it's still just a tube.</div>
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So now we're going to block our swatch. Yeah... I know. Also super boring, right? But it'll help in the long run. </div>
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When I block I treat my knits the way I would when I wash them. I know many folks block down the corners of their knits with blocking pins. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's totally fine if you plan to also pin down your knitting every time you wash it. Which some people do. I just would rather not spend the time (except in the case of shawls, of course). </div>
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So, first and foremost I grab my wool wash, in this case it's <a href="https://www.soakwash.com/" target="_blank">SOAK </a>in the "Celebration" scent. Mmm, mmm, good! I add a drop or two (or too many in some cases like when I'm blocking in a bowl instead of a sink). Then I dunk my swatch in there and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes (or 5 hours if you forget like I tend to do). </div>
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And then?! Just lay that sucker out to dry!</div>
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And then wait horribly impatiently (and I already know I'm going to get texts from some of you whining about how long it is until May 1st) like me for the first clue to be released next week. </div>
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In the meantime, please go say "hi" on our <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-unapologetic-knitter" target="_blank">Ravelry group</a>, both in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/2886688/51-75#62" target="_blank">MKAL discussion</a> and of course in the "<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/the-unapologetic-knitter/2886699/1-25#22" target="_blank">Show Me Your Mug</a>" section. I want to see all your beautiful faces. And if you have questions, ask them here, ask them in Ravelry or on Instagram.</div>
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And <i>SPEAKING</i> of Instagram! <a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">Come follow me</a>. I will want to follow you back if I see you using #turnitupto11mkal, #tuksockmkal and #unapologeticknitter. I want to see all of your projects coming along, what yarn you'll be working with for this MKAL and all your future work too. </div>
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**<b><u>NOTE</u>:</b> "tuk" stands for "The Unapologetic Knitter - I thought it was obvious but I've been asked too many times for me <i>NOT </i>to clarify it for you**</blockquote>
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Next Thursday the first clue will be released so get ready. The awesomeness begins soooooon! Can't wait to knit with all of you!!! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-51940142521863285922014-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:002014-04-15T09:00:01.401-07:00Heliopath Vest KAL - Winner AnnouncementWINNERS!! WINNERS!! CALLING ALL WINNERS!!!<br />
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Oh, wait.... gotta show off all the hard work first.<br />
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I know. I'm a meanie.<br />
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The past 6 weeks with you all have been amazing. <a href="http://instagram.com/ghostfaceknitter" target="_blank">Ghostfaceknitter</a> and I have had a blast posting and knitting allllllll thoooooooooseeeeee cabbbbbbblllllles and learning so much about hosting a KAL. This was a first-time host for Bree and just my second one so it was so great to have such fabulous and talented people on board with us. MWAH!!!!<br />
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So let's do a quick recap of how much you all accomplished in 6 weeks.<br />
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First of all, you worked a super-complex swatch block complete with dropped stitches! Amazing. And then you each knit between 600 and 800 cables (depending on the size of your vest). Just let that sink in for a minute. 600 cables. Who DOES that? You do, baby!!!!<br />
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And in 6 weeks you made a really lovely garment, some of you for the first time, that fits and looks amazing. I am so freaking excited for all of us. Look, just look at this talent!!!!<br />
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<a href="http://instagram.com/bcrlmom" target="_blank">@bcrlmom</a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/ghostfaceknitter" target="_blank">@ghostfaceknitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/kenzie_emery" target="_blank">@kenzie_emery</a></div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/rijelviolet" target="_blank">@kialtho</a></div>
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@rijelviolet</div>
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<a href="http://instagram.com/seaandlake" target="_blank">@seaandlake</a></div>
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I think what astounds me the most is that everyone that is wearing theirs has one that fits beautifully. That means everyone knit a successful gauge swatch. I'm SO PUMPED for everyone. I feel like no matter how large I type, my excitement isn't going to come through very well. But anyway - YAY US!</div>
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Ok, ok, I'll tell you who the winners are and what prizes they get now. 'Cuz lets' face it, that's why you're all here. The best part of this? It was even a surprise for me. Bree and her adorbs cat, Boris, pulled the names out of his magic hat and I just got an email. I loved reading who got what. So, without further ado...</div>
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Alphabetically:</div>
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<li>@<a href="http://instagram.com/bcrlmom" target="_blank">bcrlmom</a> wins the Ewe Ewe Yarns Wooly Worsted/Pattern bundle</li>
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<li>Please contact me directly with your mailing address so I can ship it to you</li>
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<li><a href="http://instagram.com/kialtho" target="_blank">@kialtho</a> wins the Black Market Wool "Just. Perfect" skein</li>
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<li>Same as above - I have it in my office just waiting to be shipped out</li>
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<li><a href="http://instagram.com/rijelviolet" target="_blank">@rijelviolet</a> wins the 4-pack of Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted donated by @justrunknit</li>
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<li>Rijel - I'll start a convo with Megan and include you so she can ship you the yarn (you lucky dog)</li>
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<li><a href="http://instagram.com/seaandlake" target="_blank">@seaandlake</a> wins a pattern of her choosing from the lovely Emma Welford who designed this vest</li>
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<li>Alicia - if you'll select the pattern you'd like and let me know I'll have Emma send it to you directly </li>
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Now with that said, only 6 of you finished your vests and submitted them for the prizes. So, because <a href="http://instagram.com/ghostfaceknitter" target="_blank">Ghostfaceknitter</a> and I can't let you walk away empty handed she's going to pop a little something special in the mail to you. So, if <a href="http://instagram.com/kenzie_emery" target="_blank">@kenzie_emery</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/thecraftydarling" target="_blank">@thecraftydarling</a> can please contact her directly through IG or to get her your mailing address, that'd be awesome. </div>
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Thank you all SO MUCH for playing and knitting along with us. I hope you truly enjoyed your time with Bree and me. I'm hosting my next knit along on May 1st - <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/2014/03/turn-it-up-to-11-sock-mystery-kal.html" target="_blank">it's a sock Mystery KAL</a> and will, of course, have more prizes from unbelievably gifted and generous folks from Instagram. And it sounds like Bree is going to be hosting her own KAL this summer so please keep your eyes open for that. I'll be knitting along with that one fo' sho'! She and I will likely also be teaming up for another KAL in the fall - something to keep us warm as the winter weather creeps in... which I feel guilty even mentioning given how badly some folks have been hit with the cold this year.</div>
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Hugs and love to you all. I can't wait to knit with you all again! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-14083565140771701432014-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:002014-04-08T08:19:02.844-07:00Turn It Up To 11 - GET YER KITS!It's Time!<br />
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Please fill out each piece of the form and click "Place Order Request". If the form is submitted correctly you'll receive a note at the top of the screen indicating that it has been sent.<br />
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*NOTE:<br />
I will make every effort to ensure that you receive a skein in the color you want but there are no guarantees. I will email you as quickly as possible after I receive your request to confirm what colorway you will receive. Text messages will be fastest if you accept that option in the form.<br />
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Once your order is confirmed I will send you a request for payment to the email address you provided to me in the Request Form via PayPal - these will come from my parent company, MOMsd. This is me, I promise.<br />
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Yarn will be shipped no later than Tuesday, April 15th. A tracking number will be emailed to you upon shipment.<br />
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Now go! Order your yarn. And sit anxiously waiting for your yarny goodness to arrive. And thanks for participating. I can't wait to start knitting with you!<br />
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The Form is Temporarily Down as All Kits Are Currently Requested</h2>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797482028070609739.post-83073273771865392432014-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:002014-04-05T07:00:03.169-07:00Heliopath Vest KAL - Week 6 - FinishingDid anyone else notice that when I wrote up the schedule in the <a href="http://www.unapologeticknitter.com/2014/02/heliopath-vest-kal-coming-soon.html" target="_blank">Heliopath Vest KAL announcement</a>, that my schedule is wonky? The first day was a Saturday, then I did Friday, Friday, Friday, Friday, Saturday? Man oh man. What was in the kool-aid that day?<br />
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Regardless, here we are, on the last Saturday before the vest is due with ONE WEEK ahead of us to complete this lovely little project so we can all wear them <i>TO </i>Easter the following weekend. I am SO pumped about this!<br />
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Before we get to that, though, can I just get a "What, whaaaaaat?" for <a href="http://ghostfaceknitter.com/" target="_blank">Ghostface Knitter</a> who ROCKED out a diagram for the bind offs, etc. last week in her blog post, appropriately titled: <a href="http://ghostfaceknitter.com/2014/03/29/heliopath-kal-now-the-scary-shit-week/" target="_blank">Now the Scary Shit Week!</a> It was, wasn't it? This past week was the hardest we've had, IMO, since dropping those stitches was so important and doing it wrong could spell a minor upset. So kudo's to her!!! I hope you've all survived it and aren't closet alcoholics dealing with all those cables.<br />
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And speaking of cables... I counted roughly 760 cables on my sweater. Did you count yours? I want to know cuz that takes balls! Literally... 11 of them in my case. LOL. I'm so puny...<br />
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OK: Buttons. I love my buttons. I bought a bag of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antique-Fillagree-Sewing-Buttons-23-28mm/dp/B00E79X5HA/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1396637737&sr=1-1&keywords=antique+buttons" target="_blank">50 antique-looking buttons</a> from Amazon. There are 10 of each style and with the help of my friends on Instagram I chose these beauties:<br />
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I can't wait to sew these on because that means I'll be able to wear it since that's the last step for me. I prefer to block before I put on any final embellishments just to make sure everything lines up the way I want it to. </div>
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Hey, something shiny....</div>
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What? Nevermind.</div>
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Let's talk about picking up stitches. I think this is something that most knitters who are at that stage of knitting garments are capable of but I learned something really cool from Ann Berk (<a href="http://annetarsia.com/" target="_blank">the queen of Annetarsia</a> and all around loveable knitter... can you tell I adore her?) this past fall. When designers are developing patterns, generally they use a 2/3 or 3/4 pick up equation for picking up stitches. </div>
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Light. Bulb. (I hear <a href="http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130711023954/despicableme/images/b/ba/Gru.jpg" target="_blank">Gru</a> in my head when I type that - do you?) </div>
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So, for example, assuming a 2/3 pick up: if you have 10 rows and you have to pick up along the edge, you'd probably be told to pick up 7 stitches. How do I know that? Because 10 divided by 3 is 3 with 1 remainder. So then you multiply 2 stitches by 3 (because we're picking up 2 stitches for every 3 and we have 3 sets of 3 in 10) to get six. Plus you have one remaining stitch so you pick it up. 7!</div>
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No, I'm not drunk. It makes sense. I promise. I'm just perhaps bad at writing it out. Anyway, I did a video to show how I do things and I realize now that the focus point is on the pattern BEHIND my hands but hey... now you can hear what I sound like and giggle at my fidgety fingers. But, I did spend a whole 5 minutes making this and time is money so I can't just throw it away and do it over again. C'mon people... production value here. Also, can say "hole" enough times? Oh man...<i> *face palm*</i></div>
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Ok, moving on.</div>
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There was a question this week from the lovely <a href="http://instagram.com/kialtho" target="_blank">Kialtho</a> (same user name on IG and Rav - and such a sweet woman) about binding off edges after discovering that her bind off in pattern was too stiff. I recommended she use <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php" target="_blank">Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off</a>. After starting to bind off for the arm hole I found the same thing - my bind off was too tight and thus the binding was really stiff and unpleasant. So I used Jeny's method too and love it. I think it's kind of decorative, actually, and it has enough stretch to accommodate my comfort level.</div>
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<i>**You'll notice a lovely array of colors for my vest in this post alone. I took these photos one right after another and STILL the colors are widely varied. And that's why I'm not a pro-photog. Visit <a href="http://www.eweewe.com/wooly-worsted/" target="_blank">Ewe Ewe Yarns</a> for an accurate color swatch of Saffron 'cuz clearly I'm not going to get it for you.**</i></div>
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Here's how it looks when laid flat:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScC64_dDlL_VfEOlKDExeZSo5LITp8wfsfsEZD-iKMDQDolqONJOinSan0P_LwYL4ZElvAeEgRduT3D_MCS0EfyAu4dBzuexDWjgAsoRmr_Wln0uOui5IX2uGMxQ7KBisOO0jnbpE0Gw/s1600/Arm+Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScC64_dDlL_VfEOlKDExeZSo5LITp8wfsfsEZD-iKMDQDolqONJOinSan0P_LwYL4ZElvAeEgRduT3D_MCS0EfyAu4dBzuexDWjgAsoRmr_Wln0uOui5IX2uGMxQ7KBisOO0jnbpE0Gw/s1600/Arm+Hole.jpg" /></a></div>
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Looks pretty legit, right? </div>
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On to the neckline, which I briefly mentioned in the video above. I've learned that with knitting it's best to a) trust my gut and b) improvise where necessary. The pattern, for my size, called for me to pick up 125 stitches across the front right, across the back and ending at "the left front neck edge". Whelp... to me that wasn't 100% clear but I assumed I wasn't stopping at the shoulder seam since I can tell pretty clearly from the photos of the vest that it comes down the front of the vest a bit (the 3 rows of 1x1 ribbing that is). When I looked further in the pattern I saw that I will need to pick up the same number of stitches for the Button Band as I will for the Button<u style="font-style: italic;">hole</u> Band so by means of deduction I presume that my neckline stitches would have to come down the front left of the vest as far as the front right of the vest. So I did some counting of cables and placed a marker. </div>
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Said marker was 12 stitches beyond where my pickup of 125 stitches was. At first I was nervous that it was "wrong" but I had to trust myself to know that it would be ok if there were some extra stitches. So my neckline has 137 stitches and they shouldn't impact anything except how much the ribbing is "stretched" for the neckline. I think it looks not too shabby. And now that I've had some time to think on it, it makes sense that I would need more stitches. My row gauge didn't match and I need more rows per inch to match the right length so yeah... that makes sense.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjBIuyopmDXtzfAqv1zXjYz1eJU1XOqA03P6jcsC9Clu27d634wKpf_D0C_qVU6nGHWtb8oLkz_yM6XX9InAJFlM_buxf8w0wIBvoO6iwJcIa6SeF1-QudyATGHt6sMfBzYksyJo0s4k/s1600/Neckline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjBIuyopmDXtzfAqv1zXjYz1eJU1XOqA03P6jcsC9Clu27d634wKpf_D0C_qVU6nGHWtb8oLkz_yM6XX9InAJFlM_buxf8w0wIBvoO6iwJcIa6SeF1-QudyATGHt6sMfBzYksyJo0s4k/s1600/Neckline.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now, just a note - I started to use <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php" target="_blank">Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Bind Off</a> for the neckline but found it was a bit bulky so I ended up using the standard bind off in pattern. Go figure. Just goes to show that not every technique works every time, right? </div>
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Ok, now picking up the front panels. I had the same issue as above where I picked up more stitches than the patterned 83 (for my size). I actually needed 91which thankfully confirms my consistency - 91/83 and 137/125 (my actual stitch pick up over the patterned stitch pick up) both are the same: 1.096. I think I'm bragging now so I'll shut the hell up. Just sometimes I impress myself.</div>
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And then others... not so much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA1z-7fLGJDo1ic0-M5_QI8HdjFhyHGW2T0XXiF1xHtO1JCllVRS8lcK72cFTMd4jBrwy061LgkS5vDxCbxcV15UD6nhQcRC5H1yWcUOfz6vwW0YRYcluKjnWWj4s-JVdMMGTmbA7B80/s1600/Markers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA1z-7fLGJDo1ic0-M5_QI8HdjFhyHGW2T0XXiF1xHtO1JCllVRS8lcK72cFTMd4jBrwy061LgkS5vDxCbxcV15UD6nhQcRC5H1yWcUOfz6vwW0YRYcluKjnWWj4s-JVdMMGTmbA7B80/s1600/Markers.jpg" /></a></div>
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Count those stitch markers... do you get 9? Yeah... me too... </div>
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But I didn't realize it until I'd done all the button holes.</div>
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A note on the button holes. I have 1" buttons as the pattern calls for and worked the 2-st, one-row button hole and found it too small. I went up to a 3-st, one row button hole and that seemed to work out. I don't know if I was super tense about working this type of button hole as it was new to me but hey, alls well that ends well, right?</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9Ey3O4V9TP02IxM_K_UBhInU3t6w1Gh4_ZPOe7p6NHuVbDfV5n1mI3ul_9h-RhIEcpJbONPgGKnj3Ecb5Ymvcw-qN28QCWrHkU7M9YUsPjKeo9FizvAhdj-uXsb9h6Cf0HbcRr7PFO0/s1600/finished.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9Ey3O4V9TP02IxM_K_UBhInU3t6w1Gh4_ZPOe7p6NHuVbDfV5n1mI3ul_9h-RhIEcpJbONPgGKnj3Ecb5Ymvcw-qN28QCWrHkU7M9YUsPjKeo9FizvAhdj-uXsb9h6Cf0HbcRr7PFO0/s1600/finished.JPG" /></a></div>
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So there she is, in her finished glory. Well, mostly finished. As I type this up she's sitting in the bath getting a good soak so I can block her and stitch on her buttons. All <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">9</u> of them. Actually, all said and done, I kind of dig the 9 since this is a rather snug little project and I don't want to have gaps. I have 10 stitches between each button and the math worked out pretty nicely. </div>
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And there ya have it. My work here is done. Later gators. </div>
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Kidding! </div>
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Let's talk about these prizes again, shall we? </div>
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First and foremost - your project must be done (buttons sewn on but not necessarily blocked or dry) by <b><u>11:59pm on Saturday, April 12th</u></b> (one <i>WEEK</i> before easter, not the day before). To submit your finished entries please post your FO's either in the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/instagram-along-ers/2846000/76-100#reply_form" target="_blank">Ravelry Group</a> or on Instagram using #heliopathkal. It would be most appreciated if you would also tag my co-host <a href="http://instagram.com/ghostfaceknitter" target="_blank">@ghostfaceknitter</a> and me (<a href="http://instagram.com/socalmeaghan" target="_blank">@socalmeaghan</a>) so we can be sure to get all of your entries. </div>
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A quick recap of what the prizes are:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm2xXYTRfIgYbFL_La5q0A39EV0_xBlD7TnFKMrBKkf7Njs6fhmiq8vA1w9GvrIrdxF51Z0gchnjh9F1pR7ZyKhjv6-z_kiHj3AKZANcRx9emgHqBI4cx21jMTwkwUYfCjwNKRYGI2R0/s1600/MadelineTosh_JustRunKnit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm2xXYTRfIgYbFL_La5q0A39EV0_xBlD7TnFKMrBKkf7Njs6fhmiq8vA1w9GvrIrdxF51Z0gchnjh9F1pR7ZyKhjv6-z_kiHj3AKZANcRx9emgHqBI4cx21jMTwkwUYfCjwNKRYGI2R0/s1600/MadelineTosh_JustRunKnit.JPG" /></a></div>
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4 skeins of Madelinetosh Pashmina from <a href="http://instagram.com/justrunknit" target="_blank">@justrunknit</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFi78pQe4my2HuZKrVgAHF3uzp7JblbxbcFtxag-enHqSPVO_Sg7YsqVJuoqeUnbq4d_Vo2J03d9M5VJLDYCsoZPfr_GoJbEH6HUW-iJ7hKT_pWIJYiAjd2saK4ABmzLbn-nmZjDN8AU/s1600/Saffron+Ewe+Ewe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFi78pQe4my2HuZKrVgAHF3uzp7JblbxbcFtxag-enHqSPVO_Sg7YsqVJuoqeUnbq4d_Vo2J03d9M5VJLDYCsoZPfr_GoJbEH6HUW-iJ7hKT_pWIJYiAjd2saK4ABmzLbn-nmZjDN8AU/s1600/Saffron+Ewe+Ewe.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBLjPRtO9AXzEWsweOKTYu2nLCS4VpbMTO9MCcl0wvMLVkOGs0Z5OdZk590d0GGOsFGYGVIlKTnEjR9wWsLlldLt60G2i65jWe7Hbvzx-ZFjooxzG-bh45UImGlrdNTviSN52u2oCzZE/s1600/215_angel_food_cake_cowl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBLjPRtO9AXzEWsweOKTYu2nLCS4VpbMTO9MCcl0wvMLVkOGs0Z5OdZk590d0GGOsFGYGVIlKTnEjR9wWsLlldLt60G2i65jWe7Hbvzx-ZFjooxzG-bh45UImGlrdNTviSN52u2oCzZE/s1600/215_angel_food_cake_cowl.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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2 skeins of <a href="http://eweewe.com/wooly-worsted" target="_blank">Wooly Worsted</a> in Saffron plus a pattern for a cowl from <a href="http://instagram.com/eweeweyarns" target="_blank">@eweeweyarns</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKHhhU7Q5P8YWDe9Repv5ECojoxJ4G2dBwPoPOz3i4EQ_sU94WWLyTZvJeYoI-saW30W5lv4bODB7oSiXE-T78qYk95JrSTqibbUdXcaNKJqHJTvaOEfsuG-MyGRHcofDab52zN3uJRs/s1600/Just+Perfect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKHhhU7Q5P8YWDe9Repv5ECojoxJ4G2dBwPoPOz3i4EQ_sU94WWLyTZvJeYoI-saW30W5lv4bODB7oSiXE-T78qYk95JrSTqibbUdXcaNKJqHJTvaOEfsuG-MyGRHcofDab52zN3uJRs/s1600/Just+Perfect.jpg" /></a></div>
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1 skein of <a href="http://blackmarketwool.com/" target="_blank">Black Market Wool</a> in Just. Perfect. from <a href="http://instagram.com/rijelviolet" target="_blank">@rijelviolet</a></div>
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<b><u>A pattern of your choosing from the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/emma-welford" target="_blank">Ravelry Store of Miss Emma Welford</a> (the lovely lady who brought us this gorgeous Heliopath Vest in the first place).</u></b></div>
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All of these prizes rock so make sure you get your entries submitted. I'm so pumped to see you all finish these up. And hey, if you don't finish by the deadline, keep tagging. I wanna see them all in their knitted glory!</div>
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Thank you all for knitting along, sharing your skills, posting on Instagram and cheering everyone along. It's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you all and I hope we'll all get the chance to knit together again soon. 'Cuz hey... prizes!</div>
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Happy weekend knitting all! </div>
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