70s Couch Socks

Yes, I really did name a project the 70s Couch Socks, but come on! Look at the colors! Can't you just see a 70s couch with a crochet blanket thrown over the back and arm covers...I'll wait while you imagine. 

This sock yarn came in a pack that was gifted to me by a friend/previous co-worker who purchased the yarn in Switzerland. She is no a fan of orange, so any yarn with orange came to me! Yay! My sister is going to be so happy with some new socks in her future. 

The yarn is a basic wool/nylon blend from the brand Stabile by Bernetta Wolle. I reminds me of Regia and other German brands of sock yarn, definitely on the hardier side of the scale. Which is perfect for my sister because she seems to wear through socks quicker than anyone I know! 

As with other European sock brands this ball came with a small spool of thinner thread so you can reinforce the areas that wear through quickly. I don't need to reinforce at the traditional spots (the heel) but more along the ball of the foot and into the toes. 

Using the spool along with the regular yarn together resulted in a pretty marled section is the sock that is slightly thicker than the surrounding areas. I'm actually kind of nerdy excited about seeing if these wear better than the other pairs without the reinforcement thread. I'll keep you updated! 

Little Bits

Another pattern, another blog post! I have a new shawl coming out and it uses mosaic knitting! Not sure what mosaic is? Check out my previous blog post here and get a little background. 

Little Bits is my newest shawl pattern! Little Bits uses an asymmetric triangle shaping and mosaic stitches to create a simple stitch pattern that highlights and play with color! 

I used a light main color and then a gradient set (well, part of a gradient set. I kind of deconstructed the sit and picked what I want.) There is 800 yards of the main and 160 yards (30 grams) of contrast for the large size, the small size is 400 yards of the main and 100 yards (20 grams) of contrast. 

I think this would be a great project to use your leftovers if you don't have a gradient in stash! I used a merino cashmere base but whatever base you are comfortable wearing around your neck is perfect for your shawl! Can't wait to see your version! -- Sierra 

Mosaic Knitting, High Contrast - Low Contrast, Why?

Have you knit mosaic style knitting before? Mosaic knitting is a form of color work knitting that only requires you to work with one color at a time. This technique utilizes slip stitches to make the picture/pattern you want to show. 

Mosaic can be an amazing way to show off motifs or play with color but how do you really make it shine? Contrast. Contrast is how you make mosaic knitting shine and really show off the colors you're working with. 

Above are two swatches that show basic mosaic stitches. Just a slip one, knit one technique. Below you will be able to see them in black and white and show how different the contrasts are between the color choices. 

Can you believe the difference?! You can use your camera settings on your cellphone and see your swatches in black and white. Using black and white photography shows the color values of the yarn and how high and/or low the contrast of your colors are. The top swatch is the green and cream combo, the bottom swatch is the black and red. The cream/green is high contrast and the black/red is low contrast. 

When picking yarn for your mosaic piece this black and white camera function can easily show you which combo is best for your pattern. 

You definitely don't have to follow any sort of rule when picking your mosaic yarns. If you prefer a lower contrast combo that is 100% okay! My new shawl sample is definitely on the lower end of contrast vs high, it's what I prefer, and your knitting should be about you! 

Along with contrast in yarns you can also difficulty levels for mosaic knitting. The swatches all featured above are simple slips and knits without difficult patterns or charts to follow. The swatch below was knitted from a mosaic chart and is slightly more complicated previous swatches shown. 

Can you even believe that the bottom swatch only uses one color per row! Mosaic is a fun and different technique than other color works but still leads to really cool results. 

I hope this overview of mosaic makes you more confident to give those patterns a try! All Knit Up patterns that include mosaic are Monticello and Little Bits, take a look at these lovely shawls and give them a try! 

Happy Knitting -- Sierra