More Proof that you should pick up those needles!!

Seems that whenever I get my rear in gear and update my blog after being dormant for way too long, I come across a new article and want to share it...after I already published my blog entry.
So here it is (if I already published it, I call a time out due to Fibro fog. It's a great excuse).

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/might-crafts-such-as-knitting-offer-long-term-health-benefits/2014/04/21/d05a8d40-c3ef-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html

I know it helps me, if for no other reason than the fact that while I'm knitting, I'm sitting and resting and still getting something accomplished.LOL

My basic sock pattern

I decided to share my basic sock pattern. I have it downloadable on Ravelry, but I figure that people who don't want to go through the trouble of downloading something can just bookmark it here if they want.

 

Basic Cuff Down Sock Pattern

Knitted with worsted weight yarn

These were made with Red Heart yarn. I prefer to use a short row heel for my socks. The needle I use is a set of size 5 double points.

Cast on 40 (36, 48) stitches for a woman’s size. I’ll put child and man’s sizes in parentheses. I usually like to cast all the stitches onto one needle, then I separate the stitches so that I have one needle (needle #1) with 10 (8,12) stitches, needle 2 with 20 (16, 24) stitches, and needle 3 with 10 (8,12) stitches. Make sure not to twist the needles so that all the stitches are aligned.

Cuff:

I do a knit 2/purl 2 ribbing for 2 inches, working in a circle from one needle to another. Then I switch to a stockinet stitch (all stitches are knit) without breaking the yarn. Work in a stockinet stitch until your work reaches, from the very top to the needle, to measure 6 (5,7) inches. (I just use a standard ruler to measure my work with).

Heel:

Starting between needles 1 and 3, and leaving needle 2 alone, knit to the end until you have only one stitch left on needle 1. Pulling your yarn to the front to start, wrap the yarn around the base of the stitch that is on the end and turn your work so you are looking at the purl side. Keep the yarn to the front of the work after you wrap it.

Row 1: purl across both needles until there is only one stitch left. Wrap the yarn around that last stitch and turn your work. Pull the yarn to the back of the work.

Leave the wrapped stitch on the needle throughout the work. You should now have 9 (7,11) regular stitches and one wrapped stitch on your needles.

Row2: knit across both needles until you get to the 2^nd stitch from the end. Wrap your yarn around the 2^nd stitch just like you did for the 1^st. Turn your work.

Row3: Purl to the 2^nd stitch from the end. Wrap it like the other stitch on the needle and turn. You now should have 8 (6,10) regular stitches on your needles and 2 wrapped stitches on each needle.

You keep going back and forth between the knit side and the purl side until you only have 4(3,6) unwrapped stitches on each needle. Now you are ready to finish the wrapped stitches and the heel.

Knit across the 4 (3,6) stitches on the needle. When you get to the wrapped stitch, use your needle to pick up the wrap yarn and slide it onto the needle in your left hand so that it is next to the next stitch. Then work both strands of yarn at the same time and knit them together. Turn your work.

Now purl across those stitches and then purl across the 4 (3,6) unwrapped stitches on the other needle. When you get to the 1^st wrapped stitch on the needle, pick up and purl both the wrap strand and the stitch on the needle together. Turn your work.

Knit across including the stitch that you knitted two together on the last row. Work the next wrapped stitch the same way, pick up the wrap and slide it onto the needle next to the stitch and knit the two strands together. Turn

Continue knitting and purling across in this fashion and working the wrapped stitches.

When you get all of the wrapped stitches worked you will knit to the end of needle 1 and then pick up a stitch between needle 1 and needle 2 so that you won’t have a hole there. Knit across needle 2 like normal. Then pick up a stitch between needle 2 and needle 3 before knitting all of the remaining stitches on needle 3. You should now have 11(9,13) stitches on needle 1, 20 (18,24)stitches on needle 2, and 11(9,13) stitches on needle 3.

On the next round knit to the end of needle 1 and knit the last two stitches together. Knit all the stitches on needle 2 like normal. Knit 2 stitches together on needle three, then knit the rest of the stitches like normal.

Foot:

Knit across all needles like normal. You should have 10 (8,12) on needle 1 now, 20 (18,24) on needle 2, and 10 (8,12) on needle 3. Continue knitting straight across all needles until your foot portion of the sock measures 7 inches from the edge of the heel to the needle. (I lay my work flat on my table and use a ruler to measure the foot)

Toe:

When your foot portion measures 7 (6,8) inches, knit across needle one so that you are at the side of the foot.

Row 1: knit one. Knit two together, then knit across the needle until you have only three stitches left on needle 2. Slip the next stitch from the needle to the working needle without knitting it (slipped stitch). Then knit the next stitch. Slide the slipped stitch over the stitch you just knitted and off the tip of the needle. Knit the last stitch on needle 2 normally. On needle 3, knit 1, knit 2 together, then knit across the rest of the stitches. On needle 1, knit until there are only 3 stitches left on the needle and then slip a stitch, knit the next stitch, then slip the slip stitch over the knitted stitch. Knit the last stitch on the needle. You should now have 9 (7,11) stitches on needles 1 and 3 and 18 (16, 22) stitches on needle 2.

Row 2: knit across all three needles normally

Row 3: On needle 2, knit one, knit 2 together, then knit until 3 stitches from the end. Slip a stitch, knit a stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted one, knit the last stitch. This stitch is called a PSSO (pass slipped stitch over) and is a type of decrease stitch. On needle 3, knit one stitch, knit 2 stitches together, knit the rest of the stitches normally. On needle 1, knit the stitches normally until you get to the last 3 stitches. PSSO. Then knit the last stitch.

Continue with the toe rotating between one row of decreases and one row of regular knitting. When you work the last row of decreases, you should have 4 (3,6) stitches on needle 1, 8 (6,12) stitches on needle 2, and 4 stitches on needle 3. Slide the stitches from needle 3 to needle 1 so that you now have two needles that have 8 (6,12)stitches on each. Leaving a long tail, cut the yarn.

Finishing:

You finish the sock with the kitchner stitch. Place the tail of yarn on a yarn needle. Hold your sock up on the two needles with the needles side by side.

Insert the yarn needle into the left side of the front stitch (stitches on needle 1). Angle your needle to the right so that you only pick up the front post of the stitch (knit wise). Pull the yarn through the stitch and slide the stitch off the knitting needle. On the next stitch on the front needle, put the yarn needle through purl wise and leave that stitch on the knitting needle, but pull your yarn needle and tail all the way through.

Now work the first stitch on the back needle (needle 2). Pull your tail to the back and on the first stitch pull it through purl wise (from back to front). Slide the stitch off the knitting needle and then insert the yarn needle into the next stitch on needle 2 knit wise and leave that stitch on the needle.

Working the front needle again, insert your needle knit wise, then slide that stitch off the knitting needle and insert the yarn needle into the next stitch on the same knitting needle purl wise and leave that stitch on the needle.

Work the next stitch on the back needle. First pull you yarn through purl wise, slide off the stitch, then pull the yarn through the next stitch knit wise.

Continue in that fashion, working off each stitch until you have done all the stitches. Pull your yarn to the inside of the work.

Turn your sock inside out and work in all the loose ends.

I'm Amazed!!!

The last few days have been wonderful! After all this time that I've struggled to get something going for my craft business, it looks like its finally going to go somewhere! Let me start from the beginning...
In the beginning of December, Chelle and I met with our friend Angel to discuss the possibility of starting a business together and decided that our best choice would be to combine our interests to do a business that would sell crafts as well as thrift store items. 

Then the Holidays hit and we were too busy to think about doing anything but get gifts made. While I was up to my ears with gift making, my friend Debbie asked me if I could make her some more socks (I made her some a while back and she really liked them). I made a couple pairs and posted them before Christmas, but really didn't get the chance to do much until after Christmas was over.  Here are the socks I made for her

I posted each pair on facebook as I finished them. After the first couple, people on the knitting groups I'm on mentioned that they would like the pattern. I started off just telling them that I didn't have a pattern and was doing them from memory, but they kept insisting, so I eventually decided, "Hey, maybe I should write down my pattern and try to sell it..." (this is where I did a mental facepalm). So I wrote up the first pattern and was amazed that people were actually interested.Haha! 
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaunty-striped-socks

Then I got the bright idea that if I put my basic sock pattern up, it might draw people to my Ravelry page so I put that one up for free.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-cuff-down-knit-socks

I decided that I would post that one to all the knitting groups I'm on on facebook and was shocked to find that the downloads for it was in the hundreds!

I quickly finished up today by putting the other variations up for sale
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snazzy-two-colored-socks
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/textured-bobble-socks
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puffy-striped-socks

I also was surprised to have people asking me to knit them socks and to make my fingerless glove pattern available. 
So now I have to decide how much work I can take in and be able to do with my pain issues. Not only that, but I need to come up with prices that are fair to customers, but not unfair to me. And, finally, I need to decide how much I can do and still be able to keep my goals for making socks for the Veterans like I planned. 

I'm really glad it's taking off like this. It's good to be able to make your creative venue into your daily job.