Tecla Sweater, Harlow Hat, and Channeling the Socktober Vibes

I just love your podcast and all your knitting❤ Can you recommend a colorwork project suited for knitters who have not knitted colorwork before? Best regards Marie Louise from Danmark

The Australian Brushtail possum is a pest in NZ - introduced during colonial times as a fur trade animal.

In Australia they have their niche in the environment and don't have a negative impact.

In NZ they eat EVERYTHING! Which has had a very very detrimental effect on our native bird and bat population (bats are our only native mammal). Some species of bird are now extinct because of the introduction of possums and other pests

Possum fur is collected by plucking the fibre from animals culled in humane trapping operations as part of trying to make NZ pest and predator free.

Yes they are cute, but pretty much fair game in NZ.

Thanks Amber. I will check out the podcasts you mentioned. They sound interesting. Your sweater looks great on you.

I had the same problem with the Summer Lee socks, I just went up another needle size. (US 1.5 (2.5mm) / US 2.5 (3mm) for colorwork)

Dear Amber! Thank you very much for your podcast! Maybe you know already, but I‘d like to recommend these videos: Fruity Knitting has episodes about the Jenny Jacket and smok stitch (ep. 145), and about colourwork socks (ep. 135), both with great information, I think. Have a great day! Love and blessings, Gesa

*calming

Thank you Amber! You too are a claming and articulate podcaster. I always enjoy your episodes. :)

The Harlow hat is super fun. I have never tried to do the tubular cast on myself, you've inspired me to try it next time! And yes, the hat comes out BIG, the brioche is quite stretchy. My first one fits, but it is pretty loose. I love brioche!

Hello Amber! Thank YOU so much for your calm presence, and keeping me company this chilly November evening while I knit toward the home-stretch of my husband's first pair of socks... will they ever be done? LOL. I love your acorn earrings and oh how that autumn beauty makes my heart sing!! I recently stumbled across Black Cat Knit Co's podcast as well. It is wonderful. Thank you for mentioning galanthusknits. Another Canadian podcaster yay I'll go check it out. Thank you again. Hope you found your Knitting Journal. :) Sincerely, not-very-calming and/or articulate-especially when over-caffeinated Leanne

The Tecla Sweater is a okay after the mishap and hurry up and finish it. Yes you would look nice wuth a black pencil skirt and boots. I have 4 lined pencil skirts and 2 denim pencil skirts. Your hats and socks are perfect for the Freeze Winter Weather. Our Weather in Cape Town has not really got very warm. We have had snow in November a few times. I am keeping well and on Friday 1.11.2024 I celebrated my 55th Wedding Anniversary. Take care ❤😊

When you knit inside out, you are still knitting, but the backside and floats are on the outside instead of the inside, so this makes the floats longer. And therefore the colourwork is not as tight.

Or even just a single strand

Can I suggest you consider using your double stranded mohair for the neck band too?

To knit inside out after doing your ribbing you flip the knitting so that you your purl/ floats are outside knit stitches are inside the tube. You then knit like normal but it is on the inside thus allowing a bit more distance for your floats .

Watching from Western Canada -- for the second time. I enjoyed your sweater review (got me hankering to knit one -- though it's another pullover, instead of a cardigan!)...and now enjoyed today's Socktober content. RE: stranded colour work -- I too have trouble with colour-work in socks (though not in hats and sweaters)...but even though I'm a 'thrower' and use dpns, I also use both hands when I do colour-work (whether socks, hats or whatever). Have you tried that or do you knit colour-work socks with 2 colours controlled by 1 hand? Just wondering. 🙂

ps possum fibre is blended with our merino and makes an amazing soft fabric

possums are a pest in Nz and destroy a lot of our native fauna and kill a lot of native bird eggs. They are a introduced species

Amber, my grandson and his fiancé asked me to knit them coordinated socks, so corny must be in. Your son and fiancé will love the matching socks. Knitting your socks inside out has you still knitting. Just push the top of your sock through the middle of your needles and keep on knitting. You can still see the design showing enough to follow the pattern. Glad you saved your blue sweater from the coffee spill- whew!

Knitting a colorwork sock inside out also has me scratching my head. I don’t understand how to do that. 🤔

It was lovely to watch you this morning Amber. I live in England and have been following you now for 3 months or so. I nearly always love everything you make and the way you present the podcast. It was so nice to see a little of your outside space too this time at the end! I've never knit colourwork socks before, but for stretchiness I wonderful if it would be better to twist the colours round each other with every single stitch? It would be slow going, but might work?

Hi Amber, I'm from Austria running a German Knitting-Podcast, called "knitandshine". I also don't feel "Sleeve Island" as much as "Body Island". And like you I prefere knitting over purling, unless I was tought knitting in Continental style. I love using a short circular needle for socks, especially colourwork-socks. There are 9 inch circular needles which have a longer tip (for the right hand) and a shorter tip (for the left hand). So purling in Continental style is also easier with these needles (form Addi oder Knitpro (not the wooden ones, but the aluminum rainbow ones!)) For the ribbing I often use "Combinded knitting". To avoid the socks to be to tight to fit over the heel I often use the ladderback-methode. I hope this hints can help you! Brigitte

I love your quilted project bag! Where did you find that? I really love the sweater you’re wearing. So lovely :)

Love your socks, your knitting for your son and daughter in law yo be.

I just read Summer Lee’s book, The Sock Project. She suggests going up a needle size to knit the colorwork portion of the sock. That might solve your problem and should not affect the fit around your leg… I have knit socks inside out, but, I don’t know if you can only knit a portion of the sock inside out. When I do it, it is to avoid purling, but I knit the entire sock inside out… I always enjoy your podcasts. I am impressed with the way you handled your morning coffee spill. I can’t handle anything until I have drunk the entire cup of coffee, then, I can handle things!

I love your podcast because I find you to be a calm voice and demeanor!

It was so wonderful catching up with you, Amber! :) Loving all of your projects AND I love the idea of the matching socks too <3

When i knit colorwork, sweaters, socks, ..... i always go up a half needle size example when i knit my sock with a 2.5 mm/ US 1.5 for the colorwork i use needle size 3 mm/ US 2.5

Thank you for mentioning my pattern in your podcast, you pronounced my name perfectly, no worries. The pattern works beautifully in your wool, looking forward to the end result. Greetings Inge

inside out colorwork for me! once you see a tutorial, you will love! love your videos and always look forward to them

Turn the sock inside out and knit with the floats facing you, you’ll stretch the yarn slightly as you knit around!

I loved watching you sit and knit outside by the fire with coffee. Suffering such fomo. You knit fast!!!!

Good morning! I get what you mean by knitting inside out. It does take a bit to wrap your head around it. Once you see and try it, you should get the hang of it. It helped me. Have a great day!

Thank you so much for amazing inspiration and sharing your passion for yarn knitting crocheting etc. Itś such a joy to follow your podcast 🥰 have a beautiful day

Hi! I have kitted Jenny sweater with smock stitch, It's not hard and not so time consuming. Jus sadly chose the wrong size. And the yarns I have chosen was also not suitable. Now planning to knit Jenny Jacket V neck once finished my Champagne Cardigan, Will probably use fingering weight held with mohair or suri. Love your podcasts!

Since you love researching - would you mind researching/sharing any fiber/yarn/knitting festivals up your way?
We all hear about Rhinebeck but surely there are other good and smaller shows?
Thank you in advance 😊

I did this same sock and had to abandon first attempt. It simply would not stretch over my foot. I started again and increased my needle size first the colorwork.

Your knitting journal has run away with my bag full of berroco vintage. When summer came I had a peach fuzz sweater I was knitting in the vintage. The body is complete and I need to add sleeves. The yarn for the sleeves is no where to be found.

Hi Amber, when I knit colorwork socks I go up one needle size (from 2.25 to 2.5) and increase about 4 sts (depending on the repeat of the colorwork). After the colorwork, back down to 2.25 and original st count. This works for me to keep it a little looser. Catching the floats more often is a good idea too. I also try them on after about an inch of work (put on a barber cord, and just pull them over the heel), to make sure!

The Maryanna sweater was free during Covid time. That’s when I got mine. 😅

So glad the coffee came out of your WIP - nail biting suspense (not as dramatic of course but still! You're 100% right, totally need to put things in perspective sometimes.) Thank you for sharing a peek of the most wonderful way to start a day - morning sun, coffee, knitting, fire pit!! Those matching Christmas socks for your son and future daughter-in-law are so so cute!! Take care ❤~Stephanie

I see others have written about knitting colorwork socks and I remember when I first started doing this. You will push your knitting inside out and then will knit on the edge that is away from you, not the edge close to you. It will make sense once you start. It really does help.

Ooh excited for the variegated yarn episode, I love variegated yarn!

Hello Amber, I’m sure someone already helped you with the “knitting inside out”, but I’ll try to explain just in case. The way you flipped the brioche that you showed us is what you need to do with your colorwork. It looks like you are knitting in the other side and it helps with the floats and keeping the stitches even. I hope this helps. If not, I’m sure there are videos that shows this. If I find one I’ll send you the link on Instagram.

Hi when I knit colorwork socks with only a piece of colorwork at the top I start with my normal number of stitches for vanilla socks (64 ) for the cuff, then I increase to around 70 stitches for the colorwork to decrease again to 64 after the colorwork that way I have more stretch for the colorwork part to get it over my heel but my socks are still fitted for the rest of my foot.

Knitting inside out, to my knowledge, is just like what you did to show us the inside of your brioche hat - you just flip the project over the needles so that the floats are on the outside and the actual outside/right side is on the inside. And you can knit it to pattern like that you dont need to purl or adjust the chart at all. It is supposed to make the floats a little longer and not as tight.

Hello Amber I too enjoy calming podcasts such as yours !! I will try the one you shared from New Zealand belle journée à vous from France ❤

I get excited when I see your podcast! I’m suddenly into knitting socks myself - I never have before but I recently learned to knit socks and I love it! Also, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday as well. Thanks so much for much for all you do ❤

Lol my husband is drowning your puppy out with his. You started to apologize and I almost thought you could hear him😂