Sock Season!

 

1908 Gearhart Circular Sock Knitting Machine.

If it's autumn, is must be sock-cranking season!

I walked into our area guild meeting Monday evening, and the first words from Laurel were, "Will you be making socks again?"  She orders several pairs each year to give as Christmas gifts to family members.  Yes, I am making socks again.

Yesterday these two pairs were cranked, toes closed, washed/rinsed/spun, and hung to dry overnight on a wood rack.  This morning they were steamed and then placed on the rack again to finish drying.  This evening they are in a bag, tomorrow I will meet up with the woman who placed the order.  The gentleman they are for already has a couple pairs and was very interested in having more.  I hope he likes the color combinations!

Red/Blue/Hunter yarns.

Red, blue, and hunter green work up into a cozy, wintry pair of socks, popular with my customers.

Detail of heel/foot area.

Detail of mock-rib on leg.

In reality, the colors are brighter than in these photos.  It was a very gray afternoon here, and though I took the photos out on the lakeside porch, we were losing light.  Right after I went back inside I heard thunder, and a few minutes later it was pouring rain.

Bordeaux/Grape/Teal yarns.

I had been told I could choose whatever colors I wanted, so the first pair (above) have a cheerful holiday feel to them.  For the second pair I went a bit darker, and used a color combination I hadn't tried before, Bordeaux, Grape, and Teal.  I was prepared to cut it off if I didn't like it.  Happily, I was quite pleased with how the colors worked together.

Detail of heel/foot area.

Detail of mock-rib on leg.

Leaves are starting to turn color in the WI Northwoods, temperatures are dropping, we've already had a couple nights with frost warnings.  Crows "caw" all day long, chickadees and blue jays are heard, squirrels are busy collecting acorns, changes are happening daily.  I'm looking forward to a fall and winter full of weaving, sock-making, spinning, and other fiber activities.

Artists Interactive Demo Day

Today, in connection with Artists Interactive, members of The Studio Gallery were again giving demonstrations of their various arts in Boulder Junction, WI. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, with a nice breeze which helped us stay comfortable, and sitting in the shade in Wendy's tent was a definite plus.

Today was Watercolors with Jane O'Brien of Eagle River, WI,...

Fabric Landscapes with Toni Bergeon, of Minocqua, WI,...

and I was demonstrating making socks on a 1908 Gearhart Sock Machine (I'm behind the camera).

Wendy Powalisz (Watercolors), Toni Burgeon (Fabric Landscapes, Kathleen Kimball (Collage), and I (Sock Machine) will be there again tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

Sock Orders to Fill

I feel as if I've spent a good part of my summer cranking socks, having made over 100 pairs, and selling 80 pairs so far. I had so been looking forward to getting back to my loom, after Art In The Yard. There is a warp to finish weaving, and many more to be made and woven. However, there has been a slight delay,...

Yesterday and today, I am cranking socks to fill the orders from Art In The Yard. Two more pairs to do today, close the toes, wash and hang to air dry, then finish and tag. This photo is a sock in progress on the 1908 Gearhart.