the blue blog archives: half of brazil

One brazil color sock is done! I simply love how they have worked out the stripes in this yarn. Some of the Regia Canadian Colors make narrow stripes like my Toronto socks. (These are my favorites.) Some make wider "random" stripes like this Brazil sock. (Totally cool!) And some are just plain variegated. (I even bought one ball of that because the colors were so great, and I'm usually not a fan of that kind of variegation.) This series is too much fun!

More stripes, of course, means another solid heel and toe, worked through the magic of cutting out one whole section of the stripe sequence and scavenging it to fill out the one color. I just knit up to where I want the heel to be (for my Germany socks it was the middle of the black stripe; for these socks, I waited until just before the little blue stripe started in the beige), then I left that yarn hanging from the sock, joined in the proper color from the stripe sequence I'd cut out from the other end of the ball, and knit the heel with that yarn. When the heel was done, I picked up the original yarn and kept knitting. So there's absolutely no interruption in the color sequence over the front of the ankle. In order to save yarn, I'm doing heels and toes in different colors this time. This way I'm only "wasting" one stripe sequence repeat for each sock.

posted by alison at 8:04 am | in socknut

Comments

Thanks so much for explaining in detail how you make the solid color heel -- realizing that you pick the color with the widest stripe, then reading your explanation, it all made sense to me suddenly! I'm going to file this one away for my next pair of stripy socks!

Love you blog -- I've been lurking here for a while. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: Liz K. at March 6, 2006 9:17 AM

This is such a good idea to keep the stripe sequence in self patterning yarns. I like to knit short-row heels and toes in self-striping socks, but I hate how it throws off the stripe sequence. Thanks so much for posting this idea, I'll definitely have to give it a try. The Brazil socks look great, I love the colors!

Posted by: Rachel at March 6, 2006 9:27 AM

Man, I love that striped sock! I guess now I have to try that heel. I have been admiring the short row and have never done it.

Posted by: Julia at March 6, 2006 9:52 AM

Wonderful job and gorgeous yarn! I've just ordered some regia mini-ringel for my very first attempt at socks. I hope I have as much fun with them---you make sock knitting seem so satisfying.

Posted by: aquaknits at March 6, 2006 9:55 AM

Those are great. I was showing the Regia rep some of the socks online I like and we can't even get some of that stuff here yet! WAH!

Posted by: Scout at March 6, 2006 10:11 AM

Love those colours. Good advice on the heel and toe as well - I much prefer it when the striping sequence on the leg and foot is uninterrupted.

Posted by: Mary at March 6, 2006 11:03 AM

Awesome socks! I love how you're doing solid heels and toes. :)

Posted by: Andrea at March 6, 2006 11:16 AM

Oooh. What an awesome sock! I love it. It's good to know you fuss with your toes and heels and not just think that the yarn does it magicly!

Posted by: Rebecca at March 6, 2006 11:34 AM

Love it!

Posted by: Chris at March 6, 2006 12:19 PM

Oh wow, I love those colors. ...I so want to go to Germany now and stock up... Don't forsee that happening anytime soon.

Posted by: ruth at March 6, 2006 12:28 PM

That's a cool tip for the heel, I'll have to try that out.

Posted by: Monica at March 6, 2006 12:43 PM

Awesome!

Posted by: Orli at March 6, 2006 1:15 PM

Awesome!

Posted by: Orli at March 6, 2006 1:16 PM

Sigh... the beloved short row heel! It is sad that I can not master short rows, I have tried countless times and still get those awful holes with every method.

Anways, have you knitted enough socks that you don't need a pattern anymore? Do you judge go and know when to start heel and toe?

Posted by: ~Jo~ at March 6, 2006 1:51 PM

Ooh, I like the way the light blue stripes stand out so brightly. Must.resist.buying.more.sock.yarn. (for now!)

Posted by: Daphne at March 6, 2006 2:00 PM

Okay.....it'll take time still for me to comprehend what you're talking about there.

Posted by: Elemmaciltur at March 6, 2006 2:01 PM

I LOVE the socks! I am headed to Germany (Dusseldorf and Cologne "Koln") in April and will be on a mad hunt for Brazil. The colors are AWESOME.

Posted by: Roberta Childs at March 6, 2006 2:33 PM

Ooh, I love getting those kinds of nifty insider tips & tricks!

Posted by: Julia at March 6, 2006 2:37 PM

I really love those colors -- Do you mind sharing which colorway they are? There are so many in the Brazil line. Thanks!

Posted by: wintrymix at March 6, 2006 3:27 PM

Jo, absolutely! Since I always knit the same style sock, I just cast on and knit away now, no need to look at the pattern anymore.

Wintrymix, I mentioned the yarn details in my previous post. It's Regia Canadian Classic Colors yarn #4741. This colorway of this yarn is called "brasil color". So it's NOT their Brazil yarn.

Posted by: alison at March 6, 2006 3:34 PM

Thanks so much for the tip! I keep promising myself that I'm going to learn the short row heel. What do you think is the best pattern out there to use.

Posted by: wendy at March 6, 2006 3:50 PM

Where can one buy this yarn if one doesn't speak German?

Posted by: Alison at March 6, 2006 5:11 PM

Wendy, I always recommend Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' short row heels. Check my comment near the end of this recent post for some links. :)

Alison, I'm sorry to say, I have no idea where you can find the yarn besides in German department stores. I've seen it online in a couple of places, but they're all German stores and a little complicated to buy from if you don't read any German. Sorry!

Posted by: alison at March 6, 2006 5:17 PM

Those are great too! You are really busting out the socks Alison! I want to start my Regia Africa now too!

Posted by: Dani at March 6, 2006 7:01 PM

Love those socks. What a good idea for the heel!! Hmmm

Posted by: Donna S. at March 6, 2006 8:52 PM

For those who struggle (like I do) with short row heels:

You can get that uninteruped flow in top down socks, too (to a certain extent - there still will be a 'shorter' repeat in the gusset, but the sequence will be right). You make your cut and resequence the yarn in the gusset pick up row.

I'm going to have to get a blog, I have a good example, just not online anywhere - yet.

Love the colors.

Posted by: Karla (threadbndr) at March 6, 2006 9:13 PM

I love those colors and your heel - thanks for explaining how you do it - what a fantastic idea!

Posted by: Cathy at March 6, 2006 10:02 PM

THANK YOU!!! I've checked out and downloaded all patterns now I just need to do. Thank you again! By the way the other day I made 8 different "hair" hats from your pattern and now I have a bunch of little happy little ones around the house being all sorts of creatures.

Posted by: wendy at March 6, 2006 10:22 PM

Love those colorful stripes!

Posted by: amanda at March 6, 2006 11:05 PM

you amaze me! how how how do you knit so fast?!

Posted by: rebecca at March 6, 2006 11:31 PM

Thanks Alison -- sorry I missed the earlier reference to the color. People are dying for this yarn, huh?

Posted by: wintrymix at March 7, 2006 8:28 AM

What a GREAT tip. I have SOOOOO much to learn about sock knitting.

Posted by: Sheryl at March 11, 2006 8:26 AM