SOCK YARN KEEPERS QUILT

After at least fifteen years of making socks, I have FINALLY discovered a wonderful pattern to use up my huge bin of sock remnant yarns. Some of these go back a long time. Some were even the result of my first yarn-dyeing experiments with Kool-aid dyes. I'm going to make the Beekeeper's Quilt. Here are my first three "Hexipuffs":

I love the memories that come back to me as I pull out the yarns from socks made long ago. In a small way the socks that I make are like my children, and the hexipuffs are like photographs! It's like going through the baby albums-- lots of "aaawwwww" moments!

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MAJESTIC RIB DISHCLOTH

Of course now that I have introduced the new stitch pattern, I had to make a dishcloth.  This one was over 44 stitches, and used Knitpicks Dishie cotton in color "Azure". I used the chart for Majestic Ribbing in the previous post (MAKEOVER) with two slight changes: I spaced the little crosses closer together, so there are 5 regular rib rows in between instead of 7. I also added two more edge stitches.

Please be aware that the closer you space the ribbed crosses, the less elastic your ribbing will become. This is certainly not a problem with a dishcloth, but use caution with patterns that require a great deal of stretch, or you may not be able to get the sock/hat over your heel/head! Don't ask me how I know this!

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MAKEOVER

About five years ago I made these now bedragged and sorry-looking slipper socks for my husband. He wore them a lot, and was so careful with them that he even wore socks underneath so that he wouldn't dirty them unnecessarily (how can you not love a man like that?). The yarn is Plymouth Encore, and as you can see it did not hold up well. I used a generic sock pattern, and purchased leather soles. The soles are in fine shape, so I decided to do the tops again. A makeover.

The stitch pattern is my own invention. It is a juiced-up version of "Elegant Ribbing" from Barbara Walker's Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Since mine is a bit more elegant than elegant, I shall call it "Majestic Ribbing".

Here is a chart for Majestic Ribbing with a multiple of eight stitches, plus two edge stitches (one at each edge). The red box shows the pattern repeat.

Here are the slippers after the makeover, this time with Berroco "Vintage". I left one sole off for the photo so you could see they are just regular old socks. 

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