Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Finished my socks


I finally finished these socks a couple of weeks ago, and they were an interesting knit. I put the videos in my last post on youtube, but have since taken them down for hopefully a clearer video of how to "trap" or "catch" with stranded knitting around the neck.

My youtube channel is gradually building up as I make interesting discoveries in the world of stranded knitting around the neck.

But for now, I am working on a pattern for a new pair of Central Asian style socks, and also spinning for them, so it will probably be a while before I get around to adding more discoveries.

3 comments:

Vivian said...

These socks are wonderful. I am so grateful for what you have posted in your blog and in videos. Your thoughtful, slow, and careful presentations have opened new areas for me. Thank you.

My husband is from Eastern Turkey, and I have been deeply drawn to things knit there and in Eastern Europe.

Where have you found the socks that you knit from? (Perhaps you mention this. I have not the time these days to catch up with older blogs, but will try to do so soon.)

Do you get many responses to your postings? My reaction when I first stumbled across your postings was: this is what I have been looking for, in books, before the web, and now on the web.

I have Anna Zilboorg's book, and Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, and some of PGR's work (not Ethnic Socks & Stockings), but see precious little there of the sort of thing you seem to be interested in and doing.

Sincerely,
Vivian

Vivian said...

These socks are wonderful. I am so grateful for what you have posted in your blog and in videos. Your thoughtful, slow, and careful presentations have opened new areas for me. Thank you.

My husband is from Eastern Turkey, and I have been deeply drawn to things knit there and in Eastern Europe.

Where have you found the socks that you knit from? (Perhaps you mention this. I have not the time these days to catch up with older blogs, but will try to do so soon.)

Do you get many responses to your postings? My reaction when I first stumbled across your postings was: this is what I have been looking for, in books, before the web, and now on the web.

I have Anna Zilboorg's book, and Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, and some of PGR's work (not Ethnic Socks & Stockings), but see precious little there of the sort of thing you seem to be interested in and doing.

Sincerely,
Vivian

The swamp knitter said...

Hi Vivian, sorry for my late response - I am an infrequent blogger unfortunately!

The socks that I knit are a standard toe-up sock with a peasant heel that I use for all my eastern socks. The motifs are Bosnian and are from a sock I saw in a picture online. The motif at the toe is from a Dutch crafting magazine that my mother-in-law lent me to read which contained an article about Bosnian socklets.

The best book I can recommend about knitting (and crocheting) socks from Turkey, Eastern Europe and Central Asia is a book by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts called Ethnic Socks & Stockings: A Compendium of Eastern Design & Technique (it is out of print now, but you can find still find 2nd hand copies on Amazon). This book is THE singular best book yet written on the subject of eastern socks because it's actually about knitting (and to a limited extent crochet) techniques. The Zilboorg book is simply eye-candy by comparison, and not worth the money. Most of the motifs in that book are ripped from a book by Professor Kenan Özbel called Knitted Stockings from Turkish Villages. If you have that book and the PRG book, that's all you need to start making your own socks.

Just my opinions ofc! :P