Rachael Knit This

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Tour de Fleece 2006

I’m a new spinner, and it’s my first time trying Tour de Fleece.

I got some matted Cotswold locks from the textile drop-in with the Toronto Guimd of Spinners and Weavers at Riverdale Farm. I spent a few weeks picking the wool to get it cardable. (Oops, forgot to get a “before” photo)

Cotswold being a fairly long staple, I decided to diz it instead of making rolags

Small nest of roving, with my carders and my diz

There was still a lot of vegetable matter in the wool, so I kept to carding outdoors. Sometimes while watching intercounty baseball at Christie Pits Park. (Go Maple Leafs!)

The test spin turned out well enough that I’m on track to make the most Toronto yarn ever, spun in the city with wool from sheep that live in the city.

Test spin with Riverdale Farm Cotswold wool

Tour de Fleece coincides with the Toronto Fringe Festival, so I’ll be travelling all over the city with my spindle and my roving

I’ll see how many landmarks I can hit along the way.

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Hourglass Eyelet Rib Socks

Pattern notes. This pattern assumes familiarity with sock knitting.

Original prototype Size 41 with high instep

Eyelet rib in the round:
Round 1: (p1, k2tog, yo, k1 yo, ssk)
Rounds 2-4: p1, k5
Round 6: (k1, yo, ssk, p1, k2tog, yo)
Rounds 7-8: k3, p1, k2

Cast on 84sts in tubular cast on in main colour.

Knit 1.5 inches in k1b, p1 rib

Work 9 repeats of eyelet rib pattern

Heel flap:
Join contrast yarn. Heel flap = 3 stitches garter stitch on either side, and work heel in Eye of Partridge until 22 ridges of garter stitch are done. (20 ridges for a regular height instep)

Turn heel from 8 centre stitches using k2tog and ssk joins on short rows.

Beginning of round – Work 43 stitches in eyelet rib starting with round 1.
Gusset decreases – K2, K2tog, K to last 4 sts, ssk, k2.
Continue decreases until 41sts remain on sole of foot.

Work instep in eyelet rib across top 43 stitches and stockinette across 41 sole stitches until 2.5 inches from picked up instep row

Work instep in eyelet rib, k2sts, work to last 2 sts in p1-k1 rib, k2.

Continue with instep in eyelet rib as established and sole in 1×1 rib for 2.5 inches.

Work instep in eyelet rib and sole in stockinette for 1.5 inches. Redistribute stitches so there are 42 instep and 42 sole stitches.

Change to contrast colour and work 2 rounds.

Work standard toe decreases until 16st remain (8 instep and 8 sole).

Graft toe stitches and weave in all ends.