Spoils from Japan 2015-2016

Hubby and I love going to Japan.♡  We try to go there at least once a year and last year (2015), we were fortunate enough to be able to go twice! :)  Spending the New Year holiday in Japan is really something one should do at least once and it's our favorite time of year to be in Japan (over the Christmas and New Year holidays).♡   Be warned though!  If you should ever decide to do this, it will be crowded beyond belief!  Locals and foreigners alike will be there in the hordes but, that is part of the whole experience! :)

So here's my spoils from Japan:

One of my favorite places to visit is Yuzawaya.  I think their best stores are the Shinjuku Takashimaya location and their newer location in Ikebukuro (although for this trip I also went to their location in Okachimachi location as well to find everything I needed).  I picked up more chain stitch markers as the originals I had are great but sometimes they get tangled up with each other because they're too long so I wanted to make shorter ones and here they are (on the left side):

I know ... it's a lot (because I cut the chain in half, I now have twice as much! :D)!  And, as you can see, I also picked up some bigger chain stitch markers to see how they'd work with thicker yarn.

I also found these Clover Pink, White and Gold stitch holders that I simply couldn't resist ;) ♡:

Then, we went to a building called Kitte located very close to Tokyo Station and found a yarn store called MOORIT.  It was an amazing store with a lot of British wool yarns.  It was so tempting to buy yarn that I would never be able to touch and feel at home (although I didn't buy yarn because I simply couldn't decide what to make with it! :P)! :)  And what was really awesome?  They carried the KA interchangeable system which I've been wanting to try out so I picked up a pair of US 0 needles, a cable and end caps:

I'm going to give these a try on my next pair of socks! :)

I also stopped by La Drougerie in Isetan in Shibuya but didn't find anything there; however, I did find this in Isetan:

Puppy yarn!!  I have a pair of machine socks made out of the same material and I hope to be able to replicate it with this yarn.  Amazingly, those socks I have is the most comfortable pair of travel socks I've ever had and I hope that my future hand made pair will feel the same! ;)

And one of my last stops was to go to Okadaya in Shinjuku.  They have a small (but completely overwhelming) selection of yarn on the 5th floor and here's what I ended up getting:
KA Stitch Markers: they were so cute!  I just picked up the egg ones; if I completely love it, I'm going to get the heart ones next time and Stitch holders: I couldn't resist; what can I say, I just l-o-v-e knitting accessories. :P ♡

Another type of (Safety Pin-like) Clover Stitch holders (also too cute to resist!) ♡

Zebra yarn! ♡  The knitted sample was so cool that it convinced Hubby to have me pick it up for him for a pair of socks! :D 

I can't wait to go back! ;) ♡♡♡

Tabi Monogatari v6

Time for another pair of mid-calf socks for my hubby. Using my US 0 Chiaogoo Bamboo & Spin, Munsell Bamboo, and Hiya Hiya needles and my last skein of yarn I got in Canada that I specifically bought for him (my Estelle Yarns Sockittome Heathers yarn), I casted on 60 sts, based on the last pair I had made for him.

Here's what I did:

1. I started with a Provisional cast on with a total of 60 sts.
2. K 1 straight row on each side, then connected in the round.
3. K 9 rows in the round as part of the foot portion.
4. Started the toes: with 30 sts on each side, splitting it up for 10 sts for big toe, 20 sts for remaining toes.
5. Big toe:
• Row 1: 
• Front: k, picked up 1 st from below, k to last st, picked up 1 st from below, k, total of 12 sts 
• Back: k, picked up 1 st from below , k to last st, picked up 1 st from below, k, total of 12 sts 
• Row 2-3 (2 rows): k
• Row 4:
• Front: k, picked up 1 st from below, k to last st, picked up 1 st from below, k, total of 14 sts 
• Back: k, picked up 1 st from below , k to last st, picked up 1 st from below, k, total of 14 sts
• Row 5-22 (18 rows): k 
• Row 23: 
• Front: k, k2tog tbl, k to last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 12 sts 
• Back: k, k2tog tbl , k to last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 12 sts
• Row 24: same as row 23 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 10 sts on each side 
• Row 25: same as row 24 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 8 sts on each side 
• Row 26: same as row 25 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 6 sts on each side
• Row 27: same as row 26 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 4 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.  
6. The rest of the toes:
• Row 1: k, picking up 2 sts on each side for a total of 22 sts
• Row 2:
• Front: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog tbl, k, for a total of 2 sts 
• Back: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k, for a total of 20 sts 
• Row 3: 
• Front: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k, for a total of 18 sts 
• Back: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k, for a total of 18 sts 
• Row 4: 
• Front: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k, for a total of 16 sts 
• Back: k, k2tog tbl, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k, for a total of 16 sts
• Row 5-6: (2 rows): k 
• Row 7: 
• Front: k, k2tog tbl, k to the end, for a total of 15 sts 
• Back: k to the last 3 sts, k2tog tbl, k, for a total of 15 sts
• Row 8: k 
• Row 9: same as row 7, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 14 sts 
• Row 10: k 
• Row 11-12: same as row 9, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 13 sts and 12 sts respectively 
• Row 13: k 
• Row 14: same as row 12, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 11 sts 
• Row 15: k 
• Row 16-17, same as row 14, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 10 sts and 9 sts respectively 
• Row 18: k 
• Row 19-20: same as row 17, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 8 sts and 7 sts respectively 
• Row 21: k 
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch. 
7. Then I went back to the bottom of the provisional cast on and picked up the stitches to start the foot. 
• Row 1-16: k, there should be 30 stitches on each side 
• Row 17: decrease a st on each side, for a total of 29 sts 
• Row 18: k 
• Row 19: decrease a st on each side, for a total of 28 sts 
• Row 20-25: k 
• Row 26: decrease a st on each side, for a total of 27 sts 
• Row 27-65: k 
8. With the foot done, I started on the heel portion using a new German Short row method I learned from a blog I follow on verypink.com: 
• Row 66: 
• Front: k, for a total of 27 sts 
• Back: k the first st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the front then to the back (as if to k, creating an extra st), then k to the end, creating 1 ultimate st and 26 regular sts on the RS (right side (aka the knit side)) 
• Row 67: turn the sock around so you're looking on the backside, slip the first st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the back then to the front (as if to p, creating an extra st), then p to the second to the last stitch, creating 1 ultimate st and 25 regular sts on the WS (wrong side (aka the purl side)) 
• Row 68: slip the second st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the back then to the front (as if to k, creating an extra st), creating the 2nd ultimate st on the RS; then continue to k tbl to the the 2nd to the last st 
• Row 69: slip the second st, pull the working yarn straight up and bring it to the front then to the back (as if to p, creating an extra st), creating the 2nd ultimate st on the WS; then continue to k to the the 2nd to the last st 
• Row 70-85 (16 rows): continue to follow either Row 68 or 69 until you have 7 ultimate sts on both sides and 13 regular sts 
• Row 86-87: p the first wrapped st (aka the 7th ultimate st), (if need be, pick up a st or two), p or p2tog the picked up st(s), p the second wrapped stitch (aka the 6th ultimate st on the WS) then turned my work around (so that I am now on the RS); slip the first st (aka the 6th ultimate st) and pull up the working yarn (to re-create the 6th ultimate st), (if you picked up a st, k2tog tbl (k the wrapped and picked up st together)) and k tbl to the left side
• Row 88-89: k tbl the next wrapped stitch (aka the 7th ultimate st on the RS), (if need be, pick up a st or two, k tbl or k2tog the picked up st(s)), k tbl the next wrapped st (aka the 6th wrapped st), then turned my work around so that I'm now on the WS; pull up the working yarn to re-create the 6th wrapped st then if need be, p2tog (the 7th wrapped and picked up st together) and p to the right side.
• Row 90-107 (18 rows): continue to follow Rows 86-87 or 88-89 until all the wrapped stitches were done; picked up sts as needed (anywhere between 2-3 sts) and either k2tog tbl or p2tog as needed to maintain a total of 27 sts (aka the goal is to get back to the original number of sts before starting the heel) 
• This came out perfect as the seaming was even better!)! :) *yay* :) 
9. With the heel done, I finished off the leg: 
• Row 108: picked up 3 sts on each side, for a total of 30 sts and k in the round 
• Row 109-120 (12 rows): k, maintaining a total of 30 sts on each side 
• Row 121: decrease 1 st on each side for a total of 29 sts on each side 
• Row 122-123 (2 rows): k, maintaining a total of 29 sts on each side
• Row 124: decrease 1 st on each side for a total of 28 sts on each side 
• Row 125-145 (21 rows): k, maintaining a total of 28 sts on each side
• Row 146: increase 1 st on each side for a total of 29 sts on each side 
• Row 147-150 (4 rows): k, maintaining 29 sts on each side
• Row 151: increase 1 st in each side for a total of 30 sts on each side 
• Row 152-153 (2 rows): k, maintaining 30 sts on each side 
10. With the leg done, it was time to actually finish off the sock with a very long cuff; Hubby said that he wanted to see how a long ribbed sock felt like rather than my "standard" cuff of 12 cm (~4.375"): 
• Row 154-126 (73 rows): complete cuff using 1x1 ribbing, for a total of 15.5 cm (6") of ribbing 
• Bound off using a variation of the Estonian bind off, in which I picked up a stitch from the row below then used the Estonian bind off technique. :) 

Here's another completed pair! :)  His sock collection is finally growing! :P

I know ... the pictures are a little unconventional but I finished these babies over the holidays in Japan so, the bed was the best place to take a picture of them and its model! ;P