Mecha Kucha Umai (めちゃ クチャ うまい) (aka Tabi Monogatari v44)

Hubby saw my Fantasy Shorties and wanted a pair of his own.  So, using a whole bunch of leftover sock yarns, his Footszy, and my 4" & 3" Chiaogoo interchangeables US 0 needles, here's what I did: Follow the instructions used for tabi v23.

1. I started with a Provisional cast on with a total of 50 sts.
2. K 1 straight row on each side, then connected in the round.
3. K 15 rows in the round as part of the foot portion.
4. Started the toes: with 25 sts on each side, splitting it up for 8 sts for big toe, 17 

    sts for remaining toes.

5. Big toe:

• Row 1:
• Front: k to the 2nd to the last st, pick up 1 st below, for a total of 9 sts
• Back: k, pick up a st below, k to the end for a total of 9 sts
• Row 2: 
• Front: k, pick up a st, k to the end, for a total of 10 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, pick up a st below, k for a total of 10 sts
• Row 3: k
• Row 4-5 (2 rows): Follow Row 2 until there are 12 sts
• Row 6-11 (6 rows): k
• Row 12:
• Front: k to last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 11 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the end for a total of 11 sts
• Row 13:
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 10 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 10 sts
• Row 14:
• Front: k to last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 9 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the end for a total of 9 sts
• Row 15: k
• Row 16:
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 8 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 8 sts
• Row 17: k
• Row 18:
• Front: k to last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 7 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the end for a total of 7 sts
• Row 19:
• Front: SSK, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 5 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 5 sts
• Row 20: same as row 19 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 3 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

    The big toe came out to 5.5 cm (2 in).

6. The rest of the toes:

• Row 1: k, picking up 4 sts on each side, for a total of 21 sts
• Row 2: k
• Row 3:
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 20 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 20 sts
• Row 4: k
• Row 5:
• Front: SSK, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 18 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 18 sts
• Row 6: 
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 17 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 17 sts
• Row 7:
• Front: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 16 sts
• Back: SSK, k to the end for a total of 16 sts
• Row 8: 
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 15 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 15 sts
• Row 9: 
• Front: SSK, k to the end, for a total of 14 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 14 sts
• Row 10: 
• Front: SSK, k to the end for a total of 13 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 13 sts
• Row 11: k
• Row 12-17: same as Row 10 for 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 & 7 sts
• Row 18:
• Front: SSK, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 5 sts
• Back: ssk, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 5 sts
• Row 19: k
• Row 20: same as Row 18 for 3 sts
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

    The rest of the toe came out to 4.8 cm (1⅝ in)

7. Then I went back to the bottom of the provisional cast on and picked up the 

    stitches to start the foot.

• Row 16: pick up a st from the “front” side and put it on the “back” side; pick up a st from the “back” side, bringing it behind the st picked up from the “front” and put it on the “front” side. K these 2 sts together. Then k in the round. There should be 25 start on each side.
• Row 17-86 (49 rows): k, maintaining 25 sts on each side
• Row 87-95 (9 rows): pick up a sts below on each side, maintaining 26 sts on each side
• Row 96: pick up the first st, 9th st, 18th at & last st on each side for a total of 30 sts
  
• Row 97-101 (5 rows): k, maintaining 30 sts on each side
• Including the initial 15 rows, this came out for a total of 17 cm (6 3/4 in)

8. With the foot done, I started on the heel portion using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method. 

• Row 102-113 (12 rows): Follow the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method until you have 10 twin stitches (sts) knits and purls sts on each side and 10 regular sts
• This came out to 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in).
• Row 114: as you "boomerang" back to the regular sts, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog then continue using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method with 10 twin sts and 7 regular sts for a total of 27 sts
  
• Row 115-129 (15 rows): Continue using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method to turn the heel until you have a total of 27 sts again. 
• Row 130: 
• Left side: Since the left side ends on a purl side, k to bring you back to the correct side.
• Right side: k
• This came out perfect! :) *yay* :)

9. With the heel done, I finished off the leg & cuff:

• Row 131: k in the round for a total of 29 sts for top side & 28 sts for the back side (slip 1 st from the front to the back)
  
• Row 132-135 (4 rows): k in the round, maintaining a total of 28 &29 sts on each side
• Row 136: decrease 1 st on the top side for a total of 28 sts on each side
• Row 137-140 (4 rows): k, maintaining a total of 28 sts on each side
• Row 141-154 (14 rows): complete cuff by decreasing 1 st on each side for a total of 27 sts on each side and using a 1x1 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. :) 

The total length of the leg and cuff was 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in).

Yay! Another finished pair! 🎉 

Short Fantasy (aka Tabi Monogatari v43)

Over the course of the pandemic, I barely went outside and when I did, I rarely ever wore shoes (& hence hardly ever used my socks. 😲😱)  So, now that we've needed to venture out a bit more (more to move around and exercise), I realized that I needed a pair of short ankle length socks (because I really look like a dork wearing my crop tights with regular length socks and my tennis shoes! 😲🤦😱😭)  Plus, I was in a knitting slump and nothing's better than a quick pair of socks (especially for me!) for a knitting pick me up! 🥰😍🧶

So, using my Footsyzz, my 4" & 3" Chiaogoo Interchangeable US 0 needles, various leftover sock yarns and my Cinderella Sock pattern, 

1. Cast on a Provisional cast on with a total of 44 sts.
2. K 1 straight row on each side, then join in the round.
3. K 15 rows in the round as part of the foot portion.
4. Started the toes: with 22 sts on each side, splitting it up for 8 sts for big toe, 14 sts for remaining toes.
5. Big toe:

• Row 1:
• Front: k, m1, k to the to the last st, m1, k for a total of  10 sts
• Back: k, m1, k to the to the last st, m1, k for a total of 10 sts
• Row 2-15 (14 rows): k
• Row 16:
• Front: ssk, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 8 sts
• Back: ssk, k to the last 2 sts, k2tog, total of 8 sts
• Row 17-18 (2 rows): k
• Row 19: same as row 16 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of the 6 sts on each side
• Row 20-21 (2 rows): k
• Row 22: same as row 21 continuing to decrease 2 sts, total of 4 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

The big toe came out to 4.5 cm (1 3/4").

6. The rest of the toes:

• Row 1:
• Front: k to the end, pick up 4 sts, for a total of 18 sts
• Back: pick up 4 sts, k to the end for a total of 18 sts
• Row 2: k
• Row 3:
  
• Front: ssk, k to the end for a total of 17 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 17 sts
• Row 4:
• Front: ssk, k to the end for a total of 16 sts
• Back: k to the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 16 sts
• Row 5-6 (2 rows): k
• Row 7:
• Front: ssk, k to the end, for a total of 15 sts
• Back: k to the the last 2 sts, k2tog for a total of 15 sts
• Row 8: k
• Row 9-18: same as row 7 & 8, continuing to decrease 2 sts, for a total of 14, 13, 12, 11 & 10 sts on each side
  
• Row 19: same as row 9, for a total of 9 sts on each side
• Row 20: same as row 19, for a total of 8 sts on each side
• Row 21: k
• Row 22: ssk, k2, k2tog, k2 for a total of 6 sts on each side
• Row 23: ssk, k2tog, k2 for a total of 4 sts on each side
• Bound off using the Kitchener stitch.

The rest of the toe came out to 5 cm (2 in).

It fits like a glove:

Then I went back to the bottom of the provisional cast on and picked up the stitches to start the foot.

7. Row 19: pick up a st from the “front” side and put it on the “back” side; pick up a st from the “back” side, bringing it behind the st picked up from the “front” and put it on the “front” side. K these 2 sts together. Then k in the round. There should be 22 sts on each side.
8. Row 20: Pick up 1 st from below on the 1st and 2nd to the last st on each side to add 2 sts for a total of 24 sts on each side
   
9. Row 21-24 (4 rows): k, maintaining 24 sts
10. Row 25: Pick up 1 st from below on the 1st and 2nd to the last st on each side to add 2 sts for a total of 26 sts on each side
    
11. Row 26-28 (3 rows):  k, maintaining 26 sts
12. Row 29: Pick up 1 st from below and the 2nd to the last st on each side for a total of 28 sts (on each side)
    
13. Row 30-61 (35 rows): k

Including the initial 18 rows, this came out for a total of 13 cm (5 1/4").

With the foot done, I started on the heel portion using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method.  Since the method is copyrighted, here's the changes I did to make it work for me:

   14. Row 62: 

• Right side: K the "top" portion, start the heel on the "bottom" portion.
• Left side: start the heel as you're already on the "bottom" portion.

   15. Row 63-90: Follow the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method until you have 9 twin stitch 

         (ts) knits & purls sts on each side and 10 regular sts
   16. Row 91: as you "boomerang" back to the regular sts, K9, k2tog, k6, ktog then continue using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method for 9 twin sts, 8 regular sts and a total of 26 sts

   This came out to 3.5 cm (1 3/8”).  

   17. Row 92-113: Continue using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel method to turn the heel 

         until you have a total of 26 sts again. 

This came out perfect! 🙂  *yay* 🙂

Turning the heel is always magical and never gets old:

Right

Left

With the heel done, I finished off the a very short leg and cuff:
   18. Row 114-123 (10 rows): k in the round for a total of 27 sts for each side.
   19. Row 124-128 (5 rows): decreasing 2 sts, complete cuff using 1x1 ribbing, for a total of 25 sts for each side.
   20. 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. 🙂

The total length of the leg and cuff was 3 cm (1 3/8 in).

Look another finished pair! 🎉 *Yay*! 🙂🙌

It fits perfectly. 🙂

Darn it!

I have a "small" addiction to darning mushrooms.  I've always found them fascinating and cool. It started out in a very harmless way at first - with an Easter egg I had found:

Then I found a gacha gacha ball:

Then I saw and bought a small wooden egg:

Then I found this amazing Clover set in Japan:

Then I got this from Katrinkles:

Darning Loom

Then, I saw this on Katrinkles April Special:

Shroom Darner

So ... I have all these ... darners and yet!, I have yet to actually darn anything!  So, today, I took out a pair of my hubby's old socks that had finally worn super thin in the heel (and was actually in the throw away pile) and actually darned it:

First, I tried to use my newest tool: my Shroom Darner.  But, it was actually too small (or well, maybe the thinning part was much bigger than I had thought!).  So, I thought I'd try the Darning Loom.  I put on warp then started to weave.  As I got near the end, something was ... off; it was almost as if it was too small and that I had ... missed something.  Fortunately, since I don't think I put on the warp right (nor did the weft correctly either), I was able to take it out and try again as the Darning Loom was also too small! 😱😳 My largest mushroom was my Clover mushroom (which I initially thought was going to be way too big - and boy, was I wrong!😖🤦). Since my Easter Egg, Gacha Gacha ball and my wood egg was even smaller than the Shroom Darner, my final option was my Clover mushroom and ... it worked!  Here's what it looks like:

I know, I know ... not pretty but, it's very darned!  Let's see how comfortable it is and if Hubs will like the feel of his new heel. 🤞