Sunday, September 03, 2006

Grey Knee Highs

Last night the rain was beating so hard on the roof that I woke; got up to listen to the waves rolling over the rocks by the shore and the wind shaking the tree tops. This rainy Sunday has been about good food, books and knitting.

As a child I read Enid Blyton's books of Famous Five and Secret Seven. My daughters have not read Enid Blyton but have enjoyed the Redwall Adventures of Brian Jacques. In all of those books quite a few words are used for tea and scones. We had scones while in England few years ago but the girls were so young then they do not remember eating them then. Today we got out the good tea china, brewed strong tea and baked scones and ate them with whipped cream and marmalade and butter.

Later on the photo shoot by the lake was chilly, the sock model was freezing and I had to be very quick.

These knee high socks were made of 170 grams of St. Ives (80 % wool 20 % nylon - four plied) sock yarn. Needle size was 2 mm and pattern my own.



I hope to be able to finish the candlelight shawl next week. It has been on the needles for so long now that it has to be the next.

50 comments:

  1. Anonymous21:35

    It is gray and rainy here too and I"m knitting a purple lace shawl . Your pictures and writing give the gray day a contemplative and unique charm .
    Thanks for showing the beauty in gray.

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  2. They're just lovely ... and beautifully photographed.

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  3. Very beautiful. I am knitting grey stockings, too. This semester I am taking only three classes: Renaissance Music Literature, Old English/Medieval Literature, and Early Music Ensemble. This makes me want to knit something in natural colors, so I'm knitting something very simple from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, the Welsh stockings in grey JaWoll with white toe and heel. I wanted to spin the wool, but got caught away from home with no knitting (how did that happen) and had to buy some.

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  4. What do your girls wear with their knee-high socks? Do they wear them with skirts when the weather is warmer? Or under pants in the winter?

    Socks are the only thing I can knit for my boys. They consider sweaters to be only for dress up.

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  5. Your knee socks are lovely!!!Will you publish the pattern?

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  6. Anonymous23:12

    It is still too hot here to think much about wool stockings, though I have some blue lace knee highs that I was working on a month or more ago... perhaps it will be cool enough to get back to them soon. Your photos are inspiring!

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  7. Anonymous23:14

    you have such a lovely blog,and I admire your long socks so much.You are very inspiring :)
    pippi

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  8. I don't believe I've ever had scones, I love tea biscuits but I believe scones are different.

    I generally like only bright colors, but your knitting and beautiful photography are showing me a new world in colors found in nature. The socks are beautiful and your stitch pattern shows perfectly.

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  9. Anonymous23:23

    i love the gray stockings! especially against the gray light of a rainy day. everything looks crisp and cold. we have the same weather here, but a bit warmer!

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  10. So lovely. I enjoyed the Redwall books too, although I came to them after I'd finished university. I will have to look up the others you'd mentioned and read them too. There are so many that I missed out on as a kid; I'm seeking them out and reading them now! Better late than never, right?

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  11. Anonymous23:38

    I love those long socks too. How wonderful to wear hand-knitted socks. Your daughters are reminded of your knitterly motherly love all day by keeping cozy and warm.

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  12. Anonymous00:14

    Your stockings are beautiful and elegant. The model and photography are great as well! Do you share your patterns?

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  13. Anonymous00:27

    Beautiful design and perfect execution. The pattern and color blend really nicely with the rocks and wave ripples. I agree with those who have suggested this already: you should publish your patterns.

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  14. Anonymous00:38

    Stunning design for the socks.

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  15. the stockings look so lovely and warm. beautiful work!

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  16. Anonymous01:02

    Beautiful socks... it's true, thanks for the beauty in grey, too!

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  17. Anonymous01:04

    Oh lovely socks! You are the "Supreme Knittress". The weather's similar here in Connecticut. Good knitting weather.

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  18. Anonymous01:19

    Well, I sure wish I could have the pattern for these socks! But I really appreciate the details you gave about the yarn and needle size you used. Seems you knit them at a tighter tension, which would make the wonderful definition in the pattern.
    I also like your high heels and especially the ones you did for your 'Over the Knee Socks', which looked green to me.
    I want to be informed when you publish your patterns. Love them!

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  19. Anonymous02:17

    Another call for your patterns! The stockings you knit are so lovely. I'm just now getting my old-fashioned sock machine up and running so that I can have the boring leg and foot part done quickly, but I'd gladly knit by hand forever to make a stocking like yours!

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  20. Anonymous04:03

    Your knee highs are lovely. I am so impressed by how well they fit! It makes me want to make pairs and pairs for myself to wear all winter long.

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  21. Anonymous07:38

    Me too, me too! I loved those books and also three other Enid Blyton series: The mystery of-books, The Adventures books and the Mystery books (these are with six children, and are translated into Swedish as De 6 och nÄgonting mysteriet, and it is not the same as the mystery of books).
    The stockings are beautiful, and the pictures too. Looks like you ususally add elastic to you knee highs, what level is the best to use?

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  22. Anonymous10:12

    Lovely socks Lene, perfect to welcome the start of the winter! Scones, jam and cream, altogether with a log fire, make winter much more enjoyable! Your shawl in progress will complete the picture...

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  23. just beautiful ! I love how the photos match the mood and the socks. Thank you for making your day come alive for us through your words and pictures

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  24. Very beautiful - you should publish the pattern - please! Tea and scones sounds very nice.

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  25. Beautiful socks. If you want a recipe for scones - I'll send you my mum's - let me know! They're yummy!

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  26. Oh Lene, once again you paint such a perfect picture! One of the great delights of the colder darker weather is cosying up by the fire with tea and scones. (BTW American readers, I think you call them hot biscuits, but they're basically the same - you have them for breakfast, we have them for afternoon tea). It's raining here now too, in the wilds of West Cork, so I am just going to make a batch of scones myself this afternoon and snuggle down with some knitting...

    Jo
    celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com

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  27. Anonymous17:11

    Ah Holly adored Redwall books ,they don't seem to be as well known as they should be .

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  28. wow your knee highs are gorgeous!
    Great job!

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  29. Lovely socks. Scones & marmalade ... yummm.

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  30. I linked here off of celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com, "Jo" above. I LOVE the name of your blog: Dances With Wool! So cute! Thanks, Jo, for the info: Tea and biscuits/scones, knitting, and a warm fire sounds divine. Here in D.C., USA, it has been rainy and we HAVE had a few "cold" days, but in the low 60's now. Give it time. Your knitting is beautiful.

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  31. Anonymous19:33

    We had a gray and rain-lashed weekend here, the tail end of a storm called Ernesto. I love the gray socks. I too am wondering what your girls wear the knee highs with.

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  32. My daughter's birthday is today. I offered to make a favorite breakfast of blueberry scones that are made with half & half (milk/cream) and butter. So rich with a melting texture. Days are hot and dry here in the Pacific NW but I don't mind turning on the oven in the early morning while it's still cool.

    We keep hoping for a cool rainy day. :-)

    I love your knee high pattern. Do you chart as you knit so you can share with the world someday?

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  33. Anonymous21:21

    Lovely socks! Yes, you should publish the pattern!

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  34. Anonymous22:59

    Lene, the socks are stunning. Will you ever publish/share? I, personally, would be more than happy to purchase. I had cranberry/walnut scones today but with a bit of coffee, don't drink much of it for the past year but some days... calls for just a spot(I do like tea). Thank you and looking forward to seeing the shawl.

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  35. You're such an artist! I love that lacy "cable". Very clever!

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  36. Anonymous02:40

    Oh my these are beautiful! You really should find someone in the industry and get some of these published. They're just so lovely!

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  37. Anonymous04:57

    Those are quite beautiful. Seems as if knee highs take so much more commitment than normal socks.

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  38. Looks like a lot of us have been zapped by the Grey Fairy's wand.

    My next project is going to be some sort of cardi (possibly the Elann that Jo just finished) in Berroco Denim Silk in charcoal grey with creamy flecks. I've got a different swatch in progress at the moment, but I have ten hanks to wind into balls, which suggests to me that I can do up to 20 swatches without totally losing my mind or having to cut the yarn.

    The stockings are just lovely, very subtle and elegant. I am *so* impressed!

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  39. I love your socks, knee socks are so great to wear with skirts in the chilly weather. I've been wanting to make some myself one of these days. Do you have tips for learning about shaping them?

    My fiancé loved those Enid Blyton books as a child too and we are trying to get my son started on reading them. I agree that the grey weather is perfect for tea and scones.

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  40. Those are beautiful...do you know how much money you could make selling sock patterns? Wish you would...hook it up to Paypal and I think there's even a way to do an automatic download so all you have to do is collect the money once the pattern is written...

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  41. Anonymous16:00

    Yay! I can finally see! I spent quite a while in the Firefox help forums to find one little check-mark in my settings!

    Lene, lovely sox again, lovely scenery again, and lovely Fall weather, too. Thank you for sharing.

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  42. Beautiful socks, and beautiful photos! Glad the model persevered :0)

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  43. Beautiful sock pattern.
    Oh I just love the gray tones in the photos.
    What a wonderful vision you have.
    I do so enjoy how you incorporate your knitting with nature.

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  44. Anonymous03:47

    what do you do with all the socks you knit? Does your family wear them? They are simply stunning!!

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  45. Anonymous04:27

    Oh I just love those socks! I love grey socks for some reason and those are some of the prettiest I've seen in some time! Nice work.

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  46. Oh Lene, we all love your socks. I just finished my first pair of knee-socks, except they are a bit wee, and don't quite make it to my knee. They took me a very long time, and yet I am completely thrilled and inspired (by you) to make more. I would love to see/buy your pattern. Or, if it would be easier, maybe just a formula for us. You know, like, what percentage of stitches you cast on, frequency of shaping decreases, that type of thing. You've got this whole "kneesock fan club" started! Thanks for sharing photos of your lovely knitting.

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  47. Anonymous13:12

    Hi--

    I've been looking for information on the Nordic Knitting Symposium, and Sigga Sif suggested I contact you. I'd appreciate any info or links on how to register, course contents, etc.

    Thanks--and don't let me forget to say how much I enjoy your blog!

    Annie Driscoll

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  48. they are beautiful! The setting matches them quite well on a rainy cold day!

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  49. The gray knee highs are beautiful! Is there any way you could share the pattern?

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  50. Anonymous06:40

    So very very lovely! Your photos and the sock model are beautifu! Love your blog!

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