[Nfb-krafters-korner] weaving pet hair
slery
slerythema at insightbb.com
Sun Mar 21 23:56:47 UTC 2010
Thanks so much. I have read other articles on using cat hair but the washing
instructions in this were great. FYI: you typically do not need to wash cat
hair unless it has become dirty in storage. Cats keep their own fur clean.
Cindy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> Henrietta Brewer
> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 3:14 PM
> To: nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] weaving pet hair
>
>
> Here is an article I got this weekend. Thought some of you
> might be interested. Henrietta
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> >X-SendId: 5295004
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> >X-SubscriberEmail: gary.brewer at comcast.net
> >X-Sender: subbounce at quiltropolis.net
> >From: "501 Knitting Secrets" <KnittingSecrets at DRGBooks.com>
> >To: gary.brewer at comcast.net
> >Subject: 501 Knitting Secrets educational series: Part 8 of 8
> >Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:00:03 -0400
> >Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII
> >
> >Trouble viewing this e-mail? Click
> ><http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/eduseries/kn/kn-8of8.html>here.
> >Part 8 of 8
> >
> >Part 8: Special surprise from Creative Knitting magazine. Click
> ><http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/eduseries/kn/pg/Toe_Socks.h
> tml>here
> >for a larger view of the socks.
> >
> >Dog Yarn Knitting
> >By Sue E. Hotovec
> >
> >Max was the world's sweetest dog. Every spring
> >he would shed bales of the softest, downiest
> >undercoat. I would brush him and think to
> >myself, "This would make an incredible sweater.
> >Someday, I'm going to have to learn to spin and
> >knit so I can make a sweater out of this." So I
> >learned to spin yarn -- dog, sheep, cotton, milkweed, llama
> -- then to knit!
> >
> >When people hear about my hobby, it almost
> >always generates a lot of questions.
> >
> >Why pet hair?
> >It's not practical for me to keep traditional
> >fiber animals like sheep or llamas. But it is
> >practical to have a dog that, in addition to
> >loving companionship, provides me with a ready
> >source of fiber to spin. Long after my beloved
> >friend is no longer here, I will have this pair
> >of socks or that fuzzy hat as a memento.
> >
> >Doesn't it smell?
> >Some dogs smell more "doggy" than others, but
> >once the yarn has been washed, it usually
> >doesn't have a noticeable smell. There are
> >exceptions though. Someone once gave me some
> >hair from a wolf-dog hybrid that reeked. Even
> >after multiple washings, it still smelled
> >horrible. The yarn was gorgeous, but I asked the
> >person not to save me any more hair.
> >
> >What kinds of pet hair can you spin?
> >You can spin almost any hair as long as the
> >hairs are at least one and a half inches long.
> >Most dogs are double-coated with stiffer,
> >coarser guard hairs outside and soft, downy
> >undercoat next to the skin. For dogs, a slicker
> >brush works well to collect the undercoat
> >without getting a lot of the guard hairs too.
> >Some of my favorite breeds to spin are sheltie,
> >husky and Samoyed. You can also spin the hair
> >from breeds without a double coat, like poodle
> >or afghan hound. Longhaired cats work too.
> >
> >How do you turn the hair into yarn?
> >There are a number of steps involved in processing hair into yarn.
> >
> >1. Collect the hair
> >Naturally shed hair is best. Whenever I brush my
> >dog, I collect the hair from the brush and keep
> >it in a grocery bag. I don't recommend using
> >clipped hair. Hair clipped from double-coated
> >breeds will have a lot of guard hairs in it that
> >will have to be picked out. Also, people
> >frequently have their pets clipped because the
> >fur has gotten matted, which can't be spun.
> >
> >Note: Some state and federal laws prohibit
> >possessing, buying or selling anything made from
> >domestic cat or dog. These laws are designed to
> >prohibit the killing of pets for their flesh or
> >pelt, however, the wording of some laws is broad
> >enough to include items made from shed or
> >clipped hair as well. It's a good idea to check
> >the dog and cat protection laws in your area,
> >especially if you plan to spin pet hair for other people or
> commercially.
> >
> >2. Pick and card
> >"Picking" the fiber is sorting through the hair
> >to separate the usable from the unusable. I work
> >with 3 paper grocery bags: one for the collected
> >hair, one for the guard hairs, twigs, matted
> >clumps, etc that get picked out, and a third bag
> >to hold the fiber for spinning.
> >
> >"Carding" uses a pair of paddles with rows of
> >small, bent-wire teeth (they look like oversized
> >slicker brushes) to comb the hair so that the
> >fibers run parallel to each other. Sometimes the
> >picking process will make the hair fluffy enough
> >that it doesn't need carding. If you want to
> >blend the pet hair with another fiber, like
> >wool, to modify the properties of the resulting
> >yarn, you need to card them together.
> >
> >3. Spin
> >Spinning twists the hairs together to form a ply
> >(single strand). Two common spinning tools are
> >the drop spindle and the spinning wheel. A drop
> >spindle has a weight at one end of a shaft (my
> >first drop spindle was a pencil stuck into a
> >foam rubber ball). You set the spindle turning
> >in the same way that you would spin a top. A
> >spinning wheel has a foot treadle to keep the
> >wheel turning continuously. With both tools,
> >it's the rotation that supplies the twist.
> >
> >Two things control the thickness of the yarn:
> >the amount of hair twisted into an individual
> >ply and the number of plies in your final yarn.
> >A single ply will coil back on itself and is
> >very difficult to work with. You generally need
> >at least two plies to make a workable yarn. You
> >make yarn by spinning two or more plies
> >together, in the opposite direction from which
> >they were originally spun. For example, if your
> >individual plies were spun clockwise, when you
> >ply them together to make yarn, spin the spindle or wheel
> counterclockwise.
> >
> >4. Wash, set and dry
> >Wind the plied yarn into a hank by wrapping the
> >yarn around and around, hand to elbow, the way
> >you might coil up a long extension cord or phone
> >cable. Tie the hank loosely in about four places
> >with lengths of string or other smooth yarn to
> >keep the hank from getting tangled.
> >
> >Submerge the hank in very warm, soapy water. I
> >usually add a healthy amount of an inexpensive
> >shampoo directly to the water for most house pet
> >yarns. If the hair is particularly dirty, or
> >from an oily-coated breed, I may use a
> >grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn. Don't
> >agitate the yarn or change the water temperature
> >or it may felt, just let it soak for 10-15
> >minutes, then drain. If the water was very dirty, repeat the
> soaking process.
> >
> >Rinse the hank by submerging it in clean water
> >that is at least as hot as the water you soaked
> >it in. Continue the submerge-and-drain process
> >until all traces of soap are removed. Carefully
> >squeeze as much water as you can from the hank,
> >never wring it. Roll the hank up in a towel to
> >blot out more water. Hang the damp hank
> >somewhere out of the way with good air
> >circulation until it is completely dry. Don't
> >use anything made of metal, which may rust a bit
> >and stain your yarn, or wood that may be damaged
> >by the moisture. I hang damp hanks from the
> >plastic shower curtain rings over the bathtub.
> >Hang a small weight from the bottom to
> >straighten the hank. When the yarn is completely
> >dry, wind it into a ball and it's ready to use.
> >
> >What is the yarn like?
> >That depends on the fiber used and how you
> >processed it. Dog undercoat yarn will be very
> >soft and fuzzy; most people mistake it for
> >angora. Yarn made from single-coated breeds like
> >afghan hound will be smoother and not have the
> >fuzzy "halo" that an undercoat yarn has. Cat
> >hair yarn, Persian or Himalayan for example,
> >will be very soft and drape well. Since pet hair
> >doesn't have the crimp that wool does, it tends
> >to be inelastic. Some pet-hair yarns will felt
> >and some won't. I once had an object lesson in
> >this; I knit a sweater vest with Samoyed and
> >afghan hound yarns When I hand-washed the vest a
> >little too vigorously, the afghan part felted
> >and the Samoyed didn't, so one part of the vest
> >is now dense and shrunken while the other part is still
> light and fluffy.
> >
> >What can you do with it?
> >Pretty much anything you can do with commercial
> >yarn. As with commercial yarns, each yarn has
> >its own characteristics and you need to pair a project with
> a suitable yarn.
> >
> >One final thing to keep in mind: dog hair is
> >much, much warmer than wool. I had to give up my
> >original dream of making a Max-hair sweater.
> >After I started working with the hair, I
> >realized that if I made a whole sweater with it,
> >l'd never be able to wear it. I've made a number
> >of head bands or hats for people out of their
> >pet's hair and I'm told they're too warm to wear
> >... but they still treasure the item made from their pet's hair.
> >
> >Toe-Up Socks
> >Click
> ><http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/eduseries/kn/pg/Toe_Socks.h
> tml>here
> >for a larger view of the socks.
> >
> >It's easy to try on these socks at any point to
> >be sure you make them the right length. Right-
> >and left-foot toes mean they'll fit perfectly.
> >
> >SKILL LEVEL
> >Experienced
> >
> >SIZE
> >Will vary with yarn and needle size
> >Instructions are given for smallest size, with
> >larger sizes in parentheses. When only 1 number
> >is given, it applies to all sizes.
> >
> >MATERIALS
> > * Sport weight wool blend yarn: 4 oz in one
> > color for solid socks, 2 colors for contrast
> > heel and toe, or more colors if you want stripes or other
> color pattern
> > * Set of 4 double-pointed needles in a size
> > appropriate for yarn (samples knit on size 2)
> > * Tapestry needle
> >
> >SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS AND TECHNIQUES
> >PuSl: From RS, pick up sl st from straight edge
> >with right needle, move first st from left
> >needle to right needle, sl picked-up st over, leave on right needle.
> >
> >Wrap (k side): Wyif, sl next st to right needle,
> >yarn back, sl st back to left needle.
> >
> >Wrap (p side): Wyib, sl next st to right needle,
> >yarn forward, sl st back to left needle.
> >
> >Unwrap (k side): Sl wrapped st to right needle,
> >reach left needle under wrap, pull wrapped st
> >out and onto left needle. Sl wrap back to left
> >needle and k st and wrap tog tbl.
> >
> >Unwrap (p side): Sl wrapped st to right needle,
> >reach left needle under wrap, pull wrapped st
> >out and onto left needle. Sl wrap back to left needle and p
> st and wrap tog.
> >
> >Provisional cast on: Using a length of smooth CC
> >yarn, cast on needed number of sts and work as
> >instructed. CC yarn is later removed so the resulting sts
> may be worked.
> >
> >PATTERN NOTES
> >These socks have toes and heels shaped with
> >short rows. There are no seams, no grafting,
> >only one tail to work in at the end of the solid
> >color socks, and a ribbed arch for snug fit.
> >Since they are worked from the toe up, you can
> >try them on at any point or make to any length.
> >The socks can be made in any size with any sport
> >or sock weight yarn. For a good fit, you must knit a swatch first.
> >
> >Sizing: Knit at least a 4 x 4-inch swatch and
> >figure your sts per inch for your chosen yarn
> >and needles (gauge). The larger your initial
> >swatch, the more accurate your gauge will be.
> >Measure around the foot at the arch/instep.
> >Using the gauge from your swatch, calculate how
> >many sts you need for this measurement. The
> >number needs to be a multiple of 4, so round up
> >or down to the nearest multiple. This is your total st count.
> >
> >Measure foot length.
> >
> >Instructions are given for a total st count of 48 (52, 56,
> 60, 64) sts.
> >
> >For contrast heel and toe, use CC, otherwise use MC throughout.
> >
> >SOCK
> >First half of toe box
> >
> >Provisionally cast on half of total st count: 24
> >(26, 28, 30, 32) sts on 1 dpn, k22 (24, 26, 28, 30), wrap,
> turn, p across.
> >
> >Sl 1, k19 (21, 23, 25, 27), wrap, turn, p across.
> >
> >Rep last row, k 2 sts less each time, until
> >there are 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) wraps on left edge.
> >
> >Sl 1, k15 (15, 17, 17, 19), wrap, turn, p14 (14, 16, 16, 18), wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >K12 (12, 14, 14, 16), wrap, turn, p10 (10, 12, 12, 14), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K8 (8, 10, 10, 12), wrap, turn, p6 (6, 8, 8, 10), wrap, turn.
> >
> >Other half of toe box
> >K4 (4, 6, 6, 8), wrap, turn, p4 (4, 6, 6, 8), unwrap, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K5 (5, 7, 7, 9), unwrap, wrap, turn, p6 (6, 8,
> >8, 10), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K8 (8, 10, 10, 12), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn,
> >p10 (10, 12, 12, 14), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K12 (12, 14, 14, 16), [unwrap] twice, wrap,
> >turn, p14 (14, 16, 16, 18), unwrap, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k14 (14, 16, 16, 18), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k16 (16, 18, 18, 20), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k18 (18, 20, 20, 22), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k0 (20, 22, 22, 24), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k0 (0, 0, 24, 26), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p across, turn.
> >
> >K21 (23, 25, 27, 29), [unwrap] twice, k1. (ending at little-toe side)
> >
> >Finish toe box (where sock becomes either a right or left sock)
> >
> >For right foot: Undo provisional cast on and
> >divide sts on 2 dpn, 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) sts on
> >each needle (bottom of sock); place 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) sts
> on 1 dpn (instep).
> >
> >For left foot: Undo provisional cast on and
> >place sts on 1 dpn, 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) sts
> >(instep); divide sts from other needle onto 2
> >dpn, 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) sts on each needle (bottom of sock).
> >
> >Note: As you k across cast-on sts, be careful not to twist them.
> >
> >Hint: For 1-color socks, weave in tail as you go
> >and you'll only have 1 tail to weave in when sock is finished.
> >
> >Knit 4 rnds.
> >
> >INSTEP/ARCH
> >If working contrast toe, change to MC.
> >
> >Knit 5 rnds.
> >
> >Work in k1, p1 rib on bottom sts (optional), k
> >top sts until foot measures 1 1/2 (1 1/2, 1 3/4,
> >2, 2) inches less than desired length.
> >
> >Knit 5 rnds.
> >
> >HEEL
> >For contrast heel, change to CC. Move 2 (2, 2,
> >4, 4) sts from each end of instep needle to each
> >bottom needle. 3 needles will then have 14-14-20
> >(15-15-22, 16-16-24, 19-19-22, 20-20-24) sts.
> >
> >Next row: K28 (26, 30, 36, 38), wrap, turn, p26 (24, 28, 34,
> 36), wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >Rep last row, reducing number of sts k and p by
> >4 sts each time, until p sts = 10 (8, 12, 10, 8).
> >
> >K8 (6, 10, 8, 6), wrap, turn, p6 (4, 8, 6, 6), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K6 (4, 8, 6, 6), unwrap, wrap, turn, p7 (5, 9, 7, 7), unwrap, wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >K8 (6, 10, 8, 8), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn,
> >p10 (8, 12, 10, 10), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >Rep last row, inc number of sts k and p by 4 sts
> >each time until p sts = 18 (16, 20, 26, 30).
> >
> >K20 (18, 22, 28, 32), [unwrap] twice, wrap,
> >turn, p22 (20, 24, 30, 34), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K24 (22, 26, 32, 36), [unwrap] twice, wrap (last
> >st on needle), turn, p26 (24, 28, 34, 38),
> >[unwrap] twice, wrap (last st on needle), turn.
> >
> >Sl 1 st to right needle, k28 (26, 30, 36, 38),
> >unwrap, if making contrast heel, change to MC, k22 (20, 24, 22, 24).
> >
> >Unwrap first st, then k 8 rnds.
> >
> >TOP
> >Sample is worked in k2, p2 rib. Use whatever
> >pats or colors you like. Work until sock top is same length as foot.
> >
> >Using needle 2 sizes larger than sock needle, bind off all
> sts in pat.
> >
> >Rep for 2nd sock, setting up for other foot at end of toe section.
> ><https://ssl.drgnetwork.com/ecom/hwb/cgi/subscribe/order?org=
HWB&publ=K
> >D&key=KDE8>
> >Hopefully you enjoyed the eighth and final part
> >of our series. Whether you love the idea of
> >stitching something from your dog's fur -- or
> >not -- this shows how creative knitters are. Now
> >that you know the secrets, tips and techniques
> >of knitting the only question is, "What will your next project be?"
> >
> >PS -- Tell your friends to visit us at
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> >Part 8: Special surprise from Creative Knitting magazine. Click
> ><http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/eduseries/kn/pg/Toe_Socks.h
> tml>here
> >for a larger view of the socks.
> >
> >Dog Yarn Knitting
> >By Sue E. Hotovec
> >
> >Max was the world's sweetest dog. Every spring
> >he would shed bales of the softest, downiest
> >undercoat. I would brush him and think to
> >myself, "This would make an incredible sweater.
> >Someday, I'm going to have to learn to spin and
> >knit so I can make a sweater out of this." So I
> >learned to spin yarn -- dog, sheep, cotton, milkweed, llama
> -- then to knit!
> >
> >When people hear about my hobby, it almost
> >always generates a lot of questions.
> >
> >Why pet hair?
> >It's not practical for me to keep traditional
> >fiber animals like sheep or llamas. But it is
> >practical to have a dog that, in addition to
> >loving companionship, provides me with a ready
> >source of fiber to spin. Long after my beloved
> >friend is no longer here, I will have this pair
> >of socks or that fuzzy hat as a memento.
> >
> >Doesn't it smell?
> >Some dogs smell more "doggy" than others, but
> >once the yarn has been washed, it usually
> >doesn't have a noticeable smell. There are
> >exceptions though. Someone once gave me some
> >hair from a wolf-dog hybrid that reeked. Even
> >after multiple washings, it still smelled
> >horrible. The yarn was gorgeous, but I asked the
> >person not to save me any more hair.
> >
> >What kinds of pet hair can you spin?
> >You can spin almost any hair as long as the
> >hairs are at least one and a half inches long.
> >Most dogs are double-coated with stiffer,
> >coarser guard hairs outside and soft, downy
> >undercoat next to the skin. For dogs, a slicker
> >brush works well to collect the undercoat
> >without getting a lot of the guard hairs too.
> >Some of my favorite breeds to spin are sheltie,
> >husky and Samoyed. You can also spin the hair
> >from breeds without a double coat, like poodle
> >or afghan hound. Longhaired cats work too.
> >
> >How do you turn the hair into yarn?
> >There are a number of steps involved in processing hair into yarn.
> >
> >1. Collect the hair
> >Naturally shed hair is best. Whenever I brush my
> >dog, I collect the hair from the brush and keep
> >it in a grocery bag. I don't recommend using
> >clipped hair. Hair clipped from double-coated
> >breeds will have a lot of guard hairs in it that
> >will have to be picked out. Also, people
> >frequently have their pets clipped because the
> >fur has gotten matted, which can't be spun.
> >
> >Note: Some state and federal laws prohibit
> >possessing, buying or selling anything made from
> >domestic cat or dog. These laws are designed to
> >prohibit the killing of pets for their flesh or
> >pelt, however, the wording of some laws is broad
> >enough to include items made from shed or
> >clipped hair as well. It's a good idea to check
> >the dog and cat protection laws in your area,
> >especially if you plan to spin pet hair for other people or
> commercially.
> >
> >2. Pick and card
> >"Picking" the fiber is sorting through the hair
> >to separate the usable from the unusable. I work
> >with 3 paper grocery bags: one for the collected
> >hair, one for the guard hairs, twigs, matted
> >clumps, etc that get picked out, and a third bag
> >to hold the fiber for spinning.
> >
> >"Carding" uses a pair of paddles with rows of
> >small, bent-wire teeth (they look like oversized
> >slicker brushes) to comb the hair so that the
> >fibers run parallel to each other. Sometimes the
> >picking process will make the hair fluffy enough
> >that it doesn't need carding. If you want to
> >blend the pet hair with another fiber, like
> >wool, to modify the properties of the resulting
> >yarn, you need to card them together.
> >
> >3. Spin
> >Spinning twists the hairs together to form a ply
> >(single strand). Two common spinning tools are
> >the drop spindle and the spinning wheel. A drop
> >spindle has a weight at one end of a shaft (my
> >first drop spindle was a pencil stuck into a
> >foam rubber ball). You set the spindle turning
> >in the same way that you would spin a top. A
> >spinning wheel has a foot treadle to keep the
> >wheel turning continuously. With both tools,
> >it's the rotation that supplies the twist.
> >
> >Two things control the thickness of the yarn:
> >the amount of hair twisted into an individual
> >ply and the number of plies in your final yarn.
> >A single ply will coil back on itself and is
> >very difficult to work with. You generally need
> >at least two plies to make a workable yarn. You
> >make yarn by spinning two or more plies
> >together, in the opposite direction from which
> >they were originally spun. For example, if your
> >individual plies were spun clockwise, when you
> >ply them together to make yarn, spin the spindle or wheel
> counterclockwise.
> >
> >4. Wash, set and dry
> >Wind the plied yarn into a hank by wrapping the
> >yarn around and around, hand to elbow, the way
> >you might coil up a long extension cord or phone
> >cable. Tie the hank loosely in about four places
> >with lengths of string or other smooth yarn to
> >keep the hank from getting tangled.
> >
> >Submerge the hank in very warm, soapy water. I
> >usually add a healthy amount of an inexpensive
> >shampoo directly to the water for most house pet
> >yarns. If the hair is particularly dirty, or
> >from an oily-coated breed, I may use a
> >grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn. Don't
> >agitate the yarn or change the water temperature
> >or it may felt, just let it soak for 10-15
> >minutes, then drain. If the water was very dirty, repeat the
> soaking process.
> >
> >Rinse the hank by submerging it in clean water
> >that is at least as hot as the water you soaked
> >it in. Continue the submerge-and-drain process
> >until all traces of soap are removed. Carefully
> >squeeze as much water as you can from the hank,
> >never wring it. Roll the hank up in a towel to
> >blot out more water. Hang the damp hank
> >somewhere out of the way with good air
> >circulation until it is completely dry. Don't
> >use anything made of metal, which may rust a bit
> >and stain your yarn, or wood that may be damaged
> >by the moisture. I hang damp hanks from the
> >plastic shower curtain rings over the bathtub.
> >Hang a small weight from the bottom to
> >straighten the hank. When the yarn is completely
> >dry, wind it into a ball and it's ready to use.
> >
> >What is the yarn like?
> >That depends on the fiber used and how you
> >processed it. Dog undercoat yarn will be very
> >soft and fuzzy; most people mistake it for
> >angora. Yarn made from single-coated breeds like
> >afghan hound will be smoother and not have the
> >fuzzy "halo" that an undercoat yarn has. Cat
> >hair yarn, Persian or Himalayan for example,
> >will be very soft and drape well. Since pet hair
> >doesn't have the crimp that wool does, it tends
> >to be inelastic. Some pet-hair yarns will felt
> >and some won't. I once had an object lesson in
> >this; I knit a sweater vest with Samoyed and
> >afghan hound yarns When I hand-washed the vest a
> >little too vigorously, the afghan part felted
> >and the Samoyed didn't, so one part of the vest
> >is now dense and shrunken while the other part is still
> light and fluffy.
> >
> >What can you do with it?
> >Pretty much anything you can do with commercial
> >yarn. As with commercial yarns, each yarn has
> >its own characteristics and you need to pair a project with
> a suitable yarn.
> >
> >One final thing to keep in mind: dog hair is
> >much, much warmer than wool. I had to give up my
> >original dream of making a Max-hair sweater.
> >After I started working with the hair, I
> >realized that if I made a whole sweater with it,
> >l'd never be able to wear it. I've made a number
> >of head bands or hats for people out of their
> >pet's hair and I'm told they're too warm to wear
> >... but they still treasure the item made from their pet's hair.
> >
> >Toe-Up Socks
> >Click
> ><http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/eduseries/kn/pg/Toe_Socks.h
> tml>here
> >for a larger view of the socks.
> >
> >It's easy to try on these socks at any point to
> >be sure you make them the right length. Right-
> >and left-foot toes mean they'll fit perfectly.
> >
> >SKILL LEVEL
> >Experienced
> >
> >SIZE
> >Will vary with yarn and needle size
> >Instructions are given for smallest size, with
> >larger sizes in parentheses. When only 1 number
> >is given, it applies to all sizes.
> >
> >MATERIALS
> > * Sport weight wool blend yarn: 4 oz in one
> > color for solid socks, 2 colors for contrast
> > heel and toe, or more colors if you want stripes or other
> color pattern
> > * Set of 4 double-pointed needles in a size
> > appropriate for yarn (samples knit on size 2)
> > * Tapestry needle
> >
> >SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS AND TECHNIQUES
> >PuSl: From RS, pick up sl st from straight edge
> >with right needle, move first st from left
> >needle to right needle, sl picked-up st over, leave on right needle.
> >
> >Wrap (k side): Wyif, sl next st to right needle,
> >yarn back, sl st back to left needle.
> >
> >Wrap (p side): Wyib, sl next st to right needle,
> >yarn forward, sl st back to left needle.
> >
> >Unwrap (k side): Sl wrapped st to right needle,
> >reach left needle under wrap, pull wrapped st
> >out and onto left needle. Sl wrap back to left
> >needle and k st and wrap tog tbl.
> >
> >Unwrap (p side): Sl wrapped st to right needle,
> >reach left needle under wrap, pull wrapped st
> >out and onto left needle. Sl wrap back to left needle and p
> st and wrap tog.
> >
> >Provisional cast on: Using a length of smooth CC
> >yarn, cast on needed number of sts and work as
> >instructed. CC yarn is later removed so the resulting sts
> may be worked.
> >
> >PATTERN NOTES
> >These socks have toes and heels shaped with
> >short rows. There are no seams, no grafting,
> >only one tail to work in at the end of the solid
> >color socks, and a ribbed arch for snug fit.
> >Since they are worked from the toe up, you can
> >try them on at any point or make to any length.
> >The socks can be made in any size with any sport
> >or sock weight yarn. For a good fit, you must knit a swatch first.
> >
> >Sizing: Knit at least a 4 x 4-inch swatch and
> >figure your sts per inch for your chosen yarn
> >and needles (gauge). The larger your initial
> >swatch, the more accurate your gauge will be.
> >Measure around the foot at the arch/instep.
> >Using the gauge from your swatch, calculate how
> >many sts you need for this measurement. The
> >number needs to be a multiple of 4, so round up
> >or down to the nearest multiple. This is your total st count.
> >
> >Measure foot length.
> >
> >Instructions are given for a total st count of 48 (52, 56,
> 60, 64) sts.
> >
> >For contrast heel and toe, use CC, otherwise use MC throughout.
> >
> >SOCK
> >First half of toe box
> >
> >Provisionally cast on half of total st count: 24
> >(26, 28, 30, 32) sts on 1 dpn, k22 (24, 26, 28, 30), wrap,
> turn, p across.
> >
> >Sl 1, k19 (21, 23, 25, 27), wrap, turn, p across.
> >
> >Rep last row, k 2 sts less each time, until
> >there are 3 (4, 4, 5, 5) wraps on left edge.
> >
> >Sl 1, k15 (15, 17, 17, 19), wrap, turn, p14 (14, 16, 16, 18), wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >K12 (12, 14, 14, 16), wrap, turn, p10 (10, 12, 12, 14), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K8 (8, 10, 10, 12), wrap, turn, p6 (6, 8, 8, 10), wrap, turn.
> >
> >Other half of toe box
> >K4 (4, 6, 6, 8), wrap, turn, p4 (4, 6, 6, 8), unwrap, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K5 (5, 7, 7, 9), unwrap, wrap, turn, p6 (6, 8,
> >8, 10), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K8 (8, 10, 10, 12), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn,
> >p10 (10, 12, 12, 14), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >K12 (12, 14, 14, 16), [unwrap] twice, wrap,
> >turn, p14 (14, 16, 16, 18), unwrap, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k14 (14, 16, 16, 18), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k16 (16, 18, 18, 20), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k18 (18, 20, 20, 22), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k0 (20, 22, 22, 24), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p
> across, turn.
> >
> >PuSl, k0 (0, 0, 24, 26), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn, p across, turn.
> >
> >K21 (23, 25, 27, 29), [unwrap] twice, k1. (ending at little-toe side)
> >
> >Finish toe box (where sock becomes either a right or left sock)
> >
> >For right foot: Undo provisional cast on and
> >divide sts on 2 dpn, 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) sts on
> >each needle (bottom of sock); place 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) sts
> on 1 dpn (instep).
> >
> >For left foot: Undo provisional cast on and
> >place sts on 1 dpn, 24 (26, 28, 30, 32) sts
> >(instep); divide sts from other needle onto 2
> >dpn, 12 (13, 14, 15, 16) sts on each needle (bottom of sock).
> >
> >Note: As you k across cast-on sts, be careful not to twist them.
> >
> >Hint: For 1-color socks, weave in tail as you go
> >and you'll only have 1 tail to weave in when sock is finished.
> >
> >Knit 4 rnds.
> >
> >INSTEP/ARCH
> >If working contrast toe, change to MC.
> >
> >Knit 5 rnds.
> >
> >Work in k1, p1 rib on bottom sts (optional), k
> >top sts until foot measures 1 1/2 (1 1/2, 1 3/4,
> >2, 2) inches less than desired length.
> >
> >Knit 5 rnds.
> >
> >HEEL
> >For contrast heel, change to CC. Move 2 (2, 2,
> >4, 4) sts from each end of instep needle to each
> >bottom needle. 3 needles will then have 14-14-20
> >(15-15-22, 16-16-24, 19-19-22, 20-20-24) sts.
> >
> >Next row: K28 (26, 30, 36, 38), wrap, turn, p26 (24, 28, 34,
> 36), wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >Rep last row, reducing number of sts k and p by
> >4 sts each time, until p sts = 10 (8, 12, 10, 8).
> >
> >K8 (6, 10, 8, 6), wrap, turn, p6 (4, 8, 6, 6), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K6 (4, 8, 6, 6), unwrap, wrap, turn, p7 (5, 9, 7, 7), unwrap, wrap,
> >turn.
> >
> >K8 (6, 10, 8, 8), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn,
> >p10 (8, 12, 10, 10), [unwrap] twice, wrap, turn.
> >
> >Rep last row, inc number of sts k and p by 4 sts
> >each time until p sts = 18 (16, 20, 26, 30).
> >
> >K20 (18, 22, 28, 32), [unwrap] twice, wrap,
> >turn, p22 (20, 24, 30, 34), wrap, turn.
> >
> >K24 (22, 26, 32, 36), [unwrap] twice, wrap (last
> >st on needle), turn, p26 (24, 28, 34, 38),
> >[unwrap] twice, wrap (last st on needle), turn.
> >
> >Sl 1 st to right needle, k28 (26, 30, 36, 38),
> >unwrap, if making contrast heel, change to MC, k22 (20, 24, 22, 24).
> >
> >Unwrap first st, then k 8 rnds.
> >
> >TOP
> >Sample is worked in k2, p2 rib. Use whatever
> >pats or colors you like. Work until sock top is same length as foot.
> >
> >Using needle 2 sizes larger than sock needle, bind off all
> sts in pat.
> >
> >Rep for 2nd sock, setting up for other foot at end of toe section.
> ><https://ssl.drgnetwork.com/ecom/hwb/cgi/subscribe/order?org=
HWB&publ=K
> >D&key=KDE8>
> >Hopefully you enjoyed the eighth and final part
> >of our series. Whether you love the idea of
> >stitching something from your dog's fur -- or
> >not -- this shows how creative knitters are. Now
> >that you know the secrets, tips and techniques
> >of knitting the only question is, "What will your next project be?"
> >
> >PS -- Tell your friends to visit us at
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