Mini-Mast

2022 Jan 30 - Valentine's Day Colorwork Socks

When making any project on a CSM that involves multiple yarn in some kind of pattern, we refer to this as Fair Isle or Colorwork. Working any color combinations on a circular sock machine requires manual yarn placement (which makes this a slower project to complete).

Happy Early Valentine’s Day!

I wanted a pair of socks where one of the socks could have a non-rib interrupted heart colorwork pattern so I chose to try socks with cuff and leg ribbing only. The foot is definitely more roomy but I haven’t decided if I prefer that over the form fitted feel of my other fully ribbed socks.

In case they inspire you to try something new here are my socks - they are a women’s US 8.5 sized socks with one sock featuring the Ravelry free “Medieval Heart Chart” from Crystal Guistinello. I enlarged it for prominence. 😉

This project inspired reinforcing the sock bottom as needed in a different way (see the last image). More to come.

I’ve added the photos to this post however a silent video can also be viewed at https://youtu.be/pszjlcVT2pw

To see the project details etc on please see Ravelry under my nickname “Karenramel” for this sock project - https://ravel.me/karenramel/s2cc77

This project also has a blog entry viewable on my website under the “Misc” menu - https://www.csmlove.com/blog/2022-jan-30-valentines-day-colorwork-socks

For tips on colorwork see the heading Minimast on my “Techniques” page on my website under “My Patterns and Videos” - https://www.csmlove.com/techniques (no accessory was used for this colorwork)

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Sock with motif=total 70 row foot.

Sock without motif=total 45 row foot.

The reason is because thee motif stitch tension ends up being a bit tighter which caused the size of this sock to be at least 25 rows smaller than it would have been without the motif..

The motif used was a free version available on Ravelry https://ravel.me/medieval-heart-chart

Ravelry https://ravel.me/karenramel/s2cc77

Ravelry Sock project #224

SEE ALL BLOG ENTRIES ON THE BLOG INDEX PAGE | Follow us on a variety of social sites see TAPLINK | Interested in Circular Sock Machines? See the CSM START Menu first page. | Seek something specific? Checkout the Index page.

2021 Jun 9 - First Mini-Mast Project (Colorwork)

First the videos that this project inspired… (these videos are also listed on my TECHNIQUES page. For more information on accessories which help make colorwork easier see the SUPPLIES I LIKE page.

November 2018 using two models I saw online out of metal components and input from my CSM friend Heidi, in my small apartment with a dremel, I created a metal Mini-Mast which would work on my Legare 400. See the blog post.

The wonderful Dave Lord of Chambord CSM powder coat painted it Nov 2020 to match my machine and to protect the metal from metal tarnishing. Somehow I never got around to trying it out until now. :)

I thought I would share this project on Ravelry as a sock project and on here as a blog entry.

Ravelry Sock Project #168 | See the Ravelry entry for yarn and pattern info (pattern info to come later)

I started this project using a intense 60 needle graphed pattern. I didn’t do any test knitting ahead of time I just started. :) Maybe don’t do that. Test the technique prior to trying. After starting my ribbed cuff hung hem Shortie sock I worked two rows of black yarn then worked through maybe 15 intense colorwork rows. Then I noticed I lost my place in the sequence and felt I accidentally did the row below the one I meant to be on. Then I noted how loose the first 5-9 rows were. It’s actually kind of hard to determine how your doing from the Purl side you work on. I felt I needed to restart after 3 days of work. I took a photo of the sock off the machine - looked better than I’d hoped. It inspired me to do a quick video - CSM: Quick colorwork tip


But it wasn’t right so I started again. I got 8 rows into the intense graph and was presented with a graphed pattern we both liked more. Darn. That inspired me to do another video - CSM: Quick CSM Legare Unknitting

I then deleted all the prior pattern sock images after spending way too much time manually undoing all that work - it would have been all the faster to restart for sure - but I’m stubborn. I won. :)

Between project start and this moment I’ve also extended the height of my DIY mini-mast from 11” to 16” to better accommodate taller cones not considered when I built my mini-mast. I also installed reinforcement to my new sit/stand CSM/computer desk for better easier to move lighting. Oh and I had a birthday. :)

Now back at it.

Photos show machine cast on and scrap, sock started, ribber added, cuff made, ribber removed, hung hem, two rows of black yarn, clipped yarn tail of second color.

Now photos of the colorwork start.

Now for the Heel

Now back to the colorwork after the heel. (The foot)

Now finished the colorwork, create a single color toe

Instagram posts: ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN |

WANT A 3D PRINTED MINI-MAST? HE MAY ONLY HAVE THOSE THAT WORK ON AN ERLBACHER MACHINE. CONTACT TURTLE MADE on ETSY - My understanding is that it was made by DAVID KETTMAN - LEMONT, ILLINOIS - USA

SEE ALL BLOG ENTRIES ON THE BLOG INDEX PAGE | Follow us on a variety of social sites see TAPLINK | Interested in Circular Sock Machines? See the CSM START Menu first page. | Seek something specific? Checkout the Index page.