Sock it to me!

One little present is finished for holiday giving--Christmas, that is, not Halloween, despite the colors!

All the lettering on this sock was stitched in basketweave with three different Kreinik metallic braids.  Although it wasn't painted on the canvas, I added a ribbed cuff in Kalem stitch with some vintage DMC Medici wool from my stash.

I hope to squeak in a few more ornaments to give as gifts this year, so stay tuned!

A change of pace

A family friend graduated last December from Oklahoma State University, so I decided to commemorate the occasion with a Christmas ornament for this coming holiday.  The design is by Kathy Schenkel, but I plan on adding a couple of little touches to make this mini-sock one-of-a-kind.

I've jump-started this project by stitching the background in basketweave with black Trio so as not to bore blog readers to tears.  But you'll notice that I painted in a date in an open space in the top right-hand corner.

Time to fill in the lettering and footballs!

From start to finish

On a trip to my LNS the other day, I picked up the threads I'd ordered to work on the horse in the Toyland Rocking Horse canvas.  I also picked up some finishing:  the mini-socks for the little boy and his newborn sister that I'd stitched on the blog a few months ago.

The designs for these socks were the same (if you don't count the fact that the little girl's penguin has eyelashes) but worked in different colors and different stitches.  Andrew's sock was backed with dark green velveteen, while Emma's was backed with pink velveteen.  They each have pockets for inserting a little present and a hanging cord for either the mantel or the Christmas tree.

Nice to know I'm way ahead of myself for this year's gift-giving!

A double finale

It's nice to know I have a leg up on next year's gift-giving--I've finished the mini-socks for the new baby and her 2-year-old brother!

Presents for the sock on the left were worked in a 5 x 5 Scotch stitch (DMC floss #699) and a framed mosaic stitch (DMC floss #321), trimmed with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002.

Using the same Vineyard Silk Classic "Holiday" that I'd used for the earmuffs, I worked his scarf in a slanted gobelin stitch over four threads and added looped turkey work "fringe" on the tails.

For the presents on the baby's sock, I used Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #5760 in a 5 x 5 Scotch stitch, trimmed with DMC floss #962, and DMC floss #3716 in a diagonal mosaic stitch trimmed with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #031.  The scarf was stitched in braided knitting with Vineyard Silk Classic "Cherry Tree" with more looped turkey work.

The only difference between the original design for both socks is the way I depict the penguins--girl penguins have a pointy beak and "eyelashes."  Changing the colors and stitches to personalize each sock for its recipient makes a world of difference, as you see here!

Heel, toe, one-two-three-four

Moving right along! 

I worked the heel and toe of the little boy's sock in a skip-tent stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic "Holly" and "Holiday."  The penguin's earmuffs were added in tent stitch and French knots with "Holiday."  Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002 in tent stitches formed the name and date.

The heel and toe for the baby girl's sock used the same pink Petite Very Velvet as was used on the cuff.  The name and date were added with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #092.  The girl penguin's earmuffs were worked the same as the boy's, using Vineyard Silk Classic "Cherry Tree."

Only the scarves and presents remain to be stitched--I'm almost there!

Yikes, stripes!

The background of Big Brother's stocking is finished with the addition of candy cane stripes in Vineyard Silk Classic "Holly" and "Holiday."

I worked the background of the cuff with "Holly" in a diagonal mosaic stitch, which is easy to compensate around the letters of the name.

Like the other penguin, this one has the white sections stitched with two strands of Medici.  I added eyes in Smyrna crosses with DMC #5 perle cotton #310.  Using Silk & Ivory "Pumpkin," I worked the beak in an upright gobelin stitch and the flippers in a satin stitch.  Now I have a little penguin face peering at me as I stitch the rest of the mini-sock!

A background for Baby

The checkerboard pattern behind the little girl penguin is finished!  The diagonal rows of Scotch stitch in Vineyard Silk Classic "Bright White" and "Blossom" created the soft, quilted look I was aiming for.

I moved on to the inside white sections of the penguin's body, using two strands of white Medici from my stash in basketweave for the face and tummy and a slanted gobelin stitch under the wings.

With two mini-sock projects underway at the same time, I think I'm actually working a little faster than I normally would on a single canvas.  Time to finish the background on the other sock and make decisions about the toes and heels of each!

Working on Big Brother

Putting aside the baby's mini-sock for the time being, I concentrated on the one for her big brother.  He's a typically active two-year-old, who loves the new fire truck given him by his new sister and enjoys careening it into walls with suitable sound-effects.  So the colors for his mini-sock will be more lively than his sister's.

I first stitched the outside of the penguin with black Petite Very Velvet and brushed away the fuzzies. The inside white of his body will be worked in basketweave with two strands of white Medici left over from my stash.  Actually, all of the threads I'm using for both socks are remnants of previous projects!

 Then I added the framework for the background with Vineyard Silk Classic "Bright White" in stripes of slanted gobelin stitches over three canvas threads.  With this much accomplished, I can start adding the brighter colors for the cuff and the pinstripes.

A tale of two socks

A stitching friend of mine recently contacted me about working up some ornaments for her young family members that she could have for next year's gift-giving.  She particularly liked the Penguins on Parade series, so I incorporated a penguin within a mini-sock and added a few presents.  When I finished painting four of these for her, I couldn't help myself--I had to stitch this design, too!  Since I'd offered to give her some suggestions for stitches, I decided to show my progress here--some other readers may be interested to see what stitches can fit in small areas, too.

The intended recipients of these two socks are a brother and sister:  a newborn baby girl and her 2-year-old sibling.  I've already begun stitching the one for the baby, with the intention of making it look like a quilted bootie.  I started at the cuff, working it in basketweave with Petite Very Velvet. 

Before starting in on the background, I stitched the outside of the little penguin with black Petite Very Velvet.  Why the black first?  I've used this thread so often that I know some cards can produce a lot of fuzz as the thread passes through the canvas, and I want that fuzz long gone before adding the lighter threads in the background.

I'm using Vineyard Silk Classic "Bright White" and "Blossom" in a Scotch stitch for the background.  When stitched in diagonal rows and alternating colors for each row, it produces a checkerboard effect that works up quickly and presents a soft, quilted appearance.

I need to set the baby's sock aside for awhile and play catch-up with her brother's stocking!

The Argyle finale

Contemplating the heel and toe for the argyle mini-sock, I decided I'd like a slightly different woven look--this one in three colors, rather than the two-toned version I worked on the previous country mini-sock.

I'd already stitched the tent stitches in white, skipping every other canvas thread, before I worked the darker threads around the heel and toe. Now to add the other two predominant colors--gray and red--to the mix! I alternated stitching the empty rows of threads, first working the gray and then the red.

With these areas done, I stitched the name in Kreinik #16 medium braid #001, beefing up the weight of thread from the #12 tapestry braid I normally use to give the letters a more raised appearance. I then moved to the toe, and after working only three stitches, realized the silver thread was definitely not going to work--it disappeared against the variegated background. So for the date, I switched to Kreinik #16 medium braid #005, which provides only a tiny bit of twinkle, but at least you can see it!

Going on a blog vacation now, so I can cook up a storm for my visiting family members this weekend, but I'll be back!

Almost there!

All the diamonds have been stitched and the criss-crossed black lines added--I'm almost finished with the argyle mini-sock!

Before finishing off the diamonds, I worked the toe in skip-tent stitch with the white Trio. Now I can go back and fill in the skipped stitches, as well as add the name and date.

Time to haul out the turbo needles--I have tons of painting to do and company is coming for the weekend!

Criss-crossing

I've been stitching diligently on the gray and red diamonds. All the white skip-tent stitches in the heel have been finished so I could continue working with the darker threads, moving toward the bottom of the mini-sock.

Time to add some criss-crossing black lines in the areas where the diamonds have been completed! This is the exciting part, where I actually get to see the full effect of the argyle pattern in the top left section of the sock. My canvas is upright as I stitch the lines from top right to lower left and turned 90 degrees for the lines from top left to lower right to eliminate the sawtooth effect of the tent stitches.

Several more diamonds need to be stitched before I can add more black, then it's on to the heel and toe!

Seeing red

Before stitching any more gray diamonds with Felicity's Garden "Baby Squirrel," I decided to take a break from basketweave and do the ribbing on the mini-sock cuff. It's the same Kalem stitch that I used on the green/red/off-white mini-sock, but worked in the white Trio, you can actually see it without enlarging the photo. Isn't it funny how decorative stitches almost seem to disappear when worked in a darker color?

That much done, I added some skip-tent stitches to the heel in white, in preparation for stitching more gray diamonds. I'll go back to finish the heel later when the rest of the sock is finished.

Needing a break from the gray diamonds, I finally treated myself to some red--one ply of Trio "Really Red." While it's the same red used predominantly in the other mini-sock, you'll notice that it shows up as more of a "cherry" red when placed next to the gray areas. Interesting how the juxtaposition of colors can affect the way a color's value is perceived, isn't it?

Diamonds without the bling

I've been stitching lots of diamonds the last two nights, but no twinkle here! To keep the argyle mini-sock looking like a real sock, I've raided my stash for several silk/wool blend threads.

First off, I stitched the background behind the name on the cuff with Trio "White" using one ply of the three-ply strand in basketweave. I then moved on to the white diamonds, finishing all of them before treating myself to another color.

The gray diamonds are being stitched in Felicity's Garden "Baby Squirrel." It always seems like a toss-up to me--should I stitch red before dark gray and black or vice versa? Either way, these colors can get pesky about poking their way to the front of the canvas where you definitely don't want to see them!

I'll be back in a couple of days with, hopefully, more progress and more color to show!

The Argyle

My mind was thinking over-time as I stitched on the "country" mini-sock, and this is one of the designs I was toying with. It's an argyle pattern, which gets its name from the tartan of Clan Campbell of Argyll in western Scotland.

After World War I, the argyle pattern became popularized in Britain by the Duke of Windsor, an avid golfer who wore tops and socks in this pattern when he took to the links. His socks were more subdued than this one, which I've designed in colors suitable for a "modern" young gentleman.

Fair warning! There'll be a lot of basketweaving going on here to give the canvas an "authentic" look, but I'll be adding a few other details to provide some additional texture. So stay tuned!

Another wrap

I'm finished--another gift for the holidays is ready to go!

In keeping with the country theme, I decided to give the mini-sock a "woven" look in the toe and heel. This was easily accomplished using the skip-tent method: stitching every other canvas intersection in one color of thread, then going back to fill in the "skipped" intersections with another color. In this case, I used Trio "Really Red" and Felicity's Garden "Evergreen," the two predominant threads in the mini-sock.

For the name on the cuff and date on the toe, I used Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002V--the "vintage" gold that gives a little sparkle without too much bling to emphasize once again the country look.

I'm really happy with the way this mini-sock turned out! It was fun to stitch and worked up quickly. As I stitched, a number of ideas for more mini-socks popped into my head, which I may pursue in the near future!

On the home stretch

All the rows are now completed, and I've made a few subtle changes in color to add some visual interest.

In the wreath and tree rows, I've switched over to two new shades of Trio. "Shamrock" is a little lighter than Felicity's Garden "Evergreen," which I'd been using so far, and also more of a yellow-green. For the red, I used "Bordeaux," which is the next shade darker than "Really Red" used elsewhere. Each of these threads has been worked in mosaic stitches.

With these slight changes, the piece retains its "country" feel and is still red, green and off-white in color scheme--just not so "flat" in appearance. On to the heel and toe!

Moving right along

After two nights of turbo-stitching on the mini-sock, I'm able to report some considerable progress!

Except for the name, the cuff is now finished. The photo is a little dark, but if you click to enlarge, you might get a little better detail of the Kalem stitch at the top. I think this area makes the cuff look more like a real knitted sock, don't you?

Diligently working away with Felicity's Garden "Snow" in basketweave and Scotch stitches, I then treated myself by working some of the red in the candy-cane rows. Here I used Trio "Really Red," another silk-wool blend that's the skinny sister of Silk & Ivory. I used one strand of the three-ply strandable thread. While the Trio is a tad heavier than Felicity's Garden, the two threads seem to be working out well together.

So far I think my color choices are carrying out the look of an old-fashioned "folksy" sock, but I don't want the overall effect to be too somber. So I'll be switching out the green in the wreath and tree rows to a different thread to liven things up a little!

Stash-busting again

My "Sunday stitching" time was spent working on the mini-sock--not a lot to show, but a beginning nevertheless.

I want this piece to have a "country" feel, rather than some of the more formal mini-sock designs I've worked on before. I also wanted to use threads from my stash as much as possible. I've pulled several silk/wool blend threads, the first being Felicity's Garden "Snow," which despite its name is more of an off-white and will provide an old-fashioned look. So far I've worked the white in the candy-cane row and the background in the wreath row in basketweave and the checkerboard row in Scotch stitches.

That much accomplished, I started in on the dark green, using Felicity's Garden "Evergreen" to finish the first checkerboard row. With the same thread, I began basketweaving the background behind the name on the cuff, leaving the top canvas rows empty to be worked differently. When I finish this section, I can start adding some red to liven up the piece!

Less than six months to go....

Here's a scary thought: we now have less than six months before the Christmas finishing deadline established by most needlepoint shops! I decided to get cracking on another holiday gift before more time slips by and I get caught empty-handed!

This mini-sock was designed for a very special guy whose favorite color is green, which makes it particularly easy to please him at Christmas! It's been painted to be worked in fairly simple stitches--Scotch and mosaic, with a little basketweave thrown in for good measure--but also has room for a few "special effects."

So do come back and visit as I attempt to check another ornament off my gift list!