Mystery of the Blue Train

I don't usually post about a design until it's ready to be released. But I'm really excited about this one for several reasons. It's going to be hard to squish all the back story onto the pattern page on Ravelry, so I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to the story of these socks.

There is a distinct left and right foot,
with the Train pattern running down the
outer front of the sock.

Blue Train, as I'll call these socks for short, was inspired by the Agatha Christie novel The Mystery of the Blue Train. It's going to be the fifth of six in my Hercule Poirot design series.

I was browsing through my stitch dictionaries and flagging photos which caught my eye. Then I went back and tried to find commonalities and that 'spark' of inspiration.

I love the look of twisted stitches, so the motif which became the front of the sock naturally caught my eye. It reminded me of train tracks, which got my imagination churning away. A number of Christie's novels involve train journeys, so these titles naturally started coming to mind. In addition to train tracks, the 'parallelogram' shapes made me think of the sleeper compartments on trains, with the twisted stitches representing the passengers (and the bobbles in the original motif being the passengers' heads).

Okay, so I had a train story. But what else? I didn't want to simply create a sock with a motif taken straight out of a book. I wanted to make it more 'mine'. But it had to make sense. It couldn't just be "more" without making sense to the design and intent of the overall Poirot series.

Back of the sock.
Strands of a jeweled necklace.

Looking back over the motifs I'd tagged with a sticky note, one seemed to stand out. It had cables - bringing it in line with what I'd picked out for the front of the sock. Ditto the twisted stitches.

To top it all off, it made me think of the strands of a jeweled necklace. All the pieces slid into place and I had "The Mystery of the Blue Train" in which the famous ruby necklace, "Heart of Fire" is stolen and its owner murdered on her way to the French Riviera. The Blue Train was the name of the regular train which brought the English elite down to the French Riviera.

I set about tweaking the motifs, adjusting a few things here and there. I wanted this design to accommodate several official sizes as well as being totally customizable for anyone who wanted to adjust it for their personal foot size. I decided to put the stitch patterns on a stocking stitch background - that would make the total number of stitches very customizable. Not every design I document is 100% customizable (it depends on the stitch counts), but I really do want (and expect) people to be able to customize them if they need to.

5 stitch nupp option.

The original stitch patterns called for bobbles as the passengers' heads. But from browsing Ravelry forums I realize that not everyone likes bobbles. Plus, I didn't want bobbles on my socks. So I experimented with a 5 stitch nupp. It didn't add as much bulk, which was good. But something was missing (and I recalled many Ravelry posts bemoaning the difficulty of doing nupps).

One morning, as I was getting ready for the day, I was thinking about the design and pondering bobble/nupp alternatives. Then it hit me - beads! Giving knitters the choice of a nupp or adding a bead would be perfect! I'm all about choice/modifications in my designs. Plus, the beads would align perfectly with the whole jewelry robbery theme. To maintain a sense of balance (and belabour the jewelry analogy) I added beads to the cabled necklace pattern on the back of the sock.

Beads!

The reason I'm so pleased with the bead idea is the fact that I am not a bead person when it comes to knitting. I've done one or two beaded shawls, and I think they look lovely. But it's not a natural choice for me. So in a small way, the very idea represented a moment of growth for me as a designer.

The cables themselves are a bit unusual and may seem intimidating when you look at the sheer variety of cables in the pattern's stitch definitions. But they're all variations of 1/2 and 2/1 cables. The variations are the result of knitting each of the 3 cable stitches either through the back of the loop, purling them, or just plain knitting them - it all depends on the flow of the overall pattern. If you know how to read your knitting and can read a chart, it will quickly make sense to you. Being able to read the charts isn't a necessity though. Just take your time with the different cables and it'll come together.

So there you have it - the story behind "The Mystery of the Blue Train" socks. They're in test knit now and should be released in mid-late June. As usual, they'll be available in toe up and cuff down, in 3 sizes. Beads, nupps or neither as you prefer.

Side view

Inside view.

New Release: Roger Ackroyd socks

 Roger Ackroyd is now available!

Classic cables wind down the leg, reminiscent of warm, cozy sweaters worn on walks over the moors or out on the fishing boat. At the ankle, the main cables switch to ribbing while the 1/2 side cables continue down either side of the foot, and add detail to the toe.

When planning this pattern, I decided to place the cables only on the leg for two reasons: 1) the foot cables would be hidden by shoes and 2) I feared that the cables would make the socks too thick to fit inside shoes comfortably. While this might be an issue with plump, rounder yarns, test knitters who continued the cables all the way down the foot found this not to be the case.

I love that the test knitters had fun with this pattern, customizing it to suit their preferences. Several knitters continued the cables down the foot (just keep following the chart!), which looks fantastic. Others used a plain stocking stitch toe instead of the rib and cables. Some preferred simple 1/1 side cables instead of the 1/2 cables, turning that extra stitch into a purl.

This captures the essence of what I hope to achieve with my patterns. I provide the base and make it easy for less experienced knitters to create a great looking sock. At the same time, more experienced sock knitters can easily make those tweaks to suit their feet and knitting preferences.

E-book Details:

This pattern is part of an e-book series, The Agatha Christie Series, Volume 2 (The Poirot Collection). Follow along as I create designs inspired by Agatha Christie novels featuring Hercule Poirot.

This e-book represents a savings over purchasing the patterns separately. And the earlier you buy, the more you save. Six patterns will be delivered approximately every 6 weeks, with all patterns being delivered by the end of July 2014. Your Ravelry library will automatically be updated with the new patterns.

Buy in March & April 2014: $19
Buy in May & June 2014: $23

Pre-release: The Big Four socks

I've decided to do a pre-release of The Big Four while it is being tech edited. (It has already been test knit.) For a limited time, the pattern is $3.50 while it is being tech edited. The final version will be released around mid-February for $4.50.


The Big Four is a cabal of global super villains against whom Hercule Poirot pits his wits in a series of vignettes in the novel The Big Four, by Agatha Christie. Who are the Big Four? Will Poirot be able to bring them to justice or will he meet his end at their hands?

The Big Four pattern is an endless repetition of squares nested within each other and outlined by cables How many 4-sided shapes are there in each sock? That’s a mystery for you to solve.

E-book Details:
This pattern is part of an e-book series, The Agatha Christie Series, Volume 2 (The Poirot Collection). Follow along as I create designs inspired by Agatha Christie novels featuring Hercule Poirot.

This e-book represents a savings over purchasing the patterns separately. And the earlier you buy, the more you save. Patterns will be delivered approximately every 6 weeks, beginning January 2014. Your Ravelry library will automatically be updated with the new patterns.
Buy in January & February 2014: $15
Buy in March & April 2014: $19
Buy in May & June 2014: $23

Sizes: Medium (Large), with an 7.5” (10.5”) leg circumference, blocked
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner. Must be familiar with sock construction and knitting in the round. Some cabling experience recommended
Materials:

• Approximately 425 yards (388m) of SweetGeorgia, Tough Love sock yarn , (1 skein= 425yd/388m per 3.5oz/115g), , or similar.
• 1 set of 5 US #1 (2.5 mm) double-point or circular needles, or size needles required to obtain gauge.
• Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Oh Captain, my Captain

The Captain Hastings knit-along is coming along and we're seeing more and more finished socks. You can see them all here on Ravelry.

I love the blue of this pair:

missbarbara2's Captain Hastings

Captain Hastings KAL

The Captain Hastings Knit-along is just ripping along. We're into week 3 and several pairs of socks are either complete or nearing completion.

Here is Captain Hastings in white, done toe up by knittymamad. All photos courtesy of knittymamad and posted with permission.

Captain Hastings returns

So between the time I posted Chath's photos yesterday and last night, Chath finished her first Captain Hastings socks. And I must say - he looks stunning in blue.

Photos courtesy of Chath.

 

Happy New Year - Happy New Pattern and KAL!

I see that many of the bloggers I read are doing a 2013 year in review post. I honestly hadn't thought of that. I'm too excited about 2014, which is just going to be bursting with new designs. I accomplished way more than I thought I would in 2013, so I've raised the bar for the new year.

I hope you all had a fun NYE celebration and are ready to start your 2014 knitting. I've set up a Knit-along (KAL) and Read-along (RAL) for January and February in my Ravelry group.

SweetGeorgia Yarn: Colorways Charcoal and Pistachio

When I decided to do a KAL, I wanted it to be fun and relaxing. There's no rush, no pressure - December had enough of that! Relax, enjoy, knit an easy pattern. And it is easy - just knits and purls, with just enough variation to keep you awake. This is the calm after the storm. Knit Captain Hastings. Or knit any of my other patterns. Or just read-along. You don't need to finish. Everyone will be eligible for prizes.

The KAL coincides with the release of the first pattern in my upcoming Hercule Poirot series. The Hercule Poirot series will feature characters or novel titles from Agatha Christie’s novels and short stories featuring everyone’s favorite mustachioed Belgian detective.

Mirrored left & right feet.

Also, each of the pattern samples will be knit in Sweet Georgia Yarns range of sock yarns. You don’t need to use Sweet Georgia yarn, but they are delicious to knit with and come in fabulous colors.

The read-along is optional. We'll be reading The Big Four, by Agatha Christie. Your local library should have it. There’s no need to buy a copy.

Pattern: Captain Hastings

Release Details: The pattern for the KAL will be available for $1.00 for 5 days: January 1-5th, 2014. Then it will be regular price. Or purchase the e-book for a discounted price.
KAL project tag: Please tag your KAL project with PoirotKAL2014 so we can admire all the lovely Captain Hastings being created!

KAL dates: Wednesday, January 1st – Friday, February 28th

Guidelines:

• Have fun!
• Knit Captain Hastings or any other of my patterns
• Read The Big Four if you want and discuss.

This is a no-pressure KAL where the goal is to have fun, get to know each other and maybe indulge in some selfish post-Holiday knitting. Finish, don’t finish - just hang out and have fun.
Prizes:

• Skein of Sweet Georgia sock yarn. Randomly awarded at the end of the KAL from amongst anyone who finishes at least 1 sock.
• 2 copies of the full Poirot collection. 1 awarded at midpoint randomly. 1 awarded at end randomly.
• 6 pattern prizes (winner’s choice of pattern) randomly awarded weekly from posters in KAL thread. (That’s 1 pattern per week for 6 weeks.) The more you comment, the more chances you have!

Toe up heel

Cuff down foot

Optional:
Book: The Big Four, by Agatha Christie. Read-along with me. The Big Four is a fun read, comprised of mini-stories within a story as Poirot tackles a cabal of master criminals known as The Big Four.

Cuff down heel

Nemesis

”Miss Marple pulled down the mass of pink wool that encircled her head, a pink wool scarf of the same kind that she had once worn in the West Indies.
‘One of my names,’ she said, ‘is Nemesis.’”
- from Agatha Christie’s novel, Nemesis

Nemesis, with a pink wooly scarf.

 I love the way Agatha Christie incorporates knitting in her novels, especially the Miss Marple series. The pink wool scarf mentioned in the quote above actually features in two of the Miss Marple stories: A Caribbean Mystery and Nemesis.

Nemesis is also the name of my newest sock pattern, which was just released yesterday. It's a fairly straight forward cabled sock pattern. The cables are 1/1, which means it's a perfect project for those new to cabling or for anyone wishing to practice cabling without a cable needle. The stitch pattern is a 12 row repeat and only 4 rows have cables in them.

Sale: Oct 24-26th, Nemesis is only $1.50


E-book Details:
This pattern is part of an e-book series, The Agatha Christie Series, Volume 1. Follow along as I create designs inspired by Agatha Christie novels.

There are currently 5 patterns included in this e-book: 4 sock patterns and 1 shawl pattern. One more sock pattern will be added by December 1st. When you purchase the e-book you will automatically receive the new patterns when they are released and added to the e-book. In total, there will be 6 patterns in the e-book.

This e-book represents a significant savings over purchasing the patterns separately. And the earlier you buy, the more you save.

Buy in October 2013: $14   ($2.33/pattern)
Buy in November 2013: $16  ($2.66/pattern)
Buy in December 2013: $18  ($3.00/pattern)

Currently published in the e-book (in addition to Nemesis):

The Vicar's Wife

The Man in the Brown Suit  (photo courtesy of Holly Isaac)

Styles Court

Joanna Lymstock

Tickled pink!

I get a thrill from hearing from people who have knit, or are knitting, my patterns. I've 'met' some really nice people that way.

I heard from someone who had been really nervous about trying toe-up socks for the first time. They tried my Swirl socks and after a few challenges, typical of learning any new skill, loved the process and was thrilled to have learned something new.

Someone else learned a new, simpler heel.

Many others have commented on the Agatha Christie series, about how much they enjoy the novels. I love connecting with other people over a love of reading. Audiobooks have allowed me to combine my love of reading with my knitting, so I don't have to choose between the two.

Today, I was tickled pink to get a message from someone on Ravelry. She'd seen my pattern The Vicar's Wife, named for the characters in the first Miss Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage. She is a vicar's wife, a sock knitter, an Agatha Christie fan, and lives in a town in England which has a strong link to Agatha Christie.

How serendipitous is that?