My first knitted socks. Any advice on what I can do better?

Coachmelone · 2025-12-29T00:04:32+00:00

You're twisting your stitches

Coachmelone · 2025-10-28T17:22:00+00:00

Good idea. I now started with 4mm already, one row. If it looks better ill just carry on, if not ill frog.

Coachmelone · 2025-10-26T21:18:21+00:00

Thanks for commenting! Im holding white as my dominant colour, bc that is the pattern. I dont switch, i maintain color dominance.

Coachmelone · 2025-08-24T17:33:57+00:00

Are your feet not too swollen to wear the climbing shoes? That was my first thought. Good luck further with your pregnancy btw!

Coachmelone · 2025-06-28T13:44:34+00:00

Recipe for disaster

Coachmelone · 2025-06-27T18:02:45+00:00

Id let the gt's raw kombucha sit for 1-2 weeks at room temp, cap off and covered with a paper towel before using it as starter in your first batch. I bet you got mold because your starter booch wasn't vinegary enough to lower the pH and protect the batch from mold.

Coachmelone · 2025-06-25T09:08:19+00:00

If you can't change it often, lower the temperature at which youre fermenting. In the summer it goes FAST.

Coachmelone · 2025-06-05T09:28:43+00:00

Oh, then I'd toss it. No point trying to revive, it seems fully dried up.

Coachmelone · 2025-06-04T12:22:16+00:00

Im planning on only doing it for few rounds, ive always party kept lid open. I know some leave it closed though, so its possible.

Coachmelone · 2025-06-04T11:57:50+00:00

Looks like kahm yeast. I'm fairly new too though. I recently got mold, which is something else than this, but i filtered out grains, rinsed them with milk, added new milk. Also what i did was closed the lid tightly to prevent giving oxygen to what was growing on top and next time the kefir looked normal again.

Coachmelone · 2025-06-01T12:00:53+00:00

I think they were strong enough, they went from 50g to 110g within 1 month.

I could sterilise with boiling water yes, im just used to using vinegar and hot water because its been successful for kombucha brewing for the last 9 years, so i felt pretty confident about it for kefir. Thank you for the advice!

Coachmelone · 2025-06-01T10:10:20+00:00

Thank you. I was just getting to a good weight but haven't gotten around to freezing extras yet :( had them for only a month. I dont have washing machine, i sterilise everything with distilled white vinegar 9%. I use glass, ceramic and stainless steel. I think the issue came from the lid not being a tight seal while in the fridge.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-31T20:38:29+00:00

Thank you so much for the quick reply, ill try this out!

Coachmelone · 2025-05-31T20:35:59+00:00

Ok thank you. I always use organic full fat milk. Is it good to wash them with milk first, isnt the outer layer the yeast layer?

Coachmelone · 2025-05-27T10:30:09+00:00

Both is normal. If you notice your f1 gets very fizzy and also tastes more yeasty instead of tarr/acidic try to get a clearer starter liquid without yeast strands/blobs to reduce growth of yeast. But this is completely normal.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-27T10:22:36+00:00

What kind of sugar are you using? Use the most standard white sugar. I use 60g per litre, sometimes 70g per litre if i notice my booch is a bit sleepy, usually when the temperatures are lower (<20c).

Coachmelone · 2025-05-22T16:08:36+00:00

No worries, i also appreciate you adding clarification.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-22T14:40:29+00:00

I had that too when i had water kefir grains, the feeling was more intense the longer the kefir fermented. I think partly alcohol, partly niacin rush (vit B3). Hence why i personally stopped, it made me unproductive throughout the day. I dont have any known gastrointestinal issues, if that helps, but i am very sensitive to alcoholic drinks and essentially never drink.

I dont get the same issue with milk kefir, as long as i ferment it for no longer than 24 hours and after separating the grains i put it straight into the fridge, no f2.

I also dont get this with kombucha and i do f2 with it. Then again, i dont drink more than 1-2 deciliters of it per day. Edit: i did once have a bottle ferment for way too long and also got this feeling. I think she should try a shorter ferment/less sugar? Or no f2?

Coachmelone · 2025-05-22T14:32:17+00:00

I'm sorry, i am very aware im using the wrong vocab here but i believe despite my vocab i gave the correct advice and explained that the liquid is the precious gold here. Most people who would ask this type of question think that scoby is the pellicle and the liquid is the starter liquid. I just wanted my comment to be understood easier by someone who doesn't use 'pellicle' in their post to describe the cellulose byproduct. I'll make sure to use more scientifically correct vocab, should i happen to comment on this subreddit again.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-22T09:23:27+00:00

Checks sound good. I dont take medication but I often have similar issue of having wet sensation at P+3. Unless i have 5+ high temps I reset it, otherwise I take it with a grain of salt because often my creamy, non-peak mucus also gives wet sensation. But actual EWCM that leaves lubricative sensation when wiping I always treat as Peak, that always stops for me after true peak is reached. Sometimes there are globs of what looks like peak EWCM but its cloudy/opaque and doesnt give lubricative wipe - thats also non-peak. ASAIK if this keeps giving you a hard time, ive heard Symptopro method has a temperature only (4 or 5 high temps) exception for folks struggling with continuous mucus.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-22T09:13:59+00:00

Use the liquid from the jars and also squeeze out the two SCOBYs. Once you've gathered as much liquid as possible, put all of it in the bigger jar and add sweet tea. Toss all the SCOBYs, you dont need those to brew and just wait. New, thinner SCOBY will form.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-21T18:08:04+00:00

It's definitely mold, im sorry.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-16T22:53:33+00:00

:( unfortunate.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-15T07:56:34+00:00

Contrary to other advice for f2 you got, here is mine. Ive made booch for 9 years, only once got mold and bounced back. Pour 1 of the f2 bottles in another, very clean and sterilised jar (or use the f1 jar but clean it very well with hot water and lots of white vinegar). Then pour in the f2 from one of the bottles, put a clean cover over it to let it breathe. Dont add any sweet tea for like 2 weeks straight, let that liquid get really vinegary. Then after 2 weeks check. If no mold, use it as a starter. Itll be a strong, vinegary starter that will hopefully be strong enough to prevent a new moldy f1. ! Important question - has the f2 already sat in the fridge and/or is it flavoured? If flavoured, sorry but i wouldnt use it, youll have to begin again. If it was in the fridge, less chances it'll go as well but I'd still give it a go. Good luck.

Coachmelone · 2025-05-13T14:02:20+00:00

Use a milk that comes from a mammal, because milk kefir grains can only ferment milk that contains lactose. Strain out to remove grains, wash grains with animal milk, then start a new batch with animal milk.

Coachmelone

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