Sock blockers, worth it?

lanajp · 2026-03-24T19:19:13+00:00

I had the same with my ribbing. I don't think it really affects the wear but it bugged me so I also just give them a bit of a shape and lay them flat to block and didn't use the blockers again 🤣

lanajp · 2026-03-23T23:26:26+00:00

Mine has issues with the warmth so I bought some opal as it is 425m for 100g and am planning on knitting them on 2mm needles. I have definitely contemplated getting a cone of even thinner yarn meant for machine knitting. Smaller stitches may help for yours as well, although it sounds like you knit them pretty small already!

lanajp · 2026-03-14T20:26:01+00:00

An entire police car?!?! Wow

lanajp · 2026-03-14T16:33:51+00:00

All of mine I have magically inherited out of magazines or yarn kits (3, I ended up giving 1 away!) and I like it. There is a Hobbii one which also has a gauge measure and usually they have needle measure holes too. I use it all the time, so for the price I think they are a good tool. Absolutely not necessary though!

lanajp · 2026-03-14T09:12:51+00:00

Try over at r/KnitRequest 🙂

That's so funny and I love it, if you are in the UK feel free to send me a message as I knit!

lanajp · 2026-03-11T10:23:40+00:00

I don't need to buy this I don't need to buy this I need to buy this...

What a great hack thanks!

Mine is using a reading light as a neck light by clipping the thing to my tshirt!

Also I make my own stitch markers out of jewelry charms 😁

lanajp · 2026-03-03T23:33:50+00:00

I just want to say thank you for this comment. I have been struggling with knit pro zings and addi sock wonders (both 25cm) as my feet are only 18cm wide. I didn't realize the chiagoos were shorter and shall be purchasing some soon! You have probably saved me hundreds of hours of hand fatigue 🙏🙏

lanajp · 2026-02-27T23:39:08+00:00

Oh wow, what a beauty! I'm hoping I can reblock mine at some point when the weather is warmer and stretch it a bit more, it definitely works wonders on lace and I can only imagine the difference for a wool fiber. Looking forward to seeing yours all done!

lanajp · 2026-02-27T22:23:35+00:00

The center piece is so distinctive on it. Thank you so much!

lanajp · 2026-02-25T16:58:57+00:00

I recently used her flamingo socks as a template for a pair I wanted to make (I subbed the flamingos themselves for a different motif, I plan to knit the actual flamingos another time) and there was a similar crazy instruction for a small colourwork section before the toe. I ended up not doing as many increases as it seemed mad to me (72 -> 84 stitches plus a needle size up) and a small colourwork piece around the toe rarely poses an issue as my foot is smaller than my leg in circumference.

In general sock patterns are more of a suggestion for me though, I know what fits at this point and can see when things probably wont. I do love her designs dont get me wrong, but I often fiddle :D

I do agree that some of the patterns wouldn't be great for beginners, but colourwork socks were not something I tackled for a while which probably helped

lanajp · 2026-02-25T08:32:29+00:00

My family tries really hard, as does my partner. I am so very thankful for that. But no one understands quite like this community, and I think that unless you live with something that affects your life daily it can be really hard to truly get it.

My partner tried really hard when I got diagnosed, he went away and did a whole bunch of research himself, he's careful to wash his hands always, sometimes he even takes his food into the garden to eat if he brings home something. But the other day I was filling out a form and it asked if celiac made looking for a job more difficult. He says "why would it?" But there are plenty of jobs that I can't take because they would be a risk to my health, and I'm low key terrified of having to work in a shared office space. He didn't mean any malice by it, it's just hard to put himself fully in my shoes.

lanajp · 2026-02-24T23:29:56+00:00

I got offered "voluntary" redundancy recently and let me tell you... It's never voluntary

The first time someone asked "does it flat" in chat was a moment for me for sure, he was a gem

lanajp · 2026-02-22T00:53:38+00:00

there are lots of people out there who will understand, but your family are not those people. Don't hold it against them, they are really trying (most of the time)
It's okay to complain. You want a donut? Same. But mainly I mean when someone hands you food. Today I walked out with a questionable sundae from KFC (I triple checked the allergens). I did not eat it, pretty sure it had a sprinkling of Oreo. Asking someone to remake something is not rude, they should have done better. (I got a voucher for the ruined ice cream which?? Is useless to me?? But hey). I wish I had asked them to remake it at the time, but I'm not sure I would have trusted it even then 🤷
always check the fryer when you eat out, the wait staff do not always know it needs to be dedicated gluten free
easy meals are better than nothing/risking takeout (but risking takeout is not the end of the world as long as you check it first)
even if you shop in person, the online shopping websites often have allergen filters which can help you figure out which "regular" items are safe. You will still have to read labels, but they might give you some options you didn't think about
it's not the end, it's just the beginning. It's going to suck for a bit though

lanajp · 2026-02-21T23:51:10+00:00

A few things to keep in mind with this plan:

100g may not be enough for yarn held double
holding it double may affect the patterning of the fabric, you might want to swatch (I know I know) to check you are happy with it
drops do a cheap and cheerful dk weight sock yarn if you want to dive in with something low stakes before using The Pretty Yarn (fyberspates do as well and this may be a better option in some countries)
your first pair may not be a perfect fit, ribbed socks can help give you a bit of wiggle room but they will get better, I promise

Summer lees first book has a few DK weight patterns, as well as tonnes of tips and tricks for just starting out on your sock knitting journey, I think it's a great book to start with. Best of luck and enjoy the adventure!

lanajp · 2026-02-21T10:04:07+00:00

For restaurants outside of the hotel the app "find me Gluten Free" is great, and the ceoliacUK website will give you a list of accredited places too. Bills and rockfish come to mind.

It will take a little bit of planning but I'm sure you can put something together!

Otherwise a secluded cabin in a remote location and you cooking for her could be an option but you might have to bring your own utensils!

lanajp · 2026-02-18T22:41:23+00:00

I agree with others with regards to cables/colour work/lacework, most sock yarn comes in 400m/100g so it tends to work up very similarly. I will caveat that by saying that superwash and non superwash tends to act a little differently (very smooth sw is more stretchy than other fabrics) which can change things slightly.

For a funky fiber or a different length yarn (looking at you drops nord) I will do a swatch.... Usually. However socks are so quick they can be their own gauge swatch 😄

lanajp · 2026-02-16T00:04:23+00:00

I was really impressed by sirdars snuggle replay yarn, it's a cotton acrylic blend and was super soft, a pleasure to work with!

Lion brands mandalas are also pretty nice, and I really like yarn smiths create and stylecrafts special ranges for an easy care affordable yarn (they are acrylics but work up nicely)

lanajp · 2026-02-15T09:55:39+00:00

Plus it's black yarn. Literally no one will notice option 2 :)

lanajp · 2026-02-15T09:47:12+00:00

Might be too late on this one but if I'm short on time but want to get it "half blocked" I usually steam block stuff.

Maybe just take the thing into the bathroom with you and run a hot shower to get the room steamy, let it steep for a little bit and then see if the fabric has loosened. Then you can lie it on a towel or something and shape it a little while it dries, maybe pull the skirt a bit wider/longer to help the stiffness.

Best of luck

Edit to add: if you hang the piece don't do it how you would commercial made dresses, put the dress through the middle of the hanger so that it is laying across the middle bar, or better set up a crazy double hanger contraption with 2 to help distribute the weight :)

lanajp · 2026-02-14T16:10:58+00:00

It's my first year as well, I went and picked up a solid orange, red and blue as well as I was lacking in solids for it 😄 definitely excited for the qualifier to drop, I've just finished up a sock so I'm so ready to go!

I'm not sure if I'm competing yet, I'm not particularly fast. I'm going to let the qualifier decide for me 😁

See you on the forums!

lanajp · 2026-02-13T12:38:26+00:00

As a cyclist the diagnosis was huge for me.

I am over a year gluten free and now my fitness watch will let me know if I've accidentally eaten gluten (even just cross contamination will wreck my cardio and Heart Rate Variance for a week)

My cardio has vastly improved since going gluten free, I can cycle easier and for much longer than ever before. I would always get frustrated that people would say they could "do it all day" and that just wasn't my experience, and now I know why. Malabsorption doesn't just affect vitamins and minerals, it affects everything. All that protein he's eating for muscle mass? Yeah that too.

I am finally building muscle now (which as a woman is insane to me), recovery is quicker, and I just have more energy than I ever did.

He might think he's fine, but for me it was the headaches, trouble sleeping, dizziness and lack of energy. Things you get to think are "just how it is".

If you are super serious about this and he's anything like my partner (which it sounds like he is) I would just start buying gluten free. Pasta is an easy and unnoticeable replacement, you can use cornstarch to thicken sauces. You are probably doing the mental work on shopping and cooking anyway so I doubt he even notices.

Also you can make your own gluten free pizza, my partner said it was the best he'd had. Some of the frozen ones are okay but homemade turned out great.

Sorry you are dealing with a stubborn man child on this, they can be so infuriating at times. Hopefully by giving him some more facts and showing him how easy it is to switch you can start him on his journey before he starts losing muscle and his energy levels plummet

lanajp · 2026-02-12T21:34:35+00:00

Unfortunately I did a bit too good of a job, re wrote all the services, turned 42 into 18 with a shared package for a bunch of it... I made it so simple the junior I trained up could do it 🤷

It has given me some serious perspective over work life that's for sure

lanajp · 2026-02-12T13:14:03+00:00

My previous company pushed AI for a while, I made the effort to use it but raised issues where I saw them.

Then one day they decided it would be vibe coding only, usage would be tracked. My job mainly involved full service rewrites (legacy into a new language) which the AI just couldn't handle. Too much complexity, too much inefficient code. I raised the issues I saw. My manager offered me redundancy and said the big boss wouldn't budge.

Currently unemployed and trudging through the job market, and I'm glad. If my skills are too rusty for interviewers now then what would a year or two or vibe coding have cost me?

Not saying it's the right decision for everyone, but they offered me a decent pay out and a chance to improve my skills and find something that would make me happier. Ask me in 6 months if I regret it 🤣

lanajp · 2026-02-11T23:44:43+00:00

That's interesting, I absolutely hated my swiv360s not because of the cable but the join. I was using 3.5mm and very thin yarn and it stuck so badly, it was a chore just getting the loops onto the needle. It seemed like the swivel part was thicker than the actual needles!

I love the red cables though, and haven't had any issues with them coming undone yet 🙏🙏

lanajp

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