# Cat Bordhi "new pathways for sock knitters" Upstream socks



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I got this book awhile ago, then I took a class from Cat Bordhi this summer at Olds (not a sock class, but it was amazing all the same, she is sooo cool!).

I did a 'self directed sock workshop' on my one day off at Olds, I sat down with the book and learned a new cast on, and started (and restarted, and restarted) a toe-up sock. When I asked Cat to autograph my book the next day I told her about my self directed sock workshop and that she was a great teacher - she said I was an ideal student, no trouble at all! 

Anyway - here is the finished sock (yes, there are two, I have worn them a few times):










My son picked out the psychotic purple self striping yarn - he's such a great kid, I sent him to the back wall of the yarn store and said "pick out 3 balls of sock yarn, umm 2 plain and one wild" ... this would be the 'wild' one he picked. 

Next sock I'm going to try is the Riverbed pattern - these are really cool and I love 'em but I could have done with just a weee bit more tightness around the arch, and the Riverbed puts the decreases on the arch and supposedly fits tighter through there, so I'll give it a shot. You don't really need/want any fancy patterning when you work with striping yarn like this, so I did 'bubble trails' (YO increases). 

I love toe up socks, and short row heels are actually pretty awesome too! Hafta see how they wear, but hey, they were fun to knit.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

See now, your son IS a great kid. I have one like that. 
Normally I like to pick out all my own sock yarn though, thank-you-very-much. 
My world would be filled with rainbows, otherwise!:wizard:

That is a cool looking sock. 
You are so brave, doing alternative constructions like that.
I like the 'V' across the foot.

Short-row heels seem to use less yarn, which can be a good thing too.

<still jealous of the whole Cat Bordhi thing>


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Is that a short row heel? I have that book and have thought of doing just want you did. She also does top down socks doesn't she?

I think you son has good taste in yarn. I mean why shouldn't your feet be wrapped in rainbows? Poor things get stuffed into shoes and abused all day long. I think they deserve a celebration, with rainbows.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Yep that book has top down and toe up socks both. If you use striping yarn, don't try the garter toe (for toe up socks), it ends up looking weird.  I did a pontoon toe, I think next pair I'm going to try the whirlpool toe, I think that might come out neat in striping yarn.

If you know your stitch guage, just sit down with a measuring tape and do the master pattern numbers and the math and go for it - that's what I did. It is the coolest way to make socks - I now know that on these needles and with this weight of yarn, I'm actually *between* the sizes of the master pattern, but it's super easy to just do one less round of increases (which I think is all I have to do to make it fit perfectly - being off by 2 stitches is hardly a big deal, eh?) because you just "increase until you are at x" or "decrease until you are back to y" so it's not like you have to do "increase 12 stitches at this precise point in the pattern or you'll be hooped".

It's cool. Highly recommend it. Oh, and Cat's got videos on Youtube of both her funky cast on (Judy's Magic Cast On) and the short row heel - watching those before you start is a really good idea (I think she has links from her website, or just Google).


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