A New Year and a Vintage (Knitted) Chicken // Casual Friday 4-01

[@catherinecrockett]

It's an egg cosy, they're for keeping soft-boiled eggs warm. They were a popular beginner project in the mid 20th century in Britain.

[@MrsMelrom]

also used later by my grandmother to gift cadbury's cream eggs in, I have a few and they are very precious to me.

[@drayner2517]

Exactly what I thought it looked like and makes sense if it’s a chicken keeping an egg warm!

[@lizmednick3842]

My thought as well.

[@fionaleonard7246]

I agree though soft-boiled eggs in an egg cup are not as common in the US as other countries, so I’ve been told

[@lizmednick3842]

@@fionaleonard7246 If you look up "egg cozy" on Ravelry you'll see tons of them. I suspect that this one was used instead of an egg cup because it's seems designed to fit over a horizontal egg. I found several that work that way in the search results.

[@myphotoworldjeankd4001]

Looking forward to the new toe up tutorial and the different cast-off.

[@Tabby318]

I am delighted to have found this lady. Love the chicken; it's given me a great idea for my brother, who keeps hens. I hope no-one minds me joining in; I have gone back to knitting - mine is fairly basic. I am attempting to knit a balaclava from an old pattern and have just saved this lady's video on how to pick up stitches - it looks like gold dust to me as I think I understand it. I think this lady is Roxanne - I am partially-sighted and sometimes get a bit muddled. I also talk/type a lot.

[@demainestunautrejour3058]

Hi Roxanne This message to thank you sooooo much for the precious huge knowledge you transmit on this channel. To me, you are the best knitting Teacher ! Best wishes to you and yours for this New Year ! Warm regards from France. 🍀 Take care !

[@sophiep.7781]

This is exactly the kind of „casual friday“-video, that I love so much. Thank you for your thoughts on knitting and revealing your aproach to knitting techniques!!! 😀😀😀

[@anitadizney8987]

The sweater you're wearing is beautiful!

[@Tabby318]

I've now done the 'picking up stitches' based on Roxanne's advice. It worked - thank you. It wasn't easy; the instructions were clear but my eyesight is not and I would not have succeeded without her video. I couldn't quite manage the 'how to sew two edges together so it looks good' but, again, without her video I would have had a bulky seam. Anyway, my balaclava is finished. Thank you.

[@BeautifulOaks]

Deciphering vintage patterns, at least short patterns, is a neat puzzle. You’re right about there’s nothing really like a knitted sample to manipulate with the hands to make sense of it. In case the person didn’t want to knit a sample, they could try drawing a dotted line along the center vertical and or the horizontal axis in another color to see the half shape of the pattern and then use their imagination to draw in the eye, beak, and comb. Using a blank sheet of paper to cover the view of half of the drawing to the axis line can help to visualize the general intended shape.

[@kimsechrest2202]

Oh my goodness!!...your chicken mystery was so close to home. I just a week ago came across a very similar pattern that was typed on a piece of paper from my mother-in-law for Knitted Christmas Bells. I couldn't see what it was going to be, so I put it aside and never try it. Now I must might try it. Thanks Rox!

[@CassieDA17]

On the subscriptions- I get a notification on my phone when a you tube channel I subscribe to uploads a new video. I was planning on doing finish it February this year and last week made a list of all of my UFOs. I had about 18 (mix of quick and long amounts of time needed to complete). I ended up telling myself that I could not cast anything else on until I knocked 5 of those off my list. This motivated me and I did the 5 , cast on a d finished a cowl, then did 2 more off the list. It’s a nice feeling of accomplishment! I’m going to save the rest for February but have a great head start

[@robynbecker3443]

As always super informative. Looking forward to your new toe up sock vid.

[@dr.evelynsharp2351]

I have a chicken like that that my grandmother made!! How fun! Very fun to see your process.

[@GrownToCook]

Thank you for your fantastic informative videos! I love both Tuesdays and Fridays and have been watching your older casual Friday videos while knitting socks and mitts (including your ‘Adaptation’ mitts). I picked up knitting this summer (I only learned the very basics as a teenager) because I needed something to occupy my hands other than gardening. I am a garden writer and designer, so something that used to be a hobby is no longer as relaxing as it once was :) But, thanks mainly to your videos knitting is becoming a rabbit hole as I discover new techniques, projects and books! So far I’ve been buying needles as I need them for specific projects but I would now like to purchase a set of circular needles now - do you have recommendations on how to choose among the many types and brands? What are your favourites?Thank you!

[@kathryn6670]

I learned to knit toe up socks 10 years ago by using the Cat Bordhi techniques in her book "New Pathways for Sock Knitters". To this day I still use her square garter toe method (but not her arch expansion or heel ideas). It avoids those nasty increases and instead creates a square that folds into a tube. I just checked on Ravelry, and the "Coriolis Sock" pattern by Cat Bordhi is a free pattern written up on Vickie Howell's website. The instructions for this square toe are in there. I use the Fish Lips Kiss heel, and bind off with JSSBO.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

That's the toe I used for my sock! I didn't know it was one Cat Bordhi had in her book, I'd only remembered my friend Joan talking about it.

[@kathryn6670]

@@RoxanneRichardson Another feature that I like is when I also make the heel in garter style, it creates a fun, almost contrast color effect in the sock. Happy toe-up sock knitting!

[@sadiakhan1426]

It was fun listening to you as always. Waiting for your sock tutorial. Stay blessed.

[@judybostick3934]

I am like you in that I usually have several WIP'S going at one time. I am implementing "first quarter finish" in which I try to finish a lot of my winter UFO'S. Mainly because here in the South we have such a short window of opportunity to wear winter knits. And I love wool sweaters. I'm working on a cardigan as I'm listening to your podcast. I am also going to go without buying any new yarn in 2021. I have a huge stash and would like to try and use it. I went a little crazy during these last couple of years. I have stopped looking at Ravelry and Instagram so much because I get "too" inspired and want to knit everything I see.🤷‍♀️

[@nadiarogo4511]

I was always very much against toe-up sock construction until i started using the same hourglas construction for both heels and toes: it produces the best fitting socks for my feet and is easy to do mindlessly :D For 60sts circumference, I would provisionally cast on 30 sts, do the hourglas, pick up sts from the provisional cast on and continue in the round. Once I reach the heel, i do the hourglas, and join in the round again. For shorties, I would knit 10 rnds after the heel and then do some short rows on the leg, to make heel-side longer. Works like a charm.

[@lhea57]

I have knitted this chicken!!! You sew it up. You add a felt hat and facial features and felt cut in wing shapes. You put a plastic egg filled with candy inside for Easter.For the hen I made a crocheted circle with ties for a hat. The facial features are googly eyes and felt for a beak. I made the male in white and the female in yellow.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You made quite a fancy chicken! I suspect this simple shape has been around for decades, and people have come up with many ways to embellish it!

[@debraraymer3386]

Thanks for explaining your journey to FIF. I actually had a similar journey, and moving is what cemented it. I had to pack up all my knitting (and answer the question of why I had so much yarn. Luckily, storage is by weight, so I lucked out there). For my UFOs that I couldn't bear unraveling, but I did not want to finish - those went in a bag to goodwill, along with extra yarn and instructions. If someone else wants to finish it, or just use the yarn, good for them. The vast majority of my yarn and books went to storage. We are building a house, which will take about 3 years, and I have no room in our interim house. I saved all my reference books and several sweaters worth of stash. All of my UFOs have been moved out here. I knitted a coat for our dog, and then started my FIF. The 3 3/4 done sweaters in my project book are for FIF. I might pick up another UFO and start it, or I might save it for FIF22. FIF has been a lifesaver for me. Ravelry has brought out everything into the open. The knowledge that anything I get sick of knitting will be picked up again in February is a lifesaver. I have a bench, which will hold all the bags, and it is truly out of sight and out of mind until Feb.

[@srcbutterfly41]

You can also go the channel if you are subscribed and click on the bell and choose all notifications. You will be notified anytime they have added a new video.

[@nicolam6773]

Happy new year ! My first ever socks were toe up, and in contrast to you, I have been a reluctant cuff down knitter. I set myself the challenge and have now completed my first cuff down socks AND on 9" circulars. It's good to have both sorts in one's repertoire. XX

[@marsfran55]

Wow!!! The chicken discovery process was awesome, you are a wiz indeed!!! Totally impressed 🙂

[@jenniferrich5292]

I’m looking forward to Tuesdays in 2021! I knit mostly toe-up socks, but I’ve never been satisfied with my bind off, or really with my cuff-down cast on. I really like the short row (or really shadow stitch) heel that I use most, and somehow I’ve never considered using it for a cuff-down sock. Eureka!! And truly, I’m looking forward to more 2021 Fridays, too🥰

[@x1435]

I loved seeing your visualization/pattern deconstruction process! It takes a lot of knowledge and understanding (for me at least) before I can visualize something to that degree. The chicken pattern is adorable, I might just make one :) Though I don't have much need for an egg cozy, it would make a cute Easter decoration with a little embroidery added.

[@Miniver765]

Some bits of felt for the beak and embroidered eyes would definitely complete the look of the chicken egg cozy.

[@uminchugrammy]

I made this years ago and yes it’s for an egg. I remember it had a comb on it’s head and a beak. I don’t remember how they were attached

[@aroundtheworldfibers]

Thanks so much for the education. Love your videos. So much to learn :-) I thoroughly enjoyed your story (giggle) with toe up socks. I have a love/hate relationship with sock knitting in general. I do like hand knit socks but find them really tedious to create.

[@dysle4406]

Thank you so much for not only being a fabulous technique & history knitting teacher, but also taking the time to explain how to use KZbin! You have inspired me in so many ways. God Bless you & Happy New Year!

[@patmillett8056]

Thanks for informing me about things I didn't even know that I didn't know. Fridays are better when I see you video has been posted. Thanks for all you do. 😊

[@jo-annefalconer6280]

I think your chicken is to keep a soft boiled egg warm, I remember my grandmother had those when we stayed at her house in the 60's. I have only knitted 2 pairs of socks, I prefer toe up as I am not worried about running out of yarn before finish, would Love to see your tutorials on this subject. I did my first pair with Judy's magic cast on tutorial by the Sockmatician.

[@joannsteinly5325]

I love the WIP and FIF ideas. I'm doing a clear out of my house, so that will be useful. No guilt, right? Lol. I've wanted to try socks for some time now. One of the ladies in my local knitting group is a wiz at toe up. But...COVID. So I haven't been able to see what she does. I'm looking forward to your methods. Loved the chicken! I'll use that for Easter.

[@joannsteinly5325]

Also loving the sustainable fashion article. Facinating.

[@BeautifulOaks]

I like your different approaches to assessing and finishing UFO’s. Thanks!

[@susanwood1445]

I never did toe up until my husband wanted some fine dress socks in lace weight wool and silk. I found that toe up worked best with the 1.5mm needles I needed and I didn't have the problems with picking up the gusset stitches. Cuff down was a disaster. So now I adjust my method according to the yarn.

[@mmmsss2443]

Would you be interested in doing a segment on pilling? Specifically, on how to choose yarn in order to avoid pilling happening as much as possible? There is a lot of information on the internet, specifically advising to pick "long fibred" and "tightly spun" yarn, but how does one determine these attributes from information available from sellers?

[@willameena66]

I swear by toe up socks, for some reason they are more structured then when I do cuff down. I discovered top down mittens, what a revelation for me, again better structure. A side comment on blocking:I have a theory that I am testing out . I washed my scarves and cowls , stretched them and set them immediately outside in the cold winter weather to dry. I want to see if they will block due to the fact that they will freeze in position. I may be onto something here hihi.

[@Katheverett]

Great post - really enjoyed it! I’m not a big fan of toe up socks either, so I’m looking forward to your TT posts! Thanks!

[@TheSuzberry]

Happy New Year. I’m excited for the new sock tutorial.

[@sueaitkin8030]

Happy New Year! So excited about your willingness to do a podcast on toe up Socks. Thank you!

[@bonnij]

I’m really looking forward to the toe up bind off technique. I’m on the second pair of socks I have ever made. The first pair were cuff down. I just started on the leg of the second sock. The bind off on the first one was awful. My husband couldn’t get it on. I ripped it out and tried something different which resulted in an ugly stretched out top.

[@theastewart6721]

Thanks for another great podcast Roxanne! I loved the chicken lesson! You have such an innate way of figuring these things out! It is adorable. I’m really looking forward to your technique videos on the bind off and toe construction of your sock. Happy New Year to you and yours!🎆🎉

[@daddaughterdogs5679]

I am excited to see your toe up innovations. I too do not like toe-up socks, but I knit a lot of lace patterns and sometimes the direction of the lace would be better toe-up. You always improve my knitting! Thank you so much.

[@TwistedStitchesShow]

Great podcast. Thanks so much for sharing. Happy New Year 🎊

[@denisenj7648]

The second pic, the brown one looks exact?y like what you knit including the bottom ribbing and square head, except they added a pompom.

[@annieoannie]

Crochet also occurs one stitch at a time.

[@kat1984]

I'm curious about the toe up techniques you've discovered. I've struggled every time I've attempted toe up

[@Pesto_O]

What technique are you using? Try German short rows if you’ve been doing kitchener’s

[@RoxanneRichardson]

For me, the one true disadvantage of toe-up is that getting an exact fit for the foot length depends on really accurate row gauge, so that you start the heel at the right time. Cuff down has two advantages: if your heel ends up slightly longer or shorter than you predicted, that will cause the sock leg to be slightly longer or shorter, but doesn't affect the fit of the foot length, the way being slightly inaccurate will affect a toe up sock. The other advantage of cuff down is that you can continue checking the fit of the sock foot as you work the toe decreases, and can change the rate of decreases, if necessary, right up to the final round, in order to get a perfect fit. These are extremely picky issues, but I'm a picky sock knitter!

[@Miniver765]

I'm wondering if the chicken wasn't some kind of decorative egg cozy? Something decorative to put on hard boiled eggs in egg cups.

[@eurotrondiscotrash]

I had a chicken (with a comb, no less) just like that when I was a young'un - I bet I could find it in a dusty old box someplace. As Catherine notes below, we had them at Easter for our soft-boiled eggs at breakfast :) Means the top of the body should not be closed off. I LOVE IT.

[@k0nijnemans]

I spotted Vihart in your subscriptions - good pick! I wonder who else you recommend?

[@vickyleather1147]

Your KZbin tips are great. Thank you.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Glad you like them!

[@juliegogo2941]

Nice sweater, looks warm. Personal development helps the brain. Isn't there a picot cast off. Thanks

[@pialindeg]

I think it is called Korsnäs Tröjan

[@melanezoe]

Great hour as usual, as expected, thanks. (And the KZbin app on my iPhone does have the search icon; it’s how I find specific tutorials or episodes.)

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I could be wrong, but I suspect that search box is the YouTUbe search box, which you can access from any channel, but does not function the same way as the channel search. You can test it by searching "Spanish Tomb" while on my channel page and see what is returned. If all that is returned is my video entitled, "It's not stash, it's a knitting reference library," then it is, indeed, searching my channel. If you get a bunch of videos from other channels, then it's the KZbin search box. As recent as a couple of weeks ago, searching a channel from the YouTUbe app was not possible. In the clip I showed of this search box, the general KZbin search box could be seen at the top of my screen.

[@melanezoe]

@@RoxanneRichardson you’re right. I got two other references before yours, and there were two for you-the stash one and this one (surely it didn’t find you telling me to search for it in a comment ⁉️). Thanks for the clarification. Since I never use the computer, I’ll just go to the playlists and dig a bit. By the way, I’m really enjoying the books you recommend.

[@mollympls]

I like Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind-off (it's on Knitty) that is extremely easy to remember and you get a great result. I think it pairs nicely with the double twisted German cast-on from the Ranunculous sweater pattern, which is amazingly stretchy.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yeah, that's what I meant when I said you either needed a sewn bind off or one that adds yarn during the bind off process. It is a very stretchy bind off, and many knitters love it, but it's not one I personally care for. (Not that anyone ever sees the top of my sock cuffs!)

[@serapugurlugil9214]

HI ROXANNE YOUR VIDEOS ARD VERY USEFUL, WISH YOU HEALTHY, HAPPY PEACEFUL NEW YEAR 2021🌹 ❤❤🌷

[@dr.evelynsharp2351]

I'm a toe-up sock knitter because I fit as I go. I'm very excited to see your toe and cast off video!

[@anjananegi2037]

Happy new year

[@vonniejohnson9711]

Happy New Years 🥂

[@anitadizney8987]

I'm newish to your channel and look forward to watching your play lists!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Welcome aboard!

[@robyn3349]

Thank you! Great ideas!

[@cydnicaldwell1337]

I get my notifications right from KZbin on the app on both my phone and tablet.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yep, that still works, but if you don't use a mobile device, you wouldn't use the app.

[@sharondreisbach4445]

Its not a chicken...its a sweater for a chicken! Bind off the center stitches...then make two of them. Stitch the vertical sides of the top section...and stitch together the sides. You would put the head of the chicken thru the narrow tubular area and put the wings thru the sid openings. This item would be used for a bird who has moulted out of season or is being harassed by a rooster and has lost feathers off her back. This would be either for a very small variety of bird or a banty or it could be for a young bird. I have made simular items both knit and seen for my girls when they are having a bad feather day/week. For a bigger bird you could just scale it up. Thats my theory anyhow

[@xxabsxx31]

I have an allergy to wool, can you knit your wonderful clothing ideas with something that doesn’t contain wool? X

[@lindarose712]

Roxanne, your knitted chicken image sleuthing at 36:45 in your video seem to show thee chicken in the 2nd image...! (brown one with Google eye, felt beak and comb, and Pom Pom tail) It appears that there’s an egg tucked inside and “held” by the ribbing on the bottom...You’re a fine detective!

[@akorio21]

Why is that egg cozy so cute!?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I don't know -- but as soon as it was on the egg, it became adorable!

[@paulagrnsy]

I enjoyed the chicken sleuthing, as well. I have knit a sheep that looked almost like the flat chicken and the Waldorf bunny. I've never knit a heel flap sock because I couldn't visualize it in my head when I first read the inductions. :-(

[@patmillett8056]

paulagrnsy I have learned this- follow the instructions. They will lead you to a final product that then makes sense. I learned that on my first pair of socks.I've knit at least 50 pairs since.

[@paulagrnsy]

@@patmillett8056 , I finally found a heel I like!

[@moirahewitt813]

Made loads for creme eggs, to donate, charities sell them at Easter. I hope the sock project goes well and you decide to do a KAL/ technique videos.

[@cathafloat1195]

Was the chicken pattern from the UK? We made them in yellow wool in the 70s to hold a Cadbury Creme Egg, about the size of a hen’s egg that have chocolate on the outside and a “white” and a “yolk” made of gooey fondant and are very sickly. They seem to be on sale right after Christmas.

[@moirahewitt813]

@@cathafloat1195 It is very similar to the one I have, which is the pattern Francis House Hospice (Manchester UK) use,though I think the head looks slightly different. Now they accept chicks in any colour which is fun.

[@greeneyes2256]

I’m really looking forward to your toe up tutorials.

[@newmoonjlp]

Very interested in the fuss-free sewn bind off. I have Principles of Knitting--can I ask which one you are referencing? (I got a real grin out of the knitted egg cozy btw 🙂)

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If you look at her naming conventions, she calls the backwards loop CO a "half hitch CO," and the long tail CO a "half hitch knitted CO." She calls the outline stitch BO the "half hitch BO."

[@newmoonjlp]

@@RoxanneRichardson I'll look them up, thanks! That book is so intimidating, but I'm determined to start worming my way into it this year.

[@susangopher]

17 single sox? LOL... I thought 2 was bad. Love you! For me I want toe-up so I can match color changing with 2 at a time and also I have weird high arches and need ankles to be ribbed so they don't fall down.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If your socks are falling down, it's probably because the heel is too short. I have high arches too, and as long as you know how to modify the type of heel you're using to accommodate your fit issues, you shouldn't need to compensate by working the ankles in ribbing. Of course, you're obviously welcome to do whatever works for you, but there are other choices! :-)

[@susangopher]

@@RoxanneRichardson Thanks! I've only made 1 finished actual pair, so I will try lengthening the heel on my WIP pair.

[@cindyrosser2471]

You do a series of technique videos on short row heels. Short row heels are worked the same cuff down or toe up. I've recommended your GRS three ways technique video to many toe up sock knitters who want to use German short rows as their heel method. I spent one summer trying different short row methods for heels, I think I did 6 or 7 different adaptations of short rows.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Are you suggesting I do short row heels for toe up socks? I'm aware they are done the same toe up as cuff down, but the thing is, I don't like doing them cuff down! (I know *how* to do them, and I did a lot of videos on modifying them, but I don't *like* them, which is why that wasn't an enticement for knitting toe up socks!)

[@cindyrosser2471]

@@RoxanneRichardson ok, valid reason. Have you done an afterthought heel with even circular decreases? I like it for self striping yarn because you get a bulls-eye heel.

[@FlyLikeADragon]

The brown chicken from the google search had ribbing at the bottom

[@MOLLIMEDIA]

So much yarn...so little time.

[@carolinevandyk3382]

Yes - an egg cozy. Check out Osterdalsbrura youtube - she shows some really cute one! Found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5mym6efo7ydb9k

[@grannysquared7140]

sung to the song, head shoulder knees and toes socks ribbing heels and toes, heels and toes socks ribbing heels and toes, heels and toes Rox Rocks rarely fails with columns/rows socks ribbing heels and toes, heels and toes.

[@miadalqvist4043]

😂

[@emilybeaton2947]

My iPad app has a search capability

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If you're seeing the search box I see on my app, it's the general YT search box, not a channel search. When you're on YT from a browser, you'll have two different search boxes. One that searches the channel you're on, and one that searches YT. You won't get the same results.

[@emilybeaton2947]

@@RoxanneRichardson oooh, you're right. But I specify my search by adding your name, and that must be why it does it..

[@RoxanneRichardson]

@@emilybeaton2947 It probably works if you're looking for a particular topic where those words are in the title, or where I have tagged that video with particular search terms. If you search for a topic I talked about in a Casual Friday, like the Spanish Tomb cushions, you wouldn't find it through a general YT search, even if you used my name as part of the search. The channel search will look in the closed captions files on my channel to find those videos.

[@DiniAdd0807]

Happy New Year! Starting the new year with your video is great! 🥰🥰

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

Thank Roxanne ! I loved the chicken experiment ! I ame very much looking forward to your toe up socks tutorials. Did you check my Twiddlemuff project for Alzheimer patients ? www.ravelry.com/projects/nicolelafontaine/twiddlemuff

[@kirstimakela9086]

Korsnäs or Korsnaes

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yep, I had a typo on screen, but it's spelled correctly in the show notes, were the links are.