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Once Nanc heard I was on my 4th pair of socks, she asked me to be a guest blogger. I was a little apprehensive, since my brother, who lives in New Mexico, had to talk me through downloading the pictures over the phone. I wasn't sure how successful this would be, so here goes...
I started knitting socks 3 years ago. I bought this great book, 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes.
You use 1 pair of 40" circular needles, using the Magic Loop method, you knit 2 socks at once. The author talks about second sock syndrome, and although I had never made socks before, I could totally picture myself having a pile of socks that were missing their mates; only because I would dread making them. My first attempt was a pair of socks for my husband. It took me almost a month, but I did it and he wears them proudly. Even though it was tricky, in the beginning, to learn the two at a time method, once I learned it, I will never make socks any other way. Now I am a little faster and it takes maybe 1-2 weeks to make a pair.
This past Christmas, Nanc bought me a knitting book. Ironically enough, it was the 2-at-a-time Socks book. Since I already had it, I exchanged it for another book. I ended up choosing Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. Great book! Highly Recommend it!
The patterns are easy to read and can be adapted to whichever knit method you choose to use (I, of course, use the Magic Loop two at a time method). This book also gives you a great formula on how to make a sock for any size foot. Genius! The toe up method is great, since you don't have to worry about running out of yarn when you get to the toe. If you start running low on yarn you can make your cuff and be done!
So, to get to my project...I am knitting a basic sock with a slip stitch heel. I used Berroco Sox yarn on size 2, 40" long circular needles. This gave me a gauge of 8 stitches/inch (the pattern actually called for a size 0 knitting needle but I had to go up in size since I tend to knit on the tighter side). I was a good girl and actually knitted a gauge swatch, which I never have the patience to do (for those that know me, I know this shocks you). The pic below is of the toe. I used the Turkish cast-on for these socks but the book details 4 or 5 different cast-on methods you can choose from.
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| Step 1: The Toe |
Through trial and error, I figured out how to cast-on and started knitting my socks from the toe up. After the initial cast-on, you knit a round and increase on the next round, repeating these 2 rows until you get the desired number of stitches.
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| Step 2: Finish Toes |
Once you have your magic number of stitches, you knit every round until you are 3" shy of the length of the sock.
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| Step 3: Foot Length |
You are ready to increase for the gusset. Once you have increased for the gusset, you then turn the heel. Turning and slip stitching the heel is done one sock at a time.
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| Step 4: Turning the Heel |
I know this sounds silly, but the heel and the gusset make the sock! You don't really feel like you have made progress until you get the heel and gusset finished.
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| Step 5: Finishing the Heel |
The heel is the hard part. Once you have completed the heel on both socks, you knit every round until whatever length you desire. I stopped 1" shy of the total length of the leg of the sock for the cuff. I did a k2, p2 ribbing for 1".
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| Step 5: Cuff |
Loosely bind off and WAH LA! You have a brand new pair of hand knit socks!
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| Finished!! |
I have to appologize for the darknss of the last 2 pics. Once I downloaded the pics, I realized they were wicked dark, but didn't have the patience to take them over and re-download them (did I mention earlier my brother had to talk me through downloading the pics?). So, I'm lucky I even have pictures to show you...lol...
So that was my project! I want to thank Nanc for letting be her guest and I hope I didn't bore anyone. Enjoy and keep knitting and hail to the Sisterhood of the Clicking Sticks!
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Thanks Kathy for having the patience to write this blog post! No, that is not us knitting back in 1950! She gave me a coaster tile with the Clicking Sticks Sisterhood on it and I love it.
Reading this post, I may try a pair of socks...someday! It looks intimidating at first because the needles are as thin as a toothpick, so I assume you are knitting for a million years. My sissy is a fast knitter and crocheter, so her 2 weeks is like my 2 months. Sad but true, for me.
Now that I have had 2 guest bloggers...do I have any other takers? I would love to show off what my readers have been doing.
Hail to the Siterhood of the Clicking Sticks, Ladies!
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