So. The colder weather is coming and I find my bare feet are not quite sufficient anymore. They’re just too….bare.
I would really really like to attempt a go at knitting a pair of socks, but it’s intimidating as hell.
Pretend I’m a complete moron and suggest a nice, simple beginner pattern (links are so appreciated!) if you would? I’ve read so many of them out there and I can’t say I’ve caught on quickly. I know there’s a ton of you out there – I read your blogs. If any of you happen upon mine, could you be so kind as to leave me a tip?
It’s an awful shame. I’m usually a fast learner. *sigh*
Any and all advice is more than welcome.
Anonymous said,
October 10, 2007 @ 1:24 am
My suggestion: don’t be afraid! Knitting a sock is a pretty intuitive process once you get started. I see you’ve knit plenty of things in the round, so socks will be even less intimidating than they would otherwise have been. But a word of caution: it’s tempting to knit socks in bulky/worsted yarn so that they go fast and are warm and fluffy and soft, but in the end you’ll probably get more use (and knitting time, therefore more bang for the buck) out of socks knit from sportweight or fingering-weight wool on smaller needles (I like size 2 for sportweight and size 1 for fingering-weight for a gauge of 6 or 8 stitches to the inch, respectively). Slipper-type socks with bigger wool and needles are a good place to begin, though. This is a good pattern: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTfuzzyfeet.html. It features all the contortions that regular socks involve, plus felting to hide all but the most grievous mistakes.
Next (or even first if you are feeling brave), this is a good, simple but unboring pattern: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html. Even if you’ve never knitted anything lacy before. (Or don’t want to — read through the pattern anyway, because it’s pretty standard construction for a sock worked from the cuff to the toe.) Otherwise, some knitters (not me) swear by socks knitted from toe to cuff. Here is a good guide for doing that: http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTuniversalsock.html. If you work through both of those, you’re good to go for nearly all the other sock patterns out there.
Lastly, be careful! Once you’ve got started on a sock-knitting jag, it’s awfully hard to stop.
Christine said,
October 10, 2007 @ 3:01 am
I caught your post through the wordpress tag surfer and thought I’d leave you some links
The tutorial that helped make sock knitting click for me is here: http://www.royea.net/sockdemo1.html The pictures were a great help and the explainations were clear.
My first pair of socks were knit from the pattern in the Idiots Guide to Knitting, but if you don’t have that there’s tons of patterns on knitting pattern central. I found a basic generic sock pattern that looks pretty good here: http://www.hjsstudio.com/sock.html It requires some math but your chances of getting a custom fit will be better that way.
Hope that helps, and good luck making your first socks!
Sassu said,
October 10, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Thanks so much, both of you. I have a good place to start now!
I’ll be sure to post some pictures of progress I make!
Thanks again!
*karen said,
October 10, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
I think those are great links. It took me forever to figure out sock knitting. Just take it a step at a time, it’s not that hard at all. If you can knit on dpns, you can make a sock.