Friday, March 2, 2012
My first socks!
I feel like there are a few big milestones in every genre of crafting. In garment sewing, it might be making your own jeans, or conquering a certain fit challenge - you know, that thing that makes you think, "Hey, I CAN sew!" For me, one big knitting milestone is socks. If you stop and think about it, socks are kind of complicated beasts. They have to fit around all sorts of crazy curves, but still be comfortable and, ideally seamless.
And so I put on my big girl pants and did it. I knit socks!! If you're a Raveler, my notes are here. Ok, they're wee socks and knit with worsted weight yarn so they went really fast, but they are honest to goodness, knit in the round with shaped heels socks. Myra is modeling them for you, despite the fact that they are actually Duncan's size. She insists that they are hers. At least she appreciates them.
Looky! Heel flaps and gussets! You have no idea how exciting it was when I turned the heel and it actually was a sock. Actually, maybe you do have an idea, if you've knit a sock. It was like magic. Sort of like when you are stitching in a lining, and you turn it in and all of a sudden, you have a finished dress. Magic.
So, you've probably noticed that they are two different colors. That is because the pattern I used was the Sample Sock from the book, 2 at a Time Socks. The book aims to teach the knitter to knit socks two at a time. You probably figured that out from the title. Apparently it is really easy to get your two socks mixed up during the knitting and end up with conjoined socks, so for the first pair, you knit them in two different colors so that it is obvious if you start knitting one sock with the other sock's yarn.
Although I managed to get through these with a minimum of giant mistakes, they are far from perfect. The most glaring goober is at the toes, which should be grafted with Kitchener stitch. Mine is a sad, loopy mess. My next knitterly task is to learn Kitchener stitch. Then I have several skeins of sock yarn that are actually going to fulfill their destiny and become socks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Congratulations. I love hand knitting socks and dishcloths and can totally understand your excitement.TFS
Yay socks! Great job. Turning the heel never stops being exciting, even after your 3rd, 4th, 5th socks etc.
I definitely recommend watching some videos on kitchener. That's what helped me get it anyway.
Kitchener stitch is much much easier to learn if you look on Youtube and follow the videos!
What fun. I like the two colors.
You'll use the kitchener stitch other places so it's great to learn and... you could also learn the method for knitting socks from the toe up and use Judy's Magic Cast-On. It makes a smooth toe. I'm sure there's a video on-line.
I really like Wendy D. Johnson's book Socks From The Toe Up which can also be knit two at a time. I've tried every method for knitting socks and I don't enjoy making them because of the way I knit. In the round, my method is a constant twisting motion so I want to re-learn the more traditional method for socks... at some point... later.
ENJOY making socks. I can see that you have several sets of feet stretched out and waiting already.
Well to my rather untrained eye, they are beautiful, and they look happy and warm which is lovely when the sunny Western sun mocks you making you think it's nice and warm outside when it's really freezing.
If you made socks, there are no goobers. I don't knit at all, and surely wouldn't contemplate socks. I'm glad Myra's enjoying them. Maybe they ARE hers instead of Duncan's, after all!
Awesome! They LOOK like socks!
O) well done.istarted knitting socks as a 9 year old at school but then didn't do any for decades. I discovered toe up socks a few years ago and started knitting again. Just recently, I learned the magic cast on and this is now my preferred method. I always had a little problem with toe grafting. My favourite sock yarns are made in Germany and are made in such a way that they make patens as you knit. This yarn washes brilliantly .
Enjoying your blog
Brenda in the Boro UK
Hooray! One of those marvelous things is the magic that happens when you turn the heel of a sock! Good job, Kate!
Knitting socks is definitely crazy (coming from someone who's knit a few scarves, i.e. rectangles). Come to think of it, few things are curvier than feet. Great idea to start with little person socks. Small means less time consuming and they're automatically cute.
Well i for one am super impressed. I'm afraid of all things knitty.
For a first pair of socks they don't look bad at all! They look cozy, warm and cute to me. No wonder Myra claims they're hers.
Funny idea to sew two colours at the same time but I get the idea behind it.
I love your socks. Well done! It is amazing, isn't it! I have knit a couple of pairs, and think that 2 at a time is the way to go...the 2nd sock is always the hardest to finish!
Post a Comment