Sock Footage
I like to think of myself as a sweater knitter. I knit shawls as well, but sweaters are really “my thing.” Lately though, I’ve been kind of obsessed with knitting socks. I have a good collection of sock yarn, mostly because I planned to use it for shawls or sweaters, but recently I’ve been using my sock yarn to knit socks.
Thanks to Kate Atherley’s book Custom Socks I finally figured out how to make a pair of socks that fit me. I would always make them a little too big, so they fit my mother’s feet perfectly, and I would give them to her. Now she has a drawer full of hand-knit socks, but this pair is only the first in my own hand-knit sock drawer.
When I told my friend Teri that I was knitting socks we decided to do a knit-along using Susan B. Anderson’s Smooth Operator sock pattern, and I cast on this pair.
I was having way too much fun watching the stripes change from blue to white sprinkled with gold speckles, and I got ahead of Teri, so I had to put them down for a while to let her catch up. Which meant, of course, that I had to cast on another pair.
I wanted to try Mina Phillip’s garter stitch short-row heel, so I am using her pattern for that, but I added my own texture pattern on the top of the foot and the leg. It’s not difficult, but I do have to pay a little more attention with this pair, which meant, of course, that I had to start another pair of socks for simple, mindless knitting.
And now I have three pairs of socks on my needles, and plans for more. Webs was having a sale on Opal sock yarn, and their 50 g skeins of Valley Yarns Huntington are perfect for heels and toes.
I am still knitting sweaters and shawls, but those are work knitting. Design samples that have to be carefully thought out and planned. Socks can be picked up whenever I have a spare minute, and put down just as easily. They are easy, portable projects that let my mind rest while my hands stay busy. I am really starting to understand the appeal of hand-knit socks. Do you knit socks?
Thank you for knitting, and May the fourth be with you!
May 4, 2018 @ 3:51 pm
Welcome to the dockside, my dear. I TOLD you.
May 4, 2018 @ 4:20 pm
I never knew what I was missing!
May 4, 2018 @ 6:25 pm
Of course I knit socks! Love them!
May 4, 2018 @ 6:30 pm
Did you ever see the “Coopknits Socks Yeah” book? I am currently making the Hortensia pair. Both socks are made of the same colors of her yarn, but are two totally different patterns! So much fun!
May 4, 2018 @ 6:33 pm
That sounds fun! I’ve found that I really like plain socks, with different colored heels, toes, and cuffs.
May 6, 2018 @ 6:34 pm
Is your Orchid Striped sock pattern available to purchase?
May 7, 2018 @ 11:58 am
It’s just a simple toe-up sock with afterthought heels. There are lots of patterns for that, a Ravelry search turns up 528 of them! Here are the search results: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#pa=toe-up%2Bafterthought-heel&pc=socks&sort=popularity&craft=knitting&view=captioned_thumbs
May 7, 2018 @ 12:52 pm
I still haven’t tried to do toe-up socks. Maybe my next pair! I will have more time on my hands, since I am retiring at the end of this school year!! Yippee!!