Talking of socks

[Steam.Jo]

Thinking about other crafty things I do I remembered socks. How can one forget socks?

I used to knit jumpers, Aran weight jumpers and I have about a dozen of them but I rarely wear jumpers these days and I enjoy knitting (it keeps my hands busy while I am watching TV/listening to the radio so they don't tend to pick up a glass of wine ). Then someone at the Friday sewing group was knitting socks and I thought I can do that.

Socks:



Lots of hand made socks, once started they are addictive When my friend phones up for an hour chat every evening I can knit my socks while on the phone...

I am just finishing off the first one of the next pair:



All lovingly made to fit exactly my feet.

Jo

[Steam.Jo]

I'm boring I started off with a basic pattern and modified it and every single sock pair is to the same pattern or the latest variation of it, knitting on 2.25 (No 13), with a 3mm/2.5mm needle for the cuff. The knitting is done of circulair needles except for casting on and the toes.

I've tried k1,P1 for the cuff which provides for a light elastication at the top but if I remember K2, P2 rib is a bit better. The original pattern called for a short length of rib but I have extended it to 20 rows to provide a bit more grip. It also suggested using a needle two sizes bigger when knitting the cuff - experience tells me these fall down.

The length has extended over the years as I can't see the point of not using up the ball of wool and if it is a bit long when I put them on I turn the top down. The latest variation is 20 rows for the cuff plus another 80 rows straight knitting to the heel. The heel is done in heel stitch (K1, miss 1, K1 miss 1, etc) to give a bit of cushioning.

The foot is just straight knitting (ignoring the initial reduction bit after the heel) for an appropriate number of rows to get to my little toe, then reduce 4 stitches every other row and I finally woke up to the fact I can cast off across the toe and voilà another sock for the collection.


I am wondering if these are going to last as well as my jumpers which seem to go on for decades.

Jo

[Serinde]

How wonderful are these?!? A very good reason to knit. I follow a group on Ravelry to do with a particular hand-dyer of wool, and the members make incredible socks (among other things; shawls are a favourite). It's a real skill.

[Steam.Jo]

Once you have worn hand knitted socks the shop brought ones will never be satisfactory again

Before my friend phones for his usual 1 hour phone call I need to start the second in this pair. Starting by casting on on oversized straight needles and knitting the first row on these - to prevent to tops of the socks being tight:



Knitting over to a circular sock needle on the second row:



These round 25cm needles are "interesting" they give some people cramps holding them. I hold the short needle in my right hand and the long in the left. A friend who tried them, who is also right handed, held the long needle in her right hand. Horses for courses.

This circular needle is 0.25mm bigger than the needle I am going to use for the main sock, the destructions say it should be 0.5mm bigger but I find that a bit "saggy"



Of course when you get to the end of the second row you want to continue in the same direction but the single strand of thread joining the two ends can get pulled (or over tight) so I put a pin in to join the two ends. You can just about see the red pin on the left of the pic. I will sew up the first two rows after I finish the cuff.

Don't ask me how many balls of sock wool I have in my stash ... its a stash

Jo

[Serinde]

The difference with your sock stash, of course, is that you actually use it. I rearrange my wool stash, and occasionally pet the silk stuff, but actually use it? Heresy!

[richardandtracy]

Oh the luxury of having socks made to ones actual foot size and not someone with feet less than half the size of your own...!
The entire sock stash looks as if it has a green tinge at the moment.

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

The difference with your sock stash, of course, is that you actually use it. I rearrange my wool stash, and occasionally pet the silk stuff, but actually use it? Heresy!

Oh dear, too too recognisable

Jo, those socks are the business, and I love the variegated wool!

[Steam.Jo]

The modern sock wool is the bees knees, it comes in special balls designed to provide stripes (which you have to be carefully to match the second sock to start on the same colour from the ball) and fading shades which normally come as a matched pair of 50g balls so they fade from one colour to another at the same point.

I suppose I should ask the question: Are you a sock baller (or knotter ?) Knitting my own socks has taught me not to ball socks as doing so leaves the top cuff under tension which stretches the threads and you end up with saggy socks when it comes to putting them on. If you want you socks springy after washing they should be folded while flat then can be stored on their side with their friends. I also discovered I can store more socks in the same drawer this way

Jo

[Serinde]

My son would never have a matching pair if he just folded them. Although, come to think of it, his socks are either black or white... so perhaps pairing isn't that important...