Rubbish Day, Talk to Me About Socks!

[glinda]

I've had a rubbish day at work and I'm trying to distract myself in a positive fashion.

So...knitters of dreamwidth, if you would, please tell me about your favourite sock patterns. I have a bunch of sock wool and I kinda hate the pattern that came with the wool. I'm therefore looking for recommendations for better sock patterns. What are your favourites? Why do you love them? Do you prefer starting at the cuff or toe-up socks? Magic loop or four pins? And what on earth is an 'after-thought heel'?

Comments

[down]

I like to do my sock knitting on dpns (on a set of five usually, two to the top of the foot and two to the back, one to knit with) - I really don't like working with cable needles at all, I don't get on with the cables, but I like dpns because I get to feel accomplished each time I reach the end of a needle as well as when I finish a row. :)

The patterns I have used more than once are mostly from knitty - monkey socks for one. I've knit both the original pattern version and the no-purl version - which is where you literally knit all the purl stitches in the pattern - no-purl was really good not-quite-interesting but not frustrating knitting, but the original version has a bit more stretch so stays up better on me - though that might just be my gauge wandering off!

I really like the pattern because I found it very easy to 'read' my knitting in the previous row when I was learning how to do that, which helped me keep on track with where I was, so I didn't go wrong much, which was nice. I also really like the shape of the pattern - it's also one where the pattern seems to remain visible in both varigated and non-varigated yarn - I like lacey patterns, but so much sock yarn is varigated with quite short sections of colour, and the patterns can tend to vanish in the colour changes.

My first pair of socks was Broadripple which I've done multiple times since, it's really easy to remember and keep going with, and the slip-stitch heel flap like this one is my preferred type of heel - I have really narrow heels and this just feels more comfortable, and more durable. (I always pick up a few more stitches in the corner of my heel-flaps than required, and knit them together - normally through the back loop - to avoid getting little holes there - I'm terrible at picking up stitches though!)

I don't have much preference on toe-up or cuff down - it's easier to get the sizing right and knit to the very end of my yarn for the longest possible socks with toe-up, but I'm not terribly neat starting them off and I like fiddling with the shaping of my toes if I do them cuff down (I tend to try to make them fit with the length of the pattern repeat, which is easier on the way down for me, as then I can see how long the pattern looks)

I also rather like blackrose (knitty again) for the slightly asymmetrical pattern, but unless I was doing something else at the same time I got bored on the stocking stitch sections, so I'm still finishing off the second leg.

After-thought heels can be fun if you want to have a heel in a contrasting colour but it involves doing a row in a bit of scrap yarn and picking up the stitches, or cutting your actual yarn and picking up the stitches, and I don't like picking up stitches in the first place, so I tend to do contrast cuffs and toes if I want to do that kind of thing. :)