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Aug. 17th, 2011 10:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
avendya posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
knittingSocks! Someone tell me about socks!
Or, rather, tell me how one gets started on making them. I am a beginning knitter, about two feet into an Irish Hiking Scarf. I was playing around with some size 3 needles, and really, really liked them. It seems like socks are the most common thing made on small needles, and I would rather like a nice warm, fuzzy pair of socks. (Emphasis on warm -- my goal would be socks that can be worn in the house, instead of shoes, by a person with the world's worst circulation.)
DPNs look slightly terrifying, but they are probably manageable, right? Anyone want to give me pattern recs? The nicest looking pattern I've found is the skew sock, but oh dear god complicated stitchwork. (At least to a beginner.) A Coraline sock looks less terrifying, but also less pretty.
So: should I avoid socks for the time being, and knit a couple other things that use increases/decreases (the Saroyan scarf comes to mind), or try to make socks anyway? And, if I should knit socks: pattern recs?
Or, rather, tell me how one gets started on making them. I am a beginning knitter, about two feet into an Irish Hiking Scarf. I was playing around with some size 3 needles, and really, really liked them. It seems like socks are the most common thing made on small needles, and I would rather like a nice warm, fuzzy pair of socks. (Emphasis on warm -- my goal would be socks that can be worn in the house, instead of shoes, by a person with the world's worst circulation.)
DPNs look slightly terrifying, but they are probably manageable, right? Anyone want to give me pattern recs? The nicest looking pattern I've found is the skew sock, but oh dear god complicated stitchwork. (At least to a beginner.) A Coraline sock looks less terrifying, but also less pretty.
So: should I avoid socks for the time being, and knit a couple other things that use increases/decreases (the Saroyan scarf comes to mind), or try to make socks anyway? And, if I should knit socks: pattern recs?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-17 08:25 pm (UTC)Ahem. Sorry, I get a little enthusiastic.
My first sock was a very early project for me. I started out on DPNs, but switched to magic loop (one long circular) almost right away.
I learned out of several books, but the best one I found was Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting (I got it at the library, myself). The instructions are good and there are lots of really clear pictures, particularly with the step-by-step turning the heel section. The Yarn Harlot also has a great sock recipe in Knitting Rules! (which is a great book all by itself). She's got several heel patterns with great instructions.
My current favorite sock-making method is actually Cat Bordhi's Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters, which is a toe-up method that eliminates having to turn the heel at all and makes the best-fitting socks I've ever managed.
The sock in my icon is the Nutkin Sock, which I found to be a fantastic beginner lace pattern.
Hopefully this is helpful; I can continue to talk your ear off about socks if you're interested. :) Drop me a PM or IM or something.