(no subject)

[avendya]

Socks! 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?

Comments

[rhivolution]

Honestly, socks are not as hard as they look. A lot of it is, frankly, trial and error. Find a relatively simple pattern and get stuck in! Coraline would be a good start, but there are some other fairly easy patterns that have a bit more variation.

Having done Skew a few months ago, it'd probably be something you'd want to try only after you do a few pairs, just so you have a better ability to visualise how it comes together as you knit. The result is lovely!

ETA: DPNs can be fiddly and you can run into issues with laddering/gaps at the places where you switch needles. I personally find I have better luck using two short circular needles, which are flexible enough to keep things round while meaning I only have to switch needles once a row. You might want to start with DPNs and get comfortable there, then try this.

[aedifica]

I like socks. They're not nearly as hard as they have a reputation for being, and since they're reasonably small you can finish them faster. (Though there is a reason why we have a name for Second Sock Syndrome. Once you finish the first sock of a pair, knitting another one just the same can be boring sometimes.)

I don't have a particular pattern to recommend, since my first socks (pictured in my icon!) were worsted-weight yarn which is way too thick for those size 3 needles you have. If you're on Ravelry, though, you might look on there for sock patterns that knitters have rated "easy".

The advice I was given at my LYS when they recommended a pattern for my first socks: "When you get to the heel, you'll think you're doing it all wrong, but just keep following the instructions and it will all come out right." And I did, and it did. :-)

And do not fear the DPNs! I like them. Their most common failure modes are poking people and sliding out of their stitches. If you find they poke you a lot, try some longer needles. If you find they slide out of their stitches, you might try needles made of something less slick and/or try knitting tighter. OTOH, DPNs are not for everyone. But I do like them, and I think there's no reason to be scared of them.

[pennyplainknits]

Double points are totally not scary- you're still only knitting with two needles, the others just hold the stitches. The Yarn Harlot's simple sock recipe is a good place to start, though I think it is only in her book, Knitting Rules!

Socks are WAY more fun to knit than pretty much anything else. The only think I would say is that the first time you make a heel flap, turn a heel and pick up for the instep, you just have to believe. The instructions look like they will make no sense at all, but it is magic. The greatest act of faith in my atheist life was turning a sock heel.

[luscious_purple]

Silver's Sock Class is a WONDERFUL tutorial for making basic socks on DPNs. Once you make a pair of basic socks, then you can go for something with more fancy stitching.

I used to be terrified of DPNs, but now I can manage them. Get the wood or bamboo DPNs. They will be less likely to slip out of your stitches than metal DPNs.

Enjoy!

[ambersweet]

SOCKS! I LOVE SOCKS.

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.

[ambersweet]

Get the wood or bamboo DPNs. They will be less likely to slip out of your stitches than metal DPNs.

I cannot agree with this advice enough. Not only are dropped stitches a serious problem with metal needles, so is "I pulled this sock out of my purse and OMG HALF THE STITCHES ARE OFF THE NEEDLES AND NOW I MUST HAVE A SOBBING MELTDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS VERY PUBLIC PLACE." It's not pretty. (If you become an avid user of DPNs, Knit Picks makes a couple of clever little tools designed to protect your needle tips and save your sanity. Leftover corks also work for this, if you're a DIY-type.)

[rainbow]

i've been doing socks and slippers for ... hmmm. 8 years now, i think, and i still only do super easy plain ones. judy's magic cast on toe, increase to fit, knit til i'm a bit from the heel, do a short row heel, then a bit of ankle, then ribbing, as much as a i want.

wool is wonderful for comfy warm fuzzy socks. if you make them anywhere from a little bit to 1/4 to 1/3 too big and felt them (anywhere from a little to a lot) you get warmer and thicker ones (more like slippers) -- it's best to leave off the ribbing in that case, or add some on after felting if you want snug ankles.

a lot of ppl like superwash yarn; i break out from it so don't use it. it won't felt, so the socks will be machine washable. cotton/bamboo/etc are also machine washable. (i prefer untreated wool and handwashing, since it feels so much better on my skin).

there are pretty sock yarns dyed to be stripey or splotchy that are fun (or you can dye them yourself, which is omg so much fun!)

i like using 2 cable needles vs dpns when i can. it's easy for me to deal with the lack of extra pointy bits *g*

you can also make socks on bigger needles with thicker yarn; i made some in heavy single ply wool on either 6s or 8s and then felted them, and i ♥ them to pieces. (

[jumpuphigh]

cotton/bamboo/etc are also machine washable

Warning: Bamboo will felt in hot water. It, however, doesn't felt into something nice and soft. It felts into something prickly that will make you fall down crying because all your work has now been ruined.

[copracat]

I found DPNs quite alarming when I started - on the first few rows they wobble around a lot - but once you've got a bit of sock going they settle down and it really is quite easy. If you carefully follow a pattern without thinking too hard about what you you're trying to do the sock just forms out of the yarn. It's amazing!

I found Silver's sock class (search on Ravelry patterns for more info) helpful because it came with plentiful big pictures with arrows pointing to the relevant bits.

I've recently tried the magic loop method (which is done on one set of circular needles) and that was pretty straightforward, too.

Making socks is fun. And you have SOCKS.

[starfish]

Fleegle has a good basic sock recipe here which I have used with great success. I would advise using a sport-weight or maybe DK-weight yarn for house-socks on your size 3 needles, that should work out. Don't be afraid of toe-up, it's really an easier cast-on (fewer stitches, not as wobbly) and when you get to the ankle, it's up to you how long you want to make them.

Knitpicks.com has some tutorial videos that might be helpful if you want to see how it works as far as heel-turns and such.

ETA: Your first pair will likely not be perfect. That's okay. You have the choice of hiding them in a drawer or unraveling them and trying again.

SOCKS ARE AWESOME!

[synecdochic]

I like Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits by Wendy Johnson an awful lot; it's full of great patterns and doesn't assume you're using DPNs to knit on like so many patterns do -- in fact, she assumes the 2-circ method, but also is careful to do instructions by count and not by which needle you're on, for those who want DPNs. (I can't do DPNs without massive laddering, so I use the 2-circ method, and a lot of patterns will say things like "when you reach the third needle..." NOT HELPFUL, PATTERN.)

It's also got three basic toe-up patterns, which you can adapt and work your own patterns from.

[evilawyer]

DPNs are totally manageable. You can always put those little tips on the ends if you have more trouble with the stitches falling out the back end (I use them when I jamb my knitting into a bag or briefcase for that very reason).

I've become a huge fan of toe-up socks. I got a huge amount of really useful input from this comm a while back when I asked for toe-up patterns. One that helped me visualize what to do while turning the heel was http://www.wendyjohnson.net/blog/sockpattern.htm, and I like the heel on http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTwiddershins.html. I would, however, stay away from cables and curly-ques until you've done a few plain stockinette socks (well, knit since it's in the round). You can get some really pretty variegated yarns that are best shown off by the plain knit.

[squirelawrence]

DPNs are manageable, but I personally don't like them. I find the two circular needles method works best for me, although I haven't tried the magic loop method.

I find I like the heavier DK and sport weight socks better than fingering weight (a discovery I made after buying several hundred pounds of fingering weight yarn, sadly). If you've done the Irish Hiking Scarf, you might try searching on Ravelry for socks, cable and DK weight - there are a bunch. I have a pair of Skew socks that someone knit for me (charity auction), and they're gorgeous, but I don't think I'd start there. But cables aren't really shown off well in highly variegated yarns, so if you want to play with the really pretty variegated sock yarns, a plain knit might be both simpler and prettier.

[squirelawrence]

Plus you can get it on the Kindle now, which makes it much harder to misplace the book and end up buying multiple copies!

[aviekokyre]

I was recommended these baby socks as a way to learn sock construction. They have all the parts of the sock but with near instant gratification. They aren't for size 3, and you won't be able to wear them, but just doing one of those really helped me understand the parts and some techniques for knitting a sock.

Also, these YouTube videos and others from the same account were also a big help for me.

[liseuse]

Socks seem like they should be terrifying, and then actually aren't. Though, for the first few rows (using DPNs) I do feel a bit like an octopus with really poor motor control, and then it all gets easier as you have some weight on them to keep everything from jumping around. My first pair of socks was knitted in Debbie Bliss's Rialto 4ply which gave me super comfy, super warm and snuggly socks. Bonus is that the yarn is reasonably thick so it all knits up quite quickly.

[aunty_marion]

It's one of my favourite books too - it has good 'method' instructions for heels, toes, and legs so you can mix and match!

[aunty_marion]

I knit socks quite a lot - I'm currently half-way through two separate pairs, one for me and one for a friend - and have gone over almost entirely to magic loop and toe-up. I also like a short-row heel without wraps (it uses yarn-overs) which I first found in the Express Lane socks; it seems to make a neater heel, without holes at the corners, than the standard short-row wrap-and-turn one.

There are a lot of very plain sock patterns out there, and you can experiment with them till you feel confident enough to try different methods and heels/toes/etc.

[hugh_mannity]

I use a version of Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock pattern

It's very straightforward, adapts to any size foot or weight of yarn, and after you've got the hang of the basic recipe you can modify it with all sorts of funky stitch patterns.

Save Skew till after you've got a good handle on the geometry of knitting socks -- it's way cool, but weird.

[kuri]

The part of using dpns that's at all tricky is the cast on. There's risk of twisting the cast on, which will give you a mobius cast on instead. But once you're a couple of rows in, using dpns is no different from straights: you're never using more than two needles at a time. Personally, I find it much easier than magic loop (hate moving stitches around on the circs so frequently).

I'm a big fan of toe-up socks because you can try them on pretty easily and if you do two at a time, you can use up all of your yarn without any worry that you'll run out on the second sock before you finish the toe or whatever. But I prefer the cuff-down style of heel (with a heel flap), so I put a heel-flap heel on my toe-up socks, a la the Beaudelaire pattern. The sock police haven't arrested me yet. :P

[maegquare]

There's already lots of good advice here, so I'll try not to be an echo. Socks are my favorite thing to knit, as well. I'm sure you'll love it. :)

You could try making a plain sock or anklet in worsted-weight first, just to learn the basics, because it will go fast, and if you aren't already used to dpns, the bigger needles + the big yarn might help.

If you haven't used dpns before, the first time may feel like herding cats, but after a couple of rounds, it will be easy. Really. :) You might find it easiest to cast onto a long straight needle first, maybe even knit your first row on that, then transfer it to the dpns. But soon you'll be able to cast on with your dpns and they will seem very normal and easy to use. Just watch that first round and make sure you haven't twisted any stitches and then you'll be fine. I recently learned to use 2 circs, but found I prefer dpns. You may find the opposite is true for you. Whatever works for you, and you enjoy, is the best way. :)

Top-down and toe-up are both easy, and have different advantages. I think you might find top-down easiest for your first sock, but opinions vary widely on this (it's allowed ;D) and I only mention it because I had so many people tell me that their favorite method was the only way to go, and I usually found the opposite to be true for me. Or maybe that's just me, heh. Try both ways and see for yourself.

You can make toe-up socks with dpns, but it might be easier to try those first with 2 circs. Top-down is very easy on dpns, though.

Another good way to get used to dpns (or 2 circs), if you're not sure you want to make socks yet, would be fingerless gloves. A lot of them have thumb gussets, which are not quite like sock gussets, but might help you get used to the idea, while learning to knit seamless items. They're quite fun, fast, and addictive, as well. :)

Recently, I saw Kate Atherley's 'Training Sock' patterns on Ravelry (there are top-down and toe-up versions for both magic loop/2 circs or dpns) and think those would be great for beginners.

There are tons of help videos on You Tube. I'm sure you know about knittinghelp. Another one I really like is knitpurlhunter. They're short and to the point, easy to see what she's doing, she speaks distinctly, and there are quite a few with sock techniques.

[ironed_orchid]

Just to add a different perspective...

I love dpns, and for socks I always use metal ones, because I snap the tiny wooden ones too easily.

[ambersweet]

I've seen people complain of this very thing. :) Never done it myself, though. I believe there are some metal needles out there that are slightly textured so stitches are less likely to slip off? Blackthorns come to mind, though I've never had the pleasure of using them. For a baby knitter, though, I think the slipperiness of most metal needles and the horror of the dropped stitch (my socks on metal needles ended up in time out for two months or so....) probably would make potentially snapping a bamboo needle worth the risk. (Lantern Moon's DPN sets come with an extra needle, as well, and it's generally fairly easy to switch from five DPNs to four if the need arose.)

I do totally love how everyone's knitting experiences are a little different. ^^

[ambersweet]

Fingerless gloves = love. They're totally my favorite thing to make. XD

Also, make sure you haven't twisted any stitches and then you'll be fine.

This. Because it apparently doesn't matter how long you've been knitting or how many round things you've made, all it take is a careless moment. And you'll totally be all, "Yeah, yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me to be careful not to twist, pattern writer, geez, I'm not a dumb little baby knitter," UNTIL YOU DO IT and then you will cry. And bang your head against the wall. And rip back two inches of cuff, asking yourself HOW DID I EVEN DO THAT WITHOUT NOTICING.

Or maybe that's just me?

[maegquare]

No, it's not just you. :D I also learned about twisting, the hard way, after I thought I knew what I was doing. I'm still a new-ish knitter, but started getting a bit over-confident recently, and have been humbled. ;D I hope I didn't sound like the know-it-all. Just trying to pass on a few things that helped me a lot when I started.

It's probably a tie between socks and fingerless gloves as my favorite things to knit. I say it's socks, because I learned those first, but they're both great.

I'm working on my first pair of top-down fingerless mitts. It seemed really confusing at first, but it's fun, so far. I was intrigued to try the pattern, which makes the thumbs first, then insert them after beginning the hand. I'm used to the cuff-up, thumb-gusset kind, so this is really different to me. But fun. :)

[ambersweet]

I've only been knitting for a little over a year, myself. XD

Those mitts sound FASCINATING, do link?

[maegquare]

About a year and a half here. :D I don't know how I lived so long without knitting till now, because I've become obsessed. ;)

It's the August Mystery KAL in the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics group on Ravelry. A new clue every Monday this month and the pattern stays free till September, I think. So we're on clue 3 this week and just attached the thumbs. Great group, btw, if you haven't already joined.

[ambersweet]

I am a member of that group but I'm bad about checking in on it. I'll totally have to go look at that, though!

[liseuse]

I keep wondering about trying the metal DPNs because whilst I've never snapped a wooden one, I do bend them quite frequently and then have to hold them very very carefully.

[perclexed]

I think I did my first pair of socks using a pattern from Ann Budds "The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns". I used Mountain Colors Bearfoot, and it probably took me a full freakin' year to knit those socks on US 2s & DPNs.

Were I to need to learn all over again? Two circs, worsted weight yarn, top down, plain stockinette with some ribbing at the top. You get the basic construction down, don't have any truly fiddly cast ons to deal with, and can relax into it instead of swearing at the yarn & needles.

If you do use DPNs, awesome! Though it probably feels like wrangling a porcupine, you're only ever using two needles at once, and the rest are just hangin'. Bamboo or wood are definitely more "grippy". I personally use Inox most of the time, as I have some issues with nickel, and the teflon coating on them makes the yarn slide way more than bamboo, but not as much as Addi Turbos.

After struggling with finishing socks for quite some time, this year I did a personal challenge to knit a pair a month. Simple stockinette with ribbing, but to a) use up stash, b) give me something very not stressful to zone out to, c) always have an easy travel knitting project with me and d) have lots of gifts to hand. It's funny - I'm using the same pattern & needles, and because of the varying yarn thicknesses, they're all turning out just a wee different in the sizing. It's awesome.

Socks are totally awesome, and can be as simple or complex as you like. I'm totally utilitarian in my tastes at this time, so I like mine as simple in lovely hand dyed yarns as you can get. That said, at some point, I'm sure I'll explore cables or lace or more interesting construction (I'm lookin' at you, Cat Bordhi), but for now, I'm just focusing on perfecting the simple. And really loving it.