The Green Sock Knitalong is very informal--no sign ups, no start date, no finish date--just knit a pair of green socks. This is the pair I'm working on. They are for John. He selected the yarn himself (Online superwash wool).
I rarely get in a hurry when I knit socks. I think of socks as my back-up knitting: something to work on when I need a break from my current project. Because of that, it can take me months to complete a pair. This pair was started on December 13, 2006 and measures only 5 1/2 inches. I think it's time to focus on getting them finished.
Kim asked this question recently:
Do you think a new knitter could handle socks? Green is my favorite color, but socks and all those sock needles scare me.
What do you sock knitters out there think? How long had you been knitting before you attempted to knit your first pair of socks?
I think I had been knitting almost a year before I gave it a try, but I'm the cautious type. Like most first time sock knitters, I found double pointed needles extremely awkward to manage at first. In fact, my first attempt was unsuccessful. I couldn't quite understand how to join my stitches in the round, but I didn't know about these helpful videos. I set sock knitting aside for a time and began knitting hats in the round on circulars. Because it is necessary to switch to double points when doing the decreases, this helped me get the feel of managing four needles at once. The next attempt at socks was a success.
Many people find knitting socks on two circular needles a good alternative to knitting with double points. Check out this tutorial. There is some good advice here too.
If you really want to knit socks, then give it a try. It's the only way to learn.
It took me a long while to get up the nerve to learn the dpns, too. The videos were EXTREMELY helpful. To compare - I have one student in my beginning knitting class who just went ahead and dove into the double-points a few weeks after learning how to knit. She has been making wonderful progress. So it's not always a difficult thing for new knitters, evidently. I think it has a lot to do with your attitude and how much you're willing to put into it.
ReplyDeleteI knit a couple of hats before I tried my first socks. It really helped me to get comfortable with the dpns while using a bigger needle and yarn. The main thing for me was finding out how great the socks are. I thought, at first, that it was a lot of work for just socks. Once I had my first pair, I found out it's really worth it.
ReplyDeleteI love that yarn your'e working with, the color is great. Well, I'm no help about knitting with dpns, because I knit my socks using the magic loop technique! I took a sock knitting class to learn how to use that method, and love it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful yarn, Tracy. I knit for years before I tried socks but when I did I thought it was so easy that I wondered why I hadn't tried sooner. With all the tutorials and everything out there, I say they should give it a shot. I'm trying the two circ method right now with that yarn I wound off in a crazy way. It feels a little fumbly right now but I'm determined to at least knit this pair and then make a judgement.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited that you are doing green socks. My favorite color is green and I am taking my very first socks on dpns class tomorrow night. I have been knitting 18 months and my first attempt at knitting socks was Magic Loop. I am a Magic Loop drop out. I just couldn't get it into my head and gave up. I think dpns are awkward but the more you use them the better it gets. I did hats in the round first to practice with the dpns and I am hoping that was good prep for socks!
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing that sock yarn around a lot. Is it good stuff?
ReplyDeleteI think if you can knit, you can learn to knit socks. Even if you're just a beginner. That's just my opinion. :)
Oh dear I am almost too embarassed to mention that I had been knitting for over 20 years before attempting socks :( so my advice to Kim would be go for it because if I had have realised how easy they were I wouldn't have waited all those years. I still find sock knitting such a rewarding knit.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my absence, Christmas and school holidays have kept me away from blogging.
Cool socks and fantastic yarn!
ReplyDeleteI love knitting with DPNs, but the first time I tried it was like handling a porcupine. I got very worried about the needles potentially falling out of the stitches. Considering I was using slippery aluminum DPNs at that point, my fears were well-founded. Once I switched to Brittany bamboo DPNs, knitting socks, mittens and other small things in the round was a breeze. Practice makes all things easier!! (except playing bridge, which is a whole 'nuther story...!)
Trying to catch up! The apple hat is great. The kimono is adorable and I really like the soap and scent sacks.
ReplyDeleteThe online socks look nice, how do you like the yarn?
There are a few online tutorials and books that walk you through a very small mini sock as a teaching tool. Sensation Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch is one of them.
ReplyDeleteI just dove in and did one, but I'd done hats first, like you. Maybe making a mini "class sock" as a tutorial (and with larger dpns and maybe worsted yarn) just to see all of the techniques would be helpful.
Love that sock yarn! If I knew where to buy some, I just might try socks! Do tell (pretty please)!
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ReplyDeleteI bought this sock yarn at a shop in Utah, but I have seen it sold at other yarn shops too. You can probably buy it over the web too. Here are the details: Online Supersocke 100 Sierra Color (colorway 0890).
Tracy
Beautiful yarn! I made my first pair of socks a year ago. I used DPN, this method is easier for me. The most difficult part for me was the guesset, and knitting the second sock. I did a google search and found many tutorials on sock knitting. Now if I could only get up the nerve to try the circular method.
ReplyDeletei hope this isn't a duplicate post, I tried earlier but it didn't show up! when i started knitting 4 years ago, socks were one of the main reasons i wanted to knit. i tried metal dpn's and was worried they would fall out, but they didn't of course. after several attempts, and converting to bamboo dpn's, I now play a little mind game with myself anytime i knit with dpn's. I "ignore" the needles i'm not using, and pretend that there's only the two i'm using. sounds silly i guess, but it works for me! i was spending too much time worrying about the non-working needles' position, and if they would fall out or not...so i ignore them! It's easy to let the non-working needles distract you.
ReplyDeleteI started knitting socks when I'd only been knitting for 6 months or so. My first pair was baby socks on DPNs... I think it's fine for a beginner if they're comfortable with the needles and go into it knowing it could take some practice...
ReplyDeletewhen i first learned to knit in february 2006, i ONLY wanted to learn how to knit socks. the LYSO insisted i make a hat on circular needles first, and i acquiesced. but DPNs and tiny sock yarn has never given me a moment's hesitation. i LOVE making socks and dont really want to make anything else.
ReplyDeleteoops, forgot to say i switched to Magic Loop method on december 26, and im never going back to DPNs!
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