The mildly mixed up musings of a crochet fanatic!

Three Techniques for Knitting Socks

4/28/2014

Knitting Socks Using Three Different Techniques - Which Is Your Favorite?

Greetings Friends!

Let's talk about socks. Generally speaking we don't give them much thought. Lot's of people wear the same style every day. I am a white cotton gym sock. My husband is a wool boot sock and my son is a black cotton dress sock. We are dedicated to our styles and because of our commitment it is the one thing we don't have to worry about when getting dressed each morning (hooray!). So while consistency does have it's advantages, I'll openly admit that it is boring (boo!).

Hand knit socks however, are not. The assortment of specialty yarns geared specifically for our feet are fabulous! You can find bright colors, light colors, self striping, ombre, jacquards, fair isle, heathered, and sparkles. Hand spun, hand dyed and hand painted in nearly any fiber or combination of fibers you can name! Then of course there are the patterns. On Ravelry alone there are nearly 30,000 matches for the search "knit socks"! Wow!

It only makes sense that there are a variety of different techniques for turning yarn into fashionable footwear. Like all things in knitting, one way is not better than the other, or the "right" way to do it. It all comes down to what works best for you and the sock you're making!

Boot Sock on One 10 Inch Circular Needle

Knitting Socks on Double Pointed Needles

2x2 Ribbed Sock on Three Double Pointed Needles

3x1 Ribbed Sock on Two 16 Inch Circular Needles

I'm not sure how it happened, but right now I am working on three different socks using three different techniques! I've only ever made one pair of socks so this is the perfect opportunity to figure out which method I like the best, while (hopefully) adding a little flare to our feet.

First there is the worsted wool boot sock that I'm making for John. This is a basic 2x2 ribbed, top down construction with a short-row heel. I started these on 4 dpn's, but after watching this video decided to switch to 10 inch bamboo circular needles. The needles are stubby and take some getting used to. I like the smoothness of working on circulars and don't have to worry about the stitches sliding off the needles when I toss it in my bag "to go". I know I'll have to switch back to finish the toe, but I like it enough to think that I'll be starting the second one on the circs.

Next up is the Garden Variety Knit Sock. This has a ribbed ankle and seed stitch across the top of the foot. I'm using four US size 3 dpns. The yarn is Patons Stretch Sock in the very tasty Cherry Sour colorway. This is the first yarn that I actually bought specifically for a pair of socks. The reason I chose it is because of the fiber content. It is 41% Cotton, 39% Wool, 13% Nylon and 7% Elastic. As boring as my white cotton socks are, I wear them because they make my feet happy. So it was important to find something with cotton as the main ingredient (which is harder than I thought!). This seems perfect, and has the added bonus of built in elastic to help with fit and shaping. With the hardest part (the first few rounds) out of the way, I'm making quick progress on the dpns.

The final sock that I'm working on is a top down 3x1 rib. I'm following a Back to Basics pattern, but decided to give the two circular needle method a try. Thank goodness for YouTube, because that's where I found this video. The quality isn't top notch, but the instructions are and after watching a few times I was able to cast on and get past those tricky first few rounds. You might recognize the yarn. This is the hand dyed BFL that I won from Danielle (A Stash Addict) quite some time ago. I've actually started at least three different projects with it and for one reason or another I just can't make it stick. I'm hoping that this might finally be the one that works out. At this point I'd say using these two tiny circulars is my least favorite sock method. They are 16 inch US size 1. If I were using bigger needles I think that it would be different, but size one is pretty darn small especially paired with super fine yarn.

There is one more technique that I've come across. The magic loop uses just one long (40 inch) circular needle. In fact, there is even a way to knit two socks at the same time using this method! When I first started knitting I thought that might be easier for a beginner. You know, get them both done at the same time and then you don't have to worry about the dreaded second sock syndrome. Turns out I was wrong. I didn't know enough about the basics of sock construction and I wasn't confident enough in my skills to be sliding stitches around and pulling needles from one side to the other! It was a disastrous undertaking that ended with some choice words and a knotted mess of yarn. I haven't given up on the magic loop, and I still think there is wisdom in the two at once philosophy, especially for someone like me who has a hard time finishing all the things I start!

I'm not sure which of these I'll finish first. I've been plugging away at all of them everyday. I like having a variety of different projects all set and at the ready. Plus socks are great on the go. I can toss any one of them in my bag and not worry about having a pattern or keeping track of where I am on a chart.

Did you have any idea that there were so many ways to make socks? And we didn't even talk about the actual construction techniques (like top-down, toe-up and flat) or the many kinds of heels and toes you can make! With such a variety of options it's understandable why knitting socks is so popular. There really is something for everyone.

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

6 Comments

Multitasking Keeps Me Focused and Happy

4/17/2014

2 Comments

Basic Ankle Socks from "Happy Feet"

Pear Pincushion from "50 Pincushions to Knit & Crochet"

Greetings!
It's a well established fact that I have crafting ADD. I am physically unable to to work on one project at a time. I don't think that I have ever finished anything without starting something new or spending time with a WIP. It's fine with me. It works. My husband doesn't understand - just like he doesn't understand why I insist on leaving the house at the very last minute - no matter where I'm going (I'm not usually late, but I am never early!)

As I was gathering the pictures for this post it dawned on me that my insatiable desire to try new things is actually good for me. Every time a publisher sends me a book to review it's an opportunity to feed my need. What I mean is ... if I were to only work on one thing at a time from start to finish it would take me ages to prepare for a review. Working on multiple projects at the same time lets me get a feel for the patterns and in turn the books much more quickly while at the same time stimulating my creative serotonin. It's my happy way of multitasking!

Let me show you what I'm working on today: A basic ankle sock from Happy Feet, a book devoted totally to tootsies! I'm giving the two circ method a try and hoping that I have finally found the right project for this pretty yarn I won from Danielle at A Stash Addict well over two years ago (more about that later!)

Next up is a little knit pear pincushion from 50 Pincushions to Knit & Crochet. It's my first attempt at knitting something small and round(ish). My initial impression: crocheting small round things is way easier!

Triangle Tulip Shawl from "Lovely Knitted Lace"

And to wrap it up for today it's the Triangle Tulip Shawl from Lovely Knitted Lace. I'm quite pleased with my progress on what the book describes as a "perfect pattern for beginners". The first pattern I tried was a scarf using the yarn from A Stash Addict. Turns out I'm not quite ready for knitting nupps with skinny yarn and tiny needles!!

Of course there are more, but we can talk about those another time!
Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

2 Comments

Reflections Crochet Doily Fits "In Between"

4/8/2014

4 Comments

Howdy Folks!

Working on multiple projects simultaneously makes me happy. It keeps me from getting bored. Plus it generally ensures that I have something that I want to work on handy. Mostly these days I've been doing a lot of knitting. The one problem that I have with knitting is that I can't do it when I'm tired. Well I can, but I'm prone to making mistakes. And fixing mistakes in knitting is way harder than it is in crochet. I've learned that it's better to set it aside than try to squeeze out one more row.

This is the Reflections Doily. I found the pattern in the June 2013 issue of Crochet World magazine. It struck my fancy because I had recently purchased a ball of Aunt Lydia's crochet thread in Monet. It's not often that I actually have the exact yarn (or thread) that a pattern calls for on hand. Being a fan of crochet lace and doilies in general it seemed like destiny.

I started with a flourish, but quickly lost motivation. If memory serves, and history repeats - I got bored. The majority of this project is a simple V-stitch (dc, ch 3, dc). And so, like many other projects it was stashed on a shelf and pretty much forgotten. For months it languished, until last week. I needed something that I could pick up and put down without a lot of hassle. Turns out that this is just that kind of project. It also fits well in my travel bag. We'll see how long I stick with it! For right now though it's my "in between" project and any progress I make is a good thing!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

4 Comments

Knit Coaster with Charms

4/3/2014

6 Comments

Greetings!

My husband (John) has been calling me a traitor. He tells me that I'm cheating on my first love and he doesn't understand what's happened. Have I thrown in the towel? Given up? Set aside my crochet hook forever?

Of course not!

The truth is that I suffer from crafting ADD. I love to start new projects, but before too long I get bored and want to move on to something else. Instead of seeing this as a bad thing I like to consider it an opportunity to feed my desire to learn.

So while it may be true that I've been spending more time with my needles, it's only a matter of time I'm sure and I'll be digging out my crochet WIPs.

Unfortunately, the down side of this is unless a project is small and relatively quick it takes me A VERY LONG TIME (years?) to finish.

Additional fuel for my short attention span is my love of books. Pattern books to be specific. Not only do I receive terrific titles in the mail for review, but working at the library I can not resist browsing the catalog and borrowing anything - make that everything - that strikes my fancy! That's where I came across this quick and interesting project. In One-Skein Wonders; 101 Yarn-Shop Favorites I found Knitted Coasters with Charms. I thought that it would be a great way to combine John's beading with my knitting.

I was wondering how the 68 stitches that I cast on to straight needles were going to morph into a square. It turns out that this is a really cool technique that those of you who have been knitting for a while probably are familiar with. It's surprisingly simple really. Evenly space decreases create triangles and by the time you've decreased down to a small number of stitches you just thread the tail through the stitches making a circle that actually becomes the center of your square. The magic of geometry!

Pretty nifty right? I'll admit that I'm much more taken with the technique than I am with the over all finished project. The beads look pretty, but given the clumsy tendencies of our family I can see a full cup getting set down on the edge and the whole thing toppling over. Not so pretty after all!

This is just a peek at one of the many projects that's been keeping me busy. I've been doing a whole lot of crafting, and not very much blogging. Time to get back in swing! I used to wonder what I was going to write about, not any more! I've got plenty of finished projects, works in progress plus don't forget the books to review and giveaway. I think you're going to be seeing a lot of me!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!