So, a week or so after I actually finished them, here are my finished basic socks:
I thought I might find knitting plain socks rather boring, but I didn't. The pace at which I was able to speed along made it fun and rewarding. Really, I think two weeks is very doable for me. And now I have another pair in my sock drawer.
I'm a sock monster at heart. The whole reason I learned to knit was to make socks. Learning that I also love knitting stuffies (and occasionally other things, too) was an unexpected and happy discovery. But socks was always the goal.
Anyway, these basic socks are the 10th pair that I've knit in two years - 7 for me and 3 for others. So, while I still have a lot to learn and some refining of technique to do, I think I've really zoned in on what works for me in broad terms.
Here are some lessons learned (and I stress that this is what works for me, and may be different for others):
Yarn is everything.
While I love the feel of cashmere socks, they are fragile. These socks probably took 70 hours because of the complicated lace and cable pattern and sprung a hole in just 3 months. Considering how densely these were knit (80 stitches per round on a size 1 (2.25mm) needle!!), it's pretty shocking.
I also have one pair of socks that felted after repeat washings and now won't fit over my heel. Across all ten socks, the ones that have held up best were all knit with Knit Picks Stroll sock yarn, proving that cost and durability are not always directly related. Stroll is a 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon blend. (Happily, Dragon the Hippo is also knit from Stroll. Hooray for that!)
I'm eager to see how the Toshsock, which is 100% superwash merino, that I used for these holds up. Oddly, I find it similar Stroll in how dense the stitches are and also in how it feels - the hand, if knitters use that sewing term. There are also some other yarns I have heard good things about and plan to try - Lang Jawoll and Regia 4-ply Sock. I'm sure that exploring sock yarns will be an ongoing journey for me.
Lots of techniques work
Toe up or cuff down, magic loop or dpn's, all different toes and heels... there are a lot of ways to make socks! For now, the method I outlined in my simple sock recipe is the one that plays to my strengths, that I enjoy knitting and that seems to hold up best on my socks. But I've successfully employed lots of other methods and pretty much all have given me good results. So, I plan to continue to develop my personal pattern. I suspect that in 20 years or 100 more pairs of socks, I may have a perfect-for-me pattern and technique figured out.
More socks, More quickly
My first year of sock knitting was characterized by a progression of ever more complicated patterns. In year two, I made increasingly more simple socks as the year progressed. I reach for my hand knit socks first - they are most worn because of their comfort and warmth and because I love to wear what I make. Right now, I don't have enough. So, in year three, I hope to rapidly add to their numbers by finding patterns that aren't quite as taxing as 70 hour cable and lace socks, but still have some interest. And I think I want to play with colorwork a bit more, too.
Anyway, I'm really happy with these nice cosy comfy socks. Thanks to K-line for organizing the sock-along. It was fun to stop and think about my sock knitting and start the year with new socks!
 |
| Ta-Da!!! |
I'm a sock monster at heart. The whole reason I learned to knit was to make socks. Learning that I also love knitting stuffies (and occasionally other things, too) was an unexpected and happy discovery. But socks was always the goal.
Anyway, these basic socks are the 10th pair that I've knit in two years - 7 for me and 3 for others. So, while I still have a lot to learn and some refining of technique to do, I think I've really zoned in on what works for me in broad terms.
Here are some lessons learned (and I stress that this is what works for me, and may be different for others):
Yarn is everything.
While I love the feel of cashmere socks, they are fragile. These socks probably took 70 hours because of the complicated lace and cable pattern and sprung a hole in just 3 months. Considering how densely these were knit (80 stitches per round on a size 1 (2.25mm) needle!!), it's pretty shocking.
 |
| So beautiful! So fragile. |
I also have one pair of socks that felted after repeat washings and now won't fit over my heel. Across all ten socks, the ones that have held up best were all knit with Knit Picks Stroll sock yarn, proving that cost and durability are not always directly related. Stroll is a 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon blend. (Happily, Dragon the Hippo is also knit from Stroll. Hooray for that!)
I'm eager to see how the Toshsock, which is 100% superwash merino, that I used for these holds up. Oddly, I find it similar Stroll in how dense the stitches are and also in how it feels - the hand, if knitters use that sewing term. There are also some other yarns I have heard good things about and plan to try - Lang Jawoll and Regia 4-ply Sock. I'm sure that exploring sock yarns will be an ongoing journey for me.
Lots of techniques work
Toe up or cuff down, magic loop or dpn's, all different toes and heels... there are a lot of ways to make socks! For now, the method I outlined in my simple sock recipe is the one that plays to my strengths, that I enjoy knitting and that seems to hold up best on my socks. But I've successfully employed lots of other methods and pretty much all have given me good results. So, I plan to continue to develop my personal pattern. I suspect that in 20 years or 100 more pairs of socks, I may have a perfect-for-me pattern and technique figured out.
More socks, More quickly
My first year of sock knitting was characterized by a progression of ever more complicated patterns. In year two, I made increasingly more simple socks as the year progressed. I reach for my hand knit socks first - they are most worn because of their comfort and warmth and because I love to wear what I make. Right now, I don't have enough. So, in year three, I hope to rapidly add to their numbers by finding patterns that aren't quite as taxing as 70 hour cable and lace socks, but still have some interest. And I think I want to play with colorwork a bit more, too.
Anyway, I'm really happy with these nice cosy comfy socks. Thanks to K-line for organizing the sock-along. It was fun to stop and think about my sock knitting and start the year with new socks!
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13 comments:
Oh, I LOVE them! They look like the sea... And thanks to you for participating!
My pleasure, K! I love them, too! And it really helped me think about where my sock knitting is going.
Make a pair of Cookie A's Monkeys. They are the easiest "patterned" sock evha.
Oooh! Good suggestion, Carol!
The colors! I love it! Thanks for the tip about KP having good sock yarn.
Yes! KP's Stroll is good for socks! However, the socks that felted were KP Palette, which is not superwash and 100% wool rather than a blend. So, perhaps the moral of the story is that yarn designed for socks is best. ;-)
Hurray! I love love love the colorway of these socks. It's nice to have a TNT pattern, that you don't have to agonize over, for a good stretch of mindless, meditative knitting. I confess that I got into the habit of re-knitting yarn, scavenged from thrift-store sweaters, when the economy tanked five years ago and I could no longer afford real sock yarn. Some of the yarn worked great, some was really yucky. I give away most of the socks I make, so I can only assess the few that I keep. Best-feeling and best-wearing are knit from Italian merino wool -- wearing them is like having a foot orgasm. Close second is a wool/cotton blend: feels like cotton, keeps foot warm like wool. I have a vast array of short lengths of crewel yarn from some other lady's abandoned stash that I like to use to do fancy stripes across the top of a sock, but now I'm down to only weird yellow-greens and mercurochrome pinks, ew.
I think you will find that you can use any superwash wool for socks. Anything but superwash felts, as you have already discovered. Also, from my experience you have to have some nylon or polymide, some manmade fiber in the mix, or they are not very durable. Pure wool socks are comfy, but the addition of a man made fiber makes them wear like iron. Personally, I am offended if a pair of socks that I spend that long knitting doesn't hold up. Yeah, I know, it's the process, but I also like to wear them for a while. I like Regia sock yarn, and for simple socks, I love the self-striping ones. Your socks are really cute, and it sounds like you are on the road to having plenty.
I was SOOO offended and threw them into a corner where they sat for months! I just finished fixing them this week.
Yes, I've found the same so far when it comes to yarn. Although, all wool/nylon is not created equal! I've had at least one get all fuzzy. It doesn't seem to have weakened, but it doesn't look as good as it once did. ;-(
I've kind of steered clear of the wool/cotton yarns. Maybe I'll give them another chance...
I know what you mean about a foot-gasm. I feel that way about the cashmere socks. Alas.
They are worth mending. I never bothered to darn store-bought socks, but after you spend hours and hours knitting your own, you try to find ways to salvage them. You could cut off the foot, pick up stitches on the cuff, and re-knit the foot using a sturdier yarn, if that will save all your lacework on the cashmere beauties. Or pick up a few stitches below the hole, knit a little rectangle, and sew the three loose edges down to hide the hole.
Actually, just a week or so ago I did exactly what you suggest and knitted a little square patch onto the hole. The only problem is that it creates a slight lump. I'm happy the socks are back in action and will be watching them closely for additional signs of wear...
Those cashmere socks are adorbs!
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