Comments on: How Do You Knit Socks?

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 09:30:40 +0000

I love this post – great to see your prefs!

By: melanie

melanie — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:54:29 +0000

OK, I have to know what the after-thought heel is, in pattern-speak. It looks great with that yarn! Can you give us some details?
I’m not experienced enough with socks to really have a preference – I’ve just done the same pattern a couple of times. It is time to branch out, I think.

By: margene

margene — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 15:55:01 +0000

I’m an ol’ fashioned grrl. Top down, bamboo dpn and any pattern by Nancy Bush. I do like a variety of toes, however…as long as they don’t involve Kitchener stitch. One thing that might work for your bind off is the modified conventional cast off by Lucy Neatby.

By: Saralyn

Saralyn — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 14:23:55 +0000

I like Wendy’s fabulous toe-up sock pattern (http://wendyjohnson.net/blog/sockpattern.htm) but I do it on one long circular. I love the crochet chain provisional cast on, the toe and heel are knit up the same way which gives them a pleasant symmetry. There are no seams anyhere, so they are comfy, but with no grafting (unless you graft-bindoff the ribbing, you masochist). I use a decrease bindoff, which is more attractive and has more stretch than a standard bindoff, but does not require all that fiddling with a tapestry needle. The decrease bind-off is simply *k2tog, slip st back to left needle, p2tog, slip st back to left needle, and repeat from * (or for other kinds of ribbing you just match your decrease to the second stitch that will be in the decrease). You can refer to Montse Stanley’s Knitter’s Handbook for illustrations of the decrease bind-off or for other interesting methods of binding off (or casting on, or almost any other technique in knitting, for that matter).

By: Cyn

Cyn — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 13:56:35 +0000

Oh man, I’m addicted to socks right now. I’ve basically been making the same pair over and over in different yarn and slightly different ribbing. I knit them cuff down, on five dpns, starting on size 4 bamboo and then switching to my size 3 lantern moon needles so they have a little bit o’ leg shaping. I made the leg 7 1/2″ so I can wear them with my boots. I cast on using that weird cast-on you do with your fingers and the looping (I don’t remember its name, the one from stitch n’ bitch). I use a heel flap heel, and I kitchener the toes.

By: MJ

MJ — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 12:42:57 +0000

I learned Priscilla Gibson-Roberts’ short row method and adapted that into Wendy’s toe-up sock formula. It made it very easy for me to incorporate my own lace or cable combinations into a project. Solid and variegated yarns are my preference, but I can’t give you a recommendation on sock yarn yet because I haven’t tried enough yarns! Margene has a great post on this, btw.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:42:29 +0000

I’m finally really grasping short rows, so a short row heel is my current favorite. I usually do top down (when I’m not knitting sideways!) with a plain old paired decrease toe. Not sure why I prefer that to a short row toe, but I do. I use two circulars, either wood or bamboo as metal hurts my hands (bit of arthritis that I’ve had since my 20s). I have rather impressive calves, so none of my socks ever go above ankle length, unless they’re just long enough to fold down. I don’t like self patterning socks and pooling really bothers me, but I love handpainted yarns with a singular passion. Mostly I just love knitting socks!

By: Marnie

Marnie — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:34:04 +0000

I’m personally partial (in my limited sock experience) to a short row toe. It’s a bit of a hassel to pick up the original stitches from the provisional cast on, but no more so than any other toe method. And I’m with you on the toe up thing. It’s great to try on the sock as you go, then you just knit till you use up the yarn you have or reach the length you like.
I tend to prefer solid colored or self patterning yarns but am not so fond of variegated yarns. I think it offends my sensibilities that you can never make them a good match.
I really don’t care for the magic loop or two circ method for circular knitting. I find it slows me down too much and I inevitably get wonky tension where the two circs meet. It’s probably more a matter of my inexperience than a flawed method, though.

By: Anne-Caroline

Anne-Caroline — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 10:29:26 +0000

Me know not much about sockies – but I do know that I like that yarn that you used! My favorite yarns for socks are Opal, and Koigu. That’s the only thing I can contribute.
And that socks I have made tend to scoot down on the person wearing them…so the next pair I make, I will have to look into solving this problem-o.
Happy Knitting!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 10:27:21 +0000

I love the Yarn Over short row method. It gives the look of wraps with out the (in my opinion) fiddly-ness of picking them up and knitting them in. Prisilla Gibons-Roberts has the best directions in Simple Socks, Plain and Fancy.
I also like worsted weight boot socks, especially in Artyarns Supermerino.