Toe up socks... what have I gotten myself into?

As I was finishing my second sock for my first pair.  I decided I should try making socks with sock weight yarn.  Who knew finding sock weight yarn would be like finding a needle in a hay stack.

I finally landed at Three Oaks Knits in Waterloo (they are on facebook).  The owner is also allergic to wool and had a good selection of wool free sock yarn.  (Yay!) She also has a nice selection of needles and I was able to find some cubix needles. (double Yay!)

This is also where I landed in my first dilemma, I was asked, Do you knit from the top down or the toe up? .... um I've only made one pair and they were top down.  Then what size needles do you use... um... I've only made one pair with a heavier yarn so I used double pointed 5's.

Luckily the owner took me under her wing.  She helped me to find a toe up pattern and circular needles to work with my sock weight yarn.

When I looked at my pattern and saw three different cast on methods I asked what she recommended.  She said the figure 8.  So I gave it a try, I made some good progress.  Then I asked my friend at work, which is the front and which is the back because the toe doesn't look right.  I laughed when she said I had the cast on backwards so the seam that should be on the inside was on the outside.





So I frogged my sock and started over, three times.  I couldn't get the hang of the figure 8 so I set it aside for a few days.  When I was ready to start again, I decided to look up my other cast on options.

First I looked up "Judy's magic cast on"  I didn't get it, it looked like I would always have a hole in the toe.  I was very discouraged.

Then I looked up the Turkish cast on - my first thought was could it really be that easy?  So I gave it a try.  Worked great for me, no loose stitches or holes in the toe - the picture isn't the best but that's the start of the toe.

 

One other helpful hint I received for my top down socks - the kitchener stitch for finishing them. This worked wonderfully, I can't even tell where I did the stitches!

What is your favorite sock knitting method?  Toe up or top down....

As always, happy crafting!

Karen

Knitting socks .... really?

As a young girl, my mom taught me how to knit with the small plastic needles of the 70s.  I did not enjoy it.  I would cast on way to tight it was hard to knit and then once a row was done, it was still to tight.  Around the same time  my Grandma and a neighbor lady taught me how to crochet.  ... I decide I would rather play baseball with the boys than do the yarn thing.

In my mid 20s, I thought about picking up knitting again, only with the aluminum needles ... again it was not a fun for me craft.  So I made the switch to crochet because "it was faster".  I made plenty of baby afghans and tried my hand at a large afghan, but didn't  make it to completion.

One day as I was shopping at a crafty store, I found wooden knitting needles.  I remembered the well worn wooden needles that one of my great grandmothers used and thought if it was good enough for her it's good enough for me.

That rocked my world.  Knitting was fun, relaxing and I made a plethora of scarves.  Nothing too complex because it was a fun for me hobby.  I sent out a few as gifts but I still have a stack at home.

This year, I picked up the needles again to make a cozy seed scarf or three.. simple k1p1.  Then I had a dream that I was picking out sock yarn and needles.  Luckily I have a coworker who's an avid knitter.  She said go for it!

That night I stopped at a local yarn/quilting store, I walked in, rocking my seed scarf and told the owner.  I can knit, I made this and I want to try socks.  She replied I have the best pattern for you.  It's the one I started with. She set me up with double pointed needles (what?), yarn and a pattern.

And that's what started me on this great sock adventure.  And yes, I know, I can buy them for less than I can make them.  But where's the fun in that?


 My first pair of socks finished!  They are so warm and comfy I want to make more.

What is your favorite sock pattern and yarn???