Sock Safari

I have made a decison. I am going to knit 100 socks. Yes, really.

“Why?” you might ask. Or, you might just be shaking your head. I’d probably do that if you told me you were going to knit 100  socks. The answer is simple, really. It took a really long time before I could successfully knit my first pair of socks. I kept trying–and I kept failing. But once I got the hang of Magic Loop (knitting in the round on one long circ), I was going full steam ahead.

But then I got complacent. Actually, “lazy” is probably a better word. I got into the habit of knitting plain vanilla socks, and I was quite happy about that. Now, there’s nothing wrong with plain vanilla socks; in fact, they are probably my favorite socks to knit. But, I wasn’t learning anything new. And I wasn’t developing my sock-knitting skill set. So, I’m going to knit 100 pairs of socks so I become a better sock knitter. And yes, it will take a long time, but this isn’t a race. It’s an opportunity for me to grow as a knitter and to aid charities. Not all of these socks will be for me. I will make some for charities throughout the year(s). Please let me know if you are aware of charities that especially take socks.

The Search for Sock Yarn

I am a firm believer in the adage that sock yarn does not count as stash. It can’t. I just have too much of it for it to be anything negative. Besides, it’s too pretty. When it comes to cooler weather socks, I’m all set with a wide selection of wool yarns. For warmer weather, such is not the case.

I’m knitting the April Fool’s Sock, which I’ve discussed before (the sock with a steek). Being a conscientous knitter, I dove into my stash to find yarn for this project. Because I want to wear them in spring/summer (yes, I often wear socks in the summer), I looked for a lighter yarn. I had the perfect amount of Maizy in my stash. I like this yarn a lot, but I’m having the same problem I experience with many nonwool yarns–splitting. Frankly, it’s gotten quite annoying.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just Maizy that has this problem. I’ve found it with most other bamboo, cotton, and other blends. I keep searching for a fiber blend that doesn’t split, but so far–no luck. So, I keep looking. And if you have any suggestions, please let me know by leaving a comment.

Incidentally, I know indie dyers can’t please everyone, and they must stock what their customers will buy. But, I’d love for more indie dyers to carry nonwool sock yarn. Just a thought.

And Just in Time for 10o Socks . . .

I received a new sock book to review: The Sock Knitter’s Workshop: Everything Knitters Need to Knit Socks Beautifully, by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie can der Linden (Watson-Guptil Publications, 2010).

I don’t know if this–or any–book provides “everything” the sock knitter needs to know, but The Sock Knitter’s Workshop does provide a lot of excellent information, as well as many photographs

of techniques. The authors begin at the beginning, with materials. Readers will learn about fiber and plies, blends, and care. There’s also a chart giving information about gauge, sock requirements, and projects for some of  the “thinner” yarns.

The authors then move to information about needle selection. Though most techniques are shown using double-pointed needles, there are sections on using one long circular needle or two circs.

The technique section begins with basic information and tips, such as getting gauge, avoiding holes when knitting or purling, making increases, and grafting. In “Casting On,” knitters will learn multiple ways to cast on their sock; it should be noted that the book concentrates on cuff-down knitting, but there is a section on toe-up knitting later in the book. There is a chart showing how many stitches to cast on for various yarns and various sizes.

If you think you’re stuck with a 1 X 1 or 2 X 2 ribbed cuff, you’ll soon see other options. The authors cover garter-stitch cuffs, double cuffs, and picot cuffs, among others.

Much of the book is spent on heels. Not only do the authors provide information about types of heels, they also tell which heels might be better for which types of heels. The goal, of course, is for a better-fitting sock. There are charts giving stitch counts, which will help adapt the heel to the knitter’s particular fit needs or pattern requirements.

Many of us don’t give much thought to the toes of our socks, but the authors show us that perhaps we should. As in the heel section, the authors suggest which toes might be more comfortable with an individual’s actual foot. For example, my Fred Flintstone feet might not be comfortable in socks knit with a spiral toe–no matter how cute it is. Again, this section is chockablock with charts, so you can make the best-possible fit for your foot.

Other sock-knitting techniques, including toe-up and using circs, follows. The book ends with patterns for all members of the family (human, anyway) and information on how to transfer patterns (for example, from flat knitting to circular) and size charts.

There is a lot of information in this 128-page book, and it’s worth sitting down and reading through all of it. But, if you’re more interested in getting right into the doing–without sidesteps to areas not pertinent to your project–simply pick a heel style on page 17 and follow the appropriate color of yarn through the techniques necessary for that particular heel.

The photographs are wll done, and one can actually see what is being demonstrated. The charts are informative and will be especially helpful when knitting patterns not included in this book. Each pattern clearly indicates what skills are used as well as the usual information about size and gauge.

One problem I have with the book, however, concerns the pattern section, specifically the charts. There is not a consistency in how knit or purl stitches, for example, are indicated. Not every designer uses the same key, but one would think that a pattern book would attempt for consistency. Knitters might also find it interesting that the authors tend not to use abbreviations, other than K and P. I’ve commented previously that not every designer means the same thing when it comes to techniques, even something as seemingly basic as SSK. Rather than use abbreviations, the others generally use words to tell the knitters what to do.

The strong suit of The Sock Knitter’s Workshop is its technique section, especially the heels and toes. For that reason alone, it deserves a place in your knitting library.