07.05.07
My First Completed Pair of Knit Socks!
Seven months into the year, and I can now check off one of the items on my New Year’s Resolution list! Learn to make socks. Years ago Brian suggested that I might like to learn how to make knitted socks. He even bought me a little book with a few sock patterns. Every time I would look at one of the patterns, I would tune out when it came to how to turn the heel or make a gusset. I never spent the effort to understand it. Subsequently, that book has collected dust for over 15 years now. Finally last Friday I bit the bullet and dove right in. Actually, I was driving down 3rd Street, and saw The Knitter’s Studio on the left hand side of the road. And gee!, there was an empty parking spot right in front of the store! Oye! Any other time I’ve visited that store, I’ve had to walk a block or more after I parked my car (not like that’s a terrible hike or anything, but just finding parking tends to be a struggle). That empty parking spot beckoned me. . . No time to argue or ask any questions. That empty spot was a “sign.” Ha! The next thing I knew I was hopping out of my car and bouncing in through The Knitter’s Studio’s front door. I already knew I wanted sock yarn, and the ladies there were very friendly and helpful, which made an impulse buy even more of a done deal. 
Shortly after browsing through their store, I had two hanks of sock yarn in my bag. I was excited because not only would this be my first sock project, but I think it’s the first hand-dyed yarn that I would be working up. So I learned a few things. . ., but back to that later. Here’s what the yarn hanks looked like before I unwound them. These two hanks are Lorna’s hand-dyed yarns. It’s their Shepherd Sock yarn, which is 80% superwash wool and 20% nylon. The color is camouflage (sounded like something a guy like my hubby would like, ha!) These hanks were destined to be hugging my hubby’s feet when the cold weather returned.
Although Brian had bought me a sock pattern book years ago, I didn’t use it because they are for girl socks, and I wanted to make Brian socks. So, I found a free pattern for a basic sock online. I figured I wanted to just get the mechanics down first on how to construct a sock before fussing with any fancy designs. This pattern had a close match for the size specification for the yarn I had purchased, so after a swatch test and a few adjustments to the pattern, off I went!
This particular pattern uses a size 1 needle US. For those of you who knit, you know that that’s on the small side. My youngest son walked in on me while I was casting on. He stopped for a moment then exclaimed, “What are you doing? Are you crazy? That’s gonna take you a year to finish!” Ha ha! Kids! Well, I’ll show him! And I did! Below is a picture of one sock finished and the second one almost half way through.
Okay, so a tip to anyone contemplating making socks. The instruction portion for turning the heel works! even though when I first read it, I thought, “What’s going on, here?” Well, to make life simpler, I got online and looked up the trusty site, YouTube. I am so happy so many kind people share their knowledge on video! This one video showed how to turn a heel, and made the instructions look soooo simple! So off I went, and “viola!” I started to form what looked like a real sock! Oye! Lemme do that again! So below is a picture of the completed pair. Brian is modeling them on his tootsies, hee!
So back to the few things I learned. Hand painted or hand dyed yarns are commonly worked in two strands because no two are exactly alike. Working two strands at once will help ensure that the color scheme looks more even. Eh, I didn’t know that until I had already finished one side. . . So Brian’s socks are mix-matched as far as color, erp! “Sock yarn” is a yarn that has some synthetic fiber spun in to make the yarn a little more durable because socks get a lot of wear. It was common for knitters to weave in extra support through the heels because they commonly wear out. With sock yarn, one doesn’t have to do that! 
My first pair of socks were worked from the top down, but there are other ways to work socks, i.e. from the toes up! I want to try that eventually, too! AND some people work both socks on the same needles at once! I want to try that, too, heheh. And then I saw this other sock pattern where the socks are worked sideways. . . Check out Opal’s sideways socks. These are all different angles to attack sock making and that doesn’t even address all the different sock designs. Funny how I found the hardest or trickiest part of making the sock was the very end where I had to graft the toes. For some reason that had me all twisted up. I am happy to report that I think I now have that part under control. Perhaps you may notice the toes on the socks Brian is wearing. Not bad.
I will say that knitting socks in size 1 needles US takes a lot of work. So if anyone ever gives you knitted socks for a gift, they must love you! Give them a hug and a kiss.
Marlakins
