hey guys! I just now finished my very first ever pair of sox! as a note, I have been trying to learn how to make sox, either knit or crochet, for about the last 18 months. Finally last week during spring break my aunt was visiting from Utah and I was able to get her to teach me how. I don't knit well enough to follow complicated directions, and I crochet much too tightly to make sox.

anyway, here are my ugly feet sticking out of the bottom of my jammies with my beauutiful new pink and purple sox on them.

http://www.atlasquest.com/gallery/viewphoto.html?gPhotoId=11060

hooray for me and my happy feet.

night writer

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hooray for me and my happy feet.

Yea you! Those look great! And warm!

I keep putting off the socks thing. I'm like you... too complicated. Maybe one day.

Amy

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I just now finished my very first ever pair of sox!

I'm in the same boat you are. Would you be willing to share the pattern? They're really cute!

Woodsong

Pat on the back for you!! I have always wanted to venture out that way but don't have that coordination. I think your feet are very cute with your new pink and purple sox :o).

CP

YEA!

Actually, it's not SO hard, once you get the hang of it. I've probably started and frogged half a dozen socks before I finally got the right idea.

My problem is I can complete one, but completely lose interest while doing the second one. :-)

JPMcD

I don't think what I'm using for a "pattern" would help you very much...I took notes while my aunt showed me what to do, and some of my notes include things like, "do one of those wrappy stitches and then go to the end of the row, but don't knit in the wrappy stitch from the last row. turn it around and make another wrappy stitch and keep going like that until you have 9 wrappy stitches on each needle and 11 stitches between them."

the notes help me because I know what I mean by the wrappy stitch, and they might be of help to someone who knows how to do the short-row heel...but they probably won't be any help at all for someone who doesn't already know what they're doing... sorry :-(

night writer

do one of those wrappy stitches and then go to the end of the row, but don't knit in the wrappy stitch from the last row. turn it around and make another wrappy stitch and keep going like that until you have 9 wrappy stitches on each needle and 11 stitches between them."



BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Sad part is, I knew *EXACTLY* what you were talking about. I guess I'll never have a career writing knitting patterns because mine would look JUST like that! By the way, did you do those toe up? I have to admit, once I got the hang of the figure 8 cast on, toe up is SO much easier.

JPMcD

no, I started at the cuffs because my aunt does hers that way; she says it's easier to make the stripes on the self striping yarn match that way, so they actually look like a pair. I started a pair of blue ones this morning with self striping yarn, but the yarn is thicker than the sox I just finished, and I think I need to change needle size and possibly adjust how many stitches I'm using... but I'm not sure I'm liking this pair so far...they seem very stiff to me, and my finger hurts from stabbing it with the knitting needle.

on the other hand, when I crochet I know what I'm doing a lot better than I do when knitting, so my pattern notes on things I've designed look a lot more like a "real" printed pattern. I don't crochet sox...but if anyone wants a snood pattern, I have a good one...

night writer

Self striping yarn is a challenge, either way...lol

with the thicker yarns, it may be easier to go up one gauge on the needles, but keep the same number of stitches. If the yarn is thick enough, it may compensate for the difference. Or, if you're like me, and totally OCD, do the math and divide it by 4...lol

Let's see....no 1s I usually do something like 72 stitches, no 2s are 60 and no 3 are 42 (I think...I'll have to check that last one...it may be 48). I have a basic, generic type pattern I use now. For my kids socks I tend to do more knit and measure as I go. RIght now I'm knitting MUC a pair with some Panda Cotton, and I'm doing it on No. 2 with 40 stitches.

Congrats on the socks! Isn't it cool when you realize you can make them?

I've never tried toe-up. It's on my list of things to do one of these days.

My favorite sock-making book is Learn to Knit Socks, from the American School of Needlework. It's a skinny little pamphlet/booklet thing, but it's easy to understand, and it tells you how to make 12 different designs. I tried to make my first pair of socks using a different pattern, and I struggled until I finally gave up. I got this book, and it worked perfectly!

I think I've seen it for sale on the Herrschner's website, and I may have seen it in Michael's, too.

DebBee

the sox I finished were done with 60 stitches on #5 needles (yeah, I know, I knit tight...) with thin thin thinner-than-baby yarn polyester squiggly yarn that I got for $1/skein at big lots...and each sock took one of those little skinny skeins...

the self striping is thicker, almost somewhere betwen a sport yarn and worsted, and the pattern that called for #8 needles and 40 stitches...I have the #8 needles, but the 40 stitches won't go around my foot...so I'm thinking of just going back over to big lots and buying a bunch more of that really thin stuff... it's probably about twice as thick as #5 crochet cotton, but thinner than household string...

or maybe going to walmart and buying baby yarn...

night writer

Hooray for you!! I don't know how you managed to stand still for the picture. Those look like socks to go dancing around the room in!! :) I like to put on my hand knit socks when I go to a meeting that might be difficult. I may look all business, but I know that I have happy feet! LOL!

Congratulations on the great knitting success!

Webfoot

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My problem is I can complete one, but completely lose interest while doing the second one. :-)

Jenni, the trick I use to overcome this tendency is to knit both socks at once. I start the toe of each one, then do the foot part of each one, then the heel of each one and take turns on the cuff part. I have a pair that has been waiting for me to bind it off for a while now, though, so finishing is still an issue! ;-)

Webfoot

Your socks are so cute! Congratulations!

I"m just finishing up my first pair of socks, too. As someone else mentioned, I knitted them at the same time because I knew that I'd stop at one if I didn't. Anyway, I just have a couple inches to go and then I'll have a pair of comfy socks. I knitted them toe-up so I've been able to try them on as I've knitted and that's also been motivating to get them done. I'll post a pic when they're done!

wow...

Everybody must be working on an important project. All I can hear is needles clicking

I need to finish my gauntlets (I know Ginger) ;-)
I'd like to have them ready by Stone Mountain

But I have been busy carving hitchhikers

I do have a question though

This past year I knitted my first "wearables" including my first sweater.
I know someday it's going to go tatty on me

What do you do with old knits?
I don't think I'd want to donate it to Good Will, ect.

I've heard about recycling yarn by pulling apart sweaters
Don't want to do that either

<Sigh> I think I'll make some log books this evening

I actually have some projects that I've finished and need to post on my blog. Just need a few moments.

At the moment, I'm knitting a pair of socks that I can wear with flip flops....the big toe is separated from the rest of the toe cap. I'm tickled so far. They're turning out great.

I have some on-going projects...blankets and the like...in garter that I can pick up and knit without having to pay attention, but they're a long term thing.

About your sweater....if it's wool, you could always felt it, then cut it and make something new...purse, or stamp pockets, or whatever. :-)

Or, like you said, frog it and reuse the yarn.

Jenni P

Last week at knitting, a friend was de-stashing, so I got some of her excess yarn. I've been knitting it into charity projects all this week.

I've narrowed it down to the pattern I want to use to make my niece an afghan as a wedding present. Now I need to figure out what yarn to use (the yarn the pattern calls for has been discontinued.) I need to get going on that one. She's getting married in June.

DebBee

I'm on a UFO completion mission right now. In the last two weeks I've finished two pairs of socks--I was struck by the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome last year when I was working on them. One pair was for my husband; the second for charity. I'm finishing a second pair for charity this week (maybe), doing a pair for a KAL that I belong to, and trying to finish a pair for myself that I started at Christmas.

I've also got a lace shawl going for when I get tired of socks.

Old knit wear--well, the only thing that's gone tatty on me yet are socks and I use the Yarn Harlot's sock darning method. Stand over the trash can with the socks and say "Darn!" very loudly as I throw them in. :-)

Knit Wit

the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome

NO DOUBT!

I have to work the socks simultaneously, or I'll just have an odd sock. As a result, I have a HUGE assortment of #1, #2 and #3 circulars and dpns.

Jenni P

Oh...by the way, what charity, if I may ask?

Children in Common. There's a Yahoo group for knitters who knit socks, shawls, vests, whatever to send to orphanages in Eastern Europe and Russia.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CIC-knit/

I've done some about three pairs of kids socks to mail off.

Cool! I tend to spread my stuff out, so I give to a bit of everyone. I've knitted baby hats for the chidlren's hospital, sent some to Save the CHildren when they had their campaign, and right now, I'm knitting socks for soldiers. OMG....big black socks.....it's DULL, but it's for a good cause.

LOL KW

I thought of sock darning

I like that new method

=0D