April 2018

Socks and some Progress

stargrace April 29, 2018 0Comment

My hands have been too sore and swollen lately to do much gaming (or blogging) but I’ve still been trying to get some knitting in here and there. After four days I’ve got the cuff and leg done, and I started the heel flap. I have a few more rounds to do on the heel flap and then I will turn the heel and start the gusset. Then it’s onto the foot, and toe, and done!

Socks are a nice quick knit, relaxing once you know what works for your foot size and are confident with the pattern. I still have goals though. I want to learn TAAT (two at a time) to try to prevent second sock syndrome, and I want to learn the fish lips heel which I bought off of ravelry for $1 ages ago and have just been too intimidated to learn. The booklet that comes with it is huge, though a lot of that is back story and not about the actual pattern. I want to learn it properly, so I want to follow the directions which include making a cardboard version of your foot with markings so you know what is going on. I’ll get to that eventually, I hope.

I find it satisfying to wear socks that I’ve knit, not to mention their comfort and durability if you take care of them. I know I’ve mentioned in other posts that they’re some of my favourite things to knit for multiple reasons. After I made my last post I actually ended up ruining my favourite pair of socks by having them go through the dryer. They shrunk to a children’s sized sock, and felted so badly that there was no longer any lace work. I don’t have enough of the yarn to knit another pair, and it has been discontinued, so you can imagine my pain. It’s a harsh reminder that knit articles of clothing should be hand washed and hung to dry in order to keep them optimal.

After this pair of socks I’m currently working on I’ve got another pattern lined up – kitty cat socks. I’m eager to see how those ones go. I think I’ll try knitting them TAAT so I can stave off that second sock syndrome (where you get bored after knitting one of them). Plus it would be nice to finish an entire pair at a time instead of having to knit one and then start a second one. We’ll just have to see how it goes.

Happy knitting!

Why Knit Socks?

stargrace April 17, 2018 1Comment

I’m a completely self taught knitter of 2 years now, picking up what I know from various YouTube videos and Craftsy classes. One of my goals from the start was to learn to knit socks, and I attempted that 3 months into my knitting adventure. They weren’t perfect, I had to re-do the toes numerous times, but I was so proud of them.

Knitting socks quickly became my preferred project. I absolutely love it. They’re small enough to take along with me in my purse where ever I go and living up in Northern Canada like I do, they’re functional and required.

Socks may seem intimidating, but once you learn the parts to a sock you gain an understanding of how simple they are. Since they’re also sized to your own feet (or the feet of your recipient) they’re also going to be the most comfortable socks you’ve ever worn – as long as you take care of them they’ll last years that way, too.

Taking care of hand knit socks is a bit of a pain. You’re best off hand washing them and hanging them to dry, don’t put them in the dryer or they may shrink and the size may change or they may felt. There are superwash types of yarn you can use to help prevent this, but my suggestion is still to hand wash and take care of these precious knitted garments. You’ll also want them stored properly so bugs don’t eat them, nothing worse than finding moths gnawing away at your most comfortable pair! I keep mine in a wooden box along with some lavender in a satchel.

I’ve knit four pairs of socks for myself so far, along with a pair of my son (who promptly outgrew them) – and I have every intention of knitting a pair for my more than deserving husband, though I admit I have been lax on this. Socks are a fairly quick knit depending on the time you can dedicate to them – one more reason I love these projects, if you’re the type that thrives on instant gratification, I simply can’t suggest trying to learn them enough.

Once you get over the initial complexities you realize that every single sock is made exactly the same, with a few variations here and there – but the sock parts remain constant. This allows you to branch out from creating very basic socks to more complex socks like the lace one I’ve knit above (hard to see the holes from the lace work in that picture, but they’re there)! You can switch up the heels, the toes, the leg, and create so many different types of combinations. You’re sure to find a pair that suit your creative mood.

Socks. That’s what I am happiest knitting. What about you? Let me know in comments, and happy knitting!