I want to knit socks...

[Kay in Cal]

but I don't know how to knit. My crafting skills: I can crochet, barely, but haven't for some time. I've done cross-stitch and embroidery all my life, but I can't sew.

 

Can I learn to knit? Can I start with socks, or do I have to work my way up through various other doo-dads? What is the cheapest, easiest, most friendly way to get into this? Does my local craft/fabric store have what I would need, or should I be looking online?

 

My preferences would be: natural fibers, funky colors, easy patterns

 

I know there are some great knitters here, and would appreciate any wisdom!

[Ria]

Is there a knitting store in your area where you could take a class? I think that, or finding a knitter to teach you one-on-one, would be the best way to go about it if you are completely new to knitting.

 

Once you know how to knit and pearl, though, you'll have no trouble knitting a pair of socks *if* you have someone you can ask should you get stuck.

 

Good luck!

 

Ria (wearing a pair of hand-knitted socks right now!)

[PariSarah]

I don't think they're a good first project though. Start with a couple of washcloths, move on to a hat, and then you'll be ready for socks.

 

My local library has a knitting group that meets . . . monthly? twice-a-monthly? maybe even weekly? That would be a great way to get some free instruction. Or start up a knitting group in your church! (Like you don't do enough with them already, right? ;)) It's a great way to get a wide age-range together and talking to each other.

 

As far as materials, if you have a local yarn shop--not a michaels or joann's, but a just-yarn store, you'll find a great selection there. The natural-fibers yarns are more expensive than the acrylics you'll find at joann's, but they're a much better value, quality-wise. And knitting-pleasure-wise. Socks have gotten so popular that only the very clueless, not-long-for-this-world local yarn shops would fail to have sock yarn. (Some of them, actually, are not THAT much more expensive than what you'd find at Joann's. Maybe $8 a skein vs. $5 a skein, but for much, much better quality. For small projects, that's nothing. For a huge blanket, it's maybe a bigger deal.)

 

As far as funky colors, how 'bout this:

 

 

Or this:

 

 

Or this!

 

 

There is TONS of cool stuff out there. Absolutely tons.

 

Oh, and here's a blanket I'm making entirely out of leftover sock yarn--you can see all the wildly different colors available:

 

[MelaniePA]

I taught myself how to knit. My grandmother lives in Canada and I do not. She helped me with a few things when I went to visit her but at that point I had the basics down and was churning out dishcloths.

My recommendation would be to first go out and get a pair of needles and yarn and learn casting on, knit and purl stitch, and casting off. www.knittinghelp.com is a great site and even has videos. That has helped me with a lot of different stitches and techniques.

Of course, if there is a local knitting store near you, take a class. They usually aren't terribly expensive. My local big craft stores(michael's and joann's) also have classes.

You could jump right in and do socks once you had some basics down. There are a few places that have sock tutorials that walk you right through it that are free. www.ravelry.com is a great place.

I hope that helps.

[MelaniePA]

That is a really snazzy blanket PariSarah!!

[Ria]

 

Do you have a pattern to share, Sarah? I have a lot of bits of leftover sock yarn, too!

 

Ria

[PariSarah]

It's . . . uh, going to take awhile.

 

:D

[jesiwins]

Well, I am just learning how to knit socks myself. I've been an occasional knitter for a few years; I only get the urge to knit when the weather turns cooler it seems. I tried to learn from some friends, but they were not so good at describing what they were doing so I ended up getting a book and teaching myself. Stitch n ***** is what I used and it has been a good clear guide for both the basics and learning some of the more complicated techniques.

 

if you are interested in teaching yourself, I know this doesn't appeal to everyone. I recommend getting a good book, a pair of US size 8 needles, and a skein of multi colored cotton worsted weight yarn (sometimes called dishcloth yarn a very common brand is lilly sugar & cream) and learn the basics of casting on, how to knit & purl, and binding off. You may also want some practice reading a pattern, it can be like learniong a foriegn language.

 

Once you get those down ask at your local yarn shop for recommendations for a good beginner sock pattern. I just got a great deal on some bulky hand dyed 100% wool and a free pattern.

 

Honestly, it's not as hard as it looks!

 

Jesi

[GailV]

if you are interested in teaching yourself, I know this doesn't appeal to everyone. I recommend getting a good book, a pair of US size 8 needles, and a skein of multi colored cotton worsted weight yarn (sometimes called dishcloth yarn a very common brand is lilly sugar & cream) and learn the basics of casting on, how to knit & purl, and binding off. You may also want some practice reading a pattern, it can be like learniong a foriegn language.

 

Once you get those down ask at your local yarn shop for recommendations for a good beginner sock pattern. I just got a great deal on some bulky hand dyed 100% wool and a free pattern.

 

Honestly, it's not as hard as it looks!

 

Jesi

 

These are the exact suggestions I would make. Also, I think books written for kids are easier to understand, so I'd get something like Melanie Falick's Kid's Knitting. That's just me, though.

 

There are tons of how-to-knit books out there. There are tons of how-to-knit-sock books out there. It isn't brain surgery -- if you mess it up you just unravel it and try again, maybe asking someone for some help. Or else you just toss it away and decide you gave it a try and hated it.

 

(Sorry, I think people get too wound up about whether or not they can knit, and whether or not they can knit socks -- for pete's sake, it isn't the end of the world.)

 

Also, there are nice books about crocheting socks. I don't think I could crochet a sock worth anything -- I stink at following crochet patterns. But I've heard there are some nice patterns out there.

[WTMindy]

It's . . . uh, going to take awhile.

 

:D

 

Where did you get the pattern for that first pair of socks? I think those are cute. When I googles sock patterns I get about a million, but I don't see pictures on many of them. I really like the pattern you used. Could you share or let me know where to get it? Thanks!

[PariSarah]

If you google mitered square blankets or something like that, you'll find tons. There's a stockinette stitch one in Mason-Dixon Knitting, and a garter stitch one at Heathen Housewife.

 

I fudged with a lot of patterns before unventing one I like. What I don't like about either of those two patterns is all the counting. You have to know which row you're on to know where the decreases go. I made up one where I can see what's going on when I look at it, so I don't ever have to count to figure out where I am. (This makes it good for movie night knitting or boring lecture knitting.)

 

So, you cast on enough stitches for the size you want. I'm using 37. It should be a multiple of six, plus one.

 

Cast on 37, then purl a row. (So, now you have your right side and your wrong side. Right side is the knit side, wrong side is the purl side.)

 

On the next row, you knit up until three stitches before the center stitch. (In my case, center stitch is 19, three stitches before that is 16, so I knit 15.) Then, I do a left-leaning decrease (ssk). Then a center-double-decrease--slip next 2 stitches together as if to knit, then knit the stitch after that, then pass the two slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This leaves a ridge down the center that acts like a "PAY ATTENTION HERE" sign. You'll always be doing a center-double-decrease on that stitch, so you always know where the decrease goes, without having to count. Then, you do a right-leaning decrease on the other side (k2tog) and finish the row in knit.

 

Then you purl back a row with no decreases.

 

On the next row, you knit all the way up to one stitch before the center, and you do a center-double-decrease. You DON'T do the right- or left-leaning decreases on either side. Then you finish up the row and purl back the next row.

 

The square repeats those two decrease rows until you have three stitches left. (So, the next knit row has the center decrease flanked by two single decreases; the knit row after that has just the center decrease; and so on.) When you have three stitches left, you do the center decrease, and then you pull your tail through and tie off.

 

The ridge down the center acts as a stitch marker. You get to a couple stitches before the ridge--you look down and see whether the LAST time you decreased just in the center, or if you did the decreases on either side, and you do whatever you DIDN'T do last time.

 

So, there you have a square.

 

You can either knit up a thousand of them and seam them together at the end, OR you can join them as you go.

 

Joining them as you go is complicated to explain without pictures. But I can try. Have to go to lecture now. Will continue later.

[PariSarah]

Where did you get the pattern for that first pair of socks?

 

This is the pattern I generally use, and I add different (simple) stitch patterns.

 

Here's an article with pictures on how to do the toes.

 

This has pictures on how to do the heels.

 

Mine looks the way it does because I used a different yarn for the toe and heel than for the body of the sock. The dyer sells the yarn with a coordinating solid just so that you can do that.

[Guest Lorna]

My mother had taught me to knit as a child. I had only really knitted scarves (unfinished!).

I started with a wonderful book called 'Folk Socks' by Nancy Bush. Her books are wonderfully self-contained with the best explanations I have yet found. Folk Socks is also wonderful because there is such a range of patterns. There are traditional patterns from all over the world but, best of all, there is a step-by-step long version of a basic sock pattern to get you started.

For basic knitting practice (before you embark on socks) I suggest you start on a little thing that you can easily complete in a day. I use this pattern when I do knitting lessons.

 

Easter Chick (click on Craft Corner and then on Easter Chick). You can also find knitting instructions there.

Edited October 24, 2008 by Lorna

[WTMindy]

This is the pattern I generally use, and I add different (simple) stitch patterns.

 

Here's an article with pictures on how to do the toes.

 

This has pictures on how to do the heels.

 

Mine looks the way it does because I used a different yarn for the toe and heel than for the body of the sock. The dyer sells the yarn with a coordinating solid just so that you can do that.

 

Thanks!! You're the best.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTwiddershins.html

 

This is a pattern for a toe up sock using a gusset construction, which I prefer to the short row.

 

I use Judy's Magic Cast-On, whatever foot/leg stitch pattern I want, and use Widdershins for the basics sock construction.

 

Socks are very fun!

[MelaniePA]

 

Socks are very fun!

 

And I remember when you first started! :D

[Mom2legomaniacs]

And I remember when you first started! :D

 

I know! Can you believe it? I have been knitting less than a year and doing socks for about 8 months or less? LOVE IT!!!

[MgoBlue]

I've knitted mittens but not socks. My 16 yr old dd taught herself (basically)

how to knit and she's made socks for everyone in the family of 5, she really enjoys it. I'd say start with a worsted weight yarn though as she's got some fingering weight yarn socks on the needles that have frustrated her as they're taking her too long to finish.

Paula

[Nan in Mass]

Since you crochet already, see if you can get someone (or a book) to teach you to knit the continental way, not the American way. It will be easier for you, and it is faster.

[Kay in Cal]

Oh no! You are blowing my mind! There are more ways to knit????

[Danestress]

I wouldn't knit socks as a first project, but I am knitting pretty regularly these days, mostly helped along by knittinghelp.com. They taught me everything I know:)

 

Dana

[Kay in Cal]

I found some inexpensive yarn in my craft stuff, and (lo and behold!) a pair of metal knitting needles. I pulled out my handy-dandy "Guidebook to Needlecrafts" (or something like that) and started knitting. I managed to cast on, re-did it three or four times, and then started knit stitch.

 

The next day I met with a friend who knits, and I've been practicing -- one row of knit, one row of purl. It looks pretty awful thus far, but after a couple of feet of this, maybe I'll be better?

 

Onward and upward! "Ad Soccos!!"

[Kareni]

... after a couple of feet of this ...

 

you'll have a pair of socks!

 

Good luck.

Regards,

Kareni