When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
When I got back into knitting in January 2005, we also happened to get digital cable. Thus I could watch Knitty Gritty. I saw an episode that made a simple sock, top-down, with a heel flap, and mostly stockinette. Now I had already made hats in the round on double pointed needles and loved it. Mostly the heel scared me, but I printed out the directions and dove in. All my knitting has been self-taught by books.
What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
I used baby alpaca because it was pretty on bamboo double pts. I made them for my size 11 feet, but they got put in the dryer accidently (doh!) so now they are a bit snug for Shannon's size 9 feet. She wears them as house socks. They are very warm and fuzzy (now).
What would you have done differently?
Alpaca is super warm and not very strong or elastic. But it was pretty and I hadn't discovered all the knitting blogs yet. Now I use actual sock yarns so that's helped a bit. But not my budget because there are so many beautiful sock yarns out there. Also, superwash yarn is important for gifts so that your recipient will not accidently felt their present. Erin's birthday socks were my next finished pair, made almost exactly the same way but with a superwash sock yarn.
As far as the construction, I like short row heels more. Heel flaps are more fiddly somehow. I think it's the picking up stitches maybe. Somehow it seems like more purling. I like to avoid purling as much as possible.
My approach to knitting is very organic. I try and make mistakes, so I rip and reknit. Patterns are good, but seen as a starting point, and I rarely swatch anything. I've checked out many sock books from my library. Sensational Knitted Socks was so cool though, I bought it.
What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
So far I've used the sock yarns I've used Lion Yarns Magic Stripes, various Knit Picks sock yarns, Cascade Fixation, and some Hello Yarn Superwash Merino Sock Yarn.
I've bought many other yarns, but haven't used them yet. I've got some Koigu, some Trekking, some cotton blends, some Socks that Rock, some elann Esprit to name a few. Buying sock yarn has been a remarkably easy habit to fall into, mainly because I'm a bit cheap and I shop without projects in mind. Whatever calls to me or might be on sale or in the bargin bin ends up in my basket. Usually even when I have a project in mind, I still just buy willy-nilly.
I am noticing the difference in sproingyness with all wool yarns versus wool blend yarns. The Hello Yarn is very awesome. Using the Fixation was strange at first, because yarns don't usually stretch like that, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I'm all about knitting with five double pointed needles; it's the only way I've tried. One of the reasons why for me is my large hands. There's just much more needle to hold on to than with circulars. I usually use wood or plastic for socks because I like how they grip. I do have some metal though. They seem to hold up better in the thinner sizes. My bamboo needles all get bent.
Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
Short-row currently. I've done the turn and wrap and the yarnover method, both are good. I do like the slip stitch patterns for the flaps, but short-rows are harder for me to mess up. I've also played around a bit with the afterthought or peaseant heel. It's cool to knit in a bit of waste yarn and then get to pull it out and decrease to make the heel. Grafting toes is ok with me, so I don't mind grafting a heel together either.
How many pairs have you made?
So far I've only finished two pairs, for Erin and Shannon, but I only took pictures of Shannon's. I've got another pair for Shannon on the needles, and I'm working on two pairs for myself. Currently I'm also making some of the cutest baby socks ever on some Baby Ull, pictures forthcoming.
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