Over three years ago, I began to knit socks as Christmas gifts for my family. It was so much fun, that knitting socks has continued as a year-round project for me. This takes up so little room in our RV and it is a project that can be picked up and put away at a moment's notice.
The inspiration for this blog came to me while camping in Maine during the summer of 2021. My husband and I were visiting friends and we began talking about crafts and the subject of knitting socks came up ... and too bad that we were not living closer so that I could teach Terry and her two daughters how to knit socks. I offered to make little videos demonstrating all the steps and they seemed excited to be learning this craft via video clips. Then, the thought came to me that perhaps others would also be interested in learning crafts in this manner. What better way to convey information regarding crafts that I find enjoyable! I was unsuccessful in emailing the first video to Terry ... it was too large. It seems that a blog was a good solution to this problem. That is how the idea of a crafting blog came into being. I am not making any money from this blog ... just making sock knitters with my first blog post !!
The pattern that I used as a basis for the women's sock (fits shoe size to 10) that will be demonstrated in this post, can be purchased through Amazon.com. The title is "Love of Knitting Socks Paperback" (ISBN-13: 978-1464708671).
For yarn, I have had such good luck with "Knit Picks" Washable Wool Fingering Weight Yarn. The yardage of around 462 yards will easily make a pair of either women's or men's socks. If the yardage is around 357 yards, I would recommend making a pair of women's socks with it. This yarn can be found through either Amazon.com or KnitPicks.com.
For your first few pairs of socks, I would suggest that you choose a light colored yarn and light colored double-pointed knitting needles. It makes things so much easier to see and understand what the stitches are supposed to look like.
The following items can be found at KnitPicks.com:
A set of double-pointed knitting needles size 2 (2.75 mm) such as Clover Takumi Bamboo Double-Pointed Knitting Needles 7". For the majority of the sock, you will be using four needles; but, at one point you will be using five. So make sure the needle set contains at least five needles.
Knitting Accessory Set for Socks. This set contains row markers, stitch markers, tip protectors, and a needle for sewing up the toe and weaving in yarn ends.
The following item can be found at Amazon.com:
Lion Brand Yarn 400-5-1002 Stitch Holders, Set of 3
A yarn bowl is extremely useful to hold your ball of yarn from taking off on its own. This is a treat ... but not a necessity.
First order of business, whether your yarn comes in a hank or a skein, roll it into a ball. If you don't have someone to hold open the hank of yarn while you roll it into a ball, a Yarn Swift can be purchased through KnitPicks.com (well worth the investment).
The following Instructional Videos (to be posted at the end of this blog...and recorded in our kitchen... break down the different parts of sock construction:
Casting onto Needles
First Two Rows of the Stitch Pattern (announced as Video 1 but is actually Video 2)
Center Back Marker
First of the Row Markers
Heel Flap
Turn Heel
Heel Gusset
Shape Gusset
Foot
Shape Toe
Finishing
BONUS - How to connect two pieces of yarn ... mid-row