Recipe Today At Lime Green Kitchen:
Italian Sausage & Spinach Soup – A spicy Italian style soup. Make extra and freeze it before adding the tortellini. Once the soup is thawed and heated, add the tortellini and continue simmering just til the tortellini is hot.
It’s been a bit over three years since I learned to knit socks. Using 4 double pointed needles (DPN’s) was how I learned. Friends kept telling me about the Magic Loop method where you knit one sock at a time using round needles. I bought the book, I tried it. The partially completed sock has been sitting on the needles for a year or more. Last week, a blog reader told me about a book and knitting two socks at one time on long round needles. I bought the book while in Lake Charles but had to order the needles. Not knowing what size to get, I ordered three different sizes. Got the book out over the weekend and I tried everything but standing on my head. I could not figure it out. In the end, I did figure it out, after starting over about a dozen times. I couldn’t keep my yarn from getting all tangled up. I think it had something to do with Speck sitting on my lap and jumping up and down and getting tangled up in the yarn.
I’ve gone back to my DPN’s but I may try the two socks at one time method again. Sure would be nice to get two socks finished and not have all those first socks made and then having to force myself to make the second one.
Just to prove to you that I do have willpower or self control . . I started knitting these socks while in the hotel on my way to mom’s. I hated the yarn. I’ve never disliked any yarn before. I didn’t like this at all! It’s thick, it’s rough . . I just didn’t like it. I thought to myself . . I’ll knit a little bit longer and maybe I’ll like it better. I didn’t like it any better so I just made some short socks . . just to get finished. But at least I made myself finish them. I knew if I put them down, I’d never go back to them.
It isn’t like I’m ever going to run out of yarn but when I got home a package of sock yarn had arrived.
See the Schaefer Anne and Schaefer Heather tags? That is dream yarn! Love that stuff! Currently I’m knitting the green/pinkish one that you see in the front right. That’s Fleece Artist Hand Maiden/Casbah and it feels really good too. I’m as addicted to sock yarn as I am to fabric. But, isn’t that yarn gorgeous?
Karen says
My first foray into sock knitting was a class teaching the two sock/circular needle method. Big Mistake! And I didn’t have a Speck to blame it on – just me with yarn and tangles everywhere. I even had the book – someday I may try it again but I’m still learning and struggling with the 4 dpn method. Once Christmas projects are finished I’m going to concentrate on the socks. It will be a great take along project for trips – if I ever master it.
Judy D says
This made me laugh. I can’t wait to finish the pair of socks I’m working on so I can try 2 socks on 2 circular needles again. I’ve only done it once so need to try again. And I’ve only been knitting 3 years total all because I wanted to knit socks!
I’m working hard at not having knitting UFOs……..send good thoughts. 😉
I will not buy more yarn, I will not buy more yarn……where was that website again??? 🙂
Jo says
Judy,
I’ve tried the magic loop, and two at a time on one long needle. I think the best way for me to finish 2 at a time, it to have 2 sets of needles going. Work on one sock up to a point, and play catch up w the other. I have only been doing socks for a year, but this works the best for me.
J
Gail says
This is another addiction I can blame on you, Judy. I have started doing socks. I do use the 2 socks on 2 circular needles. I’d never do the second sock otherwise. Never having done another method, I’m happy with this. The first pair I did top down. Then I found another pattern/method and do toe up (short row heels). I’m on my third pair and have at least a drawer full of sock yarn waiting for empty needles. You do have to watch the yarn, but mostly I don’t have too many tangle problems.
Terry says
I tried the Magic Loop method too and just like you was getting all tangled up in the yarn and didn’t like it. I went back to my DPN’s. I recently took a class in making gloves with DPNs and really liked the process. Not as much as socks but I’m glad to know how to do them. I used sock yarn and now I have socks to keep my feet warm and gloves to keep my hands warm. Love all your new yarn. Have fun! Terry
Bobbie says
Judy-not to long ago you told us your best pattern for knitting socks-could you tell me once again the name? I have tryed to do the circular needles and like it, but got so far and “what the heck are they talking about?” Then I got some double pointed needles and I got so confused about them that there they sit>>>>>, stitches casted on and a couple of hours “cussing”. I’m so wanting to learn to knit socks–have tryed–have knitted for years–I’m not going to give up on socks. I have yarn probably for at least 4 pair. Thanks-Hugs, Bobbie
Sue H says
Socks are so much fun! I learned with Cat Bordhi’s book using two circular needles, and it’s second nature to me now. I decided to do two at a time on the circular needles, and I spent as much time untwisting/untangling my yarn as I did knitting! Back to socks one at a time. Your new yarn looks delicious!
Lisa says
The only way I knit socks now is 2 at a time on 2 circulars. I do start mine differently than most people. I try to always use a toe up pattern. I start the first sock and finish the toe. I put those stitches on DPNs. I start the second sock and finish the toe. Then I put the first sock back on the 2 circulars and go from there! When I start the heels, I work them one at a time like I do the toes. This is the only way I will do socks now!
quilterbee says
I have the book two at a time socks on one circular needle. There are a lot of misprints in the patterns so be sure and look that up online and correct the mistakes in the book. Instead of knitting two socks with the book I just knit one sock. I follow just the directions for sock A or just the directions for sock B. Once you learn the magic loop method you can use any pattern for dpn’s knitting them one at a time. Cast on all your stitches for one sock on one needle. Pull both needles out so that your stitches on all on the cable. Count half of them and pull the loop there and slide the divided stitches onto each needle. You just keep your instep stitches on one needle and your heel stitches ( back of sock ) on the other needle. To start hold your needles side by side with the points to the right if you are right handled. Take the first stitch from the needle closest to you and put it on the second needle farthest away. Take the second stitch from the needle farthest away from you and pass it over the stitch you transferred and put it on the needle closest to you. When you start to knit you pull the needle from the needle that is farthest away from you and let those stitches slip down on the cable. Then you knit the front stitches with the needle that was from the back. To knit the second set of stitches slide the stitches you just knit down the cable slip the new stitches up the other needle and knit the new stitches. You will turn your work so that the needles will always be in the beginning positions with both points to the right to start the next set of stitches and the stitches you are going to knit closet to you. You just keep sliding and pulling the stitches and using the needle from the back to bring to the front to knit the front stitches. You will always have this loop inbetween the two sets of stitches. To knit the heel you just let the instep stitches rest on the cable and go back and forth like two seperate needles on the heel and turning of the heel. When it comes to the gusset. I still keep the insteap stitches seperate and the gusset and heel stitcdhes on one needle. Just remember to always pull the back needle out of the stitches as you slide them down the cable so that you are not knitting the socks inside out. The right side of the yarn is facing you except when you are making the heel when you go back and forth for the knit and purl rows. As soon as I am done with the first sock I cast on the second sock and get it started. That way I don’t have one sock done and the other not started.
Cast on tweleve stitches on one needle, divide onto two needles with the loop inbetween and then practice the magic loop way before you start you socks. There are video’s for the magin loop method that are very helpful.
If you do two socks at the same time I read online to put each ball of yarn into two seperate baggies and make a hole for the yarn to go thru and that way your yarn won’t get as tangled as you knit.
Magic Loop is easy once you get the hang of it and you don’t have all the extra needles when you want your socks to knit on the go. I don’t know if it’s faster with all the pulling and pushing of the stitches than the dpn’s because I’ve only knitted with the magic loop method.
Quilterbee
Gina E says
Judy, I am queen of the one-sock-wonders! Why knit a second one? Been there done that! It takes me about a week to knit the first sock and then a month to trudge through the second! I like dpns but recently gave magic loop needle a second try. I have less ladders and I find it more portable because I don’t have to worry about the stitches falling off the ends when I stuff my project in my bag.
Judy says
I’ve tried circular needles also and even tried a class on knitting two socks simultaneously which was a real trip, but I still prefer DPNs. Like Jo, the best finish I’ve ever done is using 2 sets of DPNs and doing a section at a time on each pair of needles. Love your new yarn, and glad to hear that your DH is OK. Hugs.
Lynne in Hawaii says
I tried knitting when I was twelve and drove my mother to sewing! You can alway donate the ‘hated socks from the sucky sock yarn’ to a homeless shelter…anything warm would be appreciated I’m sure!
Bon says
I’m on my second pair of two socks on one needle. One important thing is to put the yarn in separate plastic bags and label the bags A & B. I also found out that the 1st inch is the hardest. Once you get going, it makes sense. I do use more markers than the book calls for just so I can keep track of the instep and the sole. I learned a lot on the first pair.
Christine says
I have persevered with the two socks on one needle and am actually getting the hang of it. Tangling has not been an issue for me and neither has laddering. I had found an error on the pattern I am working on but after reading the comment above I went to the publishers website and downloaded the corrections. Wow! I don’t think anyone tested these patterns before publication. I am sorry that I recommended this book to so many people. I thought I had found a goldmine.