Sock Methodology

Yesterday a reader left a comment:

Pretty socks! Love the color! Would these be good for a beginner, as in *I’ve never held knitting needles before* type of beginner? ? Or should I aim a bit lower? lol

Whether she was serious or not, here’s my response. I would not recommend starting with a sock if you’ve never knit before. I would recommend making something that is very simple, something you can rip back and start over, or even clip the yarn and throw away what you’ve done so far if you’re messing up. Holding knitting needles comfortably and working them proficiently requires a bit of practice. I’ve never known anyone to pick up needles and yarn for the first time ever and not experience quite a bit of frustration, as well as some less than amazing work.

You can watch a few youtube videos, buy some needles and yarn and practice til you’re feeling comfortable. Socks are not hard but I would suggest you feel comfortable knitting before trying socks.

Here’s a cute little diagram for the different parts of a sock.

Having said all that, there are so many ways to make socks. Here are a few ways:

• Double point needles
• Circular needles
• Two at a Time with two sets of circular needles
• Two at a time with one set of circular circular needles

As if that isn’t enough of a decision, there are toe up and cuff down patterns. As it sounds, toe up socks start at the toe, you work across the foot, do the heel, work up the leg, do the cuff and bind off. Cuff down are just the opposite – start with the cuff, work the leg, then the heel, then the foot, then the toe and bind off. Some like toe up, some like cuff down better. Some say one method or the other fits better. One thing for sure: The foot pretty much has to be a given length. If you’re doing toe up, you make the foot and the heel and by the time you start up the leg, you have a good idea how much yarn you have so you can make the leg as long as you want, based on the amount of yarn you have. If doing cuff down (or toe up),  you can always make the toe, cuff and heel a different color if you’re running short of yarn.

There are so many heel varieties. You can read about quite a few of the varieties here. Most heels are fairly interchangeable so if you find one you love, and the pattern you’re using calls for something different, read through it and see if you are comfortable switching instructions. Some folks have high insteps and need a taller heel. Some folks have narrow heels. Some have wider heels. Some like one heel over another for a variety of reasons.

I learned to knit socks on double point needles, cuff down and that’s the only way I knitted them for probably 6 or 8 years. The first time I tried magic loop, I think I ripped back and sent back to double points. I tried toe up a dozen times before I got it right. For many years I avoided all patterns that were toe up but now, I’m equally comfortable with either method.

My advice if you’re wanting to make socks:

1. Pick a pattern. Start with something simple. If using a Ravelry pattern, see what others have rated it and look at the comments. If there are questions about numbers not being correct, don’t try it as your first pattern.
2. Pick a yarn. Fingering weight is what most sock patterns call for. It’s also known as “sock yarn”. I prefer sock yarn with at least some nylon content. In my opinion, 100% wool fingering weight yarn is best for shawls and not something that gets as much wear as socks.
3. Pick your needles. There are bamboo, wood, metals, various plastics. I prefer metal. I’ve always found bamboo to be a bit snaggy. I break wooden needles – either in my knitting bag or I sit on them when I leave my knitting in my chair, think I’ve picked it up and sit down. Some people say metal needles are cold and make their hands ache. The only time I don’t like metal is when I’m knitting late at night (like all the time!). The light reflects of the tips and bothers my eyes sometimes.

So . . if you want to knit socks, there are all kinds of options out there. Pick one and try it. If you’re not thrilled once you feel like you know what you’re doing, try another method. Keep trying . . try all the methods. They’re all fun and you never know which method you may like best.