Sock It To Me

For Jane:
All_Socks.jpg

These are my socks. Not all of the socks I have knit because lots of socks get given away but these are the ones I have kept for myself. So far.

Can I just tell you that I love knitting socks? They are pretty much mindless and just when you get sick of a certain part, like the cuff or the leg or the heel, BAM! you’re done and you get to knit a different part. They make the perfect traveling companion because they’re so portable. And, talk about the process! There’s nothing that’s quite about the process as much as sock knitting. Right, Margene?

I know some people don’t enjoy knitting socks and others are obsessed. Can we talk about this? If you don’t knit socks, make me understand why. And if you’re a kindred spirit, tell me what it is you love about sock knitting.

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This Post Has 20 Comments

  1. dear carole i love turning the heel and the kitchener at the end I love the look. ps. next year the 4 of us at rhinebeck. thats all they talked about at fryeburg. I was envious. Met some great gals in the fibre building and now have the spinning bug

  2. What’s not to love about sock knitting? They’re quick, they’re fun, they’re portable, they can be as easy or as challenging as you like, and they’re my most requested gift-knitting. Gotta love socks.

  3. Heh-heh, I think it’s just that I’m a total FREAK. When I saw Sockbug’s wheel of socks, I swooned. And when Cassie and Cari sent me handmade socks, I SWOONED. So what’s wrong with me, then? Dunno. Lazy, maybe. Actually, it might be more along the practical lines: I have a hard time with shoes. I have high arches, and I have a hard time finding shoes (so far, I haven’t) that work well with my handknit socks. That might be part of it. Or it could just be the laziness. 😉

  4. Obviously, I fall among the obsessed. hee hee I love being able to knit something I know will come out right, that will fit, and that I will use all the time. Easy, mindless, and FUN!

  5. Socks kept me knitting when embroidery was my main creative outlet. Once you turn a heel you want that magic over and over…and nothing is as wonderful as wearing your own hand knit socks. I finally have enough to wear a pair everyday and now that the weather has turned…my feet are happy. Give me my socks or give me bare feet!

  6. I’m a new sock knitter – at first I thought they just looked too hard, and too finiky on tiny DPN’s, but I’ve become a rapid convert. I’m only on my second pair, but already own a basket full of sock yarn, several sock pattern books, the Sock Wizard software (what can I say – it was at the checkout counter when I was having an “I need a yarn treat to make myself feel better” day) and really like the way you can tell whether or not you need to make changes like needle size before investing too much time. That you can explore new skills without breaking the bank on yarn. I like that they can be a relatively quick way of making someone you care about a little hug to wear around all day. Okay, that may sound weird, but that’s part of what making socks for someone else means to me. Of course, I’m making some for ME first – just to get my technique better ;o)

  7. I am a new sock knitter myself, and perhaps I have that idealism that many neophytes have… but I have to say that I am totally addicted to the sock knitting. I love the process of it. So much so that I started the little informal sock knitalong Socktoberfest. In fact, this entry falls right in line with my whole intent for the group: talking about socks and sharing the socky love.

    Thanks for the great post. Nice to see all of your socks up there 🙂

  8. I am not crazy about socks. I find them a little tedious and for some reason I have far more trouble with ladders than in any other circular knitting that I have done. (and I have tried DPNs and two circs) I am trying Magic Loop next because I think that socks look like they should be fun and everyone in my family wants some. (They are all big supporters of my knitting).
    All that being said, I just purchased a new sock pattern book last night to hopefully fuel some interest.

  9. Oh Carole, your socks are beautiful. Did you give away the beautiful Vesper socks? Thanks to your help, I was able to order some of my very own. I’m watching for the post right now.

  10. Knitting socks is pretty new to me. I’ve completed one pair and am working on the second (after two false starts, issues with fit which I did not catch very quickly). I resisted for a long time (current object of resistance is spinning) and I won’t say that I’m obsessed with socks, but I enjoy them a lot. I have some of Norma’s concerns, mainly about handknit socks working well with my shoes. Winter’s on its way, though, and I always go around with stocking feet in the house.

  11. I don’t know how to knit socks, but I realllly want to learn. Do you have a reaaallly basic pattern to recommend? What about needles? What needle size is good? Yarn? Which yarn is good that isn’t too expensive?

    I will be mailing your package TOMORROW!

  12. I like the red with blue second from the left. Mmmm.

    I love that they’re portable. fits in my purse and I can always have a pair with me.

  13. I’m right next to you there on the sock bandwagon ;o) I have socks in progress scattered all over my house – not only are they portable but sometimes easily lost…and found…and lost…

  14. Nice collection of socks you’ve got there!

    One of the reasons I love to knit socks is it makes me feel quite clever. Plus they’re terrific small canvasses for experimentation. And everybody (almost everybody anyway) loves socks.

  15. I am also a sock lover! They can go anywhere and everywhere with me. I always have a sock in progress in my pocketbook. You can splurge on fantastically expensive yarns since you only need a couple of balls or skeins and the yarn choices are endless! Cables, lace, texture, color, the pattern choices are as endless as the yarns. What’s not to love?

  17. I love knitting socks because I love wearing my handknitted socks. They are a luxury I give myself. They are also fun to knit, great for experimenting with stitch patterns (sometimes I use a different stitch pattern for each sock, keeps things interesting).

  18. Well, so much for mailing your package on Saturday or today. Ugh! I swear, I DO have a package for you that is ready to go and hasn’t been able to be sent yet. 😛

    Saturday I got there right after the post office closed, and I forgot that today is Columbus Day!

  19. I haven’t knit as many pair as you, but I do think I have a matching set to yours (second from right). My most recent try at socks found me in a gauge tizzy and I finally ripped them out for a third time and set them aside. I cast on another pair this weekend in a different yarn, just for a change. Wish me luck!

  20. Why do I love knitting socks?
    1) I love wearing knitted socks. They’re so soft and comfey. Kind of like wrapping your feet in a hug.
    2) They provide almost instant gratification. Producing a fancy lace shawl can be impressive but takes so long. You can whip out a pair of lovingly knit socks in a weekend and provide happiness to both the wearer and the knitter a lot faster.
    3) You can let your wilder side come out with your colour choices. I wouldn’t wear a pink, green, blue and orange striped sweater, but in socks it’s a definite possibility!

    I could go on and on, but I don’t want to leave to long a comment. 😉

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