The concept of knitting your own socks is mind-blowing to most people, especially non-knitters.
“Why make your own socks?” they ask, “When you can buy them for $1 a pair at Wal-mart!”
To this I just chuckle secretly inside because they don’t know. They don’t know the joy and purpose and the satisfaction of knitting a sock.
Whether or not you’ve ever knitted socks, I think you’ll understand this if you are crafty at all.
Socks are brilliant to knit because:
1. They are so darned tedious and use such tiny stitches that just the mere fact that you put that much effort into something for your FEET means you must REALLY love yourself (or the recipient). In short, it makes you FEEL LOVED!
2. You feel SO smart when you’ve finished because you’ve successfully worked the toe, the foot, the heel turn (most impressive) , the leg and the cuff. WOW. I mean, WOW. Who DOES this?!?! YOU DO! That’s who.
3. They are PORT-A-BLE! Going on a trip? Don’t sweat. Need a tiny project to stuff in your purse as you dash out of the house for the doctor’s office or the movies? Socks are SO tiny they don’t take up much room at all! We’ll say, virtually none. 😀
4. Sock yarn does NOT count as stash. Therefore, you can buy as much yarn as you want and never feel guilty! WOO HOO!!! Shopping spree, here I COME!
5. What else? I’m sure there’s more.
6. Oh, yes. You’ll never tire of making them because there are endless patterns available!! You can start at the toe and work up, start at the cuff and work down, start in the middle and do wild and crazy tricks like the amazing Cat Bordhi… you can do a basic ribbed sock, or a stockinette stitch sock, or do any number of fancy cable stitches, lace work, colorwork or what-have-you. WHEW! The options are truly endless.
7. You never run out of the NEED for them! Even if you could manage to knit SO many socks for yourself that you simply couldn’t stuff another pair into your drawers (dresser drawers, that is), there’s always your fella or kiddo or mom or best friend or sis or SOMEONE! And even if you managed to perform an unheard of feat and knit enough socks for EVERYBODY you know, then you would STILL need to make more because…
8. Socks wear out. OH, YES! The sweetness of it all! You wear them on your FEET, and thus they just won’t last forever. And that’s the coolest thing. There is always a need. Aren’t you so helpful and useful? Yes, you are!
9. What else? Hmmm..
10. They’re just so darned cutttte! Who doesn’t love colorful, hand-made socks to wrap their tootsies in love? I know I do and I am wildly in love with these socks I made:
I made these with my MidSummer Night’s Dream sock yarn (named by my mom! LOVE YOU, MAMA!!! With my whole heart!)
This is Superwash Merino Wool (so it’s machine-washable, baby! Yeah! And dryer-dryable!)
1 skein makes 1 pair of small or medium women’s socks. If you’re making men’s socks, get two.
Now, you’re asking what pattern I used, huh?
Yikers. I didn’t use one. I KNOW! Don’t be mad!
I’ll tell you what I did though, and provide super helpful links for you so you can recreate them!
NEEDLES: Size US 2
I worked 1 sock at a time, using a long circular needle and the Magic Loop Method. (You can use DPN’S if you like! Double pointed needles)
I worked a round toe and increased until I had 60 stitches. Â I usually prefer to start at the toe because it just “feels right” to me; like building a building from the ground up or something.
From there, worked 2×2 ribbing for the instep (top of the foot), with stockinette stitch on the sole. I used a short row heel, then a few more inches of solid 2×2 ribbing, a few inches of 1×1 twisted rib and then another half inch of so of 2×2 ribbing.
CONFUSED yet?
Sorry! Here is a pattern that should get you a very close result:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/straight-up-socks
So there you have it. Beautiful socks for warm, loved feetsies.
Now I want to hear from YOU! Have you ever made socks? If not, what are you waiting for?
Over and out. Have a beautiful week!
~Chandi
I so love knitting socks, but have not tried from the toe up. I usually knit both the cuffs first, so I can get on to the ‘exciting’ bit of the heel flap and turning the heel asap. I have learnt to do kitchener stitch for toes as on my first pair of socks I used the 3 needle cast off and didn’t like the lumpy sock toe. Was very pleased when no less than an Icelandic colleague noticed my kitchener stitched toed socks and asked how to do it. Have already taught one Norwegian lady kitchener stitch as she didn’t like the ‘thread the yarn through remaining stitches’ technique.
My socks are usualy knit on 6 or 8 mm needles, as I am so impatient to get a new pair of socks;-)
Marion
Do you have a pattern for the socks that you knit? I too am impatient and would rather knit on larger needles.
thanks
Dani
Chandi! Love the colors in the yarn, and how wonderful this yarn looks as a sock! I just finished my very first pair of socks knitting top down. Yay!! I have made many single socks before, but they never fit and I didn’t go on to finish a pair. Really appreciate that you included the Ravelry link for this toe up sock with tutorial — can’t wait to try it out!
I LOVE knitting socks. I have 2 pair on needles now, although I haven’t worked on them for awhile. I am currently doing felted slippers, so my sock knitting is on hiatus, but is still there, waiting on me (one pair in my purse and one on my side table. I knit mine toe-up, two at a time on two circular needles, usually a US 2. The last pair I finished were from a pattern in my head (I do that too, Chandi!) I have a skein of your yarn waiting to be made into socks as soon as I get a set of needles free – and get done knitting these slippers!
hmmmm, $.50 a sock. this doesn’t excite me. i prefer to browse thru the sock yarn to pick one out. of course, this means i’ll pick out at least 2 different balls. i have a little bag that will hold one ball of yarn. i can knit my socks at the doc or dentists office. i get excited when i start to see the color pattern showing itself. it’s hard to put my knitting down for anything, food phone, bedtime, etc. i enjoy watching how the whole color pattern unfolds, especially with turning the heel. if it’s not a lengthy pattern, i’ll start the second to match. if it’s not, that comes out just fine, too. i love looking at my socks the whole time i’m knitting them. others have noticed & want me to knit a pair. i get to show them off when changing into sneakers to work out at curves. i try to match colors up a little when i get dressed. my feet love them! everyone loves getting them for a gift.
my $1.00 for a pair of white socks from wal*mart doesn’t even cover the price of entertainment knitting my own socks. 😀
I LOVE making socks. A trick I learned that feels good to my feet is that I use a knit one, slip one pattern on the instep, all the way through the heel flap. I have plantar’s fascitis, which is inflamation in the heel bone (precursor to bone spurs), so it also pads my heel a bit. Try it if you have foot pain, it’s great!
I always have a pair on my needles, even when working on other things, because they are so wonderfully portable. You are so right!
Oops. The instep is normal, the sole is the knit one, slip one. Although I’ve also done all knit one, slip one, top and bottom.
Right now I am in the 3/4 phase of a pair for my husband. I have probably 10 pair in my queue along with the yarn to do them.. Nothing says satisfaction like finishing a pair and just wearing them. I made myself a promise to do 12 pairs this year.
I love making socks. Toe upp, Cuff down, 2 at a time. Basic pattern, lace pattern. Colorway is next. I agree with everything you said about socks. And I love giving them as gifts. There is a lot of love put in to the knitted/crochet things we make.
Socks rock! After years of making felted purses I wanted something small and more portable. That was 7 years ago and I haven’t looked back. Handknit socks feel wonderful on your feet, and I love watching the color unfold as I knit. You simply cannot grow tired of it! And it makes me feel like an artist!
Omg, I love love love knitting socks! They are probably one of my favorite things to knit. Knitting fingerless mittens are probably my second favorite project. I have about three pairs of socks in the works right now ^^
Love your blog Chandi!
I still have yet to tackle a pair of socks. I would however love to make myself some slippers, just like socks, are in a high demand for your feet as they get swallowed by the monsters under your bed and in your closet constantly (or you just can never find them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).
I walk around my house in regular socks all the time and I don’t think my washing machine and detergent appreciate all of the dirt embedded in them from doing so. One day I shall knit a pair of socks, I don’t quite think that day will be today however.
I love knitting socks – they’re one of the best things to knit, ever! I nearly always give them away as gifts, especially at Christmas and the one year I didn’t my family were so upset with me that I had to knit manically for the last two weeks to Christmas to make it up to them all! I do of course knit socks for myself and have to say that hand knitted socks are by far the most comfortable socks you will ever wear, well worth the time and always knitted with love!
Just recently did I finally “get” knitting. Crochet I know, knitting seemed out of reach. Very excited to work my way up to making a pair of socks in the future. Thanks for all your inspiration and yarn goodies!
I have never made socks before. I think I will try to make some for my daughters for Christmas this year. I’m going to need a lot of time to practice in case I mess up!
glad to know sock yarn does not count as stash, just reduced mine by about a 1\3. ok not quite that much but still. have been making socks all winter using toe up method. can do the pattern by heart now so it goes where ever i go. keeps feet much warmer.
Thank you for sharing, I love your yarn and all of the great ideas. I bought some of this color and can’t wait to try my first pair of socks. I love to crochet but am new to knitting.
Oh yes! I knit socks! from 1999 to 2007, I knit socks, and only had 9 pairs in my dresser drawer, and I commented to my knit group about that. Someone said: “But you’ve been giving socks away for [ …at least … ] 7 years” …. and I had to think about that! So, I started to be a Selfish Knitter (see Ravelry groups!!!!), and I now have 37+ pairs of socks in MY sock drawer – but I also counted up the socks I knit for others …. over 75 pairs in those 8 years! Ima keep on knitting socks for “me” (and now have to “darn” some that have indeed been worn – a lot!!!! – they might have to go to the “archive”!)
Beautiful socks! I’ve never used short rows to turn a heel, and I’m curious – what method did you use? Wrap and turn? Japanese? I didn’t see any little gaps, so I thought I’d ask.
I love knitting socks.. and wearing home made ones.. they seem more snuggly than store bought ones.. Love your patterns.. and will try knitting from the toe up.. makes more sense to me!! Thanks!
I truly understand your excitement and wonder and just plain satisfaction at knitting socks! I crochet and cannot say enough about a hand crafted pair of socks! Everyone should experience the luxury of owning at least one pair. It is exceptionally satisfying to create socks…
I started “toe-up” socks years ago when I was gifted a stash of sock yarn. The first time I ran out of yarn on the 2nd toe, I cursed, and frogged and swore, never to do another top down sock.
I have been true to my plan so far, using http://tiajudy.com/soxform.htm for all of my socks. Success!
Absolutely love you, your philosophy and of course your beautiful yarns! Would you consider doing a tutorial video on making socks? I have tried several different times to knit a pair of socks and it always ends in frustration. I did see your video on how to start a magic ring (knit in the round) and know that if I practiced it enough I would more than likely get it, but would love to purchase some of your sock yarn and try again to knit a pair of socks. Having a good tutorial video would surely help those of us who have had some trouble mastering the lost art of sock knitting!
I adore knitting socks. I’m excited because my younger daughter is moving to Wisconsin for grad school….much more need for warm woolly things there. (She is currently in Arizona, and I am in Florida.) I have two pairs going at the moment, one for me and one for my husband.
I love knitting socks using magic loop. I presently have two pairs on the go and most recently started knitting newborn socks. They make up fast and it is so much fun to see the final result. I think I will be knitting socks for a long time to come as the sock yarn is so much fun to see the final pattern and the wonderful colors that are worked together.
I have recently started butting socks and I love it. I have only been doing stockenette stitch but am feeling like trying out a pattern. I do toe up socks because it allows me to decide how much leg I want on my sock.
I am actually knitting a pair right now. My first with double pointed needles. I’ve done a few others using two circular needles, the next is to try the magic loop.