2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Moderators: rcperryls, Rose, karen4bells, Serinde, Alex

User avatar
starshine123102
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:21 am
Location: CT, USA

Re: Knitting Socks - FINISHED!

Post by starshine123102 »

I finished my second pair of socks the other day!!! I really like them and they are so warm and comfy :D

My next pair is going to have cables that look like owls and I want to make them with a yak blend yarn so that they are extra soft and warm!

Image
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
User avatar
NeedleAndFork
Posts: 980
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2013 5:05 am

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by NeedleAndFork »

GOod grief, you are fast!! And wow, I do love that yarn combined with that pattern, it's a perfect match! My heart goes pitter patter at the little stripes on the sole.

Have you blocked the socks yet since finishing them? If not, I would suggest doing that - soak in warm water and then dry them on sock blockers - you can make a pair out of wire hangers or heavy cardstock wrapped in duct tape. Doing this helps your tension even out, and helps a lot with the visible line you get down each side of the cuff at the spot between your needles.
My blog: Obsessed With Thread

My WIPs: Kimono Lantern Mermaid, Rovaris Alphabet Sampler Christmas Ornaments

Participant of: Ornament a Month SAL, Stitch from Stash Challenge
User avatar
littleturtlegirl
Posts: 1259
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 9:51 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by littleturtlegirl »

Wow they look GREAT!!! You are one fast knitter!
User avatar
Lulu22
Posts: 2307
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:26 am

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by Lulu22 »

Great socks I'm looking forward to seeing the next pair :applesauce:
WIPS
Snow
Gamer Nouveau
Clara
Meadow
User avatar
karen4bells
Posts: 21817
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 3:53 pm
Location: Florida

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by karen4bells »

:applesauce: :applesauce: :applesauce: :wub: oh those are sooooooooo pretty!!! Nicely done!! :applesauce: :applesauce: :applesauce:
Work in Progress
Dimensions Passion Flower Angel
Tempting Tangles Welcome SAL
Various small designs


DahliaDoll
Posts: 536
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 2:54 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest
Contact:

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by DahliaDoll »

Beautiful. Looks like the fit perfectly! Nice work.
My Blog: Crafting is My Busy-Ness

乁( •_• )ㄏ
User avatar
Oriettait
Posts: 3997
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:37 am
Location: Italy

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by Oriettait »

Congratulations for the finish! They look beautiful and so confy! :applesauce:
--
Leave nothing on the beach except footprints
:wip:
HAED World Travel Bookshelf
HAED Tree frog
HAED QS Ladybug
HAED Dragon Rip
Instagram @oriettait
User avatar
starshine123102
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:21 am
Location: CT, USA

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by starshine123102 »

Thank you for all the kind words!

Thanks for the suggestion NeedleandFork. I haven't blocked them yet, but i did hand wash them once after wearing them. I don't have sock blockers and not sure that i'm brave enough to attempt making them.

Won't blocking them just make the incredibly noticeable line down the front center of my foot even worse since that's where they would bend around the blocker??
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
User avatar
NeedleAndFork
Posts: 980
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2013 5:05 am

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by NeedleAndFork »

starshine123102 wrote:Thank you for all the kind words!

Thanks for the suggestion NeedleandFork. I haven't blocked them yet, but i did hand wash them once after wearing them. I don't have sock blockers and not sure that i'm brave enough to attempt making them.

Won't blocking them just make the incredibly noticeable line down the front center of my foot even worse since that's where they would bend around the blocker??
Hmm. I never thought about that - my sock blockers aren't 'flat' .. I bought myself a pair of these once I got serious about knitting socks:

Image

They're fairly thick with a rounded edge, so there is no sharp edge to line up with anything. That said, if you're stitching on double pointed needles, you'll have potential ladders in 4 places 2 of which will be along the edge of the sock blockers. If you're using a circular and doing magic loop you only have potential ladders in 2 places - and they fall along the flat part of the blocker, not the edge.

Of course, the best solution is to work on not letting those ladders happen in the first place. I always tug the first 2 stitches on my needle extra tight. Sometimes if that's not helping then unless the pattern is too confusing to do so, I 'travel' my stitches around my needles a bit.. doing one extra stitch from the next needle onto the needle I just finished putting my stitches on before using the empty needle again (assuming you're using double pointed needles that is) - this way the 'edges' of my knitting are constantly moving, so the stitches that are slightly looser from changing out the needle are not in a stacked row - and they even out during blocking. I just make sure that before I have to do any shaping - heels, toes, etc, I rearrange the stitches on my needle the way they're suppose to be. I just stick a stitch marker where the start of the round is when doing this to make sure I start following the next line of the pattern when I come to it.
My blog: Obsessed With Thread

My WIPs: Kimono Lantern Mermaid, Rovaris Alphabet Sampler Christmas Ornaments

Participant of: Ornament a Month SAL, Stitch from Stash Challenge
User avatar
starshine123102
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:21 am
Location: CT, USA

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by starshine123102 »

That's a good idea.....I never thought of that.

Would pulling too tight makes lines too, I feel like that is what I did. I do mine on DPNs. I desperately want to learn to do them on circulars so I can do both pairs at once but I get REALLY REALLY REALLY bad ladders, no matter how much I try and pull my stitches close.
Michelle
:ratherbe:


2016 FINISHES:
All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears


2017 WIP:
Christmas House
User avatar
NeedleAndFork
Posts: 980
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2013 5:05 am

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by NeedleAndFork »

starshine123102 wrote:That's a good idea.....I never thought of that.

Would pulling too tight makes lines too, I feel like that is what I did. I do mine on DPNs. I desperately want to learn to do them on circulars so I can do both pairs at once but I get REALLY REALLY REALLY bad ladders, no matter how much I try and pull my stitches close.
Unless you're pulling impossibly tight, I doubt it. I've never heard of anyone getting ladders from pulling too tight on the edge stitches! The ladders are formed 2 different ways - one is because the stitches are loose at the transition point and the other is because the gap between the two needles pull a little when you're not working on them. So knitting the first stitch or two extra tight would counter that - it would even out with the tension that is put on the gap.

As for circulars, they're not that hard - I do know how to do 2 at a time, but usually prefer to do that only for socks that are plain stockinette or a simple pattern like ribbing. Anything that has me referring to the pattern beyond the first couple of rows I prefer to knit one at a time because otherwise I spend more time figuring out what is going on and it slows me down. If you're getting ladders on your socks using a circular, maybe try a longer cord, and one with more flexibility so that it bends more easily. What brand needles are you using? My two favorites are KnitPicks circulars (I have a full set of each of the harmony and the nickel ones and love them both) as well as Addi Turbos - though the tips on those are rather blunt, so they can be frustrating to work on if the pattern needs a lot of manipulating. There's a good reason some people call them Addi Stumpos. :lol: I usually knit a single sock on 32" or 40" cables using magic loop, that gives me plenty of space for the cable to hold the other half of the sock as well as leave some on each side so that it is easy to knit with. If you don't have a cable that long, you could use two of the same size needle - though I would make sure they are also of the same brand. There are slight differences between needles of each brand, and things such as the material they're made of and how pointy the tips are can make a difference in your tension and gauge. Not usually enough to have to affect your needle size, but enough that they'll affect a sock if used together for the front and back.

The other thing I can suggest of course is practice. Find the wildest sock yarn you can get your hands on (to make it fun.. or use any yarn you want) and just knit a tube in stockinette with the number of stitches you need to make a pair of socks - try out different needles, knitting the first stitch tighter, normally, using circulars, and DPNs.. in fact, I would do each for 3-4 inches and mark where you change to a different method or technique with a loop of thread. This way you can look at it and compare the effects each technique had and use it to adjust your knitting. And when you're done, cut the tube in half, knit a toe on each end, figure out where a heel should go and work an afterthought heel, and put a bit of ribbing on the other end, and you've got a pair of socks out of the learning exercise! :) In fact I've deliberately made socks this way many times when I want something to keep my hands busy but know I won't be able to follow a pattern so I just do lots of stockinette. It's a great way to use those crazy sock yarns that don't seem to work right for any other pattern.

Here's a great tutorial on the Afterthought Heel incase you're not familiar with it.
My blog: Obsessed With Thread

My WIPs: Kimono Lantern Mermaid, Rovaris Alphabet Sampler Christmas Ornaments

Participant of: Ornament a Month SAL, Stitch from Stash Challenge
User avatar
mauveme
Posts: 8847
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: 2 pairs of Socks - FINISHED!

Post by mauveme »

They are fabulous, I love jazzy socks.
Linda
Post Reply