Have I mentioned before, the only good sock is one on your foot NOT on your needles? For a long time I've felt that a person might as well knit a sweater for all the work done when making a pair of socks!
I have always hated to knit socks, but loved to wear handknit socks soooo…
This is what I’ll be doing for awhile... NO problem!
Today I received an article from Knitting Daily entitled,10 Tips for Longer-Lasting Socks. There were several tips that I wanted to remember and pass along:
* Don't wind your yarn into a cake until you're ready to knit. Winding a skein into a cake pulls fibers taught and over months the yarn could lose its ability to spring back into shape.
* Go down one needle size (or more) when knitting the feet. If a label calls for a US 2 needle, knit the foot of the sock on a US 1, or even a US 0 so you get a dense fabric that holds up to wear.
* Turn socks inside-out when washing. That way the inside of the sock gets a fuzzy halo over time, and not the outside.
* Lay socks flat to dry. Over time, machine drying will lessen stitch definition and make socks look worn. The intense heat of drying might also break down fibers.
—Allison Van Zandt, Simply Socks Yarn Company
I got that email too and I think it has some pretty good advice (although I'm not sure about using 0s to knit a sock). The idea of a drawer full of handknit socks is really enticing but they definitely are a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteI'm coming with my sock yarn...I hope your right!
ReplyDeleteI, too, loved the helpful hints from Knitting Daily. My go-to pattern for vanilla socks is very much like the one you've found. Mine is Kim Haesemeyer's original sock pattern/tutorial. I use 56 stitches on US 1 dpns. I've personalized the pattern over the last few years...cast on, 55 rows k2p2 since I like a long cuff, then 10 rows of stockinette before the heel flap. Just my taste.......
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