12.9.11

socks!

sock knitting
sock knitting
sock knitting
no 1: swish dk dove heather
no 2: schoeller+stahl fortissima
no 3:  noro silk garden
no 4: (l) swish (r) noro

it seems all i knit this summer were socks.  it was an unexpectedly busy whirlwind of a couple months, and having a small, easy knitting project with me at all times was such a stress reliever.  i knit the majority of the swish dk dove heather socks during the emergency hospital trip for doug's uncle.  another pair over the three-day trip for his memorial service.  you'd think it would be time for a break, but i'm halfway through another pair using this amazing wool.

i find knitting socks on small circular needles is the most comfortable and fastest method for me.  i started the noro silk garden socks on the magic loop method, but switched back over to smaller circular needles halfway through the cuff.  everything kept getting so tangled and i just couldn't get the feel for it.

i found this sock chart to be my absolute best friend, no matter if i'm making a sock with a gusset or doing short rows for the heel and toe.  i heard a lot of people discourage short row heels saying the fit wasn't as nice, but i find it to be just as comfortable and a whole lot easier and nicer looking.  i read this tutorial to help me out.   

out of this group of socks, i really love knitpicks swish (knits up fast and is so soft), plymouth zino (no. 10 colorway is beautiful) and schoeller+stahl fortissima (first yarn i ever bought - i still hadn't used it!) sock yarns.  i was pretty disappointed with the noro silk garden wool though.  to me, it was overpriced, not that soft, uneven (i kid you not, both the cuffs are the exact number of rows, and one is shorter! gah!) and extra work to knit since the wool was broken in a couple places, making more ends to weave in.

no matter, i'm pretty pleased with my growing arsenal of hand-knit socks for this upcoming winter!

edit: i got a couple questions about what type of circular needles i use, so i thought i'd answer here.  i really love hiya hiya 12" in either steel or bamboo.  the 9" circulars are just a teeny bit small and awkward in my hands, but those are great if you prefer them.  except for stretching that first row in the round on the 12" circulars, i think the larger size is perfect for an adult sized sock.  my favorite needle size for socks depends on the yarn, but my US 3's and 4's always seem to be hard to find, meaning i use them a lot!

10 comments:

  1. those are so pretty, elly! i love simple socks -- those are the only ones i knit. and i'm not a fan of anything noro, to be honest. but will you let us know how well the swish holds up over time? i've had terrible luck with knitpicks yarns that purport to be superwash but then deteriorate in the wash.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks so much for this post! I've been contemplating knitting socks for a while now, and all of the info/links/beautiful pictures you provide were just the motivator I need to get going.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have to thank you for linking to that sock chart and short row heel tutorial! You've inspired me to knit a Kaari sweater and to just keep things simple (simple things are my favorite knits, too). I can't wait to see what other projects you have lined up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What pretty socks! This summer I have been trying to "get into" socks, but I've been having a hard time. I'm using dpn's, and I think they are a bit too fiddly for me. What brand of tiny circs do you use?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your grey swish socks are gorgeous, grey and simple - my two favourite qualities in a sock! I have been busy knitting socks too so thanks for all the tips! I may have to consult you as I am currently stuck having just finished the heel flap :S

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh you are putting me to shame - and giving me the kick in the butt i needed to finish the pair i have been knitting on for months now. off to go knit! (your socks all are very pretty!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd love to know what brand/size/length of circs you use...I think that dpn's are the very thing that have kept me from casting on a pair of socks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. thanks so much everyone! kelly, i'm interested to see how the swish does too since it doesn't have any acrylic in it. so far, so good!

    i just answered the circular brand/size/length question in the post for everyone who was interested - have fun knitting those socks, people!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm hoping to knit my first socks soon, thanks for the tips!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi,
    never heard about swish, but they look so nice, I will look them up! Completely agree with you on the Noro - knitted up a lovely looking long pair (first one ever for myself) and on the third wear they both got holes in the heels :0( I can't tell how upset I still am - this only happened last week.
    I would really love to finally find a sock yarn that actually makes nice and lasting socks even when machine washed and dried. Btw. the Noro ones I only handwashed a couple of times.
    Thanks for the review... hope you'll do some more!!!

    ReplyDelete