Wednesday, September 22, 2010

In case anyone wants to try this method..

Knitting two socks at one time is actually very easy if you are already familiar with sock construction - the only thing *I* find fiddly is starting them up. But I am truly terribly at reading knitting patterns and kind of 'visually' comprehending some things like this. My brain just doesn't do some things very well, you know? That's why it worked out very well this time by casting on each sock separately on double point needles, like I would normally, knitting a few rows and then transferring that to the circular needles. Repeat for the 2nd sock and then you have two socks ready to go.

I have this book as a guide in case I get stuck:

It's a very handy book and comes with a bunch of patterns too! If you are doing a fairly simple pattern, this really is the way to go for knitting socks, IMHO. You don't have to worry about making notes on how long of a heel flap you did, how many inches of ribbing there are, how many stitches you have decreased on the toe, or anything really because you are knitting them in tandem and what you do to one, you do to the other on the same row. It's the same amount of knitting, obviously, as doing them one at a time but for whatever reason, they seem to knit up so much faster this way.

9 comments:

Marnie/Marz/PlayerVSHobbies said...

How long of a circular do you use for two at a time?

Margaret said...

Thanks -- may have to get this book! First I have to learn how to knit socks. lol!

Sylvia said...

Alright, I am sold. Amazon here I come....:)

Melanie said...

I use the 24 inch long circs from Knitpicks. I think the book says to use a 16 (?) and a 24 so that you can keep track of which side is the front/back but, hello, isn't that what locking stitch markers are for? I found the 16 inch circs from Knitpicks to be too short and realllllllly tight when doing the gusset, because there are so many more stitches on the needles at that point. Plus, anything smaller than the 24 inch also has a shorter needle, which I find difficult to work with - it's like half the size of a regular sock needle - not enough to really hold onto. The 24 inch and up ones, at least from Knitpicks, have a longer needle that is closer to a normal sock needle.
Having said that, a 16 inch circular is handy to have when doing thumbs on mittens. :)

Melanie

Julie said...

Having only just mastered the art of the 4 double ended pins, i'll stick to that i think, this looks way too complicated for my brain!

Love the wooden sock shape thats inside your sock on the post below

Melanie said...

That particular sock blocker I purchased from The Loopy Ewe but I also have a couple others that the hubby made me - small bit of wood, a saw, and a splash of wood stain. Pretty easy to make. I have them hanging up on a peg in my dining room when I'm not using them - they make great decorations even when you're not using them for picture taking. :)

Leslie said...

That is great.
However.. I am not even brave enough to knit ONE sock
Have a great sunday

Pumpkin said...

Okay Melanie, I can't even get one done at a time, let along TWO! ROFL!

Anonymous said...

I met this author last summer when we were on vacation. She is so terrific. She has a great little shop in Maryville, Tennessee.

I so want to move there --- the town is great, but having her shop at my LYS would be awesome!