Socks

Mum has been knitting us lovely socks for years. I first had a go a couple of years ago when Black Sheep Wools were giving away a free Christmas sock pattern with the wool. They looked lovely and festive, so I thought I would have a go! This potentially put me off socks for a long time!! They were ‘toe up’ socks and I just didn’t know where to start. Mum started me off and I did eventually finish one sock, but it was very slow going as there were cable patterns and bobbles all the way up!! I didn’t start the second sock for at least another year!!!

Getting that toe part started and getting going is really fiddly, as there just isn’t much space while there aren’t many stitches. I persevered though, and finally got a pair of festive socks, which I wore a lot in December! They are quite big, so nice and warm over normal socks, like a pair of slippers.

While these were quite fiddly and slow, I did quite like knitting on dpns (double pointed needles) and the sense of achievement of something new. I had already had good intentions of making more socks (before I did these), and my daughter had picked some sock wool on one of my many visits to Black Sheep, so I now had to try some more, but definitely a simple pair.

This time I did an ‘after thought heel’ pattern which mum had left with me. They start at the cuff, so a lot easier to start.

The after thought heel is quite clever too. When you reach where the heel needs to be you knit a section with a separate piece of wool, and then carry on with the foot. When you have finished the toe, you go back and pick up the stitches below and above this separate piece, and then pull out the separate piece, and just knit the heel! Finishing at the toe was easier than starting there… And when you get down to the last stitches, finish off with a kitchener stitch. I had never heard of this, but as ever Google and YouTube are your friend!

So these were really easy to just pick up and knit a bit whenever as no pattern, but with lovely wool that stripes they look great! These came out a bit large, but may shrink a bit when I wash them. I even managed to start them at roughly the same sequence in the wool, so they stripe in the same place on both socks!!

You could say I also have the sock bug now!! Hubby nipped out between Christmas and New Year, and bought me a full set of Knit Pro Zing dpns, and then I ordered a few more balls of sock wool. I bought more than I really needed to get free delivery (that’s my excuse). Obviously, if Paul had told me he was going to Black Sheep when he did, I would have gone and bought some then, and still bought more than I need!!