Happy I Love Yarn Day
I do love the socks. They are small. They knit up quickly. They are complicated enough that they are interesting, but not too complicated that I can’t watch a movie or something while knitting. They are useful and they feel good. I have gotten good enough at it that they fit right and don’t make me walk funny (like the first pair I knitted.) Also, there is something meditative about the process – I’ll have to think some more about the Zen of knitting.
Click here for my Basic Sock Directions
My words of advice – buy the best yarn you can afford. There are great washable wool and other luxury blended fiber yarns available. Natural fibers feel SO much better (and wear better) than the cheap stuff. Most socks only take one skein or ball of yarn – 2 at the most – so go ahead and splurge. I (now) make sure that the yarn is washable and sturdy enough to handle the wear that socks get. Still, I wash them in cold water on gentle and hang them up to dry.
The socks in the picture are from left to right: worsted weight yarn, 2 in sport weight, and the stripey design ones in fingering yarn.
I am a devotee of double-pointed needles. I think that people who have trouble with double points are using too long a needle. For socks, I think 4″ needles are ideal although they are a little harder to find. Addi makes some good ones that are aluminum. Metal is not usually my favorite, but these little needles do the trick. I am also salivating over a set of 4″ multi-colored, wooden double points at Knit Picks.
Favorite yarn sources:
Cala Lily Yarns in Wooster, OH
Yardgoods Center in Waterville, ME
Fine Points in Shaker Heights, OH
Heavenly Socks Yarn in Belfast, ME
also
Halcyon Yarn in Bath, ME
Knit Picks online
Gunsmoke and Knitting 