Attention Knitters

[colliemommie]

I want to make socks. Help me.

I can knit and follow a written pattern. (I cannot read charted patterns.)

What is a good starter sock pattern and yarn for socks I can wear everyday with tennis shoes or boots or what have you?

I'd really appreciate any input.

Comments

[ginger]

I can get you mine, once I'm at a computer, and it's dirt simple to knit and easy to adjust for different adult sizes. (I haven't gotten out of bed yet, it's my "this is last weekend before the semester starts and I go back to working 50 hours a week and full time grad school" lie-in.)

[skittish-derby.livejournal.com]

I would go with a basic ribbed sock with a stockinette foot in fingering. haha! Ravelry wins again. second result:


http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-socks-21

This should get you basic good socks with no frills or charts. :)

On the other hand, you might also want to make a practice sock in worsted or something so you get used to the idea of turning a heel and working a gusset which can be strange. Worsted socks will be way too thick to wear under boots though.

[affreca.livejournal.com]

I'm a relatively new knitter, and just started my first pair of socks last weekend. I'm using a free pattern by Sand and Sky. Because I knit like I cook, and need extra patterns to figure what I can change, I also checked out patterns by Knit Picks and Yarn Mountain. What I like about the last one is that it give links to youtube on how to do some of the steps that I haven't tried before. All three patterns I've linked to are to very simple socks that you can make as long as you want (or have yarn for). Ravelry has a good system for search patterns, if you have different sized yarn and needles.

I'm in the middle of the foot for my sock, so I haven't attempted a heel yet.

[ginger]

SOCK (make 2)
Leg
Loosely cast on 48 sts. Divide sts evenly onto 4 double pointed needles.
Place marker and join, being careful not to twist sts. Work in K2, p2 rib until piece measures 6 in. (15 cm) from beg, or however long you want your cuff to be, shorter is fine.
Place last 24 sts on a holder for instep.

Heel flap (worked back and forth on 24 heel sts only)
Row 1: Sl 1, k across.
Row 2: Sl 1, p across.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have 24 rows total.

Turn Heel
Row 1: K 15, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, p 5, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, k 6, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, p 7, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Row 5: Sl 1, k 8, ssk, k 1, turn.
Row 6: Sl 1, p 9, p2tog, p 1, turn.
Continue in this way, working 1 more st between dec until all 24 sts have been worked, end with a WS row .
Next Rnd: K across heel sts, with same needle, pick up and k 14 sts along the edge of the heel flap, place a marker A, with 2nd needle work across 14 sts of instep, with 3rd needle, work across 14 sts of instep, place a marker B, with 4th needle pick up and k 14 sts along heel flap. Beg of rnd is at center of heel sts, knit back to it and place a marker.

Shape Gusset
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: K to 3 at before marker A, k2tog, k1; k across instep sts to Marker B, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd.
Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 48 sts rem.

Foot
Work even in St st until foot measures 7 1/2 in. (19.3 cm), or 2 in. (5 cm) less than desired total length.
Shape Toe
Rnd 1: K to 3 st before marker A, k2tog, k1, on 2nd needle k1, ssk, k to 3 st before marker B, ssk, k1, on 4th needle, k1, k2tog, k to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 20 sts rem. Divide remaining sts onto 2 needles and graft toe together.
FINISHING
Weave in ends.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

wow, thanks!

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

Doing a pair in worsted first is probably a good idea. I realize socks require some specific techniques I'm not familiar with.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like the videos. I'm not usually a video person, but there's only so much verbal descriptions of knitting can communicate. Thanks!

[ginger]

I use fingering weight yarn, a wool and nylon blend - lion brand has a relatively inexpensive version that is decent for starters and comes in self patterning color ways, and it's available inexpensively at JoAnn and the like - on size 3 needles. I will say, I know quite a few people who knit way tighter than I do and need to up the stitch count, or use smaller needles or both, but it's pretty easy to adjust since pretty much the whole thing is based on having a number divisible by four. I usually do 52 stitches instead of 48 for men's or wide feet.

The pattern I think was actually originally adapted from the basic one on the lion brand sock yarn ball band, heh. I also use quite a bit of Stroll fingering yarn from Knit Picks, www.knitpicks.com, which has a lot of decent quality yarn at very reasonable prices.

[ginger]

In the foot round 1 line, ignore the phrases "on 2nd needle" and "on 4th needle" -- the original pattern is based on keeping the same stitches on the same needles, but I find it easier to base my directions on the markers. So it should be

k to 3 before marker A, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k to 3 before marker B, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to end of round.

[skittish-derby.livejournal.com]

Just remember: it is all basically knits and purls, and it is only sticks and string. You can do it. :D