Lolly posed some questions about our sock history, so I thought I’d take stock in my socks.
When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I learned to knit in the fall of 1997, and I made my first sock in early spring of 1998. It was meant for my then-husband, and it had a cheerful red ribbing, heel, and toe, with a multi-colored "body." I never made its mate, and when we separated, I threw out the sock in a fit of, well, purging. It was a really nice sock that deserved a mate and someone to wear it. I followed my knitting teachers instructions: just do the next thing the pattern asks you to do, and you’ll be fine. She kept me from fearing the heel turn before I even knew it was something that might intimidate me.
What was your first pair? I guess the single ex sock doesn’t count as a pair, now does it? But let me answer what I would do differently: not have thrown it out. That was dumb, dumb, dumb.
What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? I like knitting socks in heavier yarn because I find it satisfyingly speedy.
Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? Although I’m not opposed to dpns, I love, love, love two circs.
Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) My favorite heel so far is the Eye of the Partridge. I think mostly because it’s an adorable, perplexing, mysterious name for a heel. I want to learn to make a short row heel, too.
And, as I mentioned yesterday, I want to do the damn toe up socks for once and for all. Can’t wait to get going on those.
I’m sure you other sock knitters feel the same: there is so much to learn about knitting socks, so many techniques and yarns to explore, and on top of that, they’re uber portable. Hence my current adoration for all things socky.
As I pulled out black yarns for the Repair of the Convertible Shrug, I decided it was a good time to line up my sock yarn for a little flash action. Most of my yarns are hand painted: Scout, Mama-E, Marie (whom I forgot to mention as one of the lovelies I met on Saturday), Lisa Souza, STR, Carole, Jessica, Heide, and me are represented on that bed. I have some commercial yarns, as well as "blanks" waiting to be colored.
