I didn’t understand the “Joy of socks”. I had all sorts of excuses (I can buy them cheaper, they won’t last, etc), but then my sister-in-law asked me to make her a pair of sock-style slippers. She loved them, wore them out and asked for more, which I made again. Curious about her enjoyment of them (and not one to wear slippers myself, generally), I decided to make a pair my own size and try them for myself. I LOVED them! (and began to wear “slippers”!) Thus began my foray into sock knitting....
Now, more then 30 pairs later, I still continue to knit socks - in fact, I almost always have a pair on my needles as a portable project. WHY do I knit socks?? Let me tell you!
1. The array of sock yarns available today is dizzying. Sock yarns are made in just about any color you can imagine and in thousands of combinations and variations. If you want plain, one-color yarn, you got it. You want self-striping, to look more complex without being so? You got that, too. If you want sock yarn that mimics Fair Isle designs, guess what? It's there. The choices are practically endless.
2. Besides having your pick of color, there are tons of patterns made for socks. You don’t need to knit socks in a simple stockinette--although there is a beauty in simplicity. You can knit lacy socks, cabled socks, ribbed socks, and any combination you desire. What a fantastic way to learn a new stitch pattern - with a small sock!
3. There are so many fibers available for knit socks. Besides wool, you can knit socks in cotton or wool/cotton blends, wool/silk blends or even cashmere! There is even a sock yarn available that contains aloe so it softens your feet as you wear the socks (and it really does work!) Many sock yarns contain polyamide or nylon to make the socks more durable, an important consideration when you think about the fact that this product is designed to be walked on. My oldest hand knit socks are about 5 years old, and they are still holding up just fine - they don’t even show wear on the bottoms. So they do last!
4. Socks are a perfectly portable project. If you're a knitter who commutes to work or school on the bus or train, instead of dragging along a big sweater or afghan, you can bring your socks to work on. Socks-in-progress don't necessarily require their own bag, either--if your purse is roomy enough, you can stow the socks in there.
5. There are so many variations to making socks that you may find you have a preference for one. You can knit socks cuff down or toe up, you can use double-pointed needles (DPNs) or circular needles, one at a time or two at a time (or some people have tried 14 at a time - one pair for every day of the week!). Socks are so customizable - legs, cuffs, toes, heals, everything can be changed and sized specifically for someone's foot.
6. Socks are a relitively quick knit project (compared to the time it would take me to create an afghan), and I find great satisfaction in completing projects. And I like being able to tell people who ask “Where did you get those cute socks?” that I made them myself!
7. Socks still fit you after you lose or gain weight. Not so true about a sweater!
8. But, really, the main reason I knit socks is for the feel of them on my feet - so delicious, so warm, so perfect! I love hand knit socks! I wear them exclusively in the fall and winter except for when I’m working out - then it’s cotton store bought socks because I don’t feel so bad when I put a hole through them from the hard use!
If you've never knit socks before, now is a great time to learn. It's not as complex as you might think and like many sock knitters who've come before you, you may well find yourself addicted to making them.
Here are some pictures of socks that I've made... it's not all of them, but it's a good selection.
Enjoy!
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