I am pretty sure now that I am the only one on the planet who doesn't knit socks. I used to be afraid of the teeny tiny needles, but since I've spent most of the summer knitting sweaters on number 3 needles, I don't think that is an issue anymore. I like the idea of portable knitting. I'm attracted to the fun sock yarns I run across in my yarn travels. I bought both of my pals sock yarn this month, Trekking and Mountain Colors Bearfoot and the yarns are absolutely beautiful. I like knitting everything in the round.
I hate dpns, I'm too clumsy for them. If I am not poking myself with them, the stitches are dropping off. But I like magic looping stuff and I could certainly loop socks. So why am I the only one not knitting socks?
I could be that I am just too conservative to wear bright colored socks. They don't really fit my personal style. I could certainly knit socks for others though.
I feel left out of the knitting loop not knitting socks. You are all knitting them, exchanging them, wearing them for pictures. All the above being said, I really have zero desire to knit socks. So I'm resisting running with the pack. You can't make me. I'm on the island of misfit knitters. Am I alone? Leave me a comment about why you knit socks or why you don't. I'll send someone my barely opened "Knitting Vintage Socks" book. I'll get Chris to point me to some random number generator techie thing and use that to pick the winner. And while you are at it, can you identify the sources of the two 60's/70's pop culture references in today's post? Post your comment by Friday.
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13 comments:
Socks are my favorite knitting project! But I can understand not wanting to knit them. I don't really like to crochet, for example. Have fun knitting your non-socks!
Due to my utter hatred of the dreaded dpn and killer kitchener I resisted the siren call of the sock for a very long time. But,sadly, I am a follower. (what with being a sheep and all...) I now actually sort of enjoy knitting them just for the sake of saying that I can. I'm with you on the color thing, though. My socks are all pretty monchromatic and boring!
I too am afraid of knitting socks, but more because the whole dpns thing is awkward and unwieldy. I hurt myself with regular needles, I can't imagine the damage I'll do to myself with 4 or 5 dpns!
That being said, I have sock yarn, and I fully intend to make myself socks. I love socks too much -not- to try it, after all. Am I just a glutton for punishment?
Ok, go out to Coldwater, buy some nice subdued color Regia Silk, and give it a try. Here's the big secret - handknit socks made just for you fit better and different than any other socks you will ever wear. Your feet will bless you!
This is my favorite random number generator.
Newbie lurker here. Well, I can tell that one of your vintage references was to the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
I have also resisted the sock siren call until just recently - I actually like those cute little dpns, however and I bought a pattern and whipped up a cute little sock - but only one. Knitter's ADD strikes again. I do have the second sock cast on, the question, I just have to pick it up and finish it!
This is the perfect contest for me, since SOMEONE in Cincinnati has been holding the only copy of Knitting Vintage Socks in the library system hostage for about 3 months now!
I love the tiny DPNs...they are actually easier on my wrists than larger sized needles. And socks seem to go faster for me than other projects too, and I'm all about the fast projects! Portability is a great thing, it's easy to have a project stashed in my bag all the time for whenever I'm stuck waiting somewhere. And my family LOVES them. I know I can knit socks for anyone anytime I need a gift idea!
When I first started knitting, I really couldn't understand why someone would knit socks - for the most part, you don't see them at all, at least with the pants/jeans and shoes that I wear. And they're so readily available and so much cheaper. Eventually I tried a pair and wasn't knocked out. But I knit a few more pairs and now I do like to mix in a pair of socks with the rest of the stuff I knit.
As you mentioned, they are extremely portable. So my "car knitting" is always a pair of socks. There are so many awesome sock yarns out there. And you pretty much always know how much yarn you need for a pair of socks. You can try out cool patterns on a small scale. They're a good mix of boring and challenging - just when you're bored of one thing, it's time to do something else. You also get your money's worth because you're knitting small stitches on small needles.
My favorite thing to knit is still a sweater, though.
I almost always have a sock on the needles. I like knitting socks because it's very portable. I like unusual socks. Plus socks knit to fit my feet feel so much better than anything I could buy in the store. There's no knitting law that says you have to get bright sock yarn or fancy sock patterns. On the other hand, if you still don't want to knit socks, there's lots of other small, portable projects that can be fun to knit.
I also knew the "Island of Misfit Toys" reference from "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" but I have no idea what the "You can't make me" is from.
I am an avid sock knitter. I love DPNs. I love how the socks fit. I love the portability. Best of all, I love the joy and appreciation people give back when I gift them handknit socks. Recipients of handknit sweaters never seem to be as delighted about a sweater as they are about a pair of socks. If I give both to someone they are ALWAYS more psyched about the socks. I think that non-knitters take for granted that sweaters just kind of "happen" somewhere far away. They don't know how, they just know it happens. They can buy one in the store (in their mind)that looks just as good, that they actually chose themselves, so what's the biggie? Also, people are more picky about sweaters so unless it's PERFECT they probably won't wear it. Socks are mostly hidden so you can have some leeway about the style and color. Mainly, I think the attraction is that handknit socks are unique. They are a lowly item but when well made and well fitted they are SO NICE. You really can't find socks as nice as handknit anywhere, especially for people who have a hard to fit size or width. Plus, to make a lowly item like that with such care REALLY says "I love you" in a way that even non-knitters understand. And let's face it. The sock yarns that are available these days are DIVINE. :-)
I'm making myself knit a pair of socks so I can see what the attraction is. (Plus, my daughter asked for a pair, and how could I say "no?") Socks scare me because I worry about the fit. I guess the top reason I don't knit socks yet is because I don't like to wear socks! And when I do, they have to match my pants. :) Are you sure you want to give your book away? I checked it out of the library once and it had so much historical information in it. The parts I read were very interesting.
I only started socks on Christmas Day last year - and for the first 2 inches I cursed and spat at the DPNs. Once I'd done the heel, I frogged the whole lot and started again - and this time I remembered that I'm not Cinderella, I don't have desperately dinky feet, and I used more stitches.
Then when I finished them - I didn't love them. But I learnt a valuable lesson - I'm really not that mad on self-striping sock yarn. It works best with a simple stocking stitch (stockinette), and I don't feel I can claim any of the credit for the pretty pattern. (If I dyed it myself I'd feel differently about it...)
Then I designed my own sock pattern, using plain yarn - and those I love, love, love.
I also thought I wasn't that keen on the brightly coloured sock thing, but with black trousers and black ankle boots, no-one can see them, but they're much cosier than shop-bought ones, and I like that I'm wearing a secret...
Oooo, Oooo, if you decide to become a dentist while on the island of misfit knitters, I totally get to be Yukon Cornelius. Love, Roger Clinton
You are not alone.
I do not knit socks.
Raise up, oh ye nonsockknitters, let's unionize! Or just drink wine and snicker while the sock people say things like "heel flap." heh.
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