Monthly Archives: May 2013

Sock Week: Your lucky number

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Are you ready to get started?!  I know I am!

 

But, before we really start knitting, we need to get your SOCK NUMBER.  It’s super important, and getting an accurate number will ensure that your socks fit properly.  All you need to do is make a swatch, measure your foot and do a tiiiiny bit of math.  Then we can get down to the business of making your socks!

 

OK, so first, make a stockinet stitch swatch with your yarn and needles that you’ll be using.  You can look at this post if you need a refresher.  Come back when you know the gauge (in stitches per inch) for your swatch.  I’ll wait.

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Cool!  What’s your gauge?  Mine is 7 stitches per inch.  You should write this down somewhere so you don’t forget.  Muy importante.

 

The next step is to measure your foot (or the foot of the person for whom the socks are intended).  Measure the circumference of the widest part of the ball of the foot.  I like socks to be a little snug, so I can wear them in sneakers, so I try to keep the tape measure tight when I measure my feet.

I am wearing a sock in this picture.  You should not wear socks when you measure your feet.  My feet are disgusting (I roller-skate a lot, so my feet are covered in bruises, blisters and callouses), and I like it when people read my blog, so I decided to hide my feet for your viewing pleasure.  You’re welcome.

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Hey, look!  I have feet that are about 9 inches around.  (I wear size US 12 shoes, for reference.  So if you have little delicate lady-feet, you haven’t measured wrong.)

If you’re making socks as a gift for someone else whose feet you don’t have access to, here’s a pretty good reference for foot sizes.

 

OK.  So now you have your gauge (mine is 7 sts/in) and your foot measurement (mine is 9 in).  Now we have to do a tiny bit of math.  I promise it’s not scary.

First, multiply your gauge and your foot measurement:

7 x 9 = 63

Then round this number to the nearest multiple of 4.  If you want a sock that fits snugly, round down.  If you want a sock that’s a smidge looser, round up.  I like my socks snug, so I’ll round down to 60.

 

That’s it!  That’s your Sock Number.  My Sock Number is 60.  What’s yours?
On Friday, we’ll actually cast on, and start knitting.  I can’t wait!

Sock Week: Gathering your troops

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So, what do we need to get started on your brand new wool socks?  Not too much, actually, which is pretty great.  You don’t need any really weird buttons or anything, and you don’t need hundreds of dollars worth of yarn.  All in all, socks might be the perfect project.

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Materials

  • Sock yarn (duh).  I used Lion Brand Sock-Ease for the finished sock in the previous post.  In the tutorial I’m going to be using Zoe Sock yarn from Shalimar Yarns in the colorway “Melba.” (It’s a beautiful peachy-sunny yellow, despite the bland name… Melba Toast…ew.)  You can use whatever yarn you like.  When I’m buying sock yarn I look for three things:

1.  It has to be machine washable.  I am not a crazy person and am not going to hand wash my socks. That’s super dumb.  If I’m making wool socks (which are undeniably the best socks), I use yarn made from Superwash Wool.  Yarn that has a small percentage of nylon or polyester mixed with the Superwash Wool are good, because it adds strength to your socks.

2.  I need 100 grams of yarn (about 450 or so yards) to make a pair of adult-sized socks.  Most sock yarn comes in 100 gram skeins, but sometimes it comes in 50 gram skeins, in which case you’ll need to buy two.

3.  It has to say “Sock” on it, or it has to recommend using size US 1-3 needles on it.  If you use yarn that’s too thick, you’ll end up with socks that are too big to fit in your shoes.  You could do this, and use them as slippers, but that’s a personal choice.

  • A set of 5 Size 2 knitting needles.  I like short (5-inch long) wooden ones, but it’s totally up to personal preference.
  • A tape measure.  If yours has fruit on it, that’s ideal.  If not, that is acceptable, too.
  • A stitch marker (optional).
  • Scissors and a tapestry needle for finishing up.

So, go and collect your materials, and I’ll see you back here on Wednesday to get you Lucky Sock Number sorted out.

Sock Week: First Thing’s First

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It’s Sock Week!  Surprise!  Sock week is a lot like Shark Week, but with less blood, more socks, and it will last more than a week.  But Sock-Fortnight doesn’t sound as good as Sock week, so you’ll just have to deal.

So what does Sock Week entail?  It’s a step-by-step knitalong to make my Basic Sock Recipe.  At the end of Sock Week, I’ll put the whole kit and caboodle up in my Pattern Library for your sock-knitting pleasure, and you’ll have a brand-new hand-knit pair of socks.

“What are we making?” you ask.

“Great question!” I answer.  “This:”

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“Ooh, aah” you say in wonderment.

Not really, I suspect.  But, if you get the hang of this basic sock recipe, you can easily modify it to make socks in every shape, size and style.

Get your wallets ready to go shopping for materials next week, when I give you the materials list.

Inspiration: The Bletchley Circle

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Have you seen this new miniseries on PBS?  It’s pretty much made for me.  It’s a crime procedural drama, costume drama, and (as Netflix is always suggesting for me) a Witty British Drama Featuring a Strong Female Lead.

Actually, it features several strong female leads.  The main characters are a group of ex-code breakers that worked at Bletchley Park during World War II.  Apparently I wasn’t paying attention in history class, because I had never heard of it.  Apparently much/most of the codebreaking in WWII was done by women, which is pretty neat.

Anyway, the ladies of Bletchley Park have had to go back to civilian life after the war, and are made to sign a non-disclosure act, so they can’t even tell their husbands about their wartime efforts.  They’re all sort of bored and unhappy with their civilian lives, after the excitement of being codebreakers.  But, then they discover a serial killer and investigate him as they fight against the clock to prevent him from killing again.  It’s all terribly exciting.  The last episode ended with a huge cliffhanger, and I’m itching to figure out what happens!

But, when the ladies of Bletchley Circle aren’t fighting Nazis or hunting down serial killers, they’re knitting:

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They even use yarn as a crime-fighting tool (see it on the map in the background?)

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All the characters have fantastic hand-knit sweaters.

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And even though the percentage of sweater vests is a little high for my taste, I won’t complain too loudly.

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Want to get in the spirit of the Bletchley Circle?  I wouldn’t recommend chasing after a serial killer, but maybe try one of these cardigans instead:

Vitruvia Vest and Cardigan by Marilyn King

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Neon by Joji Locatelli

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Anais by Kim Hargreaves

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