cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/17097990

Behold the socks that created my obsession! These were actually the third pair I knitted but the first ones that made me understand why knitted socks are so great.

The pattern is the classic Hermione’s Everyday Socks, and the yarn is a special blend of all kinds of things including silk and bamboo, bought as a souvenir from a shop called Yarnia in Portland during a big US road trip we took in 2015. You can sort of see the different strands in it in this pic here.

WIP sock cuff with trailing yarn

These are my lucky socks. I wore them to job interviews, I wore them the day I got accepted into uni, and I wore them for confidence whenever I was doing something scary.

Alas, after years of heavy use, one of them has a hole in the ball of the foot and I expect the other one won’t be far behind.

finger poking through a hole in a knitted sock

So given that for once I’ve managed not to overburden myself with Christmas crafting this year, I think my project for the holidays is going to be to learn how to fix these. At least they’ll be usable for wearing around the house, and given they’re 8 years old that’s pretty good going really!

(Please excuse the wildly different colours from one image to the next, this was a long time ago and I did not know how to camera)

  • VikEnglish
    6•11 months ago

    That pattern looks very cosy.

    I think im going to have to investigate making my own socks at some point soon. I blast though (supposedly tough, but at least sustainable?) pairs of socks alarmingly quickly.

    As someone who’s never knit before, I’m hoping something like socks would be an approachable project for a beginner?

    • @[email protected]
      4•11 months ago

      Oof. Socks are generally not considered a beginner’s project, I’m afraid. Turning the heel and stitching the toe together at the end are easier done once you have a bit of comfort with what you’re doing. You don’t have to be an expert, though; even a couple of dishcloths could get you well on your way.

      • VikEnglish
        2•11 months ago

        Thank you, I appreciate the insight 😊

    • @[email protected]OP
      1•11 months ago

      What I’d say is that the individual skills involved in knitting socks aren’t very advanced, and a beginner could pick them up quite quickly. But because socks are so small and fiddly, they’re not a great project to learn those skills on, if that makes sense? You’d be better off learning on a chunkier project like a hat, and then transferring the skills to socks from there.

      If you do decide to give it a go though we’re always up for a bit of enabling over on [email protected] (it is currently the much-anticipated “sock month”, hence the timing of my post!). Join usssssss 😉

      • VikEnglish
        2•11 months ago

        Much appreciated. I could always do with more wooly hats in this weather for sure.

    • @[email protected]OP
      6•11 months ago

      The bamboo and silk content definitely made them the most luxury socks I own! Even with the hole, lol

      • @[email protected]
        2•11 months ago

        How bad do your hands hurt after knitting a pair? Are you lucky enough it doesn’t bother you? Would take me a until next Christmas to knit one pair of socks!!

        Edit: Beautiful work!

        • @[email protected]OP
          3•11 months ago

          Thanks! Honestly, I don’t have those kinds of issues with my hands (yet), had some wrist trouble when I was younger but I find that switching between different projects and even different crafts is enough variation in movement that nothing hurts. Trying to knit for too long a stretch would obviously not go well, but I have plenty other things to be making!

          Sometimes I’ll knit a pair and it really does take an entire year because I’ll just pick them up occasionally and do a round or two. Other times I can blast through a pair in a couple weeks. Depends how I’m feeling really :D