[Fleecewife]

 


Today Mr F went out for his New Year motorbike run with his chums.  It was so cold they cut it a bit short - minus 8C when they set off, but lovely and sunny.
When he came home he wasn't cold at all, and I saw he was wearing a hand knit jumper and thick handknit socks, as well as all the expensive biking kit.  He says those socks are so cosy he keeps them for specially cold occasions, so they don't wear out too soon.  I could so easily have knitted more, but I thought he didn't wear them because he didn't like them.
Apparently they are much warmer than military issue Arctic kit  .  Then I remembered hearing about the endless socks women used to knit for the soldiers in the trenches.  Apparently, when a box of socks arrived they were pounced on.  The lads did 4 days in the trenches, then were pulled back for 8 days to recover.  A pair of socks lasted the four days but no longer, because of the horrendous conditions.  Handknit socks saved many a cold wet foot.


I also recalled an elderly man I once nursed.  He told me that his wife had always knitted his socks for him and when she had died a few years previously, he had found drawers full of new socks she had made for him.  He had just recently used the last pair and was having to wear bought socks which he hated.  I think he missed his socks nearly as much as he missed his wife 


So I'll be knitting plenty more 

[Lesley Silvester]

I also recalled an elderly man I once nursed.  He told me that his wife had always knitted his socks for him and when she had died a few years previously, he had found drawers full of new socks she had made for him.  He had just recently used the last pair and was having to wear bought socks which he hated.  I think he missed his socks nearly as much as he missed his wife 

 


I really ought to have a go at making socks. I have a wonderful book of sock patterns from (I think( Turkey or somewhere in that area but I have never tried them. My feet freeze when I'm out in the wheelchair.

[Fleecewife]

A couple of problems I find is that you need oversize boots or shoes for handknit socks.


The other is actually knitting them - if you use double ended needles they have to be very small gauge which can be difficult to manage with creaky fingers.  I now use sets of 5 not 4 as they are easier to control.  The alternative would be to knit them flat then stitch up afterwards. You can also get very short circular needles but I haven't found them too useful.


I've gone a bit mad buying cutesy stitch markers, with the excuse that I'll need plenty for socks 


https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/251398150/pink-elephant-set-of-5-snag-free?ref=search_recently_viewed-2

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/545447254/stitch-markers-for-crochet-or-knitting?ref=search_recently_viewed-3

Etsy has so many - I've got various sheep too, and 2 red hearts off my snowman Lindt Christmas egg.

(sorry, had to resize the links and a bit got missed out)

[Dogwalker]

I'm just learning to use the antique sock knitting machine I got last year.  Using commercial sock wool at the moment but aim for fine, even enough handspun by the end of the year.
They match in size not colour as I'm using up someone's leftovers.

[Fleecewife]

They look brilliant Dogwalker  .  My Dad used to collect Victorian mechanical stuff but he never found me a sock knitter.  Now they seem to be snapped up so quickly that in spite of the internet I never did find one.  Now I love hand knitting socks so I'm no longer looking.  Lucky you to have one 

[Dogwalker]

I just happened to look at ravelry at the right moment last year when someone was passing a few on at a very affordable price.  I've always wanted one but never thought I'd be able to afford it.

I'll still need to  hand knit for thicker yarn but haven't found the time for knitting recently. I've got an 80 needle cylinder on my machine that will do fingering weight and finer.

[Louise Gaunt]

The alternatives to using double point needles to knit in the round are either a long circular needle and use "magic loop" technique, or two shorter circular needles. I really like magic loop, as you don't lose needles down the sofa cushions! Two circulars can be a bit irritating as the one not in use dangles and gets caught up ( well, it does when I use this technique!)

[Dogwalker]

FW - What's your preferred wool / blend and spinning technique for sock yarn.
Have you found anything that lasts better than others?

[Blackbird]

I really don't get on with DPNs - not least because I keep forgetting to use the "empty" needle and just keep knitting one needle onto the next - Doh! I'm a big fan of magic loop too Louise, and the 2 smaller circulars (or just one very tiny circular)

[Fleecewife]

FW - What's your preferred wool / blend and spinning technique for sock yarn.
Have you found anything that lasts better than others?

So far I've used commercial yarn (from new Lanark Mill) or just general homespun from my stash. That will be why they go through at the heels too quickly so are no use in wellies.  I recently started to spin some very fine yarn specifically for socks but I haven't got far yet - I think I might be lacking in patience  .  I bought some nylon fibre to spin in with the heel bits but haven't tried it yet.

[Fleecewife]

I really don't get on with DPNs - not least because I keep forgetting to use the "empty" needle and just keep knitting one needle onto the next - Doh! I'm a big fan of magic loop too Louise, and the 2 smaller circulars (or just one very tiny circular)

I used to love knitting small items like hats, gloves and socks, with DPNs (and circular needles for larger stuff, which I still do) but now my fingers don't seem to be as nifty as they were so I keep dropping the 5th needle  .  I think I loved doing it because before I became a knitter I thought using all those needles together would be impossible - being able to use them with ease was a real show-off opportunity for me    I suppose it serves me right that I now find it a bit difficult again.

[SallyintNorth]

Lovely story, FW .

It’s cold here now (well, very cold for Cornwall,  nothing compared to your -8C, FW!) so the woolly socks have come out.  I have several pairs of John Arbon wool socks, which I adore and which not only keep your feet warm but fresh too - I wore a pair of their Shetland socks (sadly no longer offered) at Woolfest last year and wasn’t footsore at all by the end of the day tramping the concrete aisles.    Next best are the Exmoor socks, lovely socks but just not quite as bouncy as the Shetland.  (They do wear better though, which is why they switched.). I also knit socks using commercial yarns. In general I prefer 100% wool but most have some nylon (aka polyamide) in, and I’ve found a few brands I like.  Regia 6-Fadig 6-ply is a top favourite,  both to knit and to wear.  And Araucania Ranco Multy (discontinued but comes up as destash on Ravelry from time to time.)

I also do handspun yarns. I can get my 100% wool that way . I generally do a 3-ply, high twist, two singles Blue-faced Leicester and one Lincoln Longwool.  Or one Wensleydale. One single opposing ply supposedly makes it a harder wearing yarn.

I fancy trying a bit of mohair or silk in the mix as another way of adding strength without resorting to nylon.

My basic sock pattern is very simple and quite plain, which means I can relatively easily drop out a section that’s worn and reknit it.

Always magic loop for me, using 80cm circulars, after I got fed up of having to pick up stitches when I pulled the wrong needle put of my hand!

[Lesley Silvester]

A couple of problems I find is that you need oversize boots or shoes for handknit socks.


The other is actually knitting them - if you use double ended needles they have to be very small gauge which can be difficult to manage with creaky fingers.  I now use sets of 5 not 4 as they are easier to control.  The alternative would be to knit them flat then stitch up afterwards. You can also get very short circular needles but I haven't found them too useful.


I've gone a bit mad buying cutesy stitch markers, with the excuse that I'll need plenty for socks 


https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/251398150/pink-elephant-set-of-5-snag-free?ref=search_recently_viewed-2

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/545447254/stitch-markers-for-crochet-or-knitting?ref=search_recently_viewed-3

Etsy has so many - I've got various sheep too, and 2 red hearts off my snowman Lindt Christmas egg.

(sorry, had to resize the links and a bit got missed out)

That's a good point about small needles and creaky fingers. I'm happy using five DPNs but could never get on with sets of 4; like Blackbird, I used to end up with my knitting straining between two needles and two empty ones. I haven't tried using fine needles since the Rheumatoid Disease hit my fingers. I suspect I would keep dropping them. Looks like my days of knitting socks has ended before it starts.


Love those stitch markers, FW, but how do you use them? Mine are just plastic like safety pins.

[Dogwalker]

Thanks for that info Sally.
I'd like to avoid the nylon if I can find a good alternative.
Sounds like BFL and mohair might be a good mix.  I've got the mohair and can get BFL easily so no problem sourcing those.  Might try mohair and shetland too, plenty of that.

One thing about using the machine it doesn't take so long to knit them so not so disheartening when they wear through quickly.

[Fleecewife]

<< Love those stitch markers, FW, but how do you use them? Mine are just plastic like safety pins.>>

The ones with a clip on are for row markers, so you can clip them onto the yarn within a row then once you've knitted a bit more you can count how many rows you've done.  Saves having to start at the beginning every time. It also can remind you when you need to make the crossover in cable.

The ones with rings slip onto a needle to mark where you are about to increase within a row, or do a fancy stitch or whatever.  You just slip it from one needle to the next for the next round.   The rings come in different sizes - I just got some silvery sheep ones with a large enough ring for up to 8mm needles.  Still waiting for my pink elephants.