Sock Knitting Journey - Two At A Time On Two Circulars

So now I come to a new challenge and I only thought about doing this because I was taking a Craftsy class with Stefanie Japel. I was taking her Knit Lab - In the round and in one of the classes she demonstrates knitting two mittens in the round on two circulars. This gave me the idea to try it making socks, I know this is not a new idea but it was for me. I always make my socks one at a time and this has always been okay for me as I don't suffer second sock syndrome but for anyone who does this is a good way to knit your socks.
I also like the idea of two at a time as once you have finished the socks you have a completed pair already to go. Also by doing it this way you know they are going to be the same. 

When making your socks it's best to use 2 x 24" circulars and Stefanie uses needles with different colored cords. I myself use one bamboo and one metal needle, so that I can keep track of whats going on.

So I cast on my stitches to the bamboo needle and then moved half onto the metal needle. Next you cast on for your second sock to the metal needle and then move that half to the bamboo needle. You know everything is right if your yarn is on the right side of the work.

Look what happens when you get it right, a pair of socks start to emerge.

But of course it does taking some getting use to, When I started it did not matter how hard I tried I kept getting in a tangle. I would have both balls on the floor, one each side of me but it did not work. So then I tried having the balls on each side of me on the arm chair, that was a great result for me.

Here's my socks, where I have turned the heel and picked up the stitches. I am now on the home straight. I can see myself doing this again as I did not get it totally right. 

Anyway I hope your having a great weekend.

Happy knitting
Sharyn

Kitchener Stitch The Easy Way

I don't know about you but I find that I always struggle with doing Kitchener stitch. I don't know why but even when I tell the kids and hubs to not talk to me and I repeat the steps out loud to myself I still get lost.

My solution was to knit the stitches that I needed to graft together with waste yarn but I have not been happy with that solution of late. 

Then I graft them together.

But through a Facebook Group I belong to I was able to come up with a better solution. Well it didn't suit me as it was a solution for grafting when you have all garter stitch. You will find that link here. But it made me look for a solution and I found one that I think is really easy. Instead of using a needle to graft you use a knitting needle and once you have it set up you only have to repeat 4 steps. You will find the link here.
Here I am knitting the toes together for a pair of socks.

Sock Knitting Journey - Using 2 Circulars to knit socks

So like a lot of people I started knitting socks using dpn's and a regular pattern. From their I found myself spinning and that got me interested in spinning my own yarn and dyeing it to knit my own socks. That then lead me to creating my own socks using my own yarn but I am getting off track.

So my next step in the journey was knitting socks with circulars. I found a book called " Socks Soar On Two Circular Needles"by Cat Bordhi. I couldn't quite get my head around using 2 circulars but with my knitting I've always told myself to just read the pattern and follow exactly what it says. So by doing that I started my journey using circular needles to knit socks. I have to say it is the only way I have knitted socks for quite some time.

This then lead me to investigate other ways to knit socks using 2 circulars. I also started using "Simple Socks Plain and Fancy" and in this book the heel and toe are done using the short row technique. This for me was another lesson I had to learn as I'd never done it before. I like to challenge myself when it comes to my sock knitting. For a long time this was the only book I used to knit socks.

When knitting my socks on 2 circulars I would always use 24"/60 cm. What do you like to use?

Happy knitting
Sharyn

Sock Knitting Journey - Using dpn's to knit socks

I started my sock knitting journey over 20 years ago, it was a friend at the time that got me interested. Back then Australia did not have many knitting shops and their was no internet. I remember buying a Patons pattern and yarn and I used that pattern sooo much that I actually wrecked it. I remember going overseas and being able to buy the yarn I needed and so I purchased more than was required, funny about that. Of course it has now become my obsession along with buying books on sock knitting.

So I don't know about you but when I first started knitting socks, it was with double pointed needles and of course I knew no other way. Slowly over the years though my methods have changed. I started spinning so then of course I had to learn to spin fine so that I could spin my own yarn for my own socks but that will have to be another story.

Because of my spinning I first started to design my own socks, I purchase Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts book "Simple Socks Plain and Fancy." I used this book for many years but I did not actually design my socks as such as I kept them simple by doing 2x2 Rib. This has lead me to take another sock knitting journey which I hope to share with you.

Happy knitting
Sharyn

Crafting With Yarn

I am going to be blogging about all things crafty using yarn. I don't know about you but I love yarn and knitting is my favorite past time using yarn. I can crochet, lets just say that I am able to do the stitches but when it actually comes to following a crochet pattern something goes wrong. So I've decided that I am going to learn some new things and following a crochet pattern is going to be one of them.
I also want to look at other things we can do with our yarn, cause if you are anything like me you have quite a stash. I also know that if your anything like me it doesn't get smaller it some how grows? Of course I don't know how that happens.
So I hope you will follow along as I learn some new things and just maybe I will be able to pass on some tips.