Ugh. I know, I know – two sock posts in a row. I hate to do this to y’all because I know it’s boring AF for the non-knitters (and to be honest, I’m almost borderline boring myself at this point haha), but this is what I got as far as photos! I’ve been back for a couple of days, but shit’s been hectic and I haven’t had time to fix my hair and stand in front of a camera. So, you get socks! Merry Christmas!
Anyway, the truth is – even though they are socks, these totally aren’t boring because I made them and I endlessly entertain myself. So there’s that! 🙂
The pattern here is Little Cable Knee Highs, which is a free pattern from Purl Soho. Hey, yo, my knitters – who else looooves the Purl Bee? Favorite online knitting tutorials, hands-down. When I’m looking up a new technique – not just for knitting, but with anything, really – I find that I can’t really follow a video. I prefer a well-photographed tutorial with lots of words! In my experience, Purl Soho has some of the best – I especially love (and revisit, and revisit, and revisit) the ones for Kitchener Stitch and short rows. I find the new layout of the website really hard to navigate, btw, but that ain’t nothing Dr. Google can’t work around.
Anyway, Purl Soho has lots of beautiful, *free* patterns, and these Little Cable Knee Highs are pretty cute! I first saw the pattern when Michelle made a pair, and I decided that I needed a pair as well. Never mind that we are talking TALL-ASS socks knit in FINGERING WEIGHT yarn. Spoiler alert: these things took foreeeeever to finish.
I started these waaay back when I left for Peru in June, 6/4/15 to be exact. I cast on the first sock while waiting at the airport. I knew I wanted to bring a knitting project with me while we were traveling, but since I was just packing a carry-on (a backpack carry-on, nonetheless – for two weeks of travel! Whyyy), I didn’t have a lot of room for a big project. Socks seemed like a great idea because they are so tiny, and knee-high socks would keep me entertained for a really, really long time. So I took my sock project to Peru, where they were knitted all over Lima and Iquitos – even in the rainforest! These socks are so cultured now.
Still, two weeks later – I’d finished about half a foot. Then I put the entire project on hold in order to finish my Vianne project, since that one had a deadline. Once I picked them back up again, it was an endless circle of knitting and tiny cables until I finally finished back in September – just in time to wear them while I was in Portland, Maine! So, again – traveling socks!
Length of time aside, the project itself was fairly easy and mindless. These socks are knit toe-up, and the pattern is written for DPNs. I followed the DPN instructions for the foot, but once I got to the leg I switched to circulars for Magic Loop, which made things soooo much easier and faster. The little cable is really fun to knit and breaks up the monotony of knitting endless circles. Knitting 5″ of ribbing was not very fun, but I managed. I used a Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off for the BO, which ended up being a little too stretchy and I think doesn’t look as good. It doesn’t bother me enough to rip out and re-knit, though, but I did keep that in mind for the second sock. I also did a poor job with knitting the heel on the first sock, so it’s kind of sloppy – but again, I was able to do a better job on the second sock. That’s one good thing about having two socks to knit; it gives you a chance to improve the second go!
This was my first toe-up sock project, and I don’t think I like it very much – joining 8 stitches in the round is really, really hard! Those stitches are left live and grafted together after you finish the sock, which I somehow managed to mess up on my first sock – and as a result, there’s a strange little bump at the toe (I don’t even remember how I messed it up. I think I dropped a couple stitches and then tried to pick them up and just created a disaster. My knitting group meets at a bar, and while I probably should not drink and knit – I do, and drinking makes dropped stitches ok. Right?!). I was able to mostly block it out, though, so it’s no thing! For the second top, I grafted the toe closed as soon as I had enough knitted yardage to grab onto, which worked out quite well and meant that I was finished when it came time to bind off.
I bought the yarn at my local yarn store, Ewe & Company, in Kingston Springs TN. It’s Dream in Color Everlasting Sock Yarn and it was soooo nice to knit. I think the color is a bit too variegated for cables, so they don’t show up that great, but I’m ok with that because I think the socks turned out lovely regardless! This yarn was a major splurge for me – I needed 2 skeins, and they were $25/skein. So yeah, a pretty expensive pair of socks! It was part birthday gift to myself (don’t you buy yourself birthday gifts? Because you should, it’s the best), but I don’t think I’ll spend $50 on another pair of socks anytime soon hahaha.
That being said – the amount of money I dropped on these socks did make me more inclined to actually finish them, rather than let them sit in UFO purgatory once I started to get bored with how long they were taking, especially when I got to the second sock. I always consider my entertainment part of the price of anything I make as well (since I’m not spending that money going to, say, a movie or the bar. Bars other than knitting night, I mean :B), which I think is important. For me, sewing and knitting is just as much as entertaining/relaxing hobby as it is a way to clothe myself, so that is part of my consideration when it comes to my budget.
When it comes to buying the materials for these sorts of projects, I try not to cheap out too much. For ME (and I’m only speaking for myself – I know that budgets and the like can be a very sensitive subject for people, so I’m not trying to preach at anyone here!), I value quality over quantity. Rather than buy a bunch of cheap yarn and fabric for a dozen projects, I’d rather spend that whole wad on ONE really nice project. I know I’m going to value the time I spend working on the project, and I’m going to really put my best effort in with fit and ripping out mistakes. With cheaper materials, it’s easy for me to give up and get sloppy since shit was so inexpensive to begin with. But you better believe – if I’m spending $30 a yard on a nice piece of fabric or $80+ on a single sweater, I’m going to really do my best work so that I get my money’s worth out of it. Not to mention, the enjoyment I get from working with really nice materials! I’ve noticed that a lot of people who start with really cheap yarn or fabric are more likely to abandon a project (or leave mistakes because they don’t want to take the time to fix it) before it’s finished, because they didn’t invest a lot of money into it. Even if the materials were super cheap to begin with, that can add up over time!
This is not to say that the most expensive projects are always destined to be the best ones, or that it’s impossible to make something nice with cheaper materials. I know that budgets differ wildly, and while $20 might seem inexpensive to me, that might be a lot for someone else! But I do think there’s some value in spending as much as your budget can comfortably afford (whether it’s $10, $20, or $100 – enough that you have to really think about what you’re spending that money on, enough to make you sweat just a little bit) for a single project, and then giving that project your best effort so that you really get your money’s worth out of the end result. It makes you more conscious of what you’re buying, which means spending less in the long run. Especially at the rate that I plow through my projects – this makes me slow down and appreciate what I’m doing. All good things, in my book!
Anyway, I know everyone has a different perspective when it comes to budgeting for your crafts, and that’s just mine! I’d love to hear yours! Do you choose quality or quantity when you’re shopping for yarn or fabric? Does a more expensive material make you super careful with what you’re making, or do you get paralyzed at the thought of using it? Do you value inexpensive materials or not? You know my thoughts, now tell me yours!
LLADYBIRD 
First: kudos to you, for sticking with a sock all the way to knee length! And for finishing a pair of socks that match each other!
I grew up in a household with two parents born during the Great Depression. They took thrift to incredible levels. All of their children still cringe at waste. So, we mend, and recycle, and re-use. That said, we all appreciated good quality. I do buy at my local yarn store (when they are open, which is at odd hours). But I mostly seek out old-new stock at thrift stores … lots of people dump their unwanted yarn when they take up a new hobby. And, in hard economic times, I began feeding my yarn habit by raveling thrift store woolen sweaters to knit up into socks and mitts and hats and such. I take the unwanted and turn it into something desirable. And I keep myself from going stir crazy, with a constant supply of yarn for my restless fingers. And I keep at least some really hideous sweaters out of the landfill, or at least off the backs of people who might actually wear them out in public. It’s a public service, really.
Thank you! Even though it’s a relatively simple project as far as socks are concerned, I feel pretty good about this accomplishment 🙂
I think it’s awesome when people re-use donated yarn and tear up sweaters to make new skeins! I wish I had that kind of patience, but I know my own personal limits 🙂 You are definitely providing a public service, I can only imagine the hideousness that you’ve made into something beautiful 🙂
I have uncovered some great yarn at thrift shops–no frogging necessary. While a great deal of the time the yarn is Red Heart or something similar, but I have also come across Rowan, Cascade, and others for a buck or two per skein! It’s definitely worth looking every now and then. 🙂
Love the socks! I’m a total convert after learning toe-up, however one of my main reasons for learning that was to avoid the toe graft. Maybe you want to have a look at the magic cast on method which totally eliminates all grafting 😀 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkyd3nq3Yn8 (I’m sure there’s a photo tut somewhere out there, too).
Thissssss! I’m 100% pro JMCO, now. I do it for hats, too.
I am going to try this for my next project! Thank you for the recommendation!!
I was going to suggest this as well! http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html
For me, spending $25 or $30 on a skein of sock yarn, that’s going to net me a wonderful, long-lasting pair of socks (I have some that are more than a decade old) is worth it. The roughly 15-20 hours of knitting is just bonus entertainment.
I really make a concerted effort to buy quality materials when making my clothes as well. However, it doesn’t always mean thta it is expensive.
I agree, quality does not always equal expensive (and expensive does not always mean quality!). It’s always a nice treat when you find something high-quality at a less painful price point!
Okay Knitty Knancy, talk to me about elastic thread because I need to know things.
Background: Kitten wears cloth diapers with wool overpants (called soakers,) mostly knitted. Because I don’t knit, I buy mine from a company called Disana. (They have gorgeous wool, BTW. I want everything they sell, and I want to put it in a pile and roll around in it.)
The ribbing on the top of the soakers stretches out after a few hours, and then kitten gets droopy drawers. I know from keeping little socks on her little feet, that I had better buy socks with some spandex. To keep her pants up, I used a tapestry needle to weave some Gutterman elastic thread through the inside ribs of the soakers. It works, but it was a PITA.
Is there a better way of doing this aftermarket elasticizing? Some secret handed down to master knitters in a Freemason-style ceremony? Do I have to join the Freemason Knitters? Is there a handshake? Do I get to wear a fez, or is that just the Shriner Crochet chapters?
Also, totally agree about using good materials. My time is worth something, and shitty materials that make my project short lived are a waste of my time. I’m constantly discouraging new cloth diaper sewers from “upcycling” old t-shirts. As a wearable muslin to get the fit right, go for it. As the basis for 30+ fitted diapers with clear elastic and snaps, BAD IDEA. Pennywise and pound foolish.
This is my comment. WordPress hates me.
A k2p2 rib is the most elastic of them all. You can sew regular elastic into the waistbands, either by hand or machine — just as you would for wovens. Or, turn under waistband to make a casing for elastic, just as you would for wovens.
Yeah, it sounds like the ribbing isn’t knitted in a tight enough rib, or there needs to be some spandex in the fiber to give it a bit of recovery. I’ve done the thread elastic trick for hats that are too wide for my head, and it works pretty well! I don’t know if there’s really another option, unless you want to fold the whole ribbing over into a casing and insert elastic through that, like LinB suggested.
Also, if there is a Freemason Knitters, I want to know where my invitation is!
Pennywise and pound foolish, I agree with that! I absolutely believe that my time is worth something (maybe it’s worth nothing to other people, but to ME it’s priceless), and I’m not going to waste it on a shitty project made with materials that exist only to frustrate me. Not worth it. Not worth it one bit.
Quality materials all the way!!! When I make something, I want it to last and to look good for a long, long time.
About your ribbing, it’s always a good idea to knit the cuffs with smaller needles, t’s the easiest way to have ribbing that stays up on your legs.
After years of sock knitting and countless different kinds of heels, here is the one I now use all the time:
http://tessknits.com/113/the-double-stitch-short-row-heel-aka-the-yo-yo-or-jo-jo-heel
It’s easy to do and memorize and it looks great!
Do not. Stop. The knitting posts! I’m a sewist/knitter too so I love it.
Have you tried the Fish Lips Kiss heel? It practically changed my life, lol. So much easier to judge where the heel should start, and it was also an easier procedure to memorize, at least for me.
Nice job on the socks, I might try knee highs one day……
I think I saw something about it in one of my sock knitting books, I’ll have to look into it again. Thanks for the tip!
And yeah, if you want a sock project that takes a looong time to finish – knee highs are where it’s at! haha!
Cute socks!
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html Here’s the photo tutorial version of Judy’s magic cast on for toe up socks. I love knitting socks toe up, two at a time with the magic loop method.
Yes! Thank you for this!
Really cute socks!
Thank you!
I don’t comment much but that was so much more well put than the average “advice” about buying fabric/yarn. I have practically rolled my eyes into the back of my head because I’m sorry I can’t afford 8 skeins of Madeline Tosh for a sweater! 😉
They’re very cute socks and will come in handy this winter!
Haha well I WISH I could afford a sweater’s worth of Madeline Tosh! Wouldn’t that be nice? 🙂
Love the socks! Do they stay up though? I’ve always shied away from buying tall socks because I’m afraid they wouldn’t stay up on my super scrawny calves, but I don’t know how to knit…and after failing miserably at crochet have been scared to try.
My philosophy is whatever you feel comfortable spending on supplies. I’ve had good and bad luck with fabric irrespective of cost, though part of that is my dogged insistence that EVERYTHING will be washed in the washer–I don’t have time to dick around with handwashing my clothes. *hops off soapbox–haha!* That being said, I definitely struggle to cut into the more expensive stuff I’ve accumulated, because I don’t want to “waste it”.
I’ve made two pairs of these and have yarn for another. Some yarns stay up better than others, but if I’m not wearing tights under them I slip a rubber band (not tight enough to cut off circulation, but snug enough to keep the socks up) under the cuff. It keeps me from having to adjust them constantly, and it’s quick, easy, and free 🙂 (tricks you learn in parochial school).
The rubber band trick? better known as a garter! Until women’s skirts started moving above the ankle most stockings were only knee high and the best place to put your garter is above the calf/below the knee. I’ve even used cotton yarn tied in a bow.
My original Girl Scout brownie uniform had knee socks and elastic garters with an orange fringed tab that hung down and could be seen below the top of the sock turnover.
I had those little garters on my Brownie uniform too! I always thought they looked dorky, but now I wish I still had them hahahaha 🙂
Mine stay up fine, but I also have muscular calves from cycling, so there’s that! Of course, if you’re knitting your own – you can adjust the size to fit *your* calves too 🙂 And, dude, I tried crochet too and I HATED it. Couldn’t see the stitch (and always ended up with a weird trapezoid shape when I was trying to make a rectangle). Try knitting! I found it much easier to understand, and if you can hold yarn to crochet, then you’re already primed to knit continental-style (which is faster than English style, woohoo).
Haha! Yes to the weird trapezoid shape when crocheting (am I the only one who pronounces that in their head as “crotch-et-ing”??), maybe I’ll give knitting a try–it certainly has better pattern choices for the stuff I was interested in making myself…
I’m still building my Sock Drawer of Awesomeness (as well as my Closet of Awesomeness…) and knitting these yummies is SO worth it! Re choosing sock yarns, I ask around and check with Ravelry comments. Truly helpful as some sock yarns are definitely stronger, etc. than others (check out Plymouth Diversity!). And washing socks is a lot easier than handwashing other larger handknits. Just a swim in a plastic tub with some Eucalan or Soak, squeeze ’em out, then drape them over the shower curtain bar.
Love your knitting posts and your sewing posts. I’ve rarely come across a quality/quantity philosophy, that tracks with mine, so eloquently put! Multi-talented little ‘ol you 🙂
That’s a good idea to check with Ravelry! Honestly, I usually just waltz into the LYS and make the owner help me pick something out (she seems more than happy to do this haha), but it might be nice to branch out and look at what other people recommend as well. And yay for having a Sock Drawer of Awesomeness! I’m working on mine, too, can’t wait for it to really florish~ 🙂
Something that came to mind (that I shared earlier today on KP) when you mentioned repurposing is this link for making felted mittens from thrift store wool sweaters.
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crafts-and-nature/upcycled-sweater-mittens-plus-pattern.aspx
Haven’t yet tried them but I have a “slasher” friend who’ll most likely do this with me! 🙂
I love these socks too! And yay for $50 socks. I’m 100% into buying quality materials for my projects. I made a pair of socks in 2005 with brightly colored self-striping yarn that I wear around the house all the time (too thick for regular shoes). I just noticed some moth holes, which I’ll repair. And yes, good care is needed for these wonderful fibers we invest in. Those of you who were on the Maine trip and near me when I told my story will know of my beautiful paisley wool that I (daftly) thought to wash in cold water. Yikes. It did felt and shrink but it still worked up beautifully into my color-blocked pencil skirt. However I had to cut a bit into the seam allowances for some of the pieces, which I laid out with the highest in mathematical precision. 🙂 Natch this wouldn’t have been an issue with a non-natural-fiber fabric. I super love beautiful materials.
I think the beautiful paisley wool was even better after that slight felting! I’m so glad that you were able to make it work, and I STILL WANT TO SEE THAT FINISHED PENCIL SKIRT (hint hint ;)). Beautiful materials certainly make the whole making part 100x better 🙂
I definitely lean towards quality over quantity in items that will be around awhile, like coats, shoes, jeans, and sweaters. For underlayers like tees and tanks I find something that is inexpenive and has the right fit and buy a ton of it (you can tell because I own nine grey v-neck shirts, and wear one pretty much every day). I definitely put a lot of money into my knit sweaters, seeing as you’re putting all the time to knit them they may as well last and look great while doing it.
As for your bind-off, I would recommend Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn bind-off. It’s a great looking bind-off, looks like a long-tail cast-on and has a decent amount of stretch.
I have had a few people tell me to try that sewn bind-off, and I don’t know why I keep resisting and trying the same 2 bind offs over and over (considering how open I am to trying any other new technique!). I’ll have to try it for my next project. Thank you!
I don’t really mind shelling out money for good yarn, because even if everything goes wrong and, say, my dog chews a ball of yarn, my worst-case scenario is I have to untangle and tie together a million ends of yarn (guess what just happened last weekend?). If I knit something that I hate, I can frog it and still use every last bit of yarn. Yarn is forever.
Fabric, though…when I actually get pricey fabric, I’m terrified to cut into it. Once you’ve cut it and sewn it, you start severely limiting your options for resuscitating it. Like maybe you can take a full-skirted dress and turn it into shorts (like I did with my Thurlows), but if that doesn’t work, what’s next? A little purse or something? It makes me scared even to buy nice fabric, honestly.
I can agree with that! Yarn can always be reworked into something, forever and ever!
And I COMPLETELY agree about being terrified of nice fabric! It’s something that I still struggle with regularly, but I have to remind myself that it’s not doing me any good or giving me any joy just sitting on my self, unused. And, really, the worst that can happen is that you fuck up your project and then…. you’re out the money you spent on it. Maybe. Assuming you can’t find another way to rework it. And hopefully there was a valuable lesson in there somewhere that you managed to learn haha. I’m trying to remind myself that it’s OK to have a fuck up every once in a while. But hopefully a muslin and working carefully through the project will prevent most of those!
First time poster, long time lurker.
Love the blog, very inspiring.
Cutting into pricey fabric is always terrifying! So my approach to quality/pricey fabric is that I always try to do a “wearable muslin” of any garment I want to make. I make the garment in a cheaper, but still adorable fabric that I won’t be devastated about if I screw up or have to amend the concept. Then after I have worked out all the kinks I can stitch it up again in my fabulous higher quality fabric. Less stress, more courage!
Wow, knee highs! That’s amazing. I always skimp out on the ribbing by the time the toe up socks are done and end up with short little socks. Luckily I have short legs, too!
Some more comments: 1). Wow. A freakin lot of comments on socks! 2). Fabulous socks! 3). You rock the socks on a concrete block! 4). Quality. I wrote more and deleted it. Enough said.
Quality every time. All that work and care and then the fabric starts to give way. Or become pilled and worn looking after a few washes. No no no. Better to save up and make one good skirt than 4 cheap skirts. Plus there are bargains out there and what fun when you find one. Love the socks and impressed with the fact they are long. Patience or what!
Lovely socks! If you’re going to do toe-up socks again, do try Judy’s Magic Cast On. It is easy (on magic loop) and creates a seamless toe with no grafting. I think after you’d knit the toe you could easily switch to DPNs if you wanted! It literally changed my life, it makes socks SO MUCH LESS FIDDLY.
I totally agree with quality over quantity. In my last post, I was saying exactly the same same thing, so we are in the same page here, Lauren. To add another reason to your reasoning, I must say we addicts to sewing and knitting have such a huge wardrobe, that I prefer fewer and better additions to it. Botcher jobs, even if they wear well at the begining, are not worn so often and their life tends to be short, whereas precious projects, with a good investment of time and money, done with all the care and atention to detail, tend to remain weareble for the longest time. So, yeah! to expensive materials!!! (we are spoiled, girl!)
I used to buy cheap and plentiful when it came to yarn and fabric, and as a consequence I have boxes of stuff with no concrete plans to use any of it. These days, since having a baby, my time is so limited I don’t mind splashing out for more luxurious materials. If I’m only getting a few minutes of sewing time every day then I might as well be working with gorgeous, top-notch materials. I’m worth it!
Love your blog , love your SOCKS omg!!! How come you haven’t jumped on the two-at-a-time bandwagon? Everyone is doing it, you know you want to! ;P Seriously though, I would have never knit that second sock, so kudos to you for your persistence! Re quality vs. quantity…in theory, I’m pro-quality, but MAN, do I have an excessive quantity of yarn (and spinning fiber, because, you know, then you want to make your own yarn, ha). I really wish I had less and am trying to sell a bunch. The size of the stash stresses me out, and by the time I get around to using any given yarn, often I’ve fallen in love with something else, and don’t ever really get back to the older yarn, or I do, but only out of obligation to use it. Meh.
I love both the knitting and sewing posts! These socks look amazing. I do all my socks toe up (I did my first ever pair top down, and I don’t know what it is, my brain just likes toe up. I’ll branch back out to top down some day), and I’ve tried different cast ons, and I’ve not ever had to graft the toe? My current fave cast on is the provisional type- you knit onto waste yarn, then undo the waste yarn for live stitches on the other side. But also I like a wide, stubby toe on my socks and this is an easy way to get that 😀
I like Purl Bee’s pretty aesthetic (agreed on the new site format being way strange, though). It’s just like looking through pictures of well staged houses or boutique hotels, or community farming, kinda calming and tidy and positive. At the same time, some of their projects seem so unrealistic- like a blanket in a yarn that looked pill prone, couldn’t be machine washed or dried, and would total in the triple digits of you used the #of skeins of the yarn recommended. I see projects like that and I’m like “wow… Who lives this life, that can have such a blanket?” Haha!
Kinda late to the game here but was wondering if you could give me some tips for how you learned to knit? I know how to crochet but I would like to learn to make socks/sweaters and love the look of knitting… I just feel so overwhelmed on where to start.. help? Thanks!
I actually learned with the help of a friend, so that’s the best advice I can give! I learn pretty well through videos and photos, but it was nice to have someone actually *there* to help me get the basics down without establishing bad habits from the get-go 🙂 If you don’t have a friend who knits, you might try seeing if you have a local yarn store that offers classes, or a knitting meet-up group. Also, as a former crochet-er – try to learn Continental style knitting. English style is what most beginners learn, as it’s a bit easier – but with Continental, you hold the yarn the same way you do when you’re crocheting. It is SO MUCH EASIER. And it’s faster 🙂 Just a tip! 🙂