Socks (eBook)

CHAPTER 1

Materials and Measurements

MATERIALS

Socks are very portable projects. The quantity of materials required doesn’t take up much room and will fit easily into a small project bag. The essential items are about 100g of suitable 4-ply yarn, appropriate needles, either double pointed or circular, and a tape measure.

EQUIPMENT

The most important pieces of equipment are yarn and needles but, while some additional items are not essential, there are some that will be useful.

Needles

Double-pointed needles (DPNs) come in sets of four or five (occasionally six). It is a matter of personal preference how many you decide to use, bearing in mind that the fewer the needles the greater the stretch between them, which can sometimes cause ladders at the changeover point. The needles can be of different lengths and made from various materials, such as:

Not all needles are round in shape: there are also square ones, and some people find these easier to use. The points of needles vary from the sharp-tipped, often called lace needles, to more rounded and blunt versions. The different materials can affect the gauge of the knitting, so stick to the same type throughout the project. Bamboo and wood needles are useful for slippery yarns as they will grip the yarn more tightly making the stitches less likely to fall off.

Circular needles

These can be fixed, with the cable section permanently attached to the tip, or interchangeable, where the tips screw or click into a length of flexible cable. Different brands of needle often have different lengths of tips but 4- or 5-inch needles are the most manageable for sock knitting. The cable section of circular needles also comes in different lengths and it is best to choose the length that is slightly shorter than the circumference of the sock. A short circular needle can sometimes be uncomfortable and awkward to manoeuvre on a small sock, which is why some people prefer to use a set of double-pointed needles, especially when knitting children’s socks. However, it is worth trying different types and lengths of circular needles yourself, if possible, to see which feel the most comfortable to work with in the hands. The needles with long tips can be awkward when knitting socks with anything less than forty stitches.

Some people prefer to use two circular needles, with the instep stitches kept on one needle and the foot stitches on the other but working the complete rounds over both needles.

Interchangeable needles

These needles come in two parts: the tips and the cable of varying lengths. The tips attach to their cables by different methods and some stay more firmly attached than others. Again, they are made from the same materials as double-pointed needles. Cable length varies from 20cm to more than 100cm, although for socks it is unlikely that you would need more than 80cm. These latter would seem much too long for knitting socks but the longer lengths are suitable for the ‘magic loop’ method of working. Again, the different brands have different lengths of needle tips; some brands have a choice of two.

Trio needles

These are a recent innovation that can be useful for working items with a small diameter. As the name suggests, they come in a set of three and are double pointed (some with a sharp tip at one end and a more rounded one at the other). In between the tips is a short length of flexible cable. They have the advantage over double-pointed needles in that there are only two needles holding the stitches while the third needle does the knitting. This helps to avoid the ladders that can sometimes appear when using four needles and also avoids that annoying tendency for the needle not in use to slip out of some of the stitches.

Straight needles

Socks can also be knitted flat or sideways on straight needles. The construction is quite different, and the socks will require seaming when the knitting is finished. After casting on the required number of stitches and knitting the cuff and leg, the stitches are divided in half with the first quarter placed on a holder and the next half knitted for the top of the foot. The remaining stitches are placed on another holder. When the foot is the required length, the toe is shaped in two halves by decreasing at the beginning and end of every alternate row until these stitches are also reduced by half (or more if you have long toes). Next, increase at the beginning and end of each row until you are back to the original number of stitches for the foot. Work the bottom half of the foot to the same length as the top half then shape the heel as for the toe. When the shaping is finished, graft the heel stitches to the two quarters that were left after the leg was finished. Sew the seams at the back of the leg and along the sides of the foot.

Socks knitted in an Argyle pattern are often knitted flat because the required colours would not be in the correct position for circular knitting.

Yarn

The best yarn for socks depends on their intended purpose. Yarn for walking socks will be different to that for socks to wear around the house or for bedsocks. For the type of socks you will wear every day inside shoes, the best yarn is that which is spun specifically for socks. The wool is frequently a combination of Merino or Blue Faced Leicester, perhaps with a bit of added silk for softness. Sock yarn should be durable, usually combining wool for its elasticity and nylon for added strength and its multiple plies are often tightly twisted. The tight twist makes the yarn more resistant to pilling. A typical mix of sock wool is 80 per cent wool and 20 per cent nylon, with the high proportion of wool helping to retain the elasticity that is needed for the socks to fit snugly around the foot and leg. Wool is also a breathable fibre and it wicks away moisture, making the feet less likely to sweat. Cotton or bamboo reinforced with nylon is also suitable, especially for those who are sensitive to wool, but the fabric won’t spring back into shape in the same way that wool does. Wool on its own, as long as it has a high twist, will be more durable than that which is soft and lightly spun. Merino wool or cashmere, while they are lovely and soft, are prone to wearing into holes very quickly. It is possible to buy small spools or cards of reinforcement yarn that can be knitted together with one of the softer yarns at the heels and toes. But the yarn you choose does depend on the function of the socks. Bedsocks, for example, can be made with a soft alpaca, angora or even cashmere for an extra luxurious feel.

Commercially produced yarns will have a ball band suggesting the size of needles and the gauge you are likely to get with them. In most cases, unless it is specifically labelled for socks, this gauge will be too loose. Socks need to grip the feet or they will gather up around the ankles and sometimes slide down into the shoes. Using smaller needles than suggested will naturally use more yarn. A pair of medium-sized socks in a basic pattern will use approximately 400 metres/425 yards so do check the ball band for length and buy an extra ball if you think you may run out.

Yarns produced specifically as sock yarn will be mainly 4-ply weight, to be knitted on needles sized from 2.25mm to 3.00mm. Most of the yarns used for the patterns in this book are those designed especially for socks. They contain a percentage of nylon, which makes them more hardwearing, and a high percentage of wool for the warmth and comfort this fibre gives. As socks are likely to be washed fairly frequently, many of them will be machine washable, but if they are not, washing them in lukewarm water and drying them outside will allow them to retain their elasticity.

For walking socks, sometimes known as boot socks, a heavier weight yarn will be preferable, such as a DK or even an Aran weight. These need to be especially hardwearing but also soft so that they don’t rub and cause painful blisters. Again, a combination of wool and nylon is best but with perhaps a slightly higher proportion of nylon than that for everyday...