Socks are the one thing I never feel guilty about knitting. It's possible to have too many scarves or shawls or fingerless gloves or even sweaters (unless you live in an incredibly cold environment, which I don't), but socks? They get more wear than any other handknits, so it makes sense to have a decent supply of them on hand.
I've knitted a lot of socks this year (seven pairs so far, with another nearly done), and it's been so satisfying watching my drawer fill up. I have thirteen pairs at the moment, with plans for more. These are still my favorites, closely followed by these. My least favorite pair is my first pair, because wow...that yarn was ugly. So far those are the only ones I've had to darn, probably because I knitted them on larger needles and I guess the fabric isn't as dense.
I already caked up two autumn-ish yarns from my stash to hopefully knit into socks this fall. I think the speckled yarn will be Hermione's Everyday Socks, and I haven't decided on the tweed, though I'm thinking something with cables?
Handknit socks are a perfect example of slow fashion...especially considering it takes me nearly two weeks on average to knit a pair. :)
*While writing this post, I noticed that these pictures didn't include my handspun socks. I may have had a tiny freak-out because I couldn't find them in my drawer, either. I don't lose things, and those socks represent hours and hours of my life! I finally found them stuffed down in a pocket of my knitting bag, left there from when I'd worn them to my grandparents' house sometime in the spring.
I really love the colors of the socks your knitting right now. Those are some of my favorite colors:)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love blues and purples, too. :)
DeletePhew. Close call. This definitely makes me want to knit more socks ASAP.
ReplyDeleteHa, you definitely should!
Deletelove! all the colors are just so happy! also love the speckled yarn, where is it from?? feeling like knitting with all the Fall colors right now too :)
ReplyDeleteThat yarn is from Spun Right Round, and the colorway is Hay Day! This will be my third pair from her sock yarn, and I always love how they turn out. :)
DeleteI am so impressed that it only takes you two weeks to knit a pair of socks! What a gorgeous collection of hand knit socks. I've never made socks but I have pairs from my mom and grandma, and they sure do make for happy feet!
ReplyDeleteHa, it seems like too long to me! Thank you. Knitted socks are the best...that's lovely that you have some from your mom and grandma. :)
DeleteI'd love to learn how to knit or crochet, but I haven't made an effort to because I'm afraid I'll just end up with too many scarves and hats and get bored. But socks! I hadn't thought of that! It looks like some of them are thinner and more appropriate for summer weather? Also, any idea on the cost difference between purchasing and knitting socks?
ReplyDeleteWell, all but one pair of these are made with fingering weight yarn, which is a thin yarn that's generally used with socks. (The light blue pair used sportweight yarn, which is slightly heavier.) I recently made my first pair of summer socks, and I used a wool/nylon blend yarn for them like I always do with socks, but I just made the cuff much shorter than I do winter ones. I've worn them a lot lately in decently warm weather and they were fine! :)
DeleteHonestly, I'm sure it's much cheaper to buy socks (unless you're buying handknitted ones). I guess a pair of socks can cost anywhere from a couple of dollars (for polyester/nylon ones) to about $20 or so for machine knitted wool socks. And sock yarn typically costs anywhere between $8 and $30. Taking into account the time it takes to make socks, it's definitely cheaper to buy them. But...handknitted socks are so cozy and special and they hold up much better. :)
This is very helpful -- thanks! Ethical clothing (and food, and everything else) is very important to me, so I think it would be worth a few extra dollars, and definitely worth the time. I might have to go scour my library for knitting books now. :)
DeleteYou're welcome! Those things are important to me, too, so I agree that it's worth it. :) After you learn how to knit, I really recommend checking out Silver's Sock Class for making your first pair. It's how I learned to knit socks and includes very detailed instructions and pictures. You can find it here: http://cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm .
DeleteOh wow, those pictures look daunting. Thanks for the link! I'll make a note to look into it after I master scarves. :) I actually knitted a scarf several years ago, but I've forgotten how to do it and it turned out very uneven... Which I suppose is to be expected of a beginner! :)
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