The price isn't the point

Fickle Steps sock pattern

“Did you know you can buy a 5-pack of socks for a tenner?”

I love how this is the response I get from some people when they ask what I’m knitting and I tell them it’s a sock. They seem genuinely puzzled, mystified even that I would be doing such a thing when they are so readily available in practically every supermarket and clothing store.

Even funnier is the implication that I am in blissful ignorance of the fact that cheap socks are indeed available. As though I would suddenly throw my knitting aside and rush out to purchase said, instantly available socks.

As a knitter yourself I know I’m leaning against an open door with this one. We know the true value of a hand-knit sock. We know that there is genuinely no comparison between a well-fitting, super cosy 75% merino wool sock and a cheap nylon ‘one size fits all’ sock. How on earth can one sock properly fit a foot range from adult 6-11 is a mystery that persists to this day. There isn’t enough stretch in the universe to accommodate that, but still sock manufacturers would try to convince us otherwise.

We don’t knit socks because they are cheap. We knit them because they are priceless

Non-knitters however truly might not appreciate the difference however until - and this is a crucial one - until they have tried the joy for themselves. Even my own dear husband, right back at the start of my sock knitting journey was a little sceptical. That might have been due to the fact that starting to knit socks had reduced me to tears on more than one occasion. It didn’t help that I started off by playing fast and loose with gauge.

The first sock I knit was so dense that it stood up by itself. More like an armour-plated bootee than a sock. I learned the hard way that knitting worsted weight yarn on 2.5mm needles was not a good idea.

Brushing off my disappointment I went all in and purchased a skein of fancy sock yarn. I didn’t realise that you were supposed to wind the skein (hank) into a ball first - I’ll leave the resulting horror to your imagination. Suffice to say that more tears were involved.

On my third time though I got lucky and I managed to produce a slightly wibbly - and pretty loose sock. The concept of negative ease was something that I grasped later on.

All this to say that sock knitting is a skill - a valuable one. And one that non knitters simply fail to appreciate. It’s not their fault of course any more than I would understand the finer intricacies of cabinet making. But I wouldn’t have the nerve to go up to a cabinet maker and tell him (or her) that they could dispense with all that woodworking malarky and simply pick up a flat pack bargain from IKEA.

The sad truth of course is that the skills associated with the handmade - especially those associated with women have long been undervalued. It has been a very long time since the men-only knitting guilds of medieval times have been a thing. Despite the prominence of some very well-known male designers the average knitters stereotype of an older woman (the dreaded Knitting Nana of shreddies fame) persists to this day. I wrote about it over on Substack publication: Everyday Knitter.

A selection of my knitted socks in daily use

Sock knitting as a survival skill

If people don’t appreciate a hand-knit sock because of the skill involved or the comfort there is always a more stark reminder.

I always think it is funny when you see people in films stocking up for an impending apocalypse. Food, water and ammunition (👀) features heavily. Textiles and antibiotics - not so much. Never mind the fact that exposure to cold or gangrene from an infected cut will kill you a lot quicker than starvation will.

Sock knitting when you think about it is the ultimate apocalyptic life skill. They might say that an army marches on it’s stomach but they can’t do much without comfortable feet. There is a reason that ‘knitting socks for the war effort’ has been such an enduring trope during the past two or three centuries.

So, this Socktober, knit on dear knitter. Grab your most colourful skeins of yarn and cast on for some glorious socks. What better way to look forward to the colder months than with warm feet for yourself and your loved ones.

Did you know I also write on Substack and host a vibrant Everyday Knitter community of like-minded crafty souls. It’s a great place for thoughtful discussion and gentle conversation. If this sounds like your thing, please just tap the link below and come take a look

How to Knit a Sock Snake

This blog post was originally published in 2019. I have revamped it and edited slightly to take into account a few questions I received on it. If you would like a condensed version of this tutorial along with all of my handy hints and tips to knitting the perfect sock snake I have made them available as a short pattern download. The PDF is also available on Ravelry

Now, you know me - I love a bit of knitting efficiency and I like to knit socks in those spare in-between moments of travel and general hanging around. A recent long train journey meant that I got a bit carried away with the toe-up socks I was knitting. I normally knit around a 16” tube if I’m going to be adding a cuff and an afterthought heel but on this occasion I was engrossed in my Kindle, sipping my coffee and knitting away.

It was only when I got to my destination that I realised that I had in fact knitted close to 22” - practically the foot of sock number 2.

I was absolutely not going to rip out 6” of perfectly good sock so I decided to make a virtue out of a necessity and carry on to make a long sock snake. I had seen someone else on Instagram do this a while ago and the idea had stuck with me since then.

Step 1: knit your snake.

For toe-up socks (8-9” foot circumference, 4ply yarn and 2.25mm needles) I cast on 24 sts using Judy’s magic cast on - 12 on each needle - and work a standard sock toe with increases on alternate rows (to 64 sts). Then knit, and knit...and knit some more. I knit until the tube measured 31” from the cast on and then added a second toe at the other end.

Step 2: divide your snake in half and decide where you are going to snip.

I like to fold the sock flat and pick the midway point - mark it with a pin. Then unfold it and lay it flat in front of you. Using a tapestry needle and waste yarn, slide 1 full round of stitches onto the waste yarn. Repeat with a second length of yarn - leaving one round between each lifeline

Step 3: Snip (it sounds less scary than cut)

Once your stitches are secure on your two lifelines they can’t go anywhere. Using sharp scissors - snip a stitch in between the two lines and gently unravel the yarn - I like to use the tip of the tapestry needle. Continue around the whole sock until your sock snake becomes 2 shorter snakes.

Step 4: Add cuffs

Return the live stitches to needles, join in your chosen yarn and add cuffs to the two tubes

Step 5: Add afterthought heels

Using the same lifeline process - just across 32 stitches though - add in afterthought heels.

And hey presto - 2 separate socks.

Super Sock Snake

£3.50

This is a short tutorial for a different way to knit socks two-at-a-time.
Knit a long tube with a toe at each end, then snip to separate them and add cuffs and afterthought heels.

Photos are added to walk you through the process.

And if your nerve fails you and you can’t bear to take scissors to your knitting you could always turn it into a skinny scarf or graft the ends together to make a cowl - win win!

Free version - a non-print friendly version of this tutorial can be found on my blog - here

Yarn: Sockweight/fingering weight yarn
Needles: 2.5mm

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How to make your handknit socks last longer

A pair of handknit socks knit in yarn from The Yarny Octopus

A lot of time and effort goes into knitting a pair of handknit socks. By my conservative estimate I normally reckon on around 8 hours per sock, if it’s a plain vanilla sock with a short row heel. Larger socks for the men in my life or anything requiring a pattern or cable can be upwards of 10hrs - a total of 20hrs for a pair.

Whatever way you look at it - that’s a lot of time invested in two small woolly object. So naturally it makes sense to want them to last as long as possible, no one wants to have sock holes to deal with.

Socks in general have a hard life, unless you are knitting cashmere bed socks. Stuffed into boots and shoes, subject to a lot of friction, it’s no surprise that they can suffer from wear and tear. But there are a few simple things we can do to help them last longer.

1. Choose a choose wool/nylon mix. Ideally 80% wool/20% nylon or 75/25. Yes, I know that you can knit long lasting socks with just 100% wool but in my experience a little bit of nylon really does help.

2. Choose a yarn with multiple plies firmly twisted around each other.. Some brands sell a high twist yarn which is perfect for fabrics which will get a lot of friction and rubbing. Avoid anything that pills as this will inevitably lead to thinner areas developing on the sock - and holes forming.

3. Avoid putting handknit socks in the tumble dryer. The excess heat can damage the fibres and reduce the amount of stretch in the yarn.

4. Go down a needle size. The ideal sock fabric should be firm with no gaps between the stitches. I noticed an immediate difference in my socks longevity when I went down from a 2.5mm needle to a 2.25mm needle. The fabric is firmer, more even and definitely longer lasting.

5. For someone who is very hard on their socks consider adding in a re-inforcement thread at heels and/or toes. You can buy commercial thread for this purpose or you can add in a strand of thin mohair or silk. Both will have the advantage of adding strength and durability to any vulnerable areas and hopefully increasing the socks lifespan.

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Three tips for speedy socks

A stripy sock in yarn from The Yarny Octopus

It’s no secret that I love knitting stripy socks. Give me a self stripe yarn and my book or a Netflix series and I’m definitely in my happy place. For socks such as this there is no rush, I’m happy just to proceed at my own pace and let the socks be finished when they are ready.

But, let’s face it time and birthdays wait for no man. So there are times when deadlines press and a pair of socks need to be done, with ends woven in and everything.

So here are my top 3 tips for speedier sock knitting:

1. Sharp tips. These needle tips are Hiya Hiya sharp interchangeables and I love ‘em, especially if there are any cables or twisted stitches to be knit.

2. Magic loop. Being able to scoot staright across 32 or 36 stitches in one swoop without having to stop and readjust definitely saves me time. Yes, there is a little cable wrangling at the midway point but I find I can get up quite a head of steam as I work my way across each needle tip.

3. Continental knitting. Keeping the yarn as close as possible to the left needle tip and wrapping it tight around my tensioning finger helps me to keep excess movement to a minimum. This keeps each movement efficient and reduces the potential for RSI.

What’s your best tip for speedy sock knitting? I know some people swear by DPNs for speed but for me I always seem to get in a tangle.

Feel Better socks

Most of my sock designs are written with magic loop in mind - such as these colourful, slightly cabled Feel Better Socks. Tap the button below to see the full range of sock patterns I have for sale.

Winter Footstep Socks

Winter Footstep Socks

This isn’t quite how I planned my triumphant return to blogging after something of a hiatus.

I had a lovely post all planned out celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Winter Footstep Socks, my oldest design and the first one that I ever listed for sale.

It was a fabulous piece, all about 10th birthdays and how far we’ve come.

Then I checked my notes and realised that the design is actually 11 years old - not 10. Ooops!

At the tail end of this year I decided that I would reknit these socks in a contemporary yarn - the original socks have long since vanished (I have no recollection of where to) and I fancied a new pair of socks for me.

I had some gorgeous sock yarn from Dystopic Fibre in his fabulous Teal Woodcap colourway which I knew would make for a perfect winter sock, and I’d forgotten how addictive and how quick this lace pattern is to knit up.

A lot has happened in 10 (11) years and my life looked very different in January 2013 when these socks were released. On the one hand it feels as though it has passed in the blink of an eye, but on the other hand so much has happened that when I sat down to write it, it honestly felt a little overwhelming.

So I’m going to save you the emotional part and just wish my Winter Footstep socks a happy 11th birthday. There’s a link below in case you’d like to knit a pair of your very own.

Not So Vanilla Socks

Not So Vanilla Socks: cuff down and knit in a gradient yarn from Gusto Wool (Urth Yarns)

Sometimes you need some plain vanilla socks, sometimes you just need something a little bit more. When I came across this lovely gradient yarn from Gusto Wool (kindly gifted to me by Urth Yarns) I knew that I wanted to knit something quite simple, that would let the lovely yarn take centre stage.

This yarn - Echoes by Gusto Wool comes in 2 x 50g matched gradient skeins - making it perfect for a project such as this. And the pattern is a simple, two-round repeat which is easy to memorise.

This is a cuff down sock, knit with a slightly longer leg than usual - all the better to show off that gradual colour change. Paired with a traditional heel flap and a rounded toe this is a perfect sock for either gifting or for yourself - ideal for travel projects.

Although I’ve used a gradient yarn here this would work equally well with mini skeins - try the clasped weft join to avoid dealing with ends. Or it would look fab with a self stripe yarn too. In fact my next pair might be just that.