Shocking
Hey, look, a sock. We haven’t seen one of those around here in a while.
I realized the other day I was feeling a little crazy around the edges – a little crazier than usual. Now I like to think I’m some sort of complicated, mysterious being with a finely tuned set of needs and desires….not the sort of creature who could be entertained by using a series of 6,000 tiny loops to make a tube with a bend in the middle. As it turns out though, I totally am that easily entertained. Making that tube is unreasonably satisfying. I got a sock on the needles, and within minutes I feel my sense of equanimity returning. I’m not sure whether to be awed by the restorative power of knitting or deeply concerned that I might be a bit simple.
The yarn is Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label in olive, and it is amazing. And yes, it is a dk weight yarn. And yes, it does take 2 skeins to make a pair of socks. But I truly, deeply, passionately feel that socks are better knit on thicker yarns. They’re easier to knit, they’re more comfortable to wear, and they last longer (this is where you can imagine me waving a banner and possibly shouting into a bullhorn). And since I’m the one knitting them…well I’ll be using yarns I love. Now, if only we could get yarn makers to start giving us dk yarns in 150 gram hanks so I could get a pair out of one skein…
More pics as the sock comes together, this one isn’t really doing the sock justice, but I was too pleased to have something shareable on the needles to wait any longer.
ohhhh. That is LOVELY!
I’ve a sock on the needles right now that would argue the point of thicker yarn being easier to knit into socks. But, it’s sport weight, maybe it’s just not thick enough!
Grabs charts and pointer…prepares to engage in a long conversation about yarn density…how thicker but mostly air is not the same as thicker and with more yarn in the yarn.
What’s yours doing that’s making it not easy?
I’m needing to do 70+ sts around to get pleasant yarn striping (ask me how I know) but the large size of sock is a bit big for the giftee’s foot. I think I’ve got it almost figured out, but need to decrease 6 sts on the foot of the Polyommatus argiolus Socks and don’t have a great plan for exactly how to do that yet but I do have a vague plan (just ripped back to leg to decrease pattern by 10 rows). (pic on my blog today if you’d like to see)
If you want a smaller foot, you can pretty much always do extra gusset decreases to use up extra stitches. Just be sure your first few rounds of toe decreases only happen on the top of the foot to bring top and bottom back in line!
You can also switch to smaller needles on the foot if you want to tighten it up a bit more!
ohhh. jolly good tip on the toes! THANK YOU!!!
I love socks knit out of thicker yarns, but then I have size 11NNN feet…
How lovely! The colors really compliment the pattern.
I love dk weight socks! With small feet, I can eke out a short cuffed pair from 100g. But 150g would be nice. Dk socks are quick and squishy. I bought Skechers a half size bigger than normal, just to accommodate my thicker socks!
Hi Hunter,
I’ve never knit a pair of socks out of a thicker yarn than maybe a sport weight, but your post gave me the motivation to try it sometime soon. Especially because I have a spare skein of Wollmeise DK lying around. They produce it in 200+g skeins, which might be enough for size 43 (9,5) feet I hope.
Oh how lovely! And yes, I think you’ll have no problem at all getting a full pair of socks out of that (with some left over I bet). Hope they keep your feet warm and cozy!