Sock knit-along update

How goes the sock knitting for the knit-along?

I have one sock down and am cranking away at another. Don't worry if you aren't that far along. I had a head start. Now my desire to finish a pair is pushing me to zip through this second one.

I began sock knitting as a doubter. It seemed awfully difficult. Although some people swear by it, I wasn't so sure that it would hold much interest for me, especially since the knitted socks I was seeing on blogs were all sorts of crazy colors or had frou-frou accoutrements that I would never make or wear.

By no means have I become a member of the sock knitting cult, but I can say that I like making them, just not as a primary knitting project. Socks have provided a good challenge for me, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I've been able to meet it.

I had no preconceptions of what I could or couldn't do when I started knitting, but if pressed for an answer, I probably would have limited my abilities to basic squares or long rectangles--scarves and dishcloths, in other words. I'm still pretty green when it comes to knitting, but one of the most satisfying things is discovering that I can do things like socks that would have seemed impossible to me a month or two ago.

If you're working on yours, hang in there. If you haven't tried, why not give it a shot?

Addendum: My progress just took a major hit.

Insider sock tips

I know, the gall of me--ME!--providing tips on knitting socks, but what is the point of doing the sock knit-along without sharing the knowledge we glean in the process? It's more valuable if we're all making the exact same thing, I suppose, but I've made a few observations that will be helpful if you're new to this as I am. So, three tips:

1. Make a baby-sized practice sock.

With it you can get all of your mistakes out of the way as you figure out what the devil you're supposed to do. My first wasn't fantastic, but it primed my skills for a better, albeit still flawed, second baby sock. Don't knit a second if you don't want to. It was necessary for me to do. That's when the techniques clicked in my brain.

2. Picking up stitches is easier with an empty needle than a working needle.

The instructions I've seen have recommended picking up the first set of the stitches from the heel flap with the working needle. I've found that to add an extra degree of difficulty. Instead I use a spare needle and then slide the stitches onto the other needle.

3. For ssk, slip stitches knitwise.

Perhaps you already know this. I didn't until I saw directions in a sock pattern that specified how to slip in ssk. (I'd been slipping purlwise, which left an unsightly little pattern.)

My sock is coming along nicely. Don't worry, I'm not that fast. I had a head start.

Sock Knit-Along!

I've been fumbling my way through the sock knitting process, and I could use some company as I attempt to make adult-sized socks. Jenn suggested a knit-along, so what better people to do that than with you all? (Can I get away using that colloquialism as someone north of the Mason-Dixon line?)

I don't really know how KALs work. I assume that individuals agree to knit something at the same time and share their progress, questions, and results. Sounds easy enough.

Jenn has provided some helpful links in the sidebar if sock knitting is new to you too. I used a baby sock pattern to make practice socks. Although my first had some issues, it had a definite sock-ness. The second practice sock came much more easily to me. (From casting on to sewing in the ends, I completed it in about three and a half hours.)

I struggled to understand how to pick up stitches until I went here. The page also links to a video that cleared up my questions and should be beneficial for other new sock knitters.

I'm using this pattern for the socks I'm making myself. Unless you're already well stocked with needles and know the gauge of your yarn, I recommend picking your pattern first. Trust me, it's easier matching the materials to the pattern than vice versa.

I'll be posting updates here and at my blog. If I can do it, so can you. Are you ready to join in the fun?