Saturday 26 June 2010

Elizabeth left me a comment regarding socks: I'm wondering what your favourite weight is both to work with and wear.

Working and wearing are two different things for me and maybe for others too. I like to WEAR sock weight socks and have a dozen pairs of socks made for myself from various sock wools. These are as fine as I can get them using 2.25mm needles which is usually a gauge of 28-30 sts = 10cm.
And although I'm sure I would like very finely knit socks I have never made myself any. I'm a loose knitter and can't face going down to a 2.0mm needle so sock wool which knits to 32-34 sts = 10cm remains totally out of my comfort zone. I own a set of 2.0mm needles which I take out to look at every once in a while, shake my head and put them back. They're just too fine for me.

On the other hand I love KNITTING DK weight socks. Who can resist socks with 48 stitches on them. They are done in a couple of evenings. I have several pairs which work perfectly in my winter boots and as house socks on a cool, drafty winter evening at home. I even have some that are quite fancy.
I wear them to parties. The reality where I live is that from December to March I hardly ever wear a pair of shoes. I loosen up my Birks so I can take them to someone else's house to wear with socks if I must wear shoes but I prefer to put on my DK house socks to show them off. The rest of the time I'm wearing socks with my slippers - did I mention that most of the time I work at home? - and I keep a pair of slippers at the shop for when I'm there. Casual sock wearing rules here.

And believe it or not, I find the summer is the perfect time to knit socks. They're a small project which you can tuck away in your purse and you're not in any hurry for them at present. July is going to be sock knitting month for me. How about you?
-Deb

1 comment:

  1. I love fine sock yarn the best. Sometimes I use 2mm or 2.25mm needles. Any time is a good time to knit socks. I prefer top down, but have experimented with the toe-up, just because I can. I have a drawer full of handknit socks and I wear them every day, except in the very hot weather, then I go barefoot.

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