Summer Socks

I learned to knit in middle school.  My mother taught me, probably because she was trying to occupy me, so I wouldn’t bug her/dad/my sister, or maybe because I thought it was cool; I don’t really remember.  My first project was a horrible navy blue acrylic scarf, complete with random increases and decreases, all in garter stitch.  Possibly, because the scarf was so horrible, I didn’t knit much until the end of high school, when I took another stab at it with a very warm scarf and hat set.  This turned out very well, so when I went off to college that fall, I took some needles and yarn with me, in hopes of starting other projects for Christmas presents for my family (all scarf and hat sets).  I also took a skein of acrylic sock yarn with in hopes of teaching myself to make a pair of fuzzy warm socks in which to roam the dorms.  My plan only half-worked, though; I learned to knit socks, but when finished they were too small for my feet.  By this time, I was too irritated to go back and fix them, so I gave them to my mom.  She adored them.  And begged me for more!  So, for every Christmas (and most Mother’s Days and Birthdays) since, I’ve knitted her another pair of socks.

Hand-knitted socks are wonderful; even when knit with a lacy open pattern, they keep your feet warm and snuggly all winter long.  They are also comfortable, being entirely knit cuff to toe (or visa versa) with no seams.  Best of all (for the instant gratification seekers) they are small, knit up quickly, and travel well as projects!

Knitting Vintage Socks

This particular sock project started with Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, a great sock resource featuring multiple vintage (mostly lace) patterns worked out for modern children’s, women’s and men’s sizes as well as a good smattering of knitting history.  I’ve knitted up 3 of her women’s sock patterns to date (including this one) with different sock yarns, to find that the women’s socks seem to run on the large size (at least for a size 6/7 foot they do).  The patterns have fairly simple lace and/or cable stitches, but I do wish that she had included a chart version of the pattern instructions (99 times out of 100 I prefer a chart to written out instructions; it just seems easier to visually manage the chart, and to understand how the pattern works).  Also, she titles some of the patterns as child’s or man’s socks, but then the directions are for a woman’s sock.  I understand that this is because she got the pattern from a child’s or man’s sock, but it is confusing when you are looking for a specific sock pattern size.

These socks were knit from the Child’s First Sock in Shell Pattern (pg. 61) in Tofutsies by the South West Trading Company #856, a superwash wool, soysilk fiber, cotton and chitin blend.  Chitin, scientifically, is a polysaccharide found in the shells of crabs, lobsters and other delicious crustaceans.  It is used as a fertilizer in farming, a stabilizer and thickening agent in food, and as a strong fiber in surgical thread.  What this means for knitting is that the chitin fibers act like nylon in the yarn, strengthening the wool against wear (an important feature in sock yarn).  The yarn itself, is very soft on the feet, but splits easily when knitting (especially with the small sized needles used for socks) so I wouldn’t recommend it for a first-time sock knitter.  The turquoise color, though, is fantastic, especially for an ocean-y pattern like shells!

The shell pattern itself is a very simple lace, but I found it hard to keep track of the number of pattern repeats (vertically).  I’m not sure if it was because the pattern sort of twists, or if I was just having trouble counting.  The toe and heel were worked with a double thickness of yarn for added durability (I’m not sure if I would do this again, it was kind of a pain to knit the double thickness with the small needles).

Overall, I’m very happy with the resulting socks, especially as these ones are mine!