For you sock knitters, check out this brand new store: SimplySockyarn.com (http://www.simplysockyarn.com/StoreFront.bok). Great selection, very reasonable prices from what I saw, and very low shipping ($3.85 flat rate, or free if order is over $50).

They even have worsted weight sock yarn, which is next to impossible to find! For fast sock knitting! In socky stripes and colors! :happydance: ...This would be their Cascade Fixation yarns, all three styles. These are cotton yarns, with elastic in them for that needed stretch. I've not tried these yarns, but they sure look enticing! Their prices on it compare to eBay, very good indeed.

Just had to share. I've got my plate full of projects, but I'm seriously considering some Cascade Fixation socks anyway. Cotton socks: perfect for summer!

Thanks for the link, Amy! I've used Fixation for socks before and it's really nice. It does take a few rows to get used to working with it, but I'm hot-footed ;) so I like other options besides wool for socks.

:cheering: :cheering: :cheering: I :heart: :heart: :heart: :XX: socks as everyone knows.. :D ....i think i might have to try some other projects with sock wt yarn...i've been thinking about that...and worshted, too...i need to go have a nice long ponder with the site
cya
:waving:
becka

Oh....my....Gosh! I am so very much addicted to socks, and wouldn't you know it, my yarn fast is over tomorrow, so I just need to spend some time today picking out what I want! Thanks for the link Amy!!! :cheering:

Can someone tell me why you need special yarn for socks? I (until just this second) though "sock yarn" refered to a weight... but then Amy said worsted weight sock yarn and I am all sorts of confused now :??

I think because sock yarn usually blends wool or cotton (or whatever) with something stretchy and that wears well, like nylon, so they last longer. I usually see sock yarn with 75% wool and 25% nylon, and the cotton ones usually have elastic or some other synthetic blend. And they have different weights, usually sock yarn is fingering weight (I think) so to find worsted with the blend is kind of rare? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm kind of speculating on part of this.

I've never tried knitting socks, but I've been considering trying them for a new challenge. Any ideas on a simple sock pattern for a sock-making newbie? :D

Holly

P.S. In Kelly and Hilde's pictures I noticed that Kelly's sock looked like it was being knit on a circular needle...what technique is that? Is it easier than DPN's?

Fantastic! I love all cotton socks! In our warm climate, wool is rarely needed.

I noticed that Kelly's sock looked like it was being knit on a circular needle...what technique is that? Is it easier than DPN's?

I personally thought it was....I attempted a sock on DPNs and the needles kept falling out of the work. It was on TWO circs, btw....check Amy's video for "small diameter knitting" for the how-to's!

Holly, you should check out Silver's sock tutorial...if I ever knit socks, that's where I'll go first. I don't have the link though....anyone?? ;)

Holly, you should check out Silver's sock tutorial...if I ever knit socks, that's where I'll go first. I don't have the link though....anyone?? ;)

Silver's Sock Class (http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Beginning.htm)

:sunny: Thank you! Socks seem like a great summer project --not bulky and hot :D

Holly

Where can I find sock yarns more reasonable priced? I have never knit apair of socks before and their $ run at least $6+ a skein. Now I realize now that I have been knitting for a while that this is a decent price for yarn however needed 2 skeins for a pair of socks brings me to $12+ dollars a pair and I have no idea if they will turn out wearable!

Can you tell socks intimidate me? Anyways knitpicks has some decent prices but they are wool and can't be machine washed. (Socks MUST be machine washed in this house. (we have 5 pairs of feet!...That is a lot of socks!) Are their any machine washable sock yarns at knitpicks prices?

I think because sock yarn usually blends wool or cotton (or whatever) with something stretchy and that wears well, like nylon, so they last longer. I usually see sock yarn with 75% wool and 25% nylon, and the cotton ones usually have elastic or some other synthetic blend. And they have different weights, usually sock yarn is fingering weight (I think) so to find worsted with the blend is kind of rare? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm kind of speculating on part of this.

Exactly. JLC's hit it on the head, on all counts. Wool is typically blended with nylon for better wear. Also "sock yarns" when they are multi-colored, have color patterning that is meant to be knit up into a sock. Some of them create very neat effects, that you won't find in a yarn intended for things other than socks.

Vicki, Knitpicks does have great prices for sock yarns, but as you said, I don't think they're machine washable, and many of them (all of them?) do not have nylon in them, and wools like merino, nice as they feel on the feet, apparently wear through much faster than tougher wools or reinforced wools. I don't know of any low-priced machine washable soft wool blends, but didn't this new store have a machine washable merino sock yarn? Fingering weight, I can't recall the price. What about the cotton worsted weight, seems like you could machine wash that one; right Mascara?

Vicki - You could always try Wool Ease at Michael's or Joann's. I believe it's machine washable, decent price and the 40% percent off coupons in every Sunday paper could help too. I made a scarf with this yarn and it turned out ok, it's not the same quality as what you would find in a LYS but they're going in boots anyway!

Vicki, I put off attempting socks for some time for pretty much the same reason as you. I didn't want to be out several dollars for a pair of socks which might or might not prove to be wearable. However, I really did want to try my hand at socks! What I finally decided to do was to knit a pair in some cheap acrylic yarn I got at Wal-Mart. That way I was able to work through the learning process without feeling badly about money wasted. :D

However, I still haven't finished the pair I started. :blush:

Vicki....u can try ebay; I've gotten great yarn from a very nice lady there; her ebay username is jujumar and the yarn that she has on tonite that I just saw is 'confetti' & it knits up quite nicely. I will post a picture of a pair of socks i did with them...but, before i do...bc of the angel of my camera it looks like a HUGE foot and shorter leg of the sock, the leg part of the sock is really & truly longer...lol....these were the socks that i put in my 20 yr old daughter's Easter basket (well, 1 of them)....she's the only other person that gets my socks...lol!
i am just about to buy a hank of this BEAUTIFUL yarn from simplysockyarn.com..it's opal, hand painted #20...and it is too pretty & i'm going to knit these really stunning lacey socks with cables in them called Tipsy Knitter Socks on pg 41 of the book SOCKS SOCKS SOCKS, if anyone has it....that's the book my :heart: sweet, :heart: sweet :heart: lover :inlove: man :o surprised me with...and l :heart: IT...and him...lol
vicki, i'm attaching the socks..very reasonable; these that she has on there now r for 4 balls! and it knits very well...her comes the picture...i hope..lol

ok so after all of your encouragement I am about to try my first pair of socks. The nice lady at my LYS (actually it isn't very local to me but close to where my kids get therapy) helped me pick out an inexpensive yarn to try it with and also gave me a pattern. What a sweet woman! So I am going to try to knit a pair of socks for my son. If I am successful at making a pair that is wearable, I have my eye on a few yarns from Simply Sock Yarn and am going to try so more.

Thanks for your encouragement.

Rebecca I really like those socks. I love the cable down the side. I just learned to cable this past weekend and I LOVE it. I never thought about cable in socks. :happydance:

Vicki ~ I am taking a lesson tonight on socks and my LYS. I am very excited. :cheering: Maybe we could bounce questions off of each other.

Stacy

http://diynet.com/diy/shows_dkng/episode/0,2046,DIY_18180_36323,00.html

:cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:
WTG VICKI....
should u have problems there r tutorials all over this internet (how i learned) and when I watched this show on knitty gritty called 'sock it to me' it was as if :figureditout: ....no kidding. the girl, karen baumer that was on as the guest explains everything sooo easily; fyi...i've emailed karen baumer a couple of times with questions and she very nicely answered them & explained the answer as if she were sitting right next to me...her emai is on the website at the end of one of the segments; some of which are videod...thank God!!
i'm gonna look around for some more tutorials on here that may be helpful. amy has videos that will help, too!!
I'm so excited!!!!
http://www.royea.net/sockdemo1.html
here's another that may be of some help
http://www.socknitters.com/FAQ/FAQ_how.htm
and yet....another
http://knittersreview.com/article_how_to.asp?article=/review/profile/011018_a.asp
that should do for a while...ask away if u have questions....BUT....
most importantly.....HAVE FUN :thumbsup:

http://www.colby.edu/personal/l/leosborn/anniversox.htm

thanks very much, stacey!! That's so sweet of you. The pattern is above. They really aren't hard...they were actually my 1st cabling project! I knit in tandem on dpns....so I had 10 dpns for the socks and 1 cable needle (I prefer the short cable needle that looks like very short dpn) and my sister gave me the nick name rebecca knitterhands....u know...like the guy (johnny depp) in edward scissorhands...lol! they were very fun to make...as a matter of fact...i'm off to work on a pair now bc renovations have been going on in the kitchen & r about to end in here...then start in bathroom; so i'm lucky to have gotten on comupter as long as i have....secret...got up very early
HAVE FUN FUN WITH YOUR SOCKS & CABLES, GIRLS....U WILL :heart: :heart: :heart: it!!! and don't let the dpns scare u...if u get intimidated...just switch to a larger size needle & yarn until u have more of 'a feel' of handling all those needles & small yarn.
have fun!!! :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Rebecca.... I love those socks.. I would like to pick up the needles and yarn this weekend :XX: while we are in New Hampshire for the Lupine Festival. The directions do not state needle size.. could you tell me what did you use? Thanks so much! anne :sunny:

anne, i think that it depends more upon you, the yarn you use & the gauge with the yarn & needle selection
I used confetti yarn and used size 1 dpns, i am a tight knitter & i think that they would have looked better had i used a size 0
and my gauge was 9 sts per inch so i had to adjust the pattern accordingly.
I didn't write the pattern, i was just rereading it; it would be my suggestion that if u don't want to have to redo #s of sts, etc in the pattern that u choose your favorite yarn & then work with your dpns until u get the one that will give you the required 61/2 to 7 sts per inch as stated in the pattern.
I'm sorry that I could be of no more help to you.

:cheering: Thank you for your response! I will pick pick up 0 and 1's then see what works for me with the yarn I find. :?? all a huge learning experience for me lol.

anne...1st look at the yarn to see what size dpns that the particular yarn that you buy recommends...they could recommend something entirely different & u could be way off with the sizes of 0 and 1; I would also suggest that u show the pattern to the person working at the yarn shop & ask his/her thoughts on the matter...
and....you are surely welcome
do u already have the yarn?.....well, excuse me...i just read that u do not have the yarn.... :doh: duh....perhaps I should sometimes just pat attention...lol

:XX: no yarn yet... will take the pattern with me.. that is a good idea :lol: Do you use mostly wool yarn? I want to make these for DH to wear inside his waders when he goes fly fishing. So they need to be "wash and wear" :sunny:

i know this thread is about knitting socks primarily, but as it's also about the yarn i just wanted to jump in and say that i LOVE these sweater patterns (http://www.beeskneesknits.ca/) made with sock yarns....

Now.. i just need to find a kid to make them for!! Why didn't i knit when my nephews were younger?? :doh: hehehe.. :)

those r tooooo cute!!

I started the socks last night, and BOY was it frustrating at first. I couldn't figure out how to join the round, and then knitting with such little yarn, I actually had to find my glasses :doh:

This morning was much better. I was so frustrated last night that I just walked away from it. I guess I must have been tired, because by the time I did a round this morning it was like a light bulb had gone off :idea:

I only have about a quarter inch completed, but it is better than last night.

Thanks for all of the great sites Rebecca. I know they will come in handy.

Stacy

I started mine yesterday too. I finished turning the heel and now I have to pick up stitches for the gusset. I have looked at Amy's video a couple times and then go to do it and i can't seem to figure it out. I am going to look at it again after the baby goes down for a nap.

Wow! Vickie, you really knit fast! I am no where near the heel. I am supposed to knit six inches and then do the heel. I was thinking of only doing two because I don't usally wear socks. I like anklets better. Hmmm...I wonder if it would make a difference?

Stacy

if u like anklets....knit anklets...your socks, right?

That was the directions for this sock as well. How ever I only did three. It is my 6 yo's sock. Who has 6 inches on a sock for a 6 yo. Anyways. I have picked up my stitches and now I am stuck on my decrease rows. Time to go watch Amy's video again.

you'll get it!!