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Another sock newbie, and intro...

Hello, all... this is a de-lurk

I am a long-lapsed knitter, having given up the craft when I realized I really couldn't figure out tension and regardless, I didn't need more sweaters or scarves. Having turned to the Dark Side (quilting) in more recent years, I recently re-discovered knitting via the book No-Pattern Knits (how cool! Piecework with knit squares! No tension issues! THAT I can relate to!). A few booties later, a new determination gripped me: I Will Knit Socks.

So having now scoured this newsgroup for recent sock threads, I've got a few new things to watch for. I actually finished my first sock, from a Patton's pattern for the self-patterning yarn, with less grief than many seem to experience. I started it about 10 times, repeatedly ripping out the first 3 rows of ribbing when getting too twisted to recover from, and I had to take two runs at the heel after the first left me with an odd stitch hanging off one side. A few extra stitches appeared in the leg, and with a shrug, I decreased them back out. The end result isn't bad. It's a self-patterning sock and actually fits my foot if a *tad* loosely. It'll be nice in a boot.

It only took me 5 tries to get the 2nd of the pair started. I'm two stripes in down the leg.

Here's a question - not an urgent one, but I'm pondering: Why is my ribbing so much looser than the rest?

My ersatz mom-in-law (mother of he who is referred to as the Spousal Euphemism, for lack of paperwork), an experienced sock knitter, cautioned me that my ribbing would be too TIGHT when she saw how I was starting. My pattern calls for 16 rows k2 p2 ribbing. MIL usually uses k1p1 as she thinks it ends up tighter, but suggested I stick with k2p2 and I *might* have a sock loose enough to try on. She really thought I was working that much tighter than she was.

What I wound up with, despite the fact that I seem to pull my yarn fairly tight, is almost a scalloped, lacey edge, my ribbing is soo much looser than the rest! It just flops down and out. It's kinda cute, but it sure won't hold the sock up on its own.

Does this inconsistency sound familiar to anyone? It's not a big problem but I wouldn't mind having a few tech tips to work on for the next pair, especially since when I start one for the Spousal Euphemism he probably won't want the lacey, scalloped top.

Thanks! Looking forward to learning more on this group.

Johanna

Reply to
the Furrsome Threesome
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Many people purl with a looser tension than they knit with (not on purpose of course--it just works out that way. If you are knitting circularly (i.e., on dpns) this will show up as ribbing being looser than stockinette. If this is a serious problem, I suppose you could do the ribbing on needles one size smaller.

Reply to
Georgia

Reply to
JCT

Purl stitches have a slightly longer distance for the yarn to go, so they tend to be looser. Ribbing tends to be looser anyway. And any sweater or hat pattern I ever found always said to work the ribbing on smaller needles. I don't know why sock patterns don't say that; maybe they assume that the ten-percent-smaller adjustment for the stretchiness takes care of any differences.

I agree with the others - since the sock was loose anyway, use smaller needles.

=Tamar

Reply to
Richard Eney

Hi Johanna,

I think everyone has answered your question, but I just wanted to welcome you to the group and say hello. I've been knitting socks like crazy for the past few months and I've really learned a lot. I made my first pair last spring using worsted Paton's Classic Merino. I quickly learned that using sock yarn and smaller needles was a better approach. Most of the patterns I have used have a k1p1 ribbing on the top, and 1 pair has fewer stitches on the ribbing, then when you start the leg, you increase. (start with 64 stitches for the ribbing, and increase evenly to 72 for the leg). They fit DH really well.

Hesira

the Furrsome Threesome wrote:

Reply to
hesira

Cool, thanks!

I was pondering decreasing the stitches, but I want to make sure I think it through so I get all the other bits right still. I've put out the word that "sock balls" would be a great stocking stuffer this year, so hopefully Santa Claus will bring me some more practice materials before I tackle something fancy from the "Socks, Socks, Socks" book I got.

BTW, I snapped a quick pic (just with the cel phone, so it's not great) and put it on my Blog. Since I keep the Blog "unlisted" - hope folks can decipher it as this:

artsandcats dot blogspot dot com

It's currently the top entry. I'm down to starting the heel on the mate. Thanks for all the notes, everyone!

Johanna

hesira wrote:

Reply to
the Furrsome Threesome

Welcome, Johanna. About your socks - what size needles did you use? I have never had a problem with too loosed knitting. How did you cast on?

Higs, Katherine

Reply to
Katherine

Oh, yes, I see what you mean about the ribbing. How unusual! Let us know how the mate comes out.

Higs, Katherine

Reply to
Katherine

I did a knit cast on with a slightly larger needle - 3.5mm - and then switched to 2.75 mm dpns for the first row of ribbing. The needles, sock ball, and Patton's basic pattern were a little "kit" that my local Quilt shop (which now has the by-line "for Knitters too!") had put together.

Sock #2's ribbing is actually a little more normal looking, though still looser than it seems it should be.

I have another, possibly related question. When I do a scarf or a swatch, and I'm finding the same on my heel flaps, the edges of my knitting are kinda inconsistent. One stitch tight, the next loopy. Probably a result of this same thing - I must purl with much more slack than I knit. Or maybe one stitch vs. the other is just harder to keep the tension right on, at the end. Is THIS common, or are there any tips for making a nice, even selvedge on blocks of knitting?

No-Pattern Knits, if you know the book, emphasises how important it is to not have "loopy" or inconsistent edges but utterly fails to provide troubleshooting tips for those of us who end up with them.

Thanks!

Johanna

Kather> > Hello, all... this is a de-lurk

Reply to
the Furrsome Threesome

Directions say to cast on with larger needles because folks tend to cast on with tighter tension than they knit with, and the result of this would be that the edge of the ribbing won't stretch enough. The picture of your sock that you posted reminded me of the neckline of my first crew-neck sweater. I learned to do the ribbing with needles TWO sizes smaller than the stockinette.

And yes, the first stitch on the needle tends to get knit looser than the rest. (That's why when I am knitting sock ribbing, I make sure that the first stitch on each needle is a knit stitch, since the purl stitches are already looser). This would account for every other edge stitch being loose, because every other stitch is a "first stitch"--the others are "last stitches".

Once you are aware of this as a tension problem, you may be able to solve it by adjusting your tension on the problem stitches.

Good luck!

Georgia

Reply to
Georgia

Hello Johanna, I'm a "newbie" on this group too. Re: your question about the row edgings when you knit a scarf - if you knit the first and last stitches on every row (yes, even on the purl rows) it will make you row ends equal and neat.

Reply to
Bernadette

By the way in the years i was taught to knit socks ,,, It was quite common to knit sewing elastic into the sock ribbing , or work it into the ribbing after the knitting , Sewing elastic did come in several colors and was on a spool like any sewing thread, as it was used for gathering shirts and other clothing items. mirjam

Reply to
Mirjam Bruck-Cohen

Or you could try slipping the first stitch of every row. It's a fairly standard technique for straight work such as scarves and sock heel flaps. On the heel flaps it makes it easier to pick up stitches for the gusset, too.

=Tamar

Reply to
Richard Eney

The last scarf I made had me slip the first stitch in the row and purl the last stitch (no matter what the stitch pattern.) It made a very nice edge.

Alison

Reply to
Alison

Thanks for all the tips on the edging!

Well, my first pair of socks from the experimental sock ball are DONE! They're not exactly svelte, but they're comfy and warm and look fun with my Crocs. Low-quality pic is on blog at artsandcats dot blogspot dot com.

I've already started the next pair and they're looking much better - I made the following changes:

-- started the ribbing on SMALLER needles, including cast-on, instead of larger like I was told.

-- changed my cast-on method to a "long-tail cast on" - made a much neater edge and I find it easier to avoid twising stitches weirdly.

-- based on a hint I saw through some of the Socknitters pages, I did my first couple rows of ribbing on straight needles, THEN joined in the round. It leaves a little gap that you then graft together. This made it SOOOO much easier to get going in the round after that. I started my first sock about 10 times, my second sock about 6 times, and this one, I started ONCE and kept going. I think I like that concept.

-- did about 20 rows of ribbing. Though I didn't do all the ribbing on the smaller needles, because these socks are for the Spousal Euphemism, I think doing more than the 12 rows the pattern called for will be better. There's a very nice cuff on sock #3 now.

Cheers, all - happy stitching!

Johanna

Alis> >

Reply to
the Furrsome Threesome

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