Whats your choice of needles for socks

Cheryl & the Cats,

Thank you friend for replying. :)

I think you nailed it, most probably learned on 5. I learned on 4.

I the points you made, they are very valid.

You are also right about changing, the socks all look the same.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Yes Cheryl, please check in more often.

Thank you Katherine for pointing that out.

Higs, Dennis

Coggie,

I will check that book out but, Gail said me and the books go if I buy one more. WHAT DO I DO!!!!!?

After you get used to the circulars they are many good points to them as Cheryl & the Cats pointed out. I don't completely dislike any method, I guess I love to knit socks and try different methods of knitting.

I am lucky to have a understanding wife. I have 2 Needle Master sets and a Denise circular needle set. I like the Denise set the best but, they only go down to size 5. The Needle Master goes down to a size 2, making it fine for sport weight and the extra length required to the magic loop. I have 000 to 11 on DPs, with many repeats.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Thank you all Dear Friends,

How many of you have tried to up as Noreen stated?

I don't mind it, preferring cuff down.

I hope I did not miss anybody. Please let me know if I did. Thank you all so much.

I got several good ideas and patterns, what a deal.

I don't do chat room for many reasons. I did not believe you could get so and great friends on a new-group until I came here. What great and dear friends.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

ve tried to up as Noreen stated?

Spell check does not work all the time. :)

I mean toe up.

Dennis

I learned on 4, but once I tried 5, I liked it much better. Mostly it's because with 5, I can always fold the knitting flat whether or not I've finished off a needle-full. With 4, I have to have all

4 needles in the work to fold it flat. When the knitting is flattened and then rolled up around the needles, I'm less likely to find that a needle has been pushed out of the stitches.

=Tamar

Good point Tamar,

Thanks for responding.

Do you do toe up also and if you do, which do you prefer, toe up or cuff down.

Hugs & God bless, Dennis & Gail

Higs, Katherine

I see that Dennis has already pointed it out to you, so I won't bother. I, too, tried it twice, and didn't like it. My advice? Sitck to your DPNs.

Higs, Katherine

Well, that's OK, then.

Higs, Katherine

I learned on 4, too, Dennis. I think that using 5 is of quite recent origin.

Higs, Katherine

LOL I figured that out, Dennis. I tried toe-up, but definitely prefer top-down. Maybe I am a dinosaur.

Higs, Katherine

Hi all - I am quite a new sock knitter, I learned how in January on 5 needles, top down. I made 3 pairs of socks that way and liked everything about it except grafting the toe. I can do it but it comes out kind of squared off. I started thinking about toe up as a way to get around that. I tried the toe up in Charlene Schurch's books and it worked great on one sock but I couldn't repeat it, so I used Wendy's Generic toe up sock pattern (I also had some lovely yarn that looked like a small ball, so I thought toe up would be safer.) You make a short row heel on a provisional caston for the toe, and since short row heels are what I learned, I found this easy. I haven't gotten as far as the bind-off yet.

My teacher said she preferred 5 to 4 needles because there was less pull at the corners in the square vs the triangle, so I have just proceeded this way.

Alison

Hi Everyone,

I learned to knit socks last spring while I was sick, on 4 dpns, top down, and have just started a pair of socks using 5 dpns. It's too soon to say which I prefer, but I don't see much of a difference. So far I've made 5 pairs. I haven't tried circs or toe ups yet. Don't know if I will. Is the advantage of toe up, no grafting?

Hesira

I have only done toe up once and prefer top down. It may just be what I am used to doing. I usually just do a simple pattern with ribbing on the ankle and down the top of the foot to the start of the toe decreases. Judy

That's it, Hesira. And I would rather graft than knit toe-up.

Higs, Katherine

Don't forget there's an alternative to grafting (Kitchener stitch) the toe. I only recently began using the Kitchener but still have to read the instructions every time. Anyhow if you don't like grafting, you can do what I used to do.

Turn the sock inside out and do a loose 3 needle bind off. It works like a charm and is MUCH easier. (smile)

Shelagh

Actually, it is the Kitchener stitch that I use. I have no problems with it. Maybe I will try the three needle bindoff next time.

Higs, Katherine

Hesira,

The other advantage is if you don't know if you have enough yarn - you can adjust the height of the sock based on what you have left.

Two at a time on one circular used to be my favorite and probably still is for adult-sized socks. I have been making lots of baby socks recently (8 friends are expecting!) and I prefer to do those on 4 dpns (my #1 rosewoods - thanks to whoever posted about those being on sale at Joann's a couple months ago!). You can make a lot of baby socks with the leftovers after a pair of adults.

LauraJ