Attention Knitters

[colliemommie]

I want to make socks. Help me.

I can knit and follow a written pattern. (I cannot read charted patterns.)

What is a good starter sock pattern and yarn for socks I can wear everyday with tennis shoes or boots or what have you?

I'd really appreciate any input.

Comments

[faecat]

I can get you mine, once I'm at a computer, and it's dirt simple to knit and easy to adjust for different adult sizes. (I haven't gotten out of bed yet, it's my "this is last weekend before the semester starts and I go back to working 50 hours a week and full time grad school" lie-in.)

[faecat]

SOCK (make 2

[colliemommie]

wow, thanks!

[faecat]

I use fingering weight yarn, a wool and nylon blend - lion brand has a relatively inexpensive version that is decent for starters and comes in self patterning color ways, and it's available inexpensively at JoAnn and the like - on size 3 needles. I will say, I know quite a few people who knit way tighter than I do and need to up the stitch count, or use smaller needles or both, but it's pretty easy to adjust since pretty much the whole thing is based on having a number divisible by four. I usually do 52 stitches instead of 48 for men's or wide feet.

The pattern I think was actually originally adapted from the basic one on the lion brand sock yarn ball band, heh. I also use quite a bit of Stroll fingering yarn from Knit Picks, www.knitpicks.com, which has a lot of decent quality yarn at very reasonable prices.

[skittish_derby]

I would go with a basic ribbed sock with a stockinette foot in fingering. haha! Ravelry wins again. second result:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-socks-21

This should get you basic good socks with no frills or charts. :)

On the other hand, you might also want to make a practice sock in worsted or something so you get used to the idea of turning a heel and working a gusset which can be strange. Worsted socks will be way too thick to wear under boots though.

[colliemommie]

Doing a pair in worsted first is probably a good idea. I realize socks require some specific techniques I'm not familiar with.

[skittish_derby]

Just remember: it is all basically knits and purls, and it is only sticks and string. You can do it. :D

[affreca]

I'm a relatively new knitter, and just started my first pair of socks last weekend. I'm using a free pattern by Sand and Sky. Because I knit like I cook, and need extra patterns to figure what I can change, I also checked out patterns by Knit Picks and Yarn Mountain. What I like about the last one is that it give links to youtube on how to do some of the steps that I haven't tried before. All three patterns I've linked to are to very simple socks that you can make as long as you want (or have yarn for). Ravelry has a good system for search patterns, if you have different sized yarn and needles.

I'm in the middle of the foot for my sock, so I haven't attempted a heel yet.

[colliemommie]

Ooh, I like the videos. I'm not usually a video person, but there's only so much verbal descriptions of knitting can communicate. Thanks!