even more socks

[susandennis]

More socks - sized for a woman this time. Size 3 needles - Silja - 1 skein each.

(trying a new linking scheme today so if these images show up as broken on your system, would you please let me know?)

Comments

[cloverbee.livejournal.com]

Pretty!!!!

[waning-estrogen.livejournal.com]

Nice socks! I'm a very amateur, beginning knitter. Did 3 of those in-the-round, no sewing raglan sweaters a few years ago, and was trying to work out socks earlier this year. Since I'm such a dork at trying to 'stitch' knitting together, I look for things that are worked all in one piece. You know that really limits what a person can do. Anyway, I was trying to do the toe-up socks, but after about 6 starts with different patterns off the internet, I finally gave up. I'm wondering if it's just too difficult for a very conscientious beginner, or if the patterns posted just have like one line missing in the pattern that throws everything off (or something like that, because, you know, they were put up there on the internet by fallible humans). What kind of sock pattern do you use, and do you think the 'normal' way of starting at the top is easier?

[susandennis]

First of all... I'm right with you on one piece knitting. If the last few steps involve sewing pieces together, I pass on the project. Life is too short.

I don't know that there are more mistakes on the internet than in regular instruction books and magazines. I rarely find mistakes but that may be more that once I get going, I generally forget to look at the instructions.

Socks from the top vs. socks from the toe... I would think that socks from the top would be easier simply because you do a lot of knitting before you have to do anything tricky. The only reason I've ever found for knitting from the toe is when I am short of a particular yarn color and need to plan very carefully. But, also, I've been knitting socks from the top down for years and it could just be that I'm in a rut.

One thing you might try is knitting the socks on two circular needles rather than double pointed needles. I switched over to this method earlier this year and love it. Just a thought.