Is there a perfect all-season project, something that you can work on in the heat of the summer or through a mighty winter storm? Something that can accompany you on planes, trains, and automobiles? Something you can craft out of fingering, sport, DK, or even worsted yarn?
Heck ya! Socks!
Sock projects tick off all the boxes and can easily become an integral part of your knit/crochet practice. First off is their compactness – ideal for travel, but also comfortable when knitting outside in the spring/ summer heat. Or while floating in a pool.
Then there’s the versatility aspect. My preferred method is with DPNs, and that works well at home. Once I’m on the road, though, it’s circular needles for me. A dropped DPN on a plane is an emergency in your world only. And who wants to be rooting around under a plane seat looking for a 2.25mm needle?
Let’s consider the circular needle options. I’m a two-circular knitter, but I’ve also dabbled in magic loop and a small circumference needle. If you really want to impress those around you, break out the two-at-a-time on magic loop method.
For the crochet pros, this is all a moot point. Grab your hook, grab your yarn, and hit the road!
We also can’t deny that sock yarn is fun to work with. Whether hand-dyed or engineered to produce patterns when worked up, sock projects can bring a burst of colour to the most grey and miserable day.
Socks are also great ‘stop-gap’ projects. They give you something to pick up when you’re between projects, or when you’re not feeling like diving into your larger works-in-progress.
Once you get onto the sock bandwagon, you’re bound to produce more than you can wear. Hand-knit socks have become my way of telling someone that I care for them, and appreciate them. I can remember everyone I have knit a pair of socks for, and the yarn I used – and most times there was significance to the yarn. My last pair were gifted to a young woman in Alberta, knit using Ancient Arts Socknado in the ‘Lake Louise’ colour way, shown above. I chose that particular yarn after spending a great day with her and my son on the slopes at Lake Louise Ski Resort. Her reaction when I gave her the socks this spring will always make me smile.
Simply put, I’m on team socks.
I started these Hermoine’s Everyday Socks for a ‘summer on the beach’ knit. I’m using Red Sock Blue Sock Comfort Sock in ‘Daisy Duke’ and 2.5 mm Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Symfonie Cubics Double Pointed Needles. The pattern, by Erica Lueder, is available as a free download on Ravelry.
For sock inspo, or to learn a new sock-knitting technique, check out Crazy Sock Lady on YouTube, or verypink.com. Her slo-mo videos are a must for visual learners!.