A Turn of the Heel

Hurray! My first pair of socks with a turned heel are done. They were done in the Plymouth Yarns Corrugated Rib pattern with Sockotta yarn. There’s nothing like your first – of anything. So here are a few tips gleaned by a novice sock maker using DPNs.

1. Check your gauge before starting. I know, every pattern tells you to do this, but you’re thinking (whine, whine, whine) it’s my first sock…. Do it anyway.
2. If the yarn is space-dyed, note where the color change occurs when starting the first sock. Take notes. Otherwise you’ll have lovely fraternal twins like mine.
3. Use training wheels. You know, those clunky point protectors. Once you become comfortable you’ll set them aside without even noticing it, until then they are your friends – go ahead give them names.
4. Ladders are part of the package. If you’re going to rip out your sock every time one starts to develop, just pack it in now. Amazingly fewer will occur the more often you knit as your tension gradually improves. In the meantime use stitch markers and shift a few stitches from needle to needle to share the ladder wealth. If you don’t let any one ladder become too wide or too long no one but you will notice. To prevent the ladders, knit the first stitch on a needle. When wrapping the yarn for the second stitch give a little tug. This will help to tighten things up.
5. Take notes while stitching. I wind up deviating from any pattern, at least a little bit, and if you want the second sock to have any chance of looking like the first keep those notes.
6. When you finish the first sock cast on the next one immediately. A UFO is more likely to be finished than an idea.
7. Sock yarns will now acquire the call of the siren. Listen to them. Buy them. Knit more socks. Same goes for needles. ;-)


Happy Knitting, Patti