HI pals! Today we are chatting about sock knitting tips and tricks from a crocheter. I have had a ton of questions like “How hard is it to knit socks?” and “what advice do you have for starting your first pair of knit socks?” and today I am going to share that with you.
There are quite a few sock knitting tips and tricks I wanted to share with you, but they aren’t really in any particular order so if you are looking to knit a sock right now I recommend reading the entire post before casting on. There might be something you didn’t see that might be the trick you’re missing.
You also might be reading this thinking to yourself “well, I already know how to knit, is this going to help me?” and maybe! But also you might not need these tips and might be a few steps ahead of the info I have today. This is really written for those that are brand new to knitting, maybe only made a dishcloth or a scarf, and probably have a background in crochet. The questions I had were more geared towards people who know how to read patterns, have a basic understanding of using YouTube to find tutorials, and understand what blocking/tension/swatching are.
There are some affiliate links through out this article. That means I make a small commission if you purchase something when using my link. It doesn’t cost you anything and allows me to keep this site running and the patterns free. You do not have to use these links though. I appreciate you!
First up, Learn the basics first
I know this goes without saying really, but learning the basics of knitting helped me tremendously. For the first sock pattern I used, I knew I needed to know how to knit, purl, make one left, and make one right. I started out my making a small swatch (not my gauge swatch) to practice those stitches for a few rows. Once I got that down I felt more comfortable with my skills to put them to use.
USE THE RIGHT NEEDLES
This one was the death of me. I have this gorgeous set of knitting needles from Knitters Pride, but they didn’t have the smallest size recommended for the pattern. So what did I do? I used the next size up. What did that give me? A sock that was two sizes too big…
The pattern I used (linked below) gave me a range of needles to use, so I just made a test swatch with each and learned I needed the tiniest set that was recommended. I have a pretty floppy tension in everything I make.
I bought this set, and no you don’t need to, but I highly recommend them. The cable is long enough to do a magic loop without getting tangled, there is no bump or lip where the needles connect to the cable, and the needles themselves glide through the yarn with ease. I like them enough I now own 3 pairs because I can’t just knit one sock at a time anymore.
Make sure your test swatch is made in the round and you block it
Speaking of “two sizes too big” MAKE A TEST SWATCH PLEASE. I know, I know, “it uses up yarn and takes away time I could be using knitting the actual item” but socks need to be a little tighter than you would normally knit something like a sweater or a blanket, so I HIGHLY recommend making a test swatch, and make it “in the round” since your socks will be knit “in the round”. This gives you a good look at your tension, how your stitches will relax and lay, and let you know what size you actually need to follow.
For example, my feet are a size 8 in “women’s” sizes, I would normally knit a medium sock per those measurements, but with my tension after knitting the swatch and wet blocking it, I needed to actually knit the small size.
These sock blockers aren’t necessary, you can lay them flat on a towel or pin them to a blocking board, but I do recommend getting foot shaped blockers if you decide you want to make multiple socks. They come in multiple sizes, some are even adjustable, some are plastic/acrylic and some are wooden, but I recommend steering clear of the metal ones, there is a risk of them rusting regardless of what they are finished with.
Find the right yarn for you
This gets a little bit tricky, because there are TONS of different types of sock yarn, but I highly recommend testing a few out and finding what you like best. I have bought yarns from box stores, online shops, and indie yarn dyers, and as “yarn snob” as this sounds, I really only use indie dyed yarn for my socks now.
I have a texture thing, and for some reason the sock yarn indie dyers use is just so much softer on the soles of my feet and I can’t feel the individual stitches. It’s also less scratchy that most box store yarns that I could find. HOWEVER, if you happen to know of a good sock yarn that isn’t by an indie dyer I would LOVE to test it out so leave that in the comments below!
Use an easy to follow pattern and make a few of them
If you go to Ravelry there are about 9 bazillion sock patterns, so it can get super overwhelming on which one you should start with. My recommendation, the I’m So Basic sock by Summer Lee Design Co. It’s a free download, and gives you plenty of directions and sock knitting tips and tricks of her own, and I have exclusively used this pattern for all of my socks so far.
Here are a few of my socks using this pattern. Some I made with shorter leg sections so they were ankle socks instead, and I love how it works up with the different cuff/heel/toe sections.
Don’t give up
This is the biggest one and I know it’s super cliché but it’s true. I was SO frustrated with my first sock. I dropped stitches and didn’t know how to fix them, nor did I care because I was irritated already at this point, and I couldn’t get my tension to match my swatch. There were just a ton of issues with my first sock. But, once I finished it, errors and all, I had learned SO MUCH about how to make my next sock it only took a few days to knock out number two. And just to be clear, these socks don’t fit, they are HUGE, and I have to wear them over fuzzy socks to get them to stay up, but they are probably my favorite pair because I know what it took to get there.
Alright pals, I hope this all helped and please let me know if you need any clarification or have any questions. I love knitting, and even though I’ve crocheted so much longer it’s been a wonderful exercise for my brain and my hands and I appreciate you all joining me on this journey, even if you aren’t knitting yourself. See you next time!
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