Overcome Your Fear of Knitting Socks
I love knitting socks, but I know a lot of people don't feel the same way. That's why I put together my handy instructions on how to knit socks for all my sock knitting friends.
Still, your first experience with knit socks can be a little intimidating, so here are a few friendly tips to help you learn how to knit socks in comfort and happiness.
1. Watch your tension
Even more than in most knitting, you be careful of the tension when sock knitting. Sock needles are usually quite small, and it's very easy to pull just a little too hard. Watch what you're doing so you don't wind up with a mess on your hands.
2. Protect your fingers
Double pointed needles are pointy -- hence the name. When knitting socks, you're probably going to end up jabbing that needle into your finger a few dozen times in a row. I find that sock knitting is much more comfortable if I use a thimble or even a band-aid to protect my finger.
3. Keep it simple
Don't worry about knitting some fantastic design the first time you knit socks. There are plenty of gorgeous knit sock yarns out there that will build up their own patterns for you. The last thing you need to be worrying about is switching colors or running out of yarn when you're trying to master a new skill.
4. Follow your pattern exactly
If you're new to knitting socks, there might be some directions in there that seem confusing, pointless, or just look weird when you follow them. Trust your pattern. Once you're an expert at sock knitting, you can mess around with patterns. But when you're just learning how to knit socks, stick to the directions like glue.
5. Have fun!
I promise: it's fun to knit socks! They actually work up quite quickly once you get the hang of the pattern, and you'll have a great time watching the pattern work up. Before you know it, your very own pair of knit socks warms your feet.
There's nothing quite like knitting socks, so make this fall your season to learn something new!