Hello!
Today is our third day of the Beginner Sock Knitting Class for Cuff-Down Socks!
Every day for the next week I'll be sharing a tutorial filled with the how's and why's of constructing a sock from the cuff through the toes. At the end of this week-long class I'll provide you with the Basic Cuff-Down Sock pattern (with heel flap) that I've used when filming the lessons so that you can cast-on a set for yourself or a loved one.
If you were hoping to learn how to knit socks from the toes-up, I've got you covered. I'll be running another free sock class starting January 20th for my Basic Toe-Up Socks (with a short-row heel). Again, that class will walk through the construction and will be followed up with the release of the free pattern on January 27th, 2021.
Today we'll be learning:
I've posted the video below along with a few notes and all the links you might need. If you have any questions, you can always email me directly: shaina@yumiyarns.com
Have fun & happy knitting!
Shaina ^_^
PS: The yarn featured in this tutorial is from from Suburban Stitcher in the Clean Slate colorway. Suburban Stitcher is the featured indie dyer in January for the 2021 Indie Sock-a-Long, she generously provided yarn support for the January Socks and all of the Beginner Sock Knitting Classes being offered on YumiYarns.com in the month of January. You can find all of her beautiful colorways and bases on her site: SuburbanStitcher.com
Other Lessons in this Series:
Notes and Resources:
You can join the 2021 Indie Sock-a-Long for just $2 through the end of January, 2021!
Remember to sign-up for my newsletter to have the free Cuff-Down Sock pattern (in 12 sizes) delivered to your inbox as soon as it's released on January 13, 2021.
What is Stockinette?
Stockinette is simply the fabric you get when all your stitches on the Right Side of the fabric are knit stitches (all the bumps are on the Wrong Side of the fabric). You can tell it's stockinette because you will only see the interlocking "V's".
Why Does the Beginning of Round Marker Matter?
To be honest it doesn't really matter that much in a stockinette sock like this until you start adding in the heel later on in the pattern.
That being said, the Beginning of Round Marker (bor m) is there to let you know when you've knit all the stitches in 1 round. When you're working a pattern that has specific things you need to do each round (like a lace or cable pattern), it is very important to know where your round starts and stops. So it's a good idea to get into the habit of marking your beginning of round in all your projects.
Help! I Have Ladders in my project!
This is just a tension problem that occurs sometimes at the point where the needles intersect. The stitches between the needles get a little more slack than other stitches in your fabric and this creates what looks like ladder rungs traveling up between sections of your knitting.
If the ladders are small, they will probably block out. If they are large, you may want to go back and rework that section because only so much extra yarn will suction into the surrounding stitches.
When you are trying to prevent/resolve ladders, knit the first 2 or 3 stitches tighter than you normally would. This should help to distribute the excess yarn as you work the next round of your project. Emphasis should be on tightening the 2nd & 3rd stitches on the needle especially.
Leg Knitting Pointers:
The leg is an area where you can easily play with your socks. You can knit it exactly to the length called for in the pattern, or you can lengthen or shorten it to suit your needs.
For Ankle/Shorty socks: Cast-on, knit the cuff, knit about 1" / 2.5 cm of leg, then begin your heel & follow the pattern for the rest of your sock.
For Long Socks: If you knit the leg longer than what the pattern is written for you will need to accommodate the larger calf circumference either with shaping techniques and a larger cast-on or with a fully ribbed leg (and even then, you will probably still need to add in shaping and more stitches).
Try out your new skills! You can join the 2021 Indie Sock-a-Long for just $2 through the end of January, 2021! All the patterns are done in a similar construction to the Basic Socks that we're working in these tutorials. So they're very easy for a new sock knitter to jump into, but patterned enough for an experienced sock knitter to enjoy.
Customizing Your Socks: You can easily play around with adding a stitch pattern to the leg of your sock. Keep in mind that cable patterns generally require more stitches because they suction/twist the stitches together and lace patterns generally need less stitches since they let the stitches spread out more because of all the holes/yarn-overs added in. Ribbing gives your fabric elasticity so it can grow when needed, but will always shrink back to it's original size.
That's it!
Next up, we'll work on the heel of the sock. I'll cover that in more detail in tomorrow's lesson. See you then!
More Sock Patterns:
$5.99 USD
(Linked to the YumiYarns shop)
$5.99 USD
(Linked to Ravelry)
$2.00 USD
(Linked to Ravelry)
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