Kate Atherley: Custom Socks

Check this picture out:

Knitting two socks at the same time!!!

That's right my friends.  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  I am knitting two socks at the same time using two needles.  No double pointed needles are in sight. Think of how this new found skill will change my knitting life.  I could knit two sleeves at the same time or how about two pairs of mittens?  Think of the possibilities.  And how did this magic happen you may be asking yourself?  If you have read any of my blog entries lately you will know that I am totally a newbie sock knitter and have only knit two pairs of socks in my life. The person sharing this bit of knitting magic was the one and only Kate Atherley.

This weekend I had the opportunity to take my first class with Kate Atherley at Shall We Knit in Waterloo, one of my favourite yarn stores.  What a thrill!   Kate is a Canadian knitter, designer, lead technical editor at Knitty and author to name just a few of her many accomplishments. She has just come out with a new book entitled Custom Socks.  Kate explains in depth how to knit good fitting socks for all shapes and sizes of feet.  There is also a selection of lovely sock patterns to choose from.

Kate taught us how to knit two socks at the same time, perfect for those people who never get around to knitting that second sock.  This method is easy to learn once you have seen someone do it.  To begin you start by dividing your yarn into two separate balls.  Then cast on.

To start:  Cast on the number of stitches for each sock and divide in half between the two needles

Then:  Use the top cable to knit both top rows in each sock

You always knit from the needles that do not have the working yarn.  It is definitely worth searching a YouTube video on how to do it and it is a great option to use.  Once you see a demonstration it is easy to learn.

I received the latest installment of Sweet Fiber Yarns Sock Club yarn called Riverstone and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with this beauty.  But once I took Kate Atherley's class I knew I that I had to practice my new found skill using this yarn before I forgot what to do.  Isn't this skein gorgeous? 

Sweet Fiber Yarn Super Sweet Sock in Riverstone

I love learning new techniques and I going to enjoy knitting these socks using my new found skill.  I will post my progress on Instagram  if you are interested. But first I must finish my Lake Effect cardigan.  Have you tried any new techniques lately?

Sock Knitting: A New Found Joy

There are so many knitters on Ravelry that almost exclusively knit socks.  I have to admit that has mystified me.  Skinny needles, fine yarn, hours spent knitting such a small object that most people would never see....why bother?

I have to admit that I have totally changed my view.

After my mother-in-law knit me a pair of socks recently I realized how lovely they looked and how wonderful they felt on my feet.   Sure no one could see them but me, but who cares?  After joining the Sweet Fiber Yarn Sock Club I knew the time had come.  I had to try knitting my own pair to see what the fuss was all about.  I decided to start with Susan B. Anderson's basic sock pattern.

Here they are!

It is so weird to take a picture of your own feet!

I have to admit that I totally get the allure of sock knitting.  I enjoyed every moment of making them. The combination of a pretty yarn and learning new techniques made me a very happy knitter.  I love the portability of knitting socks and the fact that they are not such a huge time commitment compared to a sweater.  The best thing for me is that there are an endless amount of patterns to try.

And frankly they feel just great on.

Sweet Fiber Yarns "Wildflower" colourway 

The number of resources available to help a new sock knitter out is amazing.  Fish lips heels?  Afterthought heels? Patterned socks? Toe up?  Magic loop?  These are all terms that I have heard and am excited to try out.   I have started my research about the best guides and here are just a few resources that I feel will really help me out on my sock journey:

•  I like to watch the Junkyarn podcast and on her website she had a helpful article called So You Want to knit Socks which offers step by step guidance as to what patterns to start with and which ones to knit as your improve your skills.

• Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book Knitting Rules, which has a great section on knitting socks. 

• Clare Devine's (owner of Ginger Twist Studio in Edinburgh) new book called Sock Anatomy  

• Not to mention Craftsy's class:  Learn How to Knit Socks by Lucy Neatby 

• Crafts from the Cwtch also has a three part tutorial on knitting socks that looks good.  

• Kate Atherley, a fellow Canadian, is coming out with a book this summer called Knit Socks That Fit.  

The list of resources is endless.  So if you were as foolish as me and haven't tried knitting socks yet what are you waiting for?