Any Knitters Out There

S

snowflakenj02

Member
Is there anyone out there that has a lot of experience with knitting? I am trying to knit a pair of socks and am having problems following the pattern. Can anyone help?

Sharon
 
I'm a knitter, but not a very good one, so I have found some places on the net that I go to when I am stuck.

Here are a couple of places where you can get help:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

http://www.ravelry.com/tour/getting-started

I just discovered the Ravelry website yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to really explore the site, but there are lots of forums. I have used knitting help lots and love their easy to follow videos and instructions.

I have not yet attempted a pair of socks - to me these are a very lofty goal, all twisty with tiny stitches, lol!

Good luck.
 
Yup, cindi1 is correct. A provisional cast-on is for the purpose of returning to pick up those stitches later. Think fancy edging, for example. Honestly, in looking at the pattern you've attached, I can't figure out what they're going for. It's not the most well-written pattern. I'd have to see the sweater to figure that out.
I have not made gloves, but I believe they are challenging.
The sites provided, www.knitty.com and www.ravelry.com are both really good resources for information, patterns, and more!
Feel free to PM me if you'd like more information or assistance.
 
I am working on a pattern from Creative Knitting magazine. It is for Pebble Rib Slipper Socks. I got as far as the sole and them got totally lost. The sock looks like an upsidedown T right now with with 9 stiches on each side of the bottom of the T and approx 40 stitches on each side (instep) of the T and 12 stitches at the top (toe) of the T. The pattern calls for the following:

Sole
Row (RS): With RS facing k9 sts from the holder, pick up and knit 18 sts along side of the instep, k12 sts from the needle, pick up and knit 18 sts from the other side of instep k9 from 2nd holder - 66 sts.

I get knitting the 9 sts from each of the holders, the 18 from each side of the instep and the 12 from the needle. What I am not getting is what about the additional sts on the instep? I contacted the magazine and their response was that you space out the stitches throughout the instep. In other words there will be stitches that I will not pick up. This is confusing because wouldn't that cause there to be holes in the socks? Does what they are saying make any sense to anyone?
 
I think I understand what you are saying - when you pick up stitches there is not a one to one match in your stitch count. That is because you are picking up stitches to knit in a different direction from the stitches you are picking up from (does that make sense?).

Stitches are not square so to keep your knitting flat and even - when you pick up along the side of a stich, you shouldn't pick up as many as if you were picking up along the top or bottom of a stitch.

So - don't pick up every stitch, skip one ever few to get the right number. Don't leave the leftovers all at the end. When you are done picking up stitches, you should be at the end of the instep. Once you get a few rows done, you'll see that there won't be any holes. It will come together.

Knitting socks - especially when turning the heel and getting through the ankle part - can seem counterintuitive. You kind of have to trust the process and watch it come together.

Hope this helps.

And - I have made mittens and just making 1 thumb with doublepointed needles is a pain. Doing it for all the fingers too is too much work for me. :) I don't mind double pointed needles, but fingers are pretty small to work.

Maybe for a real challenge - someone should try Toe Socks. :)
 
Sounds like you've just turned the heel and are now doing the gussets, correct? What you're picking up are the "chain stitches" along the sides of the instep. These completely confused me the first time I did socks, too. Each chain stitch (where you slipped the first stitch on the needle at the start of the row, and depending on the type of heel and your pattern, possibly slipped every other stitch on the RS), kind of counts for two rows. So, you have the slipped stitch row (RS), and then you slipped one and purled back the other way (WS). That counts as one chain stitch on each edge. So, if you are picking up 18 sts along each instep, you probably have 36 rows of actual knitting (my guess is you are knitting on 1s or 2s right? tiny stitches and those slips make the rows hard to see). This is correct. This is what will make the heel come back to foot size, after you essentially expanded the knitting to accommodate your actual heel and to be able to get the sock on over your foot. Your on the right path. Keep at it and you'll see it all start to come together. It's very cool when you "see" it working. That's actually the most challenging part of the sock, but also the most fun!! Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
 
Thanks everyone for the links to the knitting sites, I will definitely check them out.

Cindi1 - You are correct, it is not a 1 for 1 pick up so it did seem odd. What your saying does make sense. I am going to continue with it and see what happens. I am excited to see the finished product. The pattern calls for a circular needle, so fortunately I do not have to use the double ended needles.

NY25 - Yes, I am knitting and purling throughout the sock. I did another pair of slippers recently that was very easy which called for mostly knitting, except where the ribbing was. At the end I just folded the heel, sewed it up and the top of the slipper also. So everything was 1 for 1. This was a little more of a challenge.

Sharon
 
NY25 said:
Yup, cindi1 is correct. A provisional cast-on is for the purpose of returning to pick up those stitches later. Think fancy edging, for example. Honestly, in looking at the pattern you've attached, I can't figure out what they're going for. It's not the most well-written pattern. I'd have to see the sweater to figure that out.
I have not made gloves, but I believe they are challenging.
The sites provided, www.knitty.com and www.ravelry.com are both really good resources for information, patterns, and more!
Feel free to PM me if you'd like more information or assistance.
Click to expand...

That is what I thought, . . . some sort of decorative picot edging or something but it looks like a plain ol rib knit pattern on the bottom, . . . .thanks for the info though

Good God! Just reading about socks seems so complicated!!!
 
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