Knit Socks - Betsy Lee Mccarthy [3]
Selecting Sock Needles
I currently use mainly two circulars or five double-point needles for my sock knitting. I probably knit more socks on circulars because it feels faster and is easy to carry around without losing a needle. However, I love my old bamboo needles as well as my new, high tech, very pointy stainless steel-tipped, double-point needles. Sitting in my grandmother's antique oak sewing chair, rocking and knitting with these double-point needles, I become one with the long line of sock knitters that stretches across the world and time, and I feel happy.
Needle selection can require more thought than in the past because again we are blessed with so many options. I have several favorites in each type of needle. In circulars, I'm particular about the flexibility of the cord, the smoothness of the join (where the cord and needle connect), and how pointed the tips are, because my favorite kinds of knitting (socks, lace, and Fair Isle) tend to be done on small needles. I don't enjoy knitting with blunt needle tips, and I'm willing to risk occasional puncture wounds when using the sharpest points in very small needle sizes! It's all about what you prefer and what works for you. Just as a person can use the same map to get from one place to another whether driving a car, riding a horse, or walking, the same sock pattern can be knit with different types of needles. Although this book's original patterns specify double-point needles, the new patterns do not. You should feel free to use whatever type needle you want for any of the sock patterns. Needle-specific patterns are not necessary if you understand the steps involved in the sock-knitting process and how the selected needle(s) works to make a sock.
Stitch layout must be understood so instep and heel stitches can be differentiated both in the pattern and on the needles regardless of what needle(s) you are using. Know which stitches are for the instep and which are for the heel/sole. As might be obvious, Needle #1 is where you begin the round of knitting, and Needle #4 is the end of the round. If the round starts and ends on the right-hand side of the sock, as most of my original patterns do, Needles #1 and #2 are the instep-stitch needles, and #3 and #4 are for the heel/sole. However, if the sock rounds start and end in the center heel/sole or the bottom of the sock, as many traditional patterns written for double-pointed needles do, then #1 is for half of the heel/sole stitches, #2 and #3 are for the instep stitches, and #4 is for the other half of the heel stitches. Your pattern will differentiate instep from heel stitches, allowing you to work the pattern on double-point needles, two circulars, or one long circular needle.
No method of knitting a sock is superior to any other in terms of the needle(s) chosen. Expand your options by trying them all, then select the one you like best. Once you've made a few socks, you may also want to experiment with different needle materials. Metal needles can be slippery for new sock knitters, but they also provide the speed that more experienced knitters appreciate when working with certain yarns.
Diving Right In
Despite the wisdom of working gauge swatches, many sock knitters bravely sally forth, knitting a sock with needles they believe likely to produce the right