Knit Socks - Betsy Lee Mccarthy [4]
For example, while wooden needles provide some resistance or drag, thus lessening the possibility of dropped stitches, that same resistance may interfere when you're working with yarns containing cotton. Bamboo needles are a nice compromise, providing the flexibility and warmth of wooden needles, but offering less drag because of their smooth finish. Practice with various yarn-and-needle combinations to find your own favorites. Your preference will likely be determined by which methods are easiest for you and most enjoyable and/or which tools feel best for a specific project. We have many people to thank for giving us alternatives to traditional double-point needles.
Getting the Right Gauge
Needle size and yarn together determine the gauge of your knitting. Once you have selected a pattern and compatible yarn, knitting a gauge swatch is the best way to determine what needles to use to achieve the desired stitch gauge. Too many stitches to the inch produces a smaller sock; too few, a larger one. One advantage to using circular needles is that you can try on your sock while it's still on the needle(s) before you've gone very far. And if you are using double-point needles, you can slip your stitches onto a circular needle (or a long piece of smooth cotton yarn threaded through a blunt tapestry needle) to see how the beginning of the sock fits. Another way to give it a quick “sniff test” is to see how the beginning sock fits over your hand. In most cases, that is how it will fit your foot! This is not to suggest that swatching is unnecessary; it is just acknowledging that we all like being reassured that we are pointed in the right direction.
With each pattern, I suggest the needle size that is likely to work for a knitter with average tension on the yarn. When you make your swatch, this advice is a good starting point, unless you already know that you usually knit loosely or tightly. Those who knit loosely may want to start with a smaller size needle than is suggested; those who knit tightly may want to start with a larger size. It's not the needle size that's important, but what gauge you, the sock knitter, get from a specific needle and yarn. There's no wrong or right in this. The tension with which we knit is as much a part of us as the size and slant of our handwriting. Gauge may change over time and in response to circumstances that may make you feel rushed or stressed.
Tea for Two
Knit both socks in a pair at the same time rather than knitting them sequentially. To do this, you'll need two sets of needles (double-point needles or circulars) in the same size. Knit the cuffs on one sock, followed by the cuffs on the other. Then continue knitting the various parts of the two socks alternately until the pair is completed. Taking this approach, you have the satisfaction of truly finishing when you get to the toes, rather than needing to start all over again. The dreaded SSS (second sock syndrome) overtakes many sock knitters who wait to tackle sock #2 until sock #1 has dimmed in their memories.
Durability and Needle Size
Some experienced knitters may be surprised at the yarn and needle combinations I recommend. I've found that to achieve a long-lasting sock fabric, I generally need a needle three to five sizes smaller than the size recommended by the manufacturer for general knitting (that is, for sweaters, hats, and so on). For example, for a worsted weight yarn that states on the label “4½ stitches = 1” on a US #8 (5mm) needle,” I would probably use a US #3 (3.25mm) needle to make a sock with a gauge of 6 stitches = 1”. Yarns made specifically for socks often provide both a suggested gauge appropriate for socks and a needle recommendation, for example, 7½ stitches = 1” on US #1–2 (2.25–2.75mm) needles. I want you to be happy for a long time with the socks you knit with such care!
Since you're knitting