yay! socks! I love knitting socks - small project - so many designs.
your first pair looks great!
Have a great weekend!

For super-awesome-seemingly-complicated-but-aren't-really patterns, try the designer Cookie A. on Ravelry. She's very detailed, everything makes sense, and she, too, will tell you how many stitches you should have on each needle. The woman was a born technical writer, the anti-Elizabeth Zimmerman, if you will.

Pretty socks! And a pretty Bob, too!

Bravo! I just mastered the art of using DPNs on a baby sweater and now I feel fairly confident I can tackle a sock, too!

First socks- huzzah! My first ones ended up being a horrific elf-sized (and pointy!) neon mess. I was knitting them in the Czech Republic on the trains, but I only ended up making 1 out of 2 because I hated the colour so much. But my NEXT pair was out of this world! Yours look fantastic! And so climate-appropriate! :)

Beautiful and snuggy. Great job!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the socks. If you find you don't have a use for them send them to me, in Canada. The weather is turning chilly and those beautiful socks would make my feet feel so special!

I always did my socks on two circular needles but just recently started a pair on double pointed needles and I think I like it. I don't find them a great portable project because they require paying attention, but it's fun to be able to make socks, yes?

Bob might not be impressed, but I am!!! Great job Laurie.

Oh, Laurie! Thank you SO MUCH! Although I'm still knitting Teh Scarfs, I want to do socksss! And if I watch you, then I will be a socksess! Actually, because I am The Biggest Geek Whoever Geeked, I, um ... I want to get the Plymouth Plantation Stocking-Knitting Pattern, and make myself some sexayy 17th century stockings!

And also? I have finally broken down and behaved like an adult, and set up the Budget Sheet you were kind enough to make for us all. As I slowly fill it in, I see that my plan for expanding my pantry and larder by scarfing (heh) up leftovers from conferences is a Really Good economic plan. That and eating bread by the bagful. Or possibly birdseed. I am seriously poor here, and winter hasn't started yet. However, it has helped me realize that No, just because it's on sale, now is NOT a good time to buy it. "It" meaning "Anything", except for possibly toilet paper.

Thanks for the pointer on the improved SSK, the old way is how I've been doing until now and it bugs me -- I think I will like it better with the second stitch slipped as if to purl!

Gorgeous socks, way to go! The worsted was a smart choice, I did my first socks in sock weight yarn and they turned out pretty nice (... and then I gave them away because I was knitting them for a swap), but they took SO LONG it's taken me 3+ years to recover and work up the nerve to try again!

La Bella Donna -- I am really glad to hear you set up your budget. For me that was the most terrifying part, just opening all the bills and writing down what was owed and seeing it add up. But there is something about crossing that barrier that makes a difference, mentally. Taking control of my finances gave me freedom, which all this time I never realized I didn't have (before). Isn't it crazy to feel trapped (in a marriage, in a city, in an apartment, in a job, in a relationship, with your family, whatever) because of finances? It took me a few years to get it all under control but it was so worth it for me.

And the first step was just filling out the spreadsheet :) I understand, I've been there. IT GETS BETTER! xoxoxo-laurie

Email me your address and I will send you some cool patterns!

I love the patterning on that sock yarn. I've been knitting some stuff in yarn with a similar pattern (Moda Dea Sassy Stripes in Swish), and I love the funky look it's giving to some mittens, a scarf, hat and boot toppers. See the beginning of these projects here: http://jam2day.blogspot.com/2008/08/knitting-and-my-amazon-store.html

The yarn you used for those socks would make great mittens, hat and scarf, too!

Have a great weekend!

You knit(ted?) a pair of socks!!! I am so proud of you! I've only done a couple/three pairs myself, but I really like knitting socks. It's like magic, how they turn out all foot-shaped and such. :)

Amen on clear knitting instructions. I can usually figure out what I'm supposed to be doing, but I prefer to be able to envision where I'm going and how I'm getting there, than to blindly follow vague instructions and hope like hell they'll work.

Laurie - I haven't really knit socks since I stopped taking public transportation (complicated situation in the SF bay area where they don't want you to park at BART stations because that would mean you're DRIVING and DRIVING is BAD) and anyway your socks are inspirational and worsted weight(!) which would be so much more fun than the ~8 st/in Regia I've used. So I'm gonna COPY you. Except for the public transportation part.

btw some obsessive knitters will pull out a bunch of yarn and look at the self striping so that they can cast on at exactly the same point in the yarn for each sock so that they will match. But I like yours better. They are more cheerful with the stripes unmatched. It's like they coordinate, but aren't too matchy-matchy, you know?

Holy crap! Your first socks fit human feet, and not just ANY feet but yours!!! Nicely done! My first pair would have fit a "little person" who was perhaps on the smallish side and also had feet with odd ankle-angles.

Well done, I LOVE the yarn.

Yay for socks! I'm on my third pair, and after I finished my first pair, I had the same reaction that you had - it's still just knitting. I like socks because it's something I can wear. I have a super itch-factor with most yarn and so I can't wear any of the scarves I've made, and I don't wear hats. Plus I live in California, too, so it doesn't get that cold. But I wear socks!

Congrats on your first socks... it's too warm in SoCal for you to become a sock addict, but aren't they fun!! If you happen to become even slightly sock-obsessed, they do make great gifts. I love the pink self patterning yarn too.

I am so very impressed with your socks! And to echo Julie in WI, they actually fit your feet! Surely that is some kind of knitting record or something???

Have a tremendously fabulous weekend!

Make a slarf. We're talkin' about 'em on Ravelry and they are funny.
http://www.slarf.com/index.cfm?action=copy&sec=3

I was taking a knitting class when I knit my first socks, my knitting teacher was so impressed that I figured out how to turn a heel all by myself. Turning a heel was easy I thought it was picking up all of the gusset stitches that gives me hives. Also, I never finished my first pair. It was only when I started my second sock did I actually knit a pair.

Hee, hee, you'll never forget your first. They look great! I hope you get some cooler weather soon.

They look beautiful and sooooo comfortable. Hope you get to wear them!

Wow...I wasn't sure you would ever do it. Welcome to the dark side. :o) I just finished my first "real socks" a week or so ago.

Your post makes me wanna try a pair of thicker socks. Would be great for our -30 winters out here when no matter what you do your feet are always cold.

lord I suck at this...if I have inadvertently posed my comment 21 times I apologize and blame the cat...it's always his fault

I'm so proud of you, Laurie! You did a WONDERFUL job on the socks and they are soooo pretty! Socks are fun to knit, easy to take along with you and no matter the size it ends up being it'll always fit someone. Even if it is the dog!

Have a great weekend!!

The sad thing, Laurie, is that it doesn't exactly give me a feeling of "freedom"; it's more like "terrifying." I knew I didn't have a lot to work with, and having to face the reality of what I have to deal with, and how much I CAN'T and SHOULDN'T do is really sad. And I'm talking about thrifting and patterns and so on, here; I wasn't living the high life before, that's for sure. I was, in fact, In Charge Of Everything - especially anything that had to be paid for. In retrospect, giving him the house that I and paid for, and the car, which I was STILL paying for (ten more payments, and yes, I did pay them), was probably not the smartest financial move I ever made, but I was trained to take care of him. But it sure hasn't left me with much to work with.

(Yes. I know. In retrospect, probably not a smart thing to have done, but I couldn't take all of the other cats - about twenty-four of them at the time - with me, and it gave them somewhere to live and a way to get to the vet's. But at least he was TOTALLY UNGRATEFUL for the FREE HOUSE and FREE CAR that he didn't pay A SINGLE BLESSED DOLLAR ON OR CONTRIBUTE TO, EVER.)

I love that pattern from KP&S! You did such a nice job! Have a great weekend, Laurie!

loverly sox, CAP!

bob, take a lesson from frankie - yarn is FUN! my steven and meredith like yarn and needles; several of my bamboo needles have their teeth marks to prove they were there!

have a good weekend!

Yay, she's a sock knitter now! Socks are my favorite thing to knit. (Perfect for anyone with ADD--right about the time you're getting bored with the pattern, suddenly there is a heel to turn.)

They're gorgeous! Well done!

Your socks look great: congrats!

I didn't love socks the first time I made them. Then I decided to try another pair, and liked it better. By the third pair...I was sock-borged. I'm now on pair 4, and already have yarn for the next pair. Fun!

i have the feeling that you could get addicted to the sock making...many people are.

i have given up asking people to make me homemade wool socks that are crazy colored....in that they dont match. nobody wants to make me a pair! knitters are quirky people.

I love knitting socks. There are so many beauteous patterns. Great job!

they are very addictive:) I made my first pair lastOctober and look at me now doing a lunar year of socks for our local hospice:) You have been warned

may I ask where you get those cool ziploc bags with the flowery pattern on them? I must have some!

LOVE the socks!!! When I knit my socks anything goes so mine don't even come close to matching!! Except for a weird kid of mine who insists they have to match and be a boring color. Wonder who hatched her???

Those turned out so pretty!! They look really comfy. I learned to knit socks with the same pattern, it's awesome.

Wow - I'm impressed with your first pair of socks, and it gives me heart - I'm currently knitting my very first pair, after 35 years of knitting :o) Mine are also worked on during a (two) bus commute - it's great, loads of people see what I'm doing and smile. I hope it's a sign of approval and not pity :o)

Try a coton/wool blend sock yarn. Might still not be good for now, but on cold damp February mornings... heaven on your feet.

I actually do know how to spell cotton.

Congratulations on your first pair of socks!

Congratulations on your first pair of socks! Those look almost exactly like a pair I made but with slightly different colors. I get bored knitting socks though. I get really excited when I start the first sock and by the time I'm finished with it, I don't care to start the next sock. I'm glad I have some determination or I'd have a bunch of mismatched socks hanging around!

lovely socks! congrats!!

sock yarn is my only serious downfall when it comes to spending loads of money on yarn. But I'm sure you'll be stronger than me, Laurie!

and if not....ahhhhh, welcome to the dark side ;

That yarn knit up wonderful! Love the pattern it created. Good job.

I made my first socks with the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, too - great pattern! I love the yarn you used, such pretty colors (although anything would look good next to foxy Frankie), and I like your bus picture (I'm a bus knitter, too - love the bus). Have a good weekend, Laurie! Happy knitting.

Bob may not be impressed, but I am! Nice job! And welcome to the sock knitting addiction....Bwaaahaaaa!

I never finished the first sock pair I made. I had this great book (Knit Socks, which is actually shaped like a sock) and old style squeaky Red Heart Acrylic. I made the first sock, which taught me all I needed to know and then I bought different yarn and made an actual pair of socks.

Turning the heel on a crowded bus is like everything else: a matter of practice. It took me a while but now if I am in the mood I can knit socks and cables and lace standing up on the train. Or Hats! (I haven't knit a hat in moons. Maybe I'll have time for a hat this weekend.)

That was my first sock pattern, too. I love those socks; I just wish it was cool enough to wear them more often. My second pair of socks were the Knitting Pure & Simple Beginner's Lightweight sock, and I didn't like that one at all. Usually, I'm all about the endless garter stitch (which, being in the round, comes out as stockinette), but these were so boring. I'm half way through a pair of Spring Forward from Knitty.com, and that's been much more fun. It helps that I've been Magic Looping them- that's a much more comfortable way to knit socks, for me. YMMV.

Can you knit socks out of cotton? Wool makes me break out. And now since you ventured into the sock zone, so must I.

Great colors! I want the socks in knee-high length!

Knitting socks is and elevation in addiction. And distinction, but mostly addiction.

MY LYS recently started carrying sock yarns from Universal Yarns and this dedicated sock knitter likes them a lot. They knit up well, soften up after being washed, and most importantly to me, wear like iron. The downside to some of those pretty hand-dyed, $25 dollars of artisan yarn is that while the skein may be the perfect yarn weight and yardage for a pair of socks, the yarn itself may not be suitable for making socks.

Are you twisting your stitches by any chance? I used to be a super-tight knitter and but then found out I was knitting my stitches twisted. It wasn't an issue when knitting flat because knitting the wrong side row untwisted the previous row but was obvious when I started knitting in the round (since you're always knitting the right side, and no wrong side knitting to untwist!).

Handmade wool socks are great for keeping feet warm during cold winter nights. :)

You are SUCH a knitter!! First socks that fit, my first 3 pairs had to go to someone else (with larger feet) because apparently I cannont comprehend a tape measure. Sigh. Now I always have at least one pair of socks on needles in addition to my other projects. I find that I actually LIKE the 8 st/inch tiny yarn and tiny needles. The socks seem more comfortable to me. If you are feeling the need for a special sock challenge check out the Tsarina of Tsocks - an interesting designer - Lisa Grossman, at tsocktsarina.com

You've come a long way, Baby! Wow! Knitting socks! I'm so proud of you!

Wow, those socks are so pretty! Yay for first socks!

Beautiful Frankie !!!
I am still scared of socks. I have Rhuematiod Arthritis, so my hands just won't take knitting on needles below a size 10.5 Guess I could make boot socks in heavy worsted weight yarn.
Maybe one of these days when I get brave!
Coolest socks ever !!!

Yay you for making your first pair of socks!! I love making socks...alas I have no time to knit much at all. But now I'm more motivated seeing someone do it with worsted weight and size 8 needles! Instead of size two needles and super tiny yarn...not fast knitting, for me anyway.

Here's hoping for some cool weather to come your way!

mmm... love the first socks! great yarn. my first pair were in patterning yarn too, and I found it so motivating to knit- what will happen next?? I learned from a dvd how to do it on two circulars, which felt somehow safer to me 'cause the needles can't slip right out. Second dvd will teach me how to do two at once! So exciting...

I'm impressed, even if Bob isn't. Nice job on the socks.

Lucia was prescient, you have been assockilated. They came out great! And see what you can do when you decide to do it? You go, girl!

I'm definitely buying that yarn, in that colorway, for my next socks. ("Next socks" sounds like I knit a lot of socks. HA HA HA HA. I have knit three socks.)
Many thanks for showing it.

Congrats on your beautiful socks! I completely agree about the Knitting Pure & Simple patterns - they're great. I met Diane Soucy a couple of years ago and positively gushed about her great patterns. I had to stop when I noticed her very politely skooching away from my stalker-like enthusiasm.

Socks are totally addicting! I look like a doofus in hats, so socks are my portable knitting project. :)

Okay Ms. Inspiration I am going to pick up that Beginner Socks book and try socks again. I have tried and tried and the SFP always gets me and I end up cussing and frogging.

Oh and I agree with you about KnittingHelp. Pretty much everything I can do with the sticks I owe to them.

And just in case you don't know, next week is International Wear-A-Dress Week.

Well there ya go. I didn't know ssk was slip one knitwise, and one purlwise. I just do one or the other, usually knitwise unless otherwise specified.

And thanks for taking the fear out of socks. Why would a grown woman be afraid of a pair of socks, for cryin' out loud? Not the socks, the double points - still can't cast on w/double points...

Shout out @ laBelladonna:
Glad to see you are still alive. Miss you at ADAD. Hope you are well - or with the new budget plan - soon will be!

Once you go Sock,
You never go Bock.

I love Knitting Pure an Simple. I love them. I knit my first adult sweater using one of their patterns.... and it came out great and it fits me. I have the yarn and another pattern, just need some needles to make it. Why haven't I gotten them yet?!

Your socks are gorgeous.. great job! :)

my (very informal) office is cold all summer -- over-air conditioned. so i wear wool ankle socks with clogs all summer. my feet are much comfier than in either reboks or sandals.

congrats on your first pair of socks . . . i'm sure there will be more.

Okay Chicadee,

Blog now, blog fast, and let us all know you weren't on that train. Purl??

@ annie - amen! I came here expressly to say the same thing.

pretty socks & well done!

Awesome! Funny- I decided about a week ago that I will finally try knitting socks now that fall is around the corner and I'll be able to knit without heat rash. Cute, no?

I found the Socks in the City podcast last week - she's such a dork, I love it! Plus, she smells her yarn. You can hear her smell it.

Now, you post your sweet socks and I can only think it's a sign.

MUST KNIT SOCKS...MUST KNIT SOCKS...ADD TO STASH...

I am inspired! Thanks!

I LOVE "Knitting Pure & Simple" patterns! They got me out of my scarf & baby blanket rut of many years and gave me the confidence to do baby & kid sweaters! They are so easy to follow and the finished product is very nice.

Now I need to try their socks...

I had to check to see if you were ok, having heard about the train crash. I don't know anyone in L.A. (let alone California) but I did think of CrazyAuntPurl..glad to see you were blogging today. Love the socks, and the kitties!

Great socks! Hooray for you for taking the great step! (ahem)

Please tell us you rode the bus today.

I have to echo those posters above me who are looking for a word from you. Please let us know you are OK!

Wow, socks. Congratulations! I don't think I'm up for that yet...but, it was cool enough here in central Maine this week for me to wear my 3rd attempt at the Easy Roll-Brim Hat!! In public! (The first 2 are strictly for keeping warm in the privacy of my own home.)

I have 'love bites' on my bamboo needles, too. My kitties love yarn--they'll even eat it if I'm not careful. ;)

Cats are a tough audience. Btw LOVING self-patterning yarn!

Hooray for first socks! I hope your cats are suitably impressed. Hope you have a lovely weekend x

Please post a note to say you are OK, just heard the news about the train crash this morning.

Wonderful! I am so intimidated by socks. Lace doesn't phase me - as long as I can take the time to focus and count - but socks just seem so challenging. I might just have to try a pair. And I might get to wear them in the ATL - in January.

I have been knitting for almost 50 years and only started knitting socks about two years ago. And now I don't understand why I thought they were so scary. Yours are great; love the sheer exuberance of color and pattern. Nice job!

I knit one sock last year. Yeah, just one - I haven't gotten around to the mate yet. I liked socks, it just seemed to take forever. Maybe I should try worsted weight yarn instead.

By the way, your kitties might enjoy this photo of mine - when I posted it to my blog, it reminded me of your cat photos! http://thechittumfiles.blogspot.com/2008/09/is-she-trying-to-take-over-chittumfiles.html

Lovely! Ah, sock knitting. It's a drug, I tell you.

Sock knitting is VERY addictive. They're portable - everything fits in a large ziplock baggie - and you can get in a round or two when you've got an odd 10 minutes here or there. I'm still knitting my first pair - which I started, oh, in JUNE - but I'm using very fine yarn (Step yarn by Austermann) on size 2 DPNs, so that may be part of it. Also, I apparently have adult ADD, because I have at least seven projects on various needles at the moment.

Your socks look GORGEOUS - and the yarn weight looks perfect for your first pair.

hi, I have never commented before, but I love your blog. Wondering if you are ok. Have been reading the NYTimes about the commuter rail accident. Sending prayers from Brooklyn. Tracey

I love Pure & Simple patterns - try their top down sweater patterns - they are great. I'm working on a Hoodie from Chic Knits right now that I love. Well written as well. Have fun with the socks - I love the colors.

I love your blog, too. Heard about the commuter train wreck this morning and said, "Oh, I hope Crazy Aunt Purl is OK." My dh said, "You have an aunt in LA?" Well, almost...more of a knit sis, I guess. Anyway, I hope you are well and safe and I'm sending positive vibes to you from Seattle.

Great job on the socks! My LYS has that same yarn - it is gorgeous.

Hope you are ok Laurie!

For socks to wear in LA, you could use Crystal Palace's Panda Cotton. It is (rough;y)51% bamboo, 24% cotton & the rest is elasticized nylon. It is super soft, the bamboo imparts a nice sheen & it comes in fantastic colors (altho not self striping as far as I know). I have a few pairs of socks knit in Panda Cotton & they are summer only socks - thay are not at all warm. I can't wear them if the temp is much below 65° & they are fine in 95° weather (when I'm not wearing sandals. Your socks are lovely &, if you want to be able to actually wear them, you could buy the Fiber Trend slipper bottoms (2 styles), sew them on & wear them as slippers around the house. (It's unlikely that you'd be able to fit them into shoes anyway. The only time I wear socks knit with worsted is when the temp is below 0° with my winter boots which are roomy.)

I heard about the train crash last night and thought, "I'm glad CAP takes the bus." You did, didn't you?

Thank you so much for knittinghelp.com!

P.S. Bob, come on. You love those socks, admit it.

Hey AP, I hope you're ok!!! When I heard about the crash my first thought was "Oh god!!! Is AP OK?!" and then I thought to call you which is pretty silly since I don't even know you and vice versa. Let us know you're ok when you can :)

I [whatever number] the request that you post something so we all know that you were not on that train.

I hope you are well.

Bob may not be impressed but I am. Nice job. And great yarn, too.

Ditto the comments above. You ok?

Adding to the band wagon of people wanting to know you are ok

When we heard of the train crash my daughter and I looked at each other and I said to her, "doesn't Laurie ride the bus not the train?".
We all certainly hope so. We are all sending lots of prayers that way.

I wish I was talented enough to knit socks. They look wonderful.

I really hope you weren't on that train. I know you take the bus, but I remember reading that you also take the train.

Just worried about you...hope you post soon!

I LOVE knitting socks. No, I'm not a nutcase; they are the perfect commuter project: small, and easy to transport. Here's hoping you catch the sock addiction!

Oh, I know you get like a bizzillion comments a day, but I have to tell you I'm nominating you for an I Love your Blog award.

I was just watching a news report and I got worried too. Oh Laurie, all of us who feel like we're part of your life hope that you are okay.

Are you ok?

GAAAAAA!!!! this is NO TIME to be taking the weekend off from your updates. We all want to know that you are okay!!!!! Don't you have a proxy in case you hit the lottery and retire to .... whereever????

Ah yes, I once said I would never knit socks...now there are ALWAYS a pair being worked on in addition to other knitting projects. Socks are easy and there are such really neat and gorgeous patterns out there to try. Welcome to the sock knitting fanatics (oh you aren't one now...heh heh heh)

Congrats Laurie..great socks for your first pair. Love your blog....

AHHHHHHH LAURIE ARE YOU OK? i NEVER POST, BUT WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE TRAIN WRECK YESTERDAY I IMMEDIATLEY WENT TO YOUR BLOG TO SEE IF YOU POSTED, AND IVE FREQUENTLY CHECKED BACK SINCE TO SEE IF YOU POSTED. ANYWAY PRAYING ALL IS WELL.

http://www.knbc.com/news/17462062/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news

She's not on the list

*sigh of relief*

I used to fear the Double Pointed Needles of Death, but now I prefer them to two circs at once or the one-circ Magic Loop method (I have no spatial relations skills; I can't even begin to grasp using one or two circs to knit a sleeve -- let alone a sock!)

Bravo to you for attempting socks! I've cut a steek, but socks scare me. Is that laughable or what? I'm going to look for that recommended pattern, that's for sure.

No wonder my ssk looks weird!! I've been slipping BOTH as if to knit. I didn't know you had to slip the second as if to purl. I've been making socks for years now...the wrong way!
Thanks Laurie!

Mere - thank you!!

Wow...socks...and they are so cute. My knitting class doesn't start until Oct. 8th and we will only be making a shawl...it is an itermediate class, but the main reason I'm taking it is my hope to learn what all those SSK and other abbreviations mean and how to do them. Socks weren't really high on my list until I saw yours and now I want them yesterday.

After watching "The Golden Compass' and falling for the way cool knits in that movie I signed up at Ravelry. I may have to move to Alaska or something instead of continuing to live in Texas so I can wear some of this stuff I'm making. It will get really cold here, but not for as long.

I love the socks! I'm the same way... knitting both at once on seperate sets of needles. If you are wanting a new learning experience, try doing the same thing on magic loop. Then, no more DPNs of Death, but with the same results.

Congrats on the socks...they are beautiful! I just finished my first ever pair of worsted weight socks. I used Noro Kureyon 124 and they turned out so great! It was fun and fast and I going to do more soon...very soon!

Socks rock. I also use two sets of dpns, because the first sock I ever knit was a total mess*, and in the meantime until I could get to my knitting group for help, I decided to knit a second sock as far as the heel flap and then get someone to help me with both. the bonus is that it eliminates Second Sock Syndrome! But then when you get into buying two sets of Lantern Moon Rosewood needles, you know you have a problem...

*they were a bit of mess even when I finished. I gave them to my ex as his last ever gift and knitted perfect ones for myself.

Another hand up for Knitting Pure and Simple! The sweater patterns work from top down and are knit in the round, on circs! I LOVE them because there is little to no purling! Two members of my s&b have been converted and they love the pattern too! Both are knitting it in a cotton yarn, so it won't be too hot. I think I have it in every size from infant to adult. You can do it too! Let me know if you need the specifics.

Welcome to the Club.

You and Bob are so soxy...

Yay! Congratulations on your first pair of socks! The colors in the yarn looks great together. And the socks look comfy, especially for a chilly night. -Kitties always have good taste in yarn. :-)

Way to go!!!! Now you will want no socks but hand knit and there are so many fantastic yarns out there...even suitable for the Valley (how about a bamboo blend, soy blends, or cotton and lycra?). Socks are like magic...turn here, pick up there and VOILA! Funky shaped knitted tubes that keep your feet toasty.
I cannot keep up with my family's sock demands. I am VERY slow, I get bored doing the leg, And I use finer weight yarn than worsted because worsted weight socks don't fit into the shoes and boots so well but are AWESOME on cold Canadian floors in January. Come north, sugar beet.

Oh my goodness. That cat looks exactly like my parents' baby. Which is funny because they always said "She's so strange looking, I've never seen a cat that looks like that!"

You are amazing and inspiring. I decided a while back to make some socks, bought all the double pointed needles I could find and put them in my knitting drawer where they are to this day. Your socks look fantastic. I think you a very talented woman.

My first pair of socks were for my hubby he wears a 13 and wanted tall socks so they took awhile I used self striping yarn it was fun watching the stripes happen congratulations on your socks the make me think of chocolate covered cherries yum:)hugs Darcy

Just found your blog through Annie M. I am currently knitting a pair of socks per month for just about every one here in the VA Blue Ridge Mountains. We have wood stoves and cold floors. Love your writing and, like many others, hoping you are okay!!.

Congrats on your first socks. I was scared of them for years, but eased myself in with two-needle patterns Still scared of dpns, but confidence is growing. Will get back to them after *gasp* The Christmas Knitting!

Laurie,
Well done, love the color! Can't wait to see your next project :)

Yay! I love them! I knitted two "training" socks - a.ka. mini sock - this weekend. My knit group recommend I do that before attempting a real one.

Congrats!

Socks are great.....now we just have to get you down to fingering weight yarn. THEN, we have you hooked! Your house will fill with skeins and skeins of sock yarn, that seeminly reproduce at will. You will begin contemplating a move to a colder climate and wearing transparent plastic clogs, just to show off your sock knitting prowess. Mwwwwwwwah-ha-HA!

I forget: did I guess socks? Oh, well, who cares? Yay!!! You have been assockilated. KP&S patterns are awesome: I actually completed a sweater using one, despite my fear of both sweaters and patterns.

With socks it doesn't take too long before you know what gauge you'll get on a given needle size, and you come up with a generic recipe, and you start inventing your own patterns, and... BwahahaHAAA! you're a socknitter. (Yes, it has only one k.)

I prefer toe-up short-row socks, which have 1) no picking up 2) no grafting. Both of these I can do if I have to, but why have to? One of these days I will write out my basic sock recipe. I've always figured, why bother, since legions of better-known knitters have gone before me here, but if I can tout my own brownie recipe (doesn't everyone?), why not my own sock recipe?

I didn't know the new & improved ssk. Can this count as my new thing learned for the day?