Beginnerland
Why You Should Knit Socks
Dear Kay,
Let me count the ways to knit up spectacular gifts:
• with Jen Geigley, the Queen of the Bulky Yarn and designer starring in Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy.
• with Thea Colman’s juicy quick projects of Field Guide No. 8: Merry Making.
• with easy sock patterns by Wendy Bernard from Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust.
Why I choose Socks
Maybe you’ve been watching all the socks erupting from Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust since we launched in June. Maybe you have amassed a mighty store of sock yarns that you adopted simply because they blinked at you and broke your heart with their tender beauty—despite the fact that you haven’t ever knit a sock.
We get that. We used to be like that, too.
Even Kay Gardiner, one of the great handknit sock skeptics, has succumbed to the spell of the handknit sock.
Once you’ve knit a sock, you will find yourself feeling very clever. You’ll want to make more. It’s the best feeling. If you’re embarking on your first socks, we’ll help get you through.
Reasons to Knit Socks for the People You Love
Customize! Pick a color, a stitch pattern your recipient will like.
Fit! Find out the shoe size of your recipient, knit accordingly, and your socks will be the tastiest fit.
Surprise! These will very likely be the only handknit socks your loved one has ever received.
Speed! You may think that socks are a commitment of time, but once you get cranking, you’ll find it hard to stop.
Portable! Two rounds here, two rounds there—before you know it, you’ve turned time at the oil change place into Productivity.
…And: Free Gift Tag Download
Complete your present with our gift tags: four pages of variously sized tags for you to print out as you like, including a band to wrap around the socks you so lovingly made—with a gentle reminder built in . . .
And instructions for how to care for those socks.
Love,
Ann
MDK, you are so much FUN! I’m sitting on a screen porch, unwilling to give it up…after all…it’s only 46 degrees…reading your post! My rapidly cooling hot coffee keeps my fingers warmed and ready for the knitting to cone.
It is dark, damp, and cold…and I’m smiling because of you. Thank you, for EVERYTHING!
Fight the good fight, Kathleen! Season is only a state of mind!
I want to join this team, whatever that means. I have 1 sock knit and I need motivation to knit the other one.
I do 2 at a time because I know that if I don’t do it that way, the second sock will never get done. Lol
After I made my first pair of socks, I swore I would never do one at a time. It’s the ‘second sock syndrome’. So now, I either have two socks on two sets of dpns and work them concurrently. Or I do two at a time on Magic Loop.
Thanks for this post! I think this is absolutely wonderful. Google for some reason recommended it to me. And I’m glad it did. I am a fairly newish self taught continental knitter, who learned off Google and YouTube. I would really love to learn to knit socks. I’m going to Canada in January to visit family and would love to bring them some warm foot wear gifts (and keep my southern toes warm too!). Having the support of a community would definitely help!
Just made an account and ordering the FG for socks now. I am so happy to be here now. And I appreciate this so much!
I thought this was a saying of the PNW, but I heard it in Norway, too: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. I’m sure something could be said about socks here.
Love that!
Who could say no to mascot Kermit! Love him!
Kermit, Kermit, rah, rah, rah!
Thanks for the Tags, girls. Love them!
Umm, what is Team Ross knitting???
I guess I should read that again.
Who cares? It’s Ross Poldark. 🙂
Dreaminess. They’re knitting dreaminess.
The wrap around sock band gift tags are very clever. Will be gifting with those this coming holiday season.
Now for a dive into my sock yarn stash. Which also makes for lovely hats such as the Sockhead Hat
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sockhead-slouch-hat
Socks and hats-perfect commuting projects
You’re very convincing, Ann. 🙂
Agree, so convincing…. trying to think how I could justify socks for Christmas in our summer heat in Australia.
We are so lucky to have MDK thinking up ways to make us all happy, with such consistent wit and good cheer. And now *mascots*!!! I have never succumbed to the sock bug, but then again I never had a microinfluencer urging me on – this may be the year!
You guys are the best. ❤️️
NICE SOCKS KRMT!
U SO RITE!
You forgot to mention PRIZES!!! Contributed by Rowan!
Woohoo Team Sock! Also, I love these tags so much.
Don’t you think that Aidan Turner would be a great voice for audio books? I could listen to that accent for hours!
I’ve ways wanted to learn to knit socks. Count me in. So glad I noticed as your tweet
Three teams have launched, and with ridiculously handsome mascots! Meanwhile, Kay and Olive are still locked in contract negotiations. The two sides are still far apart on Olive’s role (“spokesmodel” vs. “mascot”) and the team’s proposed output (haute couture for terriers vs. dishcloths). Stay tuned for further developments….
Still chuckling….love this.
Cranking? Why I believe I will! Mr. Otis needs to earn his keep!
My mom and I are in again! My socks will have wrap and turn heel which is so hard for me. Any videos for the entire w&t heel process? Also my mom has gorgeous self-striping yarn and I would like to do the heels for her as afterthoughts to keep the integrity of the striping. Is that legal? Thank you! Go team socks.
Just started my first or. Of socks…toe up…wait and see…deb
The bands are a great idea 🙂 I’ve gifted many pairs of socks and every time I think I’ll make a pretty little card to go with them and every time I don’t.
I have been knitting tube socks for over two years and live how fast they knit up. I always have a pair going. All my friends and family love getting a pair. My husband wears his in steel toe boots and lives them.
HELP!!!!! please. I love the gift tags and want to add them to the 9 pairs of socks I’ve already done for Christmas/Hanukkah presents. Do I have to buy something in the MDK shop to get the tags? When I click on download PDF, it takes me to the e-commerce part of MDK.
Please help.
Merci beaucoup from New Orleans.
Just carry on through to “checkout” – it will show $0 for the cost and you can complete your “purchase” without entering any payment info. Have faith, it works! (Or at least it works if you have a mdk account sign in where the purchase can be sent, not entirely sure how it works if you don’t, but the accounts are handy for saving articles you want to be able reference again so you might want to get one anyway!)
OMG! My DH has been wanting me to knit him a pair of socks for over15 years! But I’ve NEVER knit ONE sock much less a pair of them! I’m even trying to knit Worsted Weight Rag socks and I can’t finish five rows without having to * gulp * start over! Does this make me a failure as a wife? What are the rules, my knitterly friends? I think if I knit him a real pair of socks he can wear, he might wash my car for a year, or something like that. He may even faint from shock!
So, where do I sign up?
I’m choosing based on which mascot is the cutest – therefore, socks it is! I have a big crush on Kermit, but don’t tell that to my 3 tuxie girls!
So how do I join your team? I’m a light weight sock knitter. Basically use my hand spun.
Not to be ungrateful for these lovely tags, but could you possibly do a version with care instructions for washable wool or even (gasp) acrylic? When I make baby or children’s socks, hats, sweaters, etc. I try not to burden often-new moms with something that needs hand washing.
I was a sock skeptic too. To knit all that? Just to go on your smelly feet and get smooshed into your sweaty shoe?
But then I made a pair, and it didnt even fit me, but I fell headlong, footlong, into it. My next several pairs didn’t fit either… And/or the yarn was so crummy and harsh I don’t know how I put up with it.
I’m finally knitting socks that fit (shout out to Kate Atherley), with good lovely yarn, and I am knitting SO many socks.
Also, I love the bands, and I love that one says to Olive from Kermit. <3
I am clearly late to this “team sport”. However, i DID knit a pair of socks for my daughter’s significant other, he of the big feet, for this past Christmas. And, they were very well received, indeed!! So, I was “playing for team socks” but didn’t even know of the team’s existence. I definitely want to knit more!!
Would like to join Team Socks. Have only made scarves, throws and afghans that I decide pattern. Always afraid of socks! After menopause I don’t wear them. However, my family does and would live them. Just bought my first iPad so I’m new to a lot of things. Retired nurse needs help with socks. Thanks, Michele Dozier, North Carolina (mdozier2209@gmail.com)