So I went yarn shopping with my boyfriend today for the baby blanket he wants me to make for his niece, and he forced me to buy DPNs because he wants me to make him wool socks. :shock: He’s confident that I can do it, but I’m terrified. I don’t know how to knit in the round, and I don’t even know how to use DPNs. Where do I start? Are there any videos or tutorials you guys can point me to for basic men’s socks? Any tips you can give me?
:thud:
And a YouTube search turns up lots more video tutorials!
There’s are some videos on the KH site for small diameter circular knitting. One for dpns and also some alternatives.
There are other methods to knit in the round, but here’s where I learned socks on DPNs. It’s one of the best for learning IMO!
http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm
Take a deep breath, knitting often looks scarier than it is (as we find out once we take the plunge into the knitting world).
KnitPicks has some helpful tutorials at these links:
http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Needles__L10070102.html
http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Socks__L10071204.html
and Lionbrand here:
http://cache.lionbrand.com/video/ (scroll down some)
and this is a nice ribbed sock pattern, with the mechanics of sock knitting:
Good luck on your projects.
~Katrina
There is nothing to be scared of. It’s only yarn.
Watch a few videos and take out some scrap yarn to practice with.
Go to the library and get a book that teaches how to make socks.
Sometimes it’s better to be able to look at a book.
That’s how I learned.
Boy that yarn was pitiful when I finally threw it away.
It had been knitted and reknitted multiple times, but I learned.
Everyone here will state the same thing that you learn by doing.
If you mess up, so what?
Frog it and start over.
Use life lines too, they can be a big time saver.
If you can knit, you can learn to knit in the round and make socks.
You just might find yourself becoming addicted to them.
I made about 10 pair before I went on to somehing else.
Do stress over it.
YOU CAN DO IT!
Come back here and show us your progress once you get started.
We’ll help you too. 
Laura:
Hearty kudos to Katrina’s referral to knit picks tutorials - they are awesome! Here’s the link to the sock class: http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Kelleys_Sock_Class__L10071301.html.
Even though Kelley uses magic loop instead of DPN, just watching the class completely demystifies socks. You’ll wonder what you ever worried about, promise!
Just one recommendation only, if you work your socks top down, before you graft the toe of the sock, take a few moments to work a knitted sample “pretend toe” and learn the kitchener stitch on it instead of on your sock.
I wish I had done that on my first sock since my first attempt at kitchener was less than stellar. Thank heavens it was just a baby sock… I’d have cried if it were an adult sized sock whose toe I turned into a gnarled up mess.
Good luck and have fun with your socks!
Hey, you can do it! I just finished my first pair of socks, toe up lifestyle socks http://www.k1p1design1.com/lifestylesocks knitted out of Red Heart Super Saver yarn I was given and don’t particularly like, but the socks are warm and I’ll wear them a lot. Now I’ll go on to using a smaller yarn and needles. I didn’t do DPNs, I used circs. Whichever way to choose to pursue your sock adventure (different styles, different tutorials, books, videos to choose from) I’m sure they’ll turn out fine. Enjoy…and remind your boyfriend how lucky he is…blanket for his niece and socks for him. :happydance:
[I]I wish I had done that on my first sock since my first attempt at kitchener was less than stellar. Thank heavens it was just a baby sock… I’d have cried if it were an adult sized sock whose toe I turned into a gnarled up mess.
[/I]
Charlotte, I too learned this lesson the hard way. Now I always run a life line through the stitches prior to grafting the toes shut. Then if I have to redo it there is little trouble to do so and no crying involved.
Thanks for all the tips and resources, guys!! I will probably start tackling these socks sometime after the holidays once I’m done with my second baby blanket. I’m stuck using DPNs since my boyfriend already bought them, but I’m sure it’ll be [I]fun[/I] to learn! Hehe.
Enjoy…and remind your boyfriend how lucky he is…blanket for his niece and socks for him.
I’m pretty sure he already knows! And I’m sure he’ll love his discombobulated socks!
I think I’m going to try practicing working on DPNs first before I work on the socks (good idea, right?), using this pattern. I’ve been wanting to make fingerless mitts for myself anyway, and I just got a ball of bulky boucle yarn from my aunt, so I think this would be perfect!
getting kind of excited…
Boucle huh? I won’t knit with that even though I am experienced with DPN. :lol: I suggest using regular yarn to learn with. Maybe make a can or bottle cozy…something very simple to learn then move on to the boucle.
Yeah, I just realized that. Lol. I cast on about 3 stitches with the boucle, said “screw this” and ripped the stitches off the needle. Silly me! :teehee: It also doesn’t help that we bought aluminum DPNs! 
Oh yeah…those suckers are slippery. I love my nickel plated circulars, but for DPN I like the bamboo/wood.
Holy cow! I’ve just knitted about 9 rounds successfully on my DPNs!! :cheering: I’m actually kind of loving this. It’s really not as hard as I thought it was going to be, and not quite as awkward either. Can this really be true?! Do I kind of like knitting on DPNs!? :woot:
Now let’s see if I feel the same way once I start the socks and get to the heel… eeep!
:cheering: Way to go!:yay:
That’s awesome! I don’t mind them either although I usually use magic loop now. And you know what? Most things in knitting are not nearly as hard as they appear to be. Take cables for instance…easy, but so impressive! :teehee:
Hi GG: I just watched the short row heel video used in the Lifestyle socks. Seems an easy peasy technique! And the Lifestyle socks themselves will go on my pattern shopping list for after the holidays.
I’m taking a break from kitchener stitching toes for awhile, and have turned to toe up socks. I have some yummy Felici self striping yarn from Knit Picks that was just begging to be knitted. Gotta love their sock samplers, and their 0-3 fixed circs are marvelous. I just wish they had those sizes in 60" lengths - I like a really long cable for magic loop. Maybe a higher power will had that plea. 
Awesome!!!
I too learned this lesson the hard way. Now I always run a life line through the stitches prior to grafting the toes shut. Then if I have to redo it there is little trouble to do so and no crying involved.
I sure wished I’d have thought of that back then! Knitting life lessons can be painful sometimes… :shrug:
Thanks for a great tip that I know I’ll never forget!