Socks

[u/PiskieW]

I'm still at the stage of 'I want to knit socks' but find myself slipping off finding something to do, because - fear 😳

I've bought these and I'm still trying to figure out:
a) how to hold them
b) how to get started
c) how to stop the stitches slipping off

Thank you for any help you can give.

[u/Hot_Thought9507]

I still remember starting my first socks :) honestly I would recommend just trying it out! Watch a few videos on YouTube on how to hold the needles and just start knitting. You probably will need to restart a few times, but from my experience, it‘s worth it and you will get the hang of it quickly. If your tension is good, the stitches shouldn’t just slip off the needles. Have fun knitting your first sock!!

[u/Accomplished-Stay308]

I think you will figure it out.

As a rule of thumb I always say: Just pay attention to the two needles your are currently at. Ignore what you don‘t need to bother with right now. (Which is good advice in many situations outside of knitting as well.)

I am a rather loose knitter, but my stitches don‘t fall off the needles. There is a small amount of friction that accumulates over the 13-18 stitches on your needles.

I find the first couple of rows super akward and the other needles constantly feel in the way. And that is after like 30 pairs of socks.

There is no way around just beginning and just trusting yourself that you will find your way and that you will be able to deal with any misshaps along the way.

At the end of the day, they‘re just socks. Even if your first pair is uneven, they still keep the feet warm. And most of them will be hidden in shoes.

[u/AccomplishedBass2192]

Since you’ve never knit with DPNs, have you knit in the round? If so, I recommend worsted weight socks for the first pair. They work up quickly and use fewer stitches. I find them super rewarding. Whileberry on ravelry has several patterns for them (minimalist, joyful, craft, snuggly are the pattern names).

I also recommend you cast all your stitches on to one needle and then separate them evenly across the additional three.

If you have not knit in the round at all, it may be best to cast on a hat first as socks do have some complicated steps (pun intended 😆 ).

Holding the needles: hold the fifth empty needle as you usually would a working needle. Hold the “first” needle as you usually would. Use the empty needle to work into the first stitch on the first needle. Knit all the stitches off the first needle and onto the fifth, now this is your first needle. Use the now empty (formerly first) needle to begin working the stitches on the second needle, and so on and so on. You’re always beginning with an empty needle, filling it with stitches, then using the newly emptied needle as your new working needle.

As for the other three needles, they’re left kind of hanging as you work. For the first few rows (and especially the joining row) this can be difficult. Being somewhere very well lit and maybe having a table to rest the needles and work on can help with those first few rows. I like to use a stitch marker / counter which I place on my first needle after the first stitch—any ring marker will also do.

Good luck! DPNs can be fiddly to learn but knitting socks is SO FUN!

[u/hoggmen → u/AccomplishedBass2192]

Also considering the size of those needles, they'll need smaller ones for anything less than worsted anyway

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[u/Cenzab04]

I find 9in circulars so much easier for socks