Socks, socks, everywhere.
Concluding the short parade of sweet little girl knits, I finished the baby beret/socks set for my colorist’s new little girl recently. I’ll do a separate FO post to keep my notes in one place, but I had to tell you about the way these little socks are constructed. Strangest. Things. Ever.
When finished, they look like normal socks. But they’re knit flat. (Recommendation to anyone doing these in the future? Just do them in the round. But my visualization skills are poor enough that I couldn’t get that from the pattern.)
After knitting down to where one would usually begin the heel flap, you begin half of the heel flap, and then turn half of the heel.
Knit back, and do the other half of the heel.
Pick up the gusset stitches as you usually would, except, you know, not in the round.
Knit flat, decreasing those gusset stitches, until you get to the toe decreases.
Weave the yarn through the remaining stitches and then seam up the back.
Now, these are for a 3-month old, so the seam inside isn’t as huge a deal, I guess, but I had to wonder while I was going through this little puzzle: Why on earth wouldn’t one just knit the sock in the round? It’s not like size 3 dpns are that unweidly. It’s a mystery, like picking up the picot cast-off stitches on the matinee coat. Next time, though, I’d just knit the socks in the usual way and save the seaming.
Of course, the whole 2 days I was knitting these socks Jacob was constantly asking if they were for him. I realized that while I’ve done sweaters and that one scarf for him and some booties when he was totally wee, I’ve never knit the kid a pair of socks. How terrible is that?!
Well, needless to say we went right up to the sock yarn leftovers bag and he picked something out that he really liked. Hence, April’s installment in the year of socks will be a much-overdue pair for a very impatient 2-year-old.
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Flat socks? Strange construction but turned out oh so cute!
Ok, that is incredibly mysterious. Maybe it’s aimed at people who are afraid of DPNs? That said, they’re adorable–I love the stripy cuffs!
Those little socks look very nice, but I can’t imagine knitting them flat, at all. Jacob certainly chose nice yarn for his firt momma made socks. :-)
I too am befuddled by the flat socks, but the end result is very cute!
whoa, those socks are crazy weird! but i totally love them! so cute!
What an amazing origami project. I too am totally bumfuzzled by flat things that become three dimensional, or vice versa. BSJ? I want to make one, but can’t seem to wrap my head around it.
LOVE! those stripes - great baby colours for the colourist!
Very nice socks, I think I made some once for a child that were constructed flat, never really understood why!
cute! i bet those were designed for those who fear circular knitting. i have former knitters ask me all the time if the things i’ve knit could be done flat and seamed. i guess it’s a personal preference, but why create more work when it’s not necessary?
Oh, poor little Jacob. Sounds like mommy will render the lack of handmade socks real quick.
Oh, those baby socks are too cute!
i knit my son, four years old, a pair of socks using KIOGU KPPPM in browns and greens. he wears them to death and refuses to let his brother, 3 years old, wear them. but his brother refuses to allow me to make him a pair. kids are such fun!
ok - that is the weirdest construction I have ever seen!! they came out really cute though!
[...] I wrote about the completely bizarre construction of these socks here, so I won’t repeat the whole saga for you. The conclusion is that unless you’re deathly [...]