The Knitting Fiend

And the most important step is. . .

                . . .try on the sock!

Because, you know what happens if you don’t try on the sock? You end up writing stuff like this to Socknitters:

I have a pair of fair isle socks I knitted with a worsted weight yarn and now I can’t get them on my feet. They get stuck when my heel tries to go through the ankle part. They look big enough, but the fabric is very dense and has no stretch. This is the first time I have knitted fair isle with anything other than sock yarn.

What did I do wrong and is there a way to fix it?

A number of people answered the unfortunate knitter. All explained techniques to knit fair-isle more flexibly.

But, come on! Let’s face it. The correct answer to “What did I do wrong?” is: “You didn’t try on the sock as soon as possible!”

If letter writer had tried the sock on as she knit it, or at least when she’d finished the first sock, then she could have asked for tips on knitting fair-isle sooner. As it stands, she will need to send two socks to the frog pond.

Oh well, live and learn. Lucky for us, we can learn from other peoples goof instead of having to make our own! So, when should you try on socks? When knitting cuff down, I try them on:

1. when I have a 2″ long tube formed after the ribbing.
2. after I work the heel turn.
3. after working the gusset.
4. before beginning toe shaping and
5. before grafting first toe.

When knitting a sock toe up I try on:

1. a few rounds after working the toe,
2. after working the heel turn (to make sure the back of the heel meets mine
3. after working the flap and
4. as I knit the leg up.

Does every knitter need to try socks on this often? Well, no. But if you try on regularly, you minimize the risk of ill fitting socks!

Ok, so what if you are knitting for someone else? Well, if at all possible, force them to try on the sock! What if the socks are a surprise? Well, double check the dimensions and verify the fabric is very stretchy as you knit. If possible, get a person with similar feet to try the sock on. (If I were knitting for my brothers-in-law, I’d get Jim to try them on etc. His feet are smaller than theirs, but they are bigger than mine, and so there is at least some hope they’d fit!)

What if you really, really, honest to goodness can’t test fit them on anyone? Realize you are taking a risk the wonderful surprise socks will end up in the frog pond.