Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. For additional details about this, please view our Privacy Policy here.

I can’t decide if I’m excited or afraid to be venturing into knitting socks. When I met Claire Nettleship at the Nottingham Yarn Expo she told me not to be scared and that using this tutorial by Winwick Mum, I’d have a pair in no time.

So I’ve only been knitting since July 2019, and for some reason have more sock yarn than I do socks. Sometimes it’s accidental purchases and sometimes it’s just because… well, it’s pretty!

Guess I need to learn how to transform sock yarn into actual socks. I have a sock ruler by Yarnistry so at least I can check measurements as I go, and I have this great tutorial by Winwick Mum.

I started this blog post on November 22nd, so its taken me just over 2 months to psych myself up to start this CHALLENGE.

Because not only have I decided I’m going to knit socks, but I’m also going to do them 2-at-a-time AND I’m determined that the colours will match.

I’ve bought EXACTLY the things advised by WM. I have my 2.5mm needles that I Amazon Prime’d next day (about 2 weeks ago) because I was in such a rush to start (ah, best made plans!) and I picked up some of the West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply in Wildflower – WINWICK MUM APPROVED!!!!

Locked in my bedroom because the builders are here and I’m in my dressing gown wanting to hibernate, I realise I’ve left my tape measure downstairs (after retrieving the scales, stitch markers, yarn and needles all without being spotted) and I can’t risk going back down again. So off to Ravelry I go, where I’ve found someone using the same yarn, same needles and same shoe size. Its too perfect…. are my socks already doomed to be too small?!

Oh to hell with it….

First step is getting the yarn to match. I have my winder, I am winding, there are knots. Of course there are knots, I’ve never managed to wind anything right first time. So after spending 15 minutes or so trying to detangle, I again think “to hell with it” and wind the knots in thinking “I’m going to start from the centre anyway so hopefully these end knots won’t affect me”. Really hoping these aren’t famous last words.

I now have two cakes, hopefully identical. I’ve even separated them into two cake cosy’s by All Wool That Ends Wool to keep them from tangling anymore than I already sense they will. Oh, and in the meantime have ordered a nice new yarn swift because I officially hate winding yarn.

Right, here I go…

I’m following this video to cast on (because Winwick Mum only shows casting on with DPNs and I am too scared to try those yet…. (I need the cable of a circular to catch any mistakes I make!) I’m doing 64 stitches around (thanks to my unknowing Ravelry buddies notes)

Long-tail cast on is my new favourite thing since learning how to start it for my Elementary T-Shirt by Sewrella (for which I am one hank in and have misplaced the other 2…) so I breeze through the casting on for the most part. The second half of the first sock is probably the fiddliest, but its on and I can finally K2P2 to my hearts content.

If it wasn’t for my eyesight.

Tell you what, if knitting has a reputation for being the sport of grannies, then those elderly folk must have some 20/20 vision to see those little stitches. My eyes and wrists already ache and I haven’t even finished the first row.

I have a feeling my dream of being a competitive sock knitter is going to end about as well as my dream of being a professional scuba diver – in a panic attack and giving up.

But there are so many amazing sock patterns out there! I must continue…

Two hours (and a nap later), I have my first row on both socks complete. Jesus Christ, I’m going to be in this one for the long haul… how long is a sock again?!

Okay, I’m restarting, obviously bitten off more than I can chew and the yarn keeps getting tangled. One at a time, one at a time. Let’s re-cast on…

---

I’m now on the fifth incarnation of this one sock. I can’t tell the difference between a knit and purl stitch, so the k2p2 repeat keeps getting lost on me. I’ve now downloaded an app to count my stitches (best 99p I’ve ever spent) and still having issues, but getting better (made it to the third row before frogging).

My fingers now smell of the sheep who’s wool was donated to this pair of socks, and its looking a bit worse for wear. Its come slightly un-plied for one, which makes my cast-on a bit trickier. But hey, slowly getting there.

I also crocheted a quick doily last night to get my eyes used to detail work. Doily was a success, but doesn’t seem to have helped me at all with this witchcraft….

I think for now the socks are going to go into hibernation until I regain my patience…