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Why Knit Socks?

These reasons were given by subscribers to the (now defunct) KnitList mailing list.

My feet are happy when they're wearing my handmade socks. They never cared about socks before. Socks were just to keep shoes from rubbing. My feet were only heard from when that function failed. Now they sing a quiet chorus of "aaah...joy...happy...aaah...joy...happy...aaah" Of course, this is only one person's (and two feets's) opinion.

• The Superiority of the Product
• No seam across the toe. This answer will get the "Aaah.."response from people who never before noticed that they didn't like that seam.
• They fit your foot like a living thing. Perfectly. It's YOUR sock.I make people try on one of my socks when I tell them this...and say, "only wear this if there are no other living things on your feet."
• They can be made in nicer fibers, prettier colors, and more interesting patterns than any socks you can buy.
• The Pleasures of Knitting Them
• They provide the satisfaction of the interesting technical puzzles of how the heel and toe are made.
• They are a small project, quickly completed. "Start them on Friday, wear them on Monday," someone said.
• They can be carried around with you, and for the most part you don't even need to refer to a pattern while knitting them, just remember how many inches to knit before the next tricky spot.
• They provide an easy project to try out a new pattern stitch or color combination on.
• The Drawbacks
• Like most handknitting, the result is more expensive than a store-bought object of the same kind. Partly it's because you're using better materials, but still it's a good idea not to mention this to skeptics.
• Even in fingering weight yarn, handmade socks are bulkier than the manufactured kind, and might not fit in any of your shoes except hiking boots.
• In order to show them off properly you will either need to run around in your stocking feet (but that would wear them out!) or buy expensive sandals.

When you have big feet (women's 11) you can't get socks to fit unless you buy men's. I have scoured every sock store I have encountered looking for purple, hot pink and aqua men's socks. Where I live, they are impossible to buy. So, I knit them. I like to wear Birkenstocks (caveman sandals as my cousin calls them!). Funky handknit socks are just the thing to wear with these.

After the first pair, there was no stopping - it was FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was more than a little disturbed to read a few days ago a comment about handknit socks not fitting in shoes, being only boot socks. Not so in my home! I usually knit socks on size 2 dpns, sometimes as fine as 00's, but all can be worn in the place of storebought socks. Yes they are thicker than the flimsy things available today. I'm not that old, and I remember storebought socks that weighed more than a feather! What is the use of these newfangled socks that are more like nylons? DH bought some liner socks at Costco (usual disclaimers) that are substantial, but he still prefers the handknit ones. Also, I get varicose veins easily, and I can knit my socks with a tighter gauge (so they are stiff and stay up) with loose ribbing at the tops, which makes my legs happy. I'm knitting socks in self-defense!

When I first joined the KnitList, I was befuddled. But after having made a pair of fulled slippers for my mother for Christmas, I can't stop making them. I've made a pair of Wool-Ease for myself, a pair for my best friend's husband, a pair for another friend, and am working on another pair for myself right now. Since they don't take long, they're as close to instant gratification as I can get (next to the facecloths). They're also convenient to carry around in a bag, since they take up so little room.

I use 8" dpn's so I don't stab myself until the very end when decreasing for the toe. I figure it's a small price to pay for form fitting, warm socks that I wouldn't be able to find in any store. I wear a size 6 1/2 women's, which leaves a lot of room in the standard 9-11 size socks sold in stores.