Simply Sockupied Knit-Along: Simply Elegant Cable Socks

The Jacker wrote

on Apr 19, 2012 9:14 AM

Do you spin on a drop spindle or a wheel? I'm just learning to spin with a drop spindle and I'm not sure I could get the yarn thin enough for a pair of socks. Are you using 2-ply? I would love to see it! 

Anne Merrow wrote

on Apr 19, 2012 12:17 PM

The Jacker:

'm just learning to spin with a drop spindle and I'm not sure I could get the yarn thin enough for a pair of socks.

Congratulations! I have to say that learning to spin has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life--and spindles are incredibly portable. Yarn does tend to get thinner as you get more practice.

I have yet to knit socks from my own handspun, but Debbie O'Neill did design a pair using my yarn.

Anne Merrow wrote

on Apr 23, 2012 12:44 PM

Fenji:

For row one it says to knit 20 , but for row two and three it says to knit 11. Where do the other stitches go.

A good question! You leave them right where they are on the needles until you come back to them by repeating Rows 2 and 3.

When you work knit 22 on the first row, you're working a little beyond the center, and when you work 11 on the next row you're working to the other side of the center. As you decrease at the end of Rows 2 and 3, you work stitches farther out to the edges each time. By the time you get to the part that says "13 (13, 15) heel sts rem," you will have worked all the stitches that were hanging out waiting on each side of the heel flap.

I hope that helps!

Fenji wrote

on Apr 24, 2012 3:54 PM

Dear Anne,

Thank you very much! It certainly helped and worked very well. I probably should have just tried to follow each step in the pattern as it's explained very well! It's my first sock and I'm amazed how it takes shape. I always wondered how handknitted soks are constructed.

Thanks a lot!!

Fenja

Anne Merrow wrote

on Apr 24, 2012 4:40 PM

It's funny how we get kind of attached to finishing rounds/needles/rows and having them done! One really common question is how, at the beginning of a round, you can knit 12, then turn and work 24. We figure that once we've "finished" the round, it's not available any longer--when in fact you can go around a circle in either direction.

i'm so glad it worked! Heel turns are kind of magic, the way they start vertical and end up horizontal.

wendygregersen wrote

on Jun 18, 2012 1:10 PM

Ann

I am working on the simply elegant socks, I am doing the middle size and cannot understand how to begin the heel properly. Imhave divided the stitches and worked in 21 in pattern, but when I turn to go in the reversed order for line 1 there are not enough stitches to complete row 21. Can you please tell me what I am missing here.

Thank you so much. Love the socks otherwise

Wendy

Anne Merrow wrote

on Jun 19, 2012 1:29 PM

Wendy,

I think the readers who commented on this thread earlier had the same issue: They didn't think they had enough stitches when they turned the work, but in order to center the heel on the beginning of the round, you simply work some stitches from the previous round. They're still there waiting for you; you just turn and work over the old end-of-round marker.

I hope that helps!

douar wrote

on Oct 18, 2012 10:03 AM

A few weeks ago I finished the red elegant cable socks I knit for my mom! I really enjoyed the pattern and it was definitely an amazing learning experience and this thread indeed helped a lot! Thank you!

I just wanted to mention that I loved the fact that there were no slipped stitches for the heel! And I loved the garter stitch detail instead!!! 

The picture is not all that clear - and I am the one trying them on - so they're a bit big on me (mom has slightly larger feet!)

Anne Merrow wrote

on Oct 29, 2012 4:19 PM

They're gorgeous! Your Mom is very lucky indeed.