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Some Great Reasons to Knit Socks — What Are Yours?

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Need a reason to knit socks? Here are a bunch.I’m a little obsessed with knit socks right now. It’s winter, and they are the best thing ever for keeping your feet cozy.

But I also just want to knit a bunch of socks. I have a pair on the needles for my daughter, but I don’t really have a lot of time for knitting a big pair right now. And that makes me sad.

If you’re not a sock knitter you might not know all the great reasons to knit socks. But Ashley at Craftsy does, and she just might talk you into trying it, especially if your foot is somewhere out of the range of normal.

One thing she mentions that I hadn’t really thought about is, despite all the talk about repairing holes in socks, handmade socks do seem to last longer than the ones you buy in the store. Maybe it’s just because we take better care of them, but I’ve yet to have a hole develop in a pair of handmade socks (though some are certainly starting to show wear) and I’ve throw away tons of socks because they’ve worn out.

If you knit socks, anything you’d add to this list? And if you don’t, are you inspired? Maybe I should do a sock knitting month in February?

[Photo via Craftsy.]

Looking for more knitted socks designs and patterns to keep you warm this winter? Check out these knitted sock patterns Etsy. And these Knitting Pattern books on Amazon.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

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Knit a Great Button Down Shirt

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting. 

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of. 

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams. 

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs. 

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty. 

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this). 

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry. 

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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