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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 Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]