# Sock help



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Can someone help me with creating a pattern?

I have a 28 year old developmentally disabled daughter- she is about 7 mentally, so loves the colors, pinks and such little girls like. Problem is she wears a mens size 12 extra wide shoe (and sock- large instep), so girly socks are hard to find. (she also will only wear denim skirts and wont shave her legs- I need to make her some pretty socks! :teehee

I am not a good enough knitter to come up with my own pattern, if someone could either point me in the right direction for an easy way to adjust patterns, or a simple large mans sock, that would be great. I have some mauve/pink yarn spinning up now for 1st go- 

I would rather add the visual interest with colorful yarn, rather that stitches at this point, until I find a good pattern that she will wear.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I haven't made this style myself, but it's traditional for hard to fit feet/calves and they can be pulled on any which way; that also helps distribute the wear so they last longer.

Here's a few I found on the web, but I've seen them in books too.
http://www.woolworks.org/sockheels.html#spiral
http://www.helium.com/items/706250-fun-knit-sock-patterns
and here's a $5 pattern on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Toe-UP-Spiral-Rib-Tube-Sock-knitting-pattern-/310266342462


----------



## PollySC (Jan 17, 2006)

I wonder if she'd wear leggings over purchased socks. They'd add the style you're looking for while you're looking for patterns. And, a simple ribbed tube would be easy to fit and quick to stitch, and won't wear out as quickly as socks. Just a thought. I have several more pairs of men's socks to make for my husband (size 12, wide) by the time the weather cools down, so I'm aware of how many stitches are in socks that size!

ETA: I just remembered, I purchased "diabetic" socks (soft, and the cuffs stay up) for my elderly mother and crocheted feminine trim around the top so they didn't look like men's socks. You could, likewise, embroider pink flowers or hearts or decorate them with purchased trims. They're very comfortable and wear well.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

It seems to me that the Spiral Tube socks might be the ticket you are looking for. They don't have a heel or instep so it wouldn't matter how she put them on. You could make them into Knee socks if you wanted to and you could use any color you wanted. I've never made them but I'm told it is an easy pattern. Here is the search on Ravelry for spiral tube socks http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sea...ks&page=1&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=bestAlso Ravelry here is the link to a search for mens socks lots to pick from http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sea...bility=free&fit=adult+male&sort=best&pc=socks

How about leggings? She could wear commercial socks and put leggings over them. Here is what I found on a search for leggings from easy to medium in difficulty range http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sea...query=leggings&difficulties=1|2|3|4&sort=best


----------



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks for the patterns- the spiral tube socks might work. The one I am looking at says it is more of a recipe than a pattern, so sounds flexible. That is a great idea on the diabetic socks- to add your own feminine touches. Leggings are not going to work here- even when it is well below zero- it is ankle socks and skirts- something about any constraining fabric on her legs.


----------



## Sanibean (Apr 8, 2010)

Also over at Raverly is A Sock For Any Foot, a free download. Fitting from small children to adult male size 15.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I didn't look to ravelry, they probably have the best patterns. I went to my Mary Thomas's Knitting Book, she sez:
"A stocking knitted in this manner is adjusted on the foot by twisting it round until the ribbing appears straight. The heel then takes it's position with comfort, and the instep is smooth and smart. Bed-socks made in this manner remain in position all night. Note: Spiral Ribbing was often used by the old-fashioned folk when knitting jerseys for corpulant figures, as the fabric can be adjusted over the figure with a slick line. The knitting would be round, and often done on eight needles."

Here's her pattern (top down)
"Cast on a multiple of 6, according to size and needles. Rib for 12 rounds in K2, P2. This is ordinary ribbing.
Row 13: Change and rib for 6 rounds in K3, P3. From here the ribbing moves one stitch to the right every rounds (that means start the new round with P1, then proceed in K3, P3 for 6 rounds) Decrease for toe in the usual way."


RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> I haven't made this style myself, but it's traditional for hard to fit feet/calves and they can be pulled on any which way; that also helps distribute the wear so they last longer.
> 
> Here's a few I found on the web, but I've seen them in books too.
> http://www.woolworks.org/sockheels.html#spiral
> ...


----------



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks, RD, that is pretty simple, and worth the try. We used to live in Mariposa, with red dirt- sure miss the Manzaneta and Live Oaks- but not the rattlers!


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Got intrigued with the spiral rib thing, saw some bamboo/wool worsted on the store shelf and off I went - of course, willy nilly, cast of 84 stitches on a #4 cable and after a while I could see it was just way too big. So I went down a needle size, and another, then my yarn ball started to look pretty mingy, so I decreased at the end of each rib and went on with a 2 stich/4 row spiral rib - it still spirals! Still not sure what will happen when I decrease for the toe, maybe a hex spiral in stockinette? I think I'm a sock convert...bed socks, anyway.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

How does the fabric feel? I would think a worsted on a size #3 would feel a bit stiff or harsh.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

You're right, it did start to get a bit stiff, especially when I went down to a #2 needle - - I put the whole thing aside and started again (bought more yarn) with 72 sts on a #4, think I'll just stay with the 3/3 over 6 rounds spiral rib and go for the tradition. The 2/2 over 4 rounds did look nice though.
This is odd yarn, something I picked up in a general store - Red Heart Eco-Ways Bamboo Wool (55/45) worsted medium at $4 for 87 yards - it's really soft, but kinda cheesy. The twist tightens in the working too. I want them to fit my foot like a loose sack


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Is that a single ply yarn? I love that color, one of my favorites. Have you tried it on yet?


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

6 ply - the color is 3650 DILL - I thought it looked nice & grassy; I tend to choose violet & aqua shades so it was branching out for me! I sorta tried it on (with the needles in, I'm so lazy) - the top is big enough for a kid's hat, the bottom fit but the ribs went flat - not my goal for a puffy bed sock. A nice fit for a regular shoe sock though.

The yarn label also shows "Great for Felting!" and hand wash cold, so I bet it's a real shrinker. Made me wonder if the kind of yarn you see from these companies didn't put the squash to new knitters without access to the good stuff. I didn't find it easy to use, and for the yardage, not so cheap either. It is very soft though, and has a sheen to it, the bamboo content was irresistable.

Went snooping into redheart.com and found another yarn that looks identical, more colors, only around half the cost! http://www.redheart.com/yarn/bamboo-ewe - It's got a Debbie Stoller (Stitch 'n ***** dame) label - go figure...


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You might want to check out Lion Brand yarns too, they have some interesting stuff and it doesn't seem too expensive. They sell it at JoAnn's here and there are usually coupons you can use to make it even less expensive.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I've seen some interesting yarns from Lion too. For me, the best source is Artfibers.com - they keep the same stuff going a long time and the colors are more like pure jewel tones, and they repeat in the different yarns. For the quality and content, I think they're a great deal. The have a new tool on the website: http://artfibers.com/prices.php - all their yarns in a chart with cost per yard (dyed or undyed), and give costs and number of yards per square foot of fabric based on listed needle sizes. There's a nice discription/discussion for each yarn too, with a project estimator.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Here's my homely little bed sock - did a hex decrease for the toe so it'll pull on any which way.


----------



## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I love it! How did you learn to do that?


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Got the stitch pattern from Mary Thomas's Knitting Book (1938) for the sock part and used a hexagon decrease I learned in making hats for the toe. It was easy peasy.
Discovered Mary Thomas when I found a first edition of her 1934 Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches in a Jesuit thrift store. Fascinating woman, Dover reprints her works in paperback. In both knitting and embroidery, she was the first to gather up as she says it "the whole story" - history and techniques and put them together. In 1943 she wrote Book of Knitting Patterns. She gets no credit, I think she's the designer's little secret. The embroidery book was re-done in 1997 with big color photos, but I like her original works, she uses the sweetest art deco caricatures you ever saw, by Miss Margaret Agutter, and the illustrations are better than any photo.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

That looks really nice RDCG!! How does it fit? Is it the bed sock you thought it would be?

I have to edit this. I did not realize this was RDCG's first sock. You really did a great job RDCG!! Now get started on that second sock


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Did someone just finish their FIRST sock? Yay! 
Pretty stitch pattern too. 

Dont let SSS (second sock syndrome) get you. One must cast the 2nd sock on immediately.


----------



## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Got the stitch pattern from Mary Thomas's Knitting Book (1938) for the sock part and used a hexagon decrease I learned in making hats for the toe. It was easy peasy.
> Discovered Mary Thomas when I found a first edition of her 1934 Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches in a Jesuit thrift store. Fascinating woman, Dover reprints her works in paperback. In both knitting and embroidery, she was the first to gather up as she says it "the whole story" - history and techniques and put them together. In 1943 she wrote Book of Knitting Patterns. She gets no credit, I think she's the designer's little secret. The embroidery book was re-done in 1997 with big color photos, but I like her original works, she uses the sweetest art deco caricatures you ever saw, by Miss Margaret Agutter, and the illustrations are better than any photo.


I'm going to see if I can find this book. Mabey it will help me learn. Way to go on your first sock!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Dreamy, there are also a lot of good sock knitting tutorials and patterns on-line.

This is a good place to start. http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Did someone just finish their FIRST sock? Yay! Pretty stitch pattern too. Dont let SSS (second sock syndrome) get you. One must cast the 2nd sock on immediately.


SSS is me - since it won't be cold enough to need bed socks for a while I already started noodling around cotton pixie slippers. (Got bug bit hard at the general store's yarn shelf!) Started with I-cords and overlapped the two triagles for the cuff, now I'm trying to work out how to make the bottom. Planned to use a "peasant heel" or as EZ calls it, "afterthought", now I'm studying fabric shaping.
Can't say enough about the wonderfulness of Mary Thomas' Knitting Book and Book of Knitting Patterns - so cheap too. I think they're a must-have for any knitter: http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=thomas%2C+mary&title=Mary+Thomas%27s+Knitting+Book&lang=en&submit=Search&new_used=*&destination=us&currency=USD&binding=*&isbn=&keywords=&minprice=&maxprice=&mode=advanced&st=sr&ac=qr


----------



## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Dreamy, there are also a lot of good sock knitting tutorials and patterns on-line.
> 
> This is a good place to start. http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm


Thanks for the link. You all are always so inspiring!

RedDirt Cowgirl thanks for the link also boy that is cheap! I'm going to have to get it now.


----------

