Sock world

It had been my intention to complete a pair of hand knitted socks this year. And it may still happen, being that this is only January. I've started socks a total of two times, cuff down with DPNs and toe up with magic loop. Both have been frogged before completion for various reasons.

Last week I received in the mail two beautiful hanks of yarn from Maia of Tactile Fiber Arts, lovely Sierra Sock yarn in Nutmeg and Conch.

Though one doesn't have to knit socks with sock yarn, that is exactly what I've decided to do with at least one skein. And since the yarn is so pretty and machine knitting is really my first language, I've decided to machine knit them. One problem: I've never knitted a pair of socks on a machine either!

Like their hand knitting counterparts, there exist machine knitters obsessed with socks. They knit them on sock machines and flat machines, single and double bed. I've discovered a massively multi-paged thread on Ravelry devoted to machine knitting socks. There's even a basic pattern in the Passap manual. How I've never machknitted a pair is shocking. So inspired by hand knitting designer makeone's explorations into sock construction and design, (She's knitting her first pair too.) I shall venture forth into the world of sock knitting -- on the Passap DM-80. I shall practice various techniques with stash until I am secure enough to knit the Sierra. You're welcome to join me or just think of machine knitting socks as a spectator sport. Perhaps along the way I'll even come up with a cool original pattern.