I’m So Basic Socks
Sock knitting was, for a long time, one of those knitting trends that did not really appeal to me. Sure, there are some cute socks out there, but don’t they always get covered up with your shoes? Do people even get to see them? Plus, I’m a Florida girl! The flip flop life is kind of my jam. But then I started wishing for a small project I could take with me on the go. Something I could try out new stitches and techniques with, but I wouldn’t have to wait months to see the finished result. Something fun that would hold my attention, but I could also zen out to if need be. And then, as if the Ravelry and IG gods knew it was what I needed, I started getting bombarded with sock porn. SO MANY CUTE PATTERNS!!!! Before I knew it, I was imagining bright summery socks with my sparkle sneakers at Disney, cozy tropical socks for our 50 degree winter days, FLAMINGO SOCKS and so much more! I had definitely caught the sock bug. But, as a sock newb, I wasn’t really sure where to start.
One of my besties, Abbi of GoliathFrogCrafts who is an avid sock knitter (and my personal sock and smut book guru) suggested trying out one of Summer Lee’s sock patterns. That got me really excited because I remembered that Summer Lee taught a masterclass on sock making for Knit Stars and and as a season pass holder and member of the yarniverse, I’d be able to access it! Her videos are AWESOME and really give you a wonderful understanding of sock construction and techniques. The masterclass also came with her I’m So Basic Socks pattern and that’s what I decided to make for myself.
*Full disclosure, I do consider myself a sock making newbie, but I have actually made 3 socks prior to the I’m So Basic Socks. Not 3 pairs, mind you. But 3 socks. Yea, second sock syndrome is REAL and you should ALWAYS cast on that second sock as soon as you finish the first! But having made those 3 socks several years ago and never having made myself a pair of socks, I was still figuring things out as I went. *
Casting On
I cast on the I’m So Basic Socks right before my own filming weekend with Knit Stars. I thought it would be cute to work on a past Knit Stars season project for B roll footage while filming my own (I was right ;) ). The yarn I went with is my favorite all time colorway, Oogie Boogie (on Sunfish base) and the contrast color is Looking For Seaglass (also on Sunfish base) both by the Little Wolf Knits. I’d like to tell you that I finished these babies super quickly, especially considering these were shortie socks, buuuuuut nope. I think I got through the cuff during the Knit Stars filming in June, and then I put them down and didn’t pick them up for a few weeks.
It took me about 2 months all in all to finish these socks. They weren’t difficult and they weren’t time consuming. I just had other projects that took priority and July was a bit of a shit show for me mental health wise. These socks did, however, prove to me that sock knitting is PERFECT for taking out and about! I WIPped on these socks at the beach, at the pool, while kayaking with manatees (click here to check out my favorite manatee spot near Orlando!), at the bars, and at coffee shops while listening to spicy audiobooks ;) Socks really are the perfect travel WIP!
Now let’s get into some notes and details:
Needles -I do NOT do DPNs or 9” circulars. I know this from sleeve and plushie knitting. I love me some magic loop and so I used 40” US 0 (2.0mm) needles.
Yarn - The Little Wolf Knits Oogie Boogie and Looking For Seaglass on Sunfish base
Size Made - I made the size large
Yardage - Approximately 250 yards (totally forgot to weigh my yarn beforehand so I don’t know how many yards of each color).
My Thoughts- This really is an excellent first sock pattern. Summer does a great job explaining things and providing step-by-step details. She even provides links AND detailed photos for each step. As a new sock knitter, but not a new knitter in general, I thought that was a really awesome touch, but I can’t comment on the links because I already knew many of the new techniques and didn’t check them out. I will say one thing that was challenging for me, and I’ve heard this from a lot of other people, is that it wasn’t possible for me to meet Summer’s gauge. She states that she uses US 1 needles when making socks, but even dropping down to the smallest needles I own, US 0s, I was several stitches away from gauge. I decided to size down to size Large socks (I actually measured at XL) to compensate. I kind of wish I had sized down to mediums to get socks that are more fitted, but I’m not unhappy with the slightly looser fit of the large. Just keep in mind if you struggle to meet gauge, you might need to size down 1-2 sock sizes if you can.
The part of the sock I was most nervous about, the heel, was a breeze!!!! It’s actually SO easy to make a heel and the heel turn is super freaking cool! Watching the heel turn out really did feel like magic. The part of the sock I did struggle with was the gusset decreases. And it’s totally my fault! On the first sock, I read the pattern incorrectly and put both my decreases around the beginning/end of round. This created kind of a fun design feature on that sock and I don’t hate it so it’s all ok.
Overall, I really enjoyed making these socks. I think my tension for the first sock was much tighter and neater because I had remembered I was off on gauge and consciously worked to knit more tightly than I usually do. I didn’t really work on the second sock until a month or so later and I quite honestly forgot I had done that so I reverted back to my usual tension. The difference was quite noticeable pre-blocking. Thankfully, blocking IS magic and I don’t think it looks noticeable anymore. I’ll definitely be wearing these socks around the house and am hoping to get a cute pair of slide sandals to show off these and the many socks I plan to make in the future. Ya know, instead of my husband’s puma sandals that are about 4 sizes too big for me.
Are you a sock knitter??? If you want to chat socks with me, come chat with me over on IG and make sure you’re signed up for my email list because there may be some exciting and ….. spooky….sock news coming next month!!!
If you’re interested in becoming a sock making wizard, consider signing up for season 7 of Knit Stars to check out Summer Lee’s masterclass or snag her free I’m So Basic Socks pattern here! Or if you want to try out the Knit Stars Yarniverse for only $1 (special limited offer as of August 2023), click here to get all the details!
Thanks so much for reading, y’all!!!
XOXO
