“Why two socks at once? Well, why not? Think about it, Two socks started and finished at the same time. They’re still portable, still fun, but no ‘second-sock syndrome’. For those who don’t know about this knitting curse, it’s what happens when a knitter completes the first sock and thinks, ‘Oh, no. Now I have to make another one…’ Often times the finished sock and the yarn for it’s ne’er-to-be-knit pal get stuffed in a bag, never again to see the light of day. I’ve been whipping out socks two at a time for a few years now. And trust me, the rewards are great. All my socks are the same length. When I’m done with one sock, I am done with both. This might not be the method for everyone, but I think it’s an excellent one for most people. Although never confronted with second-sock syndrome myself, I have seen its cruel effects on many a knitter; those victims deserve this technique. ” — 2-at-a-time Socks, by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Knitting both socks at once is a trick that has always amazed me. It’s one of those techniques that I wish I knew how to manage, and after a trip to the book store, I decided now was the time. Today, however, is not the day. The weather down my way has sudden flipped into frigid winter, and my winter coat is not quite finished. Progress has certainly been made, but I’ve been reduced to wearing my really heavy coat where I would normally wear a lighter one (I put a lot of thought into categorizing winter clothing, apparently) and I look and feel like a puffy marshmallow waddling down the sidewalk. Having said that, a time will come (hopefully soon) where I will be back to knitting socks, and I’m going to knit both at once!
I’ve bought more than a few sets of long (Melissa suggests 40-inch cables) circular needles in the smaller sizes in the hope that it will encourage me to cast on for both socks at once. The technique involves casting on both socks at once on the long circular needle and essentially knitting both socks at a time, row by row. Reading through the first few patterns, the gauge calls for a larger needle than I would normally use, but that might work out easier for my loose gauge. Larger needles usually means fewer stitches per inch, and that should be easier to adjust for when it comes to hitting the gauge correctly. Even better, the patterns all come in multiple sizes, which is very helpful for knitting socks that fit, especially when you have a comfortable stitch gauge that doesn’t quite hit the recommended gauge,, you can chose an already-adapted number of cast-on stitches without having to do the math yourself. That line of reasoning may have made more sense in my head.
There are clever tips and hints in side bars throughout the book, and the instructions are clearly defined with plenty of progress photographs. If you are one of those people who knit for kids, there are cute patterns to chose from, and in plenty of needle sizes and gauges.
Now all I have to do is knock this coat out…