Okay, so I finally bit the bullet and got myself a new circular sock knitting machine. Always wanted one, you know?
It arrived last week, and honestly, unpacking it was half the battle. So many little pieces! I took photos of everything as I unboxed it – seriously, photos are your friend here. Laid everything out on a big table, kinda like a surgeon prepping for an operation. Instructions were… well, let’s just say they could be better. Thank goodness for YouTube! Found a few videos of people setting up similar machines, and that helped a ton.
First thing was getting the cylinder on. That took a few tries. You gotta line up the little notches just right, or it won’t sit flush. Then came the yarn feeder. That thing is fiddly! The yarn kept slipping out, and I was ready to throw the whole machine out the window. But, deep breaths. I adjusted the tension a bit, and after about an hour of messing around, I finally got it feeding smoothly.
Next up, the ribber. This is what makes the stretchy ribbing at the top of the sock. Now, this was a whole new level of complicated. There are all these little needles that have to be timed perfectly with the main cylinder needles. I spent a good two hours just trying to get the ribber to catch the yarn properly. I watched a video where the lady said to count each needle by hand and make sure they are aligned, I almost skipped this step, but boy am I glad I didn’t. Once I got that sorted, it was actually kinda mesmerizing to watch the ribbing form.
Crank, crank, crank… that’s all you hear for the next little while. It felt weirdly meditative. It’s important to maintain constant, gentle pressure. Too much pressure, and you’ll break needles. Too little, and the stitches get loose. I broke my first needle within 20 minutes. It really sucks. But, hey! It’s part of the learning curve.
After the ribbing, it’s time for the leg of the sock. This is where you can get creative with colors and patterns. I decided to keep it simple for my first sock and just used a solid color. I cranked away for what felt like forever, until the leg was long enough.
Then comes the heel. Oh, the heel. This is where things get tricky again. You have to switch to a different type of knitting, called short-row knitting. It’s basically knitting back and forth on only a portion of the needles, which creates the curve of the heel. This took me a few tries to get right. The first heel looked… wonky. The second one was better, but still not perfect. But on the third try, BOOM! A reasonably shaped heel. It was at this moment I knew this was going to be a good hobby.
After the heel, it’s back to cranking out the foot. Again, just a solid color for simplicity. I cranked until the foot was long enough, then it was time for the toe.
The toe is basically the same as the heel, just in reverse. More short-row knitting. More frustration. But, eventually, I got it done. The toe wasn’t as pretty as I’d like, but hey, it was my first sock!
Now, for the final step: taking the sock off the machine. This is where you have to be super careful not to drop any stitches. I used a special tool to transfer the stitches onto waste yarn, then carefully cut the sock off the machine.
Then comes Kitchener stitch to graft the toe! And…voila! A slightly lumpy, but completely wearable sock. I paired it with some sandals and I wore it to the grocery store. I felt super proud of it. It took me a full day to make it, but it was so worth it. Already planning my next pair. This circular sock knitting thing is addictive!
