So, I saw this cool thing online about making socks with a knitting machine, and I thought, “Why not give it a try?” I mean, how hard could it be, right? I grabbed my circular knitting machine which I bought a long time ago and I never used, some yarn, and a crochet hook – that’s pretty much all I needed.
First, I cast on the yarn onto the machine. It was a little tricky at first, going around each needle, and making sure I didn’t miss any. I had to watch a couple of videos online again to get it right. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t too bad. I just turned the crank, and the machine started doing its thing.
Cranking Out the Tube
I kept cranking and watched as the machine knitted a long tube of fabric. It was actually pretty cool to see it work, like magic! I decided to make my socks ankle-length, so I cranked until the tube was long enough. I think I did about 60 rows for the leg part.
The Heel Thing
This is where it got a little complicated. I had to do something called a “short row heel.” Basically, I knitted back and forth on half of the needles to create a little pouch for the heel. It involved lifting some needles up and then bringing them back down. Honestly, I messed up a few times here and had to unpick my work and redo it, but eventually got it!
Back to the Tube
After the heel was done, I went back to knitting in the round, making the foot part of the sock. I just kept cranking until it was long enough for my foot.
The Toe
The toe was similar to the heel – another short row thing. I knitted back and forth on half the needles again, this time decreasing the number of stitches to close up the toe. It took me several times to redo it, and I have to say, it wasn’t the prettiest toe, but it worked!
Finishing Up
Finally, I cast off the yarn from the machine. It’s a bit like binding off in hand knitting. Then, I used the crochet hook to weave in the loose ends and close up the little hole at the tip of the toe.
And there it was – my first machine-knitted sock! It wasn’t perfect, a little wonky in places, but I made it! I was pretty proud of myself, not gonna lie. I immediately made the second sock, and it was way easier that time around. Now I have a pair of handmade socks, and I can say, “I made these!”
It was a fun experiment, and I definitely learned a lot. If you’re thinking about trying it, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve, and don’t be afraid to mess up and start over. It’s all part of the process. And who knows, you might end up with a whole drawer full of handmade socks like I’m about to!
