Okay, so, I’ve always wanted to try one of those circular sock knitting machines. I mean, who doesn’t want to crank out a pair of socks in like, an hour? I finally took the plunge and got myself one. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I’m here to share my journey so maybe you won’t have to struggle as much as I did.
First off, I got all my stuff together. The machine itself, obviously, some yarn (I went with a nice, soft, worsted weight), scissors, a crochet hook (which will be your new best friend, trust me), some waste yarn, and the instructions that came with the machine. Don’t throw those out, you’ll need them.
Then, I set up the machine. It comes with a clamp so you can attach it to a table. I clamped it to my kitchen table because why not. Make sure it is secure. Next, I spent some time just getting familiar with the machine. I located the yarn feeder, identified the needles and the cylinder, and discovered the handle used for cranking. Getting comfortable with these components made the process much smoother later on.
Casting On
Casting on was the first big hurdle. This is where you get the yarn onto the needles so you can start knitting. After selecting a suitable waste yarn, I started by tying a slip knot and placing it onto the first needle. Holding the yarn taut, I began to slowly crank the machine, ensuring each needle picked up the yarn in sequence. This took a bit of practice to get the tension right.
Then I cranked a few rows using waste yarn. It was a bit tricky because you gotta make sure each needle picks up the yarn as you’re turning the handle. I dropped a few stitches and had to use my crochet hook to pick them back up. It was frustrating, but I took a deep breath and kept going. After a few rounds of this, I was ready to switch to my main sock yarn. I tied it to the waste yarn and kept cranking. Once I saw my main color coming through, I carefully cut the waste yarn, leaving a small tail.
Knitting the Leg
With the main yarn on, I started knitting the leg of the sock. I just kept cranking, watching the stitches form. I decided to make a longer sock, so I went for about 80 rows. It’s kinda hypnotic watching it go. I had to stop a few times to untangle the yarn, but other than that, it was smooth sailing.
Turning the Heel
The heel was the part I was most nervous about. This is where you shape the back of the sock. I followed the instructions, lifting certain needles out of work at specific intervals. This creates a sort of short-row situation. It was a bit confusing, but I just took it one step at a time. I used stitch markers to keep track of where I was. Slowly but surely, the heel started to take shape. Once I finished the first half of the heel, I had to reverse the process, gradually bringing those needles back into work.
Knitting the Foot
After the heel was done, I was back to just cranking. This was the foot part of the sock. I did another 70 rows for the foot, but you can adjust this based on your foot size. This is the easy part, just cranking until you have the right length.
Creating the Toe
The toe is similar to the heel, but shorter. I started decreasing by taking needles out of work again, just like with the heel. It’s basically the same process, just fewer rows. I cranked until I had only a few needles left in work.
Casting Off
Finally, I cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Then I carefully took the stitches off the needles using the crochet hook, threading the tail through each loop. This is basically like binding off on regular knitting needles. Once all the stitches were off, I pulled the tail tight to close up the toe.
Finishing Up
With the sock off the machine, I just had to weave in the ends and block it. I used a tapestry needle to weave in the yarn tails, making sure everything was secure. Then I soaked the sock in some warm water and laid it flat to dry. And that’s it! One sock done! Then I just had to repeat the whole process for the second sock.
It took a while, but I finally finished my first pair of machine-knitted socks! They’re not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of them. If you’re thinking about getting a circular sock knitting machine, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of a learning process. But once you get the hang of it, it’s so much fun.
