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Beating Second Sock Syndrome

Beating second sock syndrome: Knitting two socks at a time without magic loop

…without knitting two socks on the same circular.
Listen, any sock knitter will tell you that the second sock is a pain in the ass. I already knit one sock, and now you want me to knit another one?
Pffffffff.
There are some seriously ingenious hacks and tips out there on beating second sock syndrome. Some people knit toe up, two at a time on the same circular! I did it once, but I had to watch the tutorial video a billion times to get it right. You may not know this about me, but my spatial intelligence leaves a lot to be desired.

Beating second sock syndrome with toe up, two at a time and magic loop: solution 1

Here’s the tutorial for the spatially intelligent among you:

 
This tutorial from Very Pink Knits is excellent for those who are all about toe up, two at a time socks on a magic loop.
Here are my qualms about this method:

  1. I suck at it, and can never quite remember the cast on without watching the video a few times, which makes it a bad choice for on the go knitting for me.
  2. Sometimes, I want to knit cuff down, because I’m a perfectionist with a problem, and that problem is toe up socks and the cast off cuff that never looks quite as even as I’d like it to.
  3. I lost my 2.5mm long circulars in the couch last month, and I’m 96.2% sure the couch ate them.

That being said, I also suffer from Second Sock Syndrome. I am an impatient human with a limited attention span, and knitting the same thing twice has never really appealed to me. I went out searching for a solution.

Solution 2: never knit the same sock twice

I know a fabulous woman named Valerie, and she never knits the same sock twice. She knits a whole bunch of mismatched socks, and at Christmas her family gets to draw two random socks out of a paper bag. In a lot of ways, Val is my hero. She’s also a beekeeper, which is possibly the coolest thing ever.
While I tend to wear mismatched socks anyway, this doesn’t help me when I’m designing socks. Magazines, publishing houses, and knitters generally want to see both socks in a photo, right? So I had to find another idea.

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Today's #yarnlovechallenge: repeat! I'm still in love with this snap from the Poke-sock collection (all shades still available in the Etsy shop) from a couple months ago. If you join the newsletter, you can save 10% on all purchases until Monday night. To join visit http://eepurl.com/cMfQeb and fill in the form, you'll get a welcome email with the code. 🙂 all purchases this weekend are entered to win a prize from the new shop update! 🎉🎉 . . . . . . . . . . . #creativehappylife #craftastherapy #handsandhustle #creativityfound #abmcrafty #createmakeshare #calledtobecreative #crochetconcupiscence #makersmovement #slowliving_create #handmadehour #craftsposure #wemakecollective #crochetaddict #crocheteveryday #crochetfun #crochetersofinstagram #i_loveknitting #knittersofinstagram #knittinginspiration #craftholic #projectoftheday #abmcrafty #craftastherapy #igknitters #knitstagram #makersgonnamake #yarnlove #yarnaddict

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(Speaking of socks, there are some Pokemon inspired sock yarns in the GamerCrafting shop!)

Solution 3: knit socks concurrently

Another fabulous human is Claire, a.k.a SquealsOverYarn on Ravelry. She’s in my stitch and bitch group, and she gave me an amazing idea:
She always knits socks concurrently. Knits one toe, then the other. Then the foot for both, the gusset for both, the heel, and so on.
Obviously this means you need two sets of needles, be they DPNs or circulars for magic loop, but I’m always looking for a reason to buy more needles anyway, so this was perfect for me. (I like these bamboo ones, they are good quality and cheap af. This is an affiliate link just so’s ya know.)
Usually I knit that first sock and the second has to wait awhile. But with Claire’s method, I’m already halfway through BOTH socks, and about to turn the heels. I could very well finish the pair in the next couple of days! MAGIC!
Anyway stay tuned for more exiting BOOK news and some awesome kits and gradient sets that are currently on the way. Yaaaaaasssss.
(Looking for the Etsy shop? It’s here. Also if you pin three things and send me the links on your Pinterest, you’ll get free shipping. I’m just sayin’, that’s a sweet deal.)
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Beat second sock syndrome with these 3 tips