So, I’ve been wanting to knit some socks for a while now. I saw this pattern called “Aries Socks” and thought, “Why not give it a try?” I’m not the best knitter, mind you, but I’m always up for a challenge.
First things first, I needed to gather my supplies. I went through my yarn stash – it’s a bit of a mess, to be honest – and found some leftover sock yarn in a nice, deep blue. Perfect! I also dug out my trusty set of double-pointed needles. I’ve used them for other small projects, so I’m somewhat comfortable with them.
Finding and Reading The Pattern.
I printed it out, grabbed a highlighter, and started reading. It seemed pretty straightforward at first, with a ribbed cuff and a simple stockinette stitch for the body of the sock. I highlighted the key parts, like the stitch counts and the row repeats, just to make sure I wouldn’t mess up too badly.
The Knitting Journey.
I cast on the required number of stitches, joined them in the round (always a bit fiddly, I find), and started knitting the ribbing. It took a few tries to get the tension right – I tend to knit a bit tight – but eventually, I got into a rhythm.
Then came the heel flap. This was the part I was most nervous about. I followed the instructions, slipping and knitting stitches as directed, and somehow, it actually started to look like a heel! I was pretty proud of myself at this point.
- Knitting the Heel Flap: I followed the pattern’s instructions to knit the heel flap by alternating between slip 1 stich purlwise with yarn in front, knit 1 stich.
- Turning the Heel: This was a bit tricky,The pattern calls for a series of short rows, each one turning before the end of the previous row.
- Picking Up Stitches: Once the heel turn was complete, I needed to pick up stitches along the edges of the heel flap.
After the heel, it was smooth sailing for a while. Just knitting in the round, round and round, until the sock was long enough. The toe decreases were a bit of a pain, just because it gets so small and fiddly at the end. But I persevered!
Finally, I grafted the toe stitches together using Kitchener stitch, which is always a bit of a brain-bender, but I managed it in the end. And there it was – one finished sock! It wasn’t perfect, a little wonky in places, but definitely wearable.
Of course, then I had to knit the second sock. The dreaded “second sock syndrome” almost got me, but I pushed through, reminding myself how cozy my feet would be. And now I have a pair of handmade socks! They’re not the prettiest socks in the world, but they’re mine, and I made them.
