Permaculture in Action

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Yarn Along

This is the first Yarn Along with Ginny I've participated in for ages. But I do love to knit and read and I have been a bit excited by my first sock.

So, the sock was started while on the train to Sydney a few weeks ago...



While I knitted Mark read. We bought the book quickly before jumping on the train and didn't realise that it was a children's book, . Mark read it anyway and said that he would really enjoy reading it to a 10 year old.




Any way, back to my sock. It was going really well until I got to the heal. I made some massive mistake, lost my cool and unpicked it all and started again....

And here's the sock....


Even though I am excited about the fact that I've completed my very first sock ( seems like such a milestone)
I'm not entirely happy with the result due to the laddering effect between the needles....




Has anyone got any hints for stopping this from happening. I would be ever so grateful.

31 comments:

  1. Ohh, loving The Sock! Pretty colours. Not sure about the laddering..I've only made a few pairs and used circular needles..maybe this could help eliminate the looseness?

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  2. great sock, hope someone has some answers re the ladder because it annoys me too.

    cheers Kate

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  3. I would agree with Christine and suggest that circular needles would fix the problem. But then, to me that feels like cheating! (I do like to do things the hard way!)

    Check Amanda Brooke's blog http://amandabrooke.typepad.com/amanda_brooke/2012/03/making-socks.html

    She just learned a trick about how to do it from her mother recently!

    I'll have to start the ones you gave me for Christmas, if I can stop making presents for everyone else!

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  4. I don't have any hints...but your sock is beautiful ~ really..and I don't think ANYONE would EVER notice that! However, I would be the same way and want it perfect! I have ripped so many things out for mistakes that NOONE but me can see! Happy knitting on the next sock!

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  5. Thanks ladies for your advice and encouragement. I will keep trying.

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  6. hi kate, congratulations on your first sock! it looks terrific and the colors are really pretty too. one way to prevent laddering you might try using wood or bamboo dpn's, there will be less slipping. also, tightening up the first and second stitches as you go round will help a lot too. you could try the magic loop method as well. good luck on the second one!

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    1. Thanks Lori ann I'll have to get myself some wooden needles and look up what the magic loop method is. So much to learn

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  7. Love your sock(s)!! I've yet to learn how to knit them myself, but it's on my list :)
    -Jaime

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  8. Congratulations Kate on your first sock!
    What I do to prevent laddering is pull just a little tighter when I start a new dpn and that seems to help.
    Have you started your second sock yet? I love the colors of your sock, what yarn are you using?
    I hope you have a happy yarn along day!

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    1. Thanks Tracey, I have tried pulling a little tighter but still leaves a little ladder, but I will try harder, and maybe the wooden needles like Lori suggests might help.

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    2. Sorry Tracey forgot to tell you that the yarn is a sock yarn I bought at Spotlight Moda Vera Noir with a sock pattern on the back.

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  9. OOOH OOOH!!! I have knitted those socks for my daughter! How funny - I have been meaning to blog about all the trouble I have had learning to knit a sock and was thinking I would finally get around to posting it this week. And then I check my favourite blogs and ......... my sock!!! (But so much neater!)

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    1. Oh isn't that funny that we both have the same socks.Do you have the problem with the laddering?

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  10. The sock looks great - yay for first socks! Tightening the first and second stitches on the next DPN is a good way to reduce laddering, or trying magic loop (it's easier than it looks!)

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  11. Yay! Great job on the first sock. It looks great. I still have problems with laddering at times...I've found that bamboo needles helps A TON and also pulling the first 2 stitches extra tight on each needles helps a lot too.

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  12. I think your sock looks great! I've been known to read children's books from time to time, and yes, even YA books (Ok, I'll admit to loving those). The only suggestion I have is the same as other, make sure and tighten your stitches as you change needles, or try magic loop. I've also been told after washing the ladders might minimize!

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  13. Your sock looks GREAT!!! Sure, tightening on the first stitch of the needle does help with the ladders, but after you wash them a few times, the ladders really will seem to disappear. You've been looking at those socks so closely for so long, you're really seeing all the itty bitty anomalies; honestly, after you wear them and wash them--they'll be perfect.

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  14. Love the colours, they look great! No advice though, I have never knitted socks. I'm a little afraid, but it is on my to do list.

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  15. I always knit the first and last stitches extra tight on sock needles. That's the only way I have heard to stop the laddering, but I am also a huge fan of circulars ;)
    You can also try blocking it a little and see if that helps ;)
    it looks great though!

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  16. yay socks! Socks are what pulled me into knitting in the first place.

    As for laddering, I always twirl my left-hand needle away from me after the first new stitch on that needle. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's how I tighten the stitch, and it seems to work really well - stopped my laddering issues, anyway.

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  17. Holy Horse! I have a pair of socks I knit for myself that look exactly like that.

    As far as the laddering goes...

    When I'm starting a new round, I knit the stitch and then tug on the yarn to tighten that stitch up. It seems to get rid of the ladders.

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  18. Your sock looks fabulous. I am not a good enough knitter to have any useful advice about laddering but I don't think that anyone else will notice them.

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  19. Thanks everyone on you advice. It seems I just need to tighten tighter and hope it all comes out in the wash! Love it.

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  20. Lovely socks! As for the laddering if you knit too tight or too loose you get them. It's walking a fine line to avoid them. Sometimes not thinking about it seems to get rid of them for me. I say knit more and more socks :)

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  21. I wish I could help you with the laddering, but honestly, this is the first time I've seen it. I have always knit with bamboo needles so maybe there is something to be said for them. The sock is lovely either way, you did a great job!

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  22. What ever you do wear and washing tends to even it out. I don't pull too tight in between needles. I do knit the first two stitches of the next needle on to the last, so that the transition from one needle to the next does not always happen between the same stitches. You don't get such an obvious ladder effect. It gives a bit of a spiral pattern, but not so obvious and wear soon stretches it out. Hope that makes sense.

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  23. Great to see your socks Kate and you have some really great tips here. Goodluck trying my mums tip and yes, try tightening tighter! I don't have any laddering as yet...so I am hopeful!

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  24. The sock looks great! It's inspiring me to try my first pair.

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  25. I was going to say tightening up the 'corner's when you go from needle to needle as well. I've had a few ladders. My earliest pair of socks? I actually added yarn in afterwards to hide the big hole. No one knew but me - but then again, my pants always covered the socks anyway.

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  26. LOVE your socks!! I so want to try knitting my first pair, one day soon...

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