Anyone doing 2-at-a-time socks?

**cab54** · 06-18-2008, 10:56 PM

I have been hobbling along doing socks on dp needles, and was in a yarn shop recently and saw women doing socks (1 sock at a time) on
two 16" flexible circular needles. Hmm, I says to meself, how behind am I?

So I go to get some circulars to try out for socks and the woman say NOOOO, you haven't heard of 2-at-a-time sock making? Huh? Well, of course, I haven't, I'm always 10 years behind the times......

So she shows me Melissa Morgan-Oakes' book "2-at-a-time socks. You take a long (40") circular needle--just one needle and you can make both socks at the same time! Avoid that 'second sock to make' syndrome. LOL!

So, I am knittin' like a crazy person on my present project so that I get done and can start learnin' myself out of this book, how to do it! The woman in the shop showed me, but her fingers were moving like greased lightening, so I bought the book to 'remember'. I knew I never would--I'd go home and my middle aged brain would go BOOP! and it would be gone. I got the jist of the idea though when she showed me. Supposedly you can put the stitches of any sock pattern on this longcircular and work them.

I can't wait to get done with this dad-blamed baby blanket (my youngest bro is having a baby--well his wife is, LOL. ) so I can get started practicing 2 at a time socks!!

**knitnmom** · 06-19-2008, 12:55 AM

Oh- I saw that book too!! If I could manage to make two at a time, I would make more! Getting that second sock done is just a pain. It's on my wishlist for sure!

Let us know how that all works out for you!!

**earthymom** · 06-19-2008, 05:20 AM

I've heard of it. Let me know how it goes, what you like and don't like about the technique.
I tend to use circular needles for absolutely everything -- even scarves and such.
Anyway, I think the main reason I don't make socks anymore is because of the "2nd" sock syndrome.

**cab54** · 06-19-2008, 08:56 AM

I know--I got out to the car and thought, I can't believe I bought another book! $16.95 down the pooper. But, as I look through her first few pages of instruction on the technique, I'm thinking hmmm, I could do this! Now watch, I'll be sitting there with a tangle-wad of yarn and long needle cable that I'm cursing at! LOL!

knitnmom, I NEVER want to do the second sock! I always want to just sit there and marvel at the first one, and 'wish' it to become two. LOL!

earthymom---I use circulars for everything also, I don't even know why I hang on to my straight needles. I DID hang on to dp's though for socks.

I have about 7-8 inches on this baby blanket and then I can experiment.

**Lady_V** · 06-19-2008, 09:55 AM

Oh, do tell us how it works out. I am not good at circular, I am however, getting better with dpn's.

I think any method that can get 2 socks done is worth looking in to... but I need to know if they really come out as good and as easy as the book says.

I have one sock... ONE... because I can't remember how I did it so I can make a mate

**cab54** · 06-19-2008, 12:48 PM

LadyV--LOL! I did that, I got done with my first sock and was so mentally and emotional exhausted from the effort, I set it down and had to learn over again a couple of years later when I found the bag the sock was in.

I have been knitting since I was 9 yrs. old, but only attempted socks about 4-5 years ago. I was chicken.

It gets easier though.

**YankeeMom** · 06-19-2008, 03:32 PM

I did it once. For dd's Knee Socks. One to say I did it and two because I knew with those knee socks (in addition to her size 10 foot) that I would NEVER want to do the second one if I did them one at a time.

I did them on one 32" circ. I didn't like the 40" ones...too much cable. I didn't enjoy the process much. That could be partly because they were such big socks and partly because I was striping them by hand (couldn't find self striping in the right colors - Harry Potter/Slytherin House colors

). Plus I had to redo the cuff (I did them toe up) a couple times because my bind off was too tight.

I think if I did two at once again, I would do them cuff down. These I did toe up just in case I ran out of yarn I could just stop where I was and bind off. Can't do that when you're two inches from grafting the toe

**cab54** · 06-19-2008, 04:50 PM

YankeeMom you've so much experience!

I took about 10 years off from knitting to do more quilting and sewing, and just got back into it a few years ago. The main stuff you know like riding a bike, but there are some things I'm STILL catching up on. Socks are still something I approach with less confidence, because I just learned a few years back.

I'm thinking that the BEST way to do this would have been if I'd done a few socks the 2-shorter-circular-one at a time way. THEN attempt the long 1 circular. See, now that makes me mad--she insisted that it WOULDN'T WORK unless you used a 40" ! I was thinking at the time, oh c'mon---how many feet of cable DO you need to make two socks?

YankeeMom --what is your main way to knit socks? Do you do the 2 shorter circulars, or the dp needles?

**Its_Donna** · 06-19-2008, 04:54 PM

I'm still knittin' away on my dpn's. Haven't ventured into that long cabled world yet.

**cab54** · 06-19-2008, 05:03 PM

Donna, I still think dp's are the best way to learn. Most pattern instructions go needle-by-needle anyway. Keeps you on track a bit more. You don't need to place markers.

I'm very leary of this one-circular thing.

We'll see!

**YankeeMom** · 06-20-2008, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by cab54

YankeeMom --what is your main way to knit socks? Do you do the 2 shorter circulars, or the dp needles?

I almost always do "magic loop". Which is one long needle for one sock. I have half of the stitches in front & half in the back. I have a lot less "laddering" when I use magic loop. Plus my hands cramp a lot when I use dpns.

I don't do the 2 circ method...again, too much cable in the way.

**YankeeMom** · 06-20-2008, 04:06 PM

By the way, this is the tutorial I used to do the one circular (aka Magic Loop) method:
http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/mloop.html

**cab54** · 06-20-2008, 04:51 PM

Yeah, the women in that shop were showing me the one sock or two sock and calling it the 'magic loop'. Your way (that loop way for one sock) sounds much better than the long cables in the way.

Plus, I was trying to imagine doing this in the car (it is 6-1/2 hrs to our cabin and back and I do a lot of car-knitting) and I think you'd need to be on a table or ledge almost.....to do the two sock thing.

I haven't tried it yet. I'm a-scared. Plus I wanted to get in a run (it has been raining so much and today was glorious!) and some cleaning.

Thanks for the insight into this loop thing and the link!