Skill level: Intermediate
Dates: Saturday 16 Nov, 2 – 5:30 pm (1 sessions, 3.5 hours)
Instructor: Mairi McKissock
Cost: $42 + HST

Learn all you need to know to work classic, top-down socks in one afternoon.  We’ll create miniature socks that illustrate all of the essential sock techniques, but are small enough to complete in a single workshop.  Your finished socks can be used as ornaments.

Techniques covered

In this class, you will create a single miniature sock and learn:

• long-tail cast-on technique
• top-down sock architecture
• how to work a heel flap and turn a heel
• how to pick up stitches and work a heel gusset
• how to work a comfortable, no-graft toe
• how to make a twist-cord
• how to quickly join yarn with a ‘magic knot’
• how to measure for fit in a full-size sock
• how to swatch for a full-size sock, and how to avoid swatching

Prerequisites

This class is intended for intermediate knitters. It is suitable for first-time sock knitters with the necessary prerequisite skills.  You should:

• be able to knit in the round with dpns, OR one long circular using the magic loop technique
• be comfortable with knit and purl stitches
• be familiar with left-leaning (ssk or skp) and right-leaning (k2tog) decrease stitches
• be able to identify simple mistakes and problems in your knitting (such as accidental yarn-overs, dropped or incorrectly mounted stitches)

Materials

You will need:

• Scraps of fingering weight yarn (about 10g total).   Short lengths of multiple leftovers can be joined together for fun ‘Frankensocks’.
• Set of 5 double-pointed needles, OR one long circular (for magic loop), size 2.25-2.75mm
• Scissors, darning needle.

Homework

There is no homework required to prepare for this workshop.