Last December I finally sat down and taught myself to knit, with one major goal in sight: to make my own socks. And it happened!

knit navy socks, made by Julianne

I started these socks in May, and finished them in August! But I only worked on them when I was waiting for something else, like at the post office, or on a road trip, or babysitting.

knit navy socks, made by Julianne

I used a vintage Bernat 50/50 wool/nylon blend, and made them up on my #2 Addi Sock Rockets (which I love, duh). I followed Liat Gatt’s tutorial for toe-up socks on magic loop, which was very easy to follow. Although the process took forever and I made a few mistakes, at no point did I actually feel discouraged.

knit navy socks, made by Julianne knit navy socks, made by Julianne

For some reason I started these out on #6 needles, and although the size was fit, there were way too many holes and gaps in the fabric. Duh, right? knit navy socks, made by Julianne

knit navy socks, made by Julianne

The m1r and m1l increases were certainly a pain in the butt, so next I’m exploring other techniques of adding stitches. I’ve enjoyed kfb before, but I’m also intrigued by this method of working yo without a hole.

knit navy socks, made by Julianne

The first time I wore these socks was to watch the man burn at Burning Man. It seemed like an appropriate place to realize such a persistent goal, and my toes were toasty! I’ve actually already finished my second pair, which I will post in a week or so.