Knit On Straight

There is a student in my knitting class that just can't seem to get the hang of using double pointed needles to make socks.  For her, they are awkward, she constantly drops stitches and the instructions for making socks are gibberish to her.

One day I was cruising Amazon and came across a book that was soon to be released called Knit Your Socks on Straight by Alice Curtis.  I pre-ordered the book and a pair of Addi Turbo sock rockets and waited.  Curiously, my sock rockets did not have a blue cord ... I wonder why.

When the book arrived I got started right away with some Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering generously donated to me by Tracey.  I started with what looks like a basic sock.  Here's the thing, I make myself lots of socks and I always use US #1 needles and 64 stitches, gauge be danged.  Somehow that formula works on all the socks I make for myself and they always fit.

The Addi Sock Rockets are amazing!  They have very pointy tips and I was whipping along at lightning speed.  The one sock took me two days to make.  Amazing!

Here's the cuff:

The leg and heel flap:

The turned heel, which was a little tricky with a circular needle:

The foot and start of the star toe:

After the toe, the knitting is done and the only thing left to do is sew up the seam.  Pin it first, lining up the side stitches evenly (very important!):

Then grab the crochet hook and get to "sewing" up the seam.  Easy peasy.  And you get this:

A sock with a seam on one side.  The instructions I followed were for the left foot, so the seam will appear on the left side (or outside) of the leg.  In my experience, socks fit either foot, so you can wear the seam wherever you want it.

Well, the sock does not fit me, it's too small.  I can blame it on the sock rockets, or my failure to check gauge on said sock rockets.  It doesn't matter, I just wanted to make the sock and see how easy (or not) it would be to make socks flat.

I, personally, liked making the socks flat.  The instructions were very easy to follow, I don't mind the seam, and there are other socks patterns in the book which hide the seam if you don't like how it looks.  Overall, I'd recommend this book for anyone who absolutely won't work with DPNs.

As for that student that doesn't like working with DPNs, I think I can convince her to give this pattern a try.  I think, with a lot of support, she will finally get a pair of socks that she'll be able to wear.  I have high hopes for her success.

In the meantime, I'll have to order a second set of sock rockets in a larger size or forever admit that with this book and my US #1s, I have to make my socks in the men's large size.  Yikes!