Sock Knitting: Cult? Devotion?
Even if one is not a knitter at all, the popularity of sock knitting is evident from just looking at the variety of sock-knitting books available to say nothing of beautiful sock yarns! As mentioned in my post on Laurie Perry's book, "Home is Where the Wine Is," she opined that some knitters have an almost "cult-like devotion" to sock-knitting.
If we are going to compare a kind of knitting "devotion" to religious devotion, I could make this comparison: Sock knitters only become "fanatics" when they insist that socks are the only things to knit (like certain cultists who believe their spiritual bias is the only truth)! In knitting, this can happen not just with the insistence on knitting only a particular item but when some knitters decide "The Continental (or English or Portuguese or whatever) method is the only way to knit!"
Still another viewpoint which sometimes can approach the fanatical is a dogmatic belief that "sock yarn should only be used for socks!" Rubbish! Most sock yarns are a versatile fingering weight and can make up into beautiful -- and durable -- shawls, gloves, even fine-gauge sweaters! However, if a particular knitting devotion is almost "cult-like," fortunately, it seems to be a harmless one. At least I have never heard of mass suicides committed by the People's Temple of Circular Knitting or the Branch Sock Knitters!
So, returning to sock knitting in itself, there are plenty of advantages to making them. Socks have the advantage of being a "portable project" as well as being nice gifts that are relatively quick to make up. If you have been seeing a man for a few months who seems to be nice but you are not quite sure he merits a sweater, socks are a nice "intermediate" gift. If he comes up with a thoughtless line such as, "You went to all this effort and expense when for the price of the wool you could have bought me a dozen pairs at a department store?" then you know he deserves to be dismissed as easily as he dismissed your gift! If he shows the proper appreciation, then he might be worth keeping around for a little while longer!
Another advantage that many knitwear designers have discovered about socks is, being small, socks are the perfect size for trying out different patterns. Not only do you get a sampler, you get a garment as well!
One aspect of sock knitting that some consider a "down-side" is that most of us have TWO feet; therefore, some sock knitters feel let down when it's time to begin the second sock and even delay finishing the pair. This feeling is often called "Second Sock Syndrome." I came across Deborah Robson's quote about knitting both socks at the same time in "A Good Yarn" by Debbie Macomber. Curious about what her method could be, I sought out Ms. Robson on the Internet and found her. She graciously and promptly replied that she would have two sets of needles and two balls of her chosen yarn. Then she would (1) knit the cuff on Sock A, then the cuff on Sock B; (2) the leg on Sock A, the leg on Sock B; (3) turn the heel on Sock A, turn the heel on Sock B; (4) pick up the gusset stitches on Sock A, pick up the gusset stitches on Sock B; (5) work the gusset on Sock A, work the gusset on Sock B; (6) work the foot to the toe on Sock A, work the foot to the toe on Sock B; and finally, (7) work the toe on Sock A, then work the toe on Sock B. That seems to be the best method I have found so far. Please feel free to let me know if you have a better one.
In the meantime, I am going to continue to knit socks. However, the last few years I have discovered and am continuing to discover what Debbie Stoller cleverly termed in her latest book, "Stitch 'N Bitch Superstar Knitting": "Lace: The Final Frontier." But that is a discussion for another time . . .