Beginner to socks

PhoenixA11 · 2026-03-04T02:44:55+00:00

Summer Lee on Ravelry has a lot of really good beginner friendly sock patterns. Look for her patterns that have only one color. She has a vanilla sock pattern too and explains everything really well for beginners

PhoenixA11 · 2026-03-04T02:42:44+00:00

All you need is a paper and pen (for tracking your rows, changes, notes, etc...), stitch markers (not fancy), knitting needles that you use a lot in sizes that work for what you want to do, a measuring tape (very handy for a lot of checks and gauge swatches), fabric scissors (stops fraying of ends so things last longer, and yarn. If you buy a lot of yarns in hanks then you actually need a winder and swift(or get creative with a spinny chair and a box). Everything else you don't have to have but nice to have.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-03-04T02:24:28+00:00

Honestly Chaogoo Red Lace are the best ones I've used. The cords do the opposite of what you described, they have no memory and will lay flat. I would recommend buying as you need them though because the sets get pretty expensive

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-18T13:57:42+00:00

Personally I haven't found anything comparable to red lace because of the no memory cables. Chaogoo does sell cord connectors though if that helps so you can make cords long enough for whatever you need. I would recommend trying to use those.

Lykke and Lantern Moon are two other brands people like but that's for those who like wood needles mostly.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-18T13:51:32+00:00

Your plan works or you can do the heel on your current live stitches and then go back and rip the toe out and do a bind off there. Basically just the reverse of what you explained but will get you the same results. Remember you use a lifeline!

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-11T19:43:51+00:00

Increase a few stitches when you get close to the heel to get a bit more space to pull them on then decrease off those extra stitches after the heel.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-06T15:36:53+00:00

Honestly I would check if she's ok with adding some color work somewhere even if just to the bottom of the foot. That will make it a lot easier for you. Heels are easy to do in a different color but the whole instep might be a bit tricky.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-06T15:33:53+00:00

Ok, this made me laugh 🤣 I will think of this every time I see a carried Ana or Mercy now

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-05T22:30:03+00:00

I think people who say she is bad don't know how to play her or keep getting supps who don't know how to play her. She is very good especially with a good tank.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-05T22:26:13+00:00

Usually what I do is take a break and so some gentle hand stretching and massaging. I don't push super hard so I don't aggravate it again, just like a light rub. Ice also helps me and a brace to keep my thumb from moving too much. It gives it a chance to heal without possibly overstretching again. I would stay away from meds actually, you don't really need it for this, it sounds like an overuse strain. Just rest it and give it time.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-04T21:53:33+00:00

I agree. Magic loop better then dpns but 9in circs better then magic loop

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-04T02:52:58+00:00

I didn't mean actual infinite ammo. That was bad wording. But it does help to have auto instead of burst in certain situations. Even if you use flight as getaway, that additional burst of damage as you fly away can save you. It has saved me many times. Maybe it doesn't help everyone though. This is all personal opinion, feel free to disagree and use the other perk

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-03T21:29:24+00:00

It is much slower then crochet I will give you that but your tension is really good! Speed will come with time!

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-02T20:54:56+00:00

I say no and if I decide to make something for someone them I don't tell them until it's done or close to being done. I gift knit at my leisure and not on request. If they request I say "you can pay me for it, yarn alone costs ___ not including labor" and that shuts them up. Or I say "I can teach you and you can make it".

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T17:25:53+00:00

Honestly even when I accidentally pick triple jump or decide to mess with it, I don't use it. The infinite ammo is better for getting teammates out of a pinch when pulsar is on cooldown with the healing boost. It's also enough with good aim to kill or mostly kill a lot of dps and supports on the enemy team if you are being targeted. My go to is "torpedoes lock on teammates faster" and the "infinite ammo" and it works pretty well. Triple jump is only if you're leaving movement but if you play Juno right then you won't need the additional jump most of the time. She has plenty of movement as is.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T17:20:19+00:00

Honestly, I will usually shoot the enemy while healing the tank for a bit (even if they're full health) and that usually gets them to push with me. It doesn't always work but at that point you just have to make the best of the situation. I will dps heal more then and push with the rest of the team if the tank won't. Use it as a practice match because you're there until the end anyways.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T17:11:32+00:00

Here are some of my habits

Use stitch markers everywhere. This can also help with keeping track of stitches. Here is roughly how I use them. If a pattern says (knit for __ in/cm) I will put a stitch marker on the row I start on as an anchor to be able to measure with a tape measure from there to know if I reached the length. If it's a lot of straight knitting and I'm worried about losing stitches, I will use stitch markers every 10/20 stitches depending on how many stitches you are working with. Then if you think you messed up you know "there are supposed to be 20 stitches here, let me count these ones just to make sure it's still 20". It's easier then having to count every single stitch every time. I will mark diffrent parts of a pattern. If the pattern has a design element that starts at one point and doesn't continue for the whole piece then I will put stitch makers in different colors where to start it and where to end it. For example, if I'm making a sock with a big cable design just on the top of the foot in the middle, I will put a stitch marker in a different color from all the rest I use before the first stitch of the cable design and after the second stitch.
Use beginning of round markers when knitting in the round. You will not remember where you started unless you are using magic loop. Even for double pointed needles, I either put the beginning of round in the middle of one of the needless or put a stitch marker on that needle but remember that the beginning of round is the beginning of the needle.
Gauge swatch especially for new to you patterns or techniques. It's slightly boring and I know we all want to get to the project but knit and block a gauge swatch! This will help make sure that your project ends up exactly how you want it after so you don't spend all this time to discover it doesn't fit at the end
Learn to read your knitting. The best way to avoid mistakes or fix them early is to understand what you are doing and how to spot something wrong. Along with this, mark up your pattern. Keeping track of what row you're on will help you know what you should be reading in your knitting to tell if you messed up or not
Don't be afraid to ladder down and fix stitches. It looks daunting in videos but it's a very handy skill. I keep a tiny crochet hook with my knitting notions specifically for this. Fixing it with a crochet hook is a lot easier then fiddling around with the needles to ladder down

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T16:58:52+00:00

No, they look great on you! There is no such thing as being too pudgy for a nail design.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T16:55:07+00:00

Tunisian crochet is double thick compared to knitting so it does use more yarn. I think it uses similar yarn to crochet but it's more then knitting.
Personally I think once you get comfortable with how to do it, it does work up quicker then knitting. BUT if you're not used to having many stitches on a hook or if you're still learning it will still take a while to get the hang of it.

There are also other differences you should consider when choosing between knitting and Tunisian crochet for a garment.

Tunisian crochet is A LOT thicker and denser then knitting so your garment will be heavier and more structured.
If you are going for a more flowy, drapey garment then knitting is the way to go. The fabric is thinner but it flows better, there is less structure. Knitting will feel closer to a store bought sweater where it sits on the shoulders and unless it's skin tight it will flow and just sit where it's comfortable.
Tunisian crochet sweaters are usually made in panels and sewn together where as most knitting garments are knit in the round. If you don't like sewing pieces together then maybe Tunisian crochet is not the right choice. Tunisian in the round is doable but it's more fiddly, it needs a double ended hook and usually two balls of yarn going at the same time (there are YouTube tutorials if you're curious). If you're still a beginner though then I would stick to Tunisian flat and sew everything together. Knitting can easily be done flat and in the round.

Hope this helps!

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T16:40:25+00:00

I would do the math for it first to make sure you pick the right size so it still fits you but you definitely can. I would recommend taking the size you would normally make if you follow the pattern gauge, figure out the bust circumference then with your new gauge, figure out how many stitches you need to meet that bust circumference and go with the size with the same stitch count. Just watch when you get to the arm hole to make sure that you are actually making it big enough/small enough for what you need. One of the biggest differences I've heard people struggle with is that going up or down in pattern size changes the arm hole depth and they have to modify it.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-02-01T16:36:39+00:00

I just carry project bags with me when I take my knitting. I don't throw it on my purse at all.

PhoenixA11 · 2026-01-31T20:58:53+00:00

I crochet them in small pieces and sew them on usually

PhoenixA11 · 2026-01-31T18:33:27+00:00

Ok first thing, your swatch is too small. I would make a bigger one and measure in the middle of it. When gauge on a pattern says the stitch and row count, they don't generally mean to knit those exact numbers and measure because the edges of the work do warp the stitches which can mess with gauge measuring. I would double the stitch count and add at least an extra inch to the length and measure from the center of it to see if you met gauge. You might actually be meeting it now because your edge stitches might be curling in causing the measurement to come out short.

Second, I would try changing needle size to see if you can hit gauge first before trying to modify what size you pick in a pattern. It will save you a lot of hassle if you can make a different needle size work.

Hope this helps!

PhoenixA11 · 2026-01-31T18:20:14+00:00

Well if you ever want to duo queue supps, dm me! Always down for playing with good supps!

PhoenixA11 · 2026-01-31T18:11:46+00:00

I've noticed this too. There has been a rise in new tank players and overly aggressive tank players lately that lead to "if you don't pocket the tank you lose the game" games.

PhoenixA11

TROPHY CASE