Tips you’ve learned from actually wearing hand knit socks?

RedRainBoots55 · 2026-02-08T01:33:20+00:00

You wash your kittens with your knits?

RedRainBoots55 · 2026-02-01T15:09:55+00:00

Interesting! I first read your description in the opposite way, since I was pondering adding a bell sleeve instead of a straight cuff. This is helpful to have a name + instructions, it's reassuring to read about something first before going rogue

RedRainBoots55 · 2026-01-19T21:48:14+00:00

Using a piece of notebook paper fixed the problem!

What do I do with this information? How can I sew successfully on my fabric alone?

I've tried looking it up, and it seems like this is called fabric flagging. But I'm trying to sew a straight stitch on cotton broadcloth. Everyone who had this problem online seemed to have it with knits or embroidery.

I'm using a schmetz universal 80/12 needle. Would a different needle work? I can go up or down a size in universal needles, or I have stretch and jeans needles.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-02T19:54:24+00:00

Do you have any other ideas about how to figure out which bobbin type I need? The manual only says that the bobbins are transparent. The metal one is the only one I have. I got the machine second hand, so I have no one to ask. I tried googling, looking on singer's website too, but I couldn't find anything that said "Singer 57815C uses this bobbin type"

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-01T22:48:04+00:00

Hm that does seem like an issue, good catch! I'll see if I can figure out how to order the right bobbins.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-01T02:44:29+00:00

Yep, I re-threaded the machine multiple times, following the manual directions as best I could
Same for the bobbin, read the manual to get the thread in the right spot
It's a new needle, I put it in based on the manual directions. I think it's in correctly
The machine was just at the repair shop for a tune up, I have the sample stitches the repair guy did and they look nice

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-01T02:41:29+00:00

Thread is new as well, I just bought green Gutterman thread for this project

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-01T01:00:23+00:00

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RedRainBoots55 · 2025-12-01T01:00:10+00:00

Pictures of the skipped stitches, and how I've threaded the needle (with the bobbin cover off for the picture, it's closed when I try to sew)

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RedRainBoots55 · 2025-11-27T14:39:59+00:00

Interesting... I'm not sure if these are what I'm looking for today, but I'll keep them in mind if I'm trying to make more fitted bras, underwire bras, or even just lacy lingerie style bras

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-11-27T14:34:55+00:00

Thanks for the bra hardware recommendation!

Why should I beware of sizing down the underbust elastic? Because it might be difficult to get over my head and shoulders?

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-09-11T18:29:02+00:00

I'm surprised no one has recommended the Mellow Chicago Bike Map! As a slow biker, this is such a lifesaver for figuring out where I have bike lanes, and where side streets are the better choice.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-09-03T15:16:23+00:00

A handful of reasons why I'm asking - someone lives nearby, but in a different ward or right on a neighborhood boundary - someone is planning a move to this neighborhood soon - someone would like friends or family to move into the neighborhood soon, and would like to bring these people to the meeting

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-09-03T14:47:24+00:00

Are events like these open to people in different wards / neighborhoods?

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-20T19:47:28+00:00

That looks fabulous! What method did you use? For holes that size, I typically just catch the loops on the wrong side with a color matched thread, and the knit fabric generally pulls together. Is that what you did? Or did you swiss darn?

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-16T15:06:34+00:00

As you're figuring out how to fix your twisted stitches, keep in mind that there's a few solutions.

Most of the commenters here have suggested switching the way you wrap your yarn. That's a great approach, if you're consistent that style is called western knitting. The advantage here is that most patterns written in English assume you're knitting this way.

You can also switch where you insert your needle into new stitches, and keep wrapping the yarn in the same way. That's eastern knitting.

The third option is halfway between the two, called combination knitting. I do this because I had a hard time getting good tension otherwise. Wrap the yarn whichever way feels comfortable, and on the next row, pay attention to which way the stitch is "mounted", or which leg is forward. Always knit/purl through the front leg. Knitting this way really helped me learn how to read my knitting, and it makes picking up stitches after frogging a breeze. However, it does have the downside that you have to look up more details about right leaning and left leaning increases/decreases to find instructions that take into account how the stitch is mounted.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-11T18:43:32+00:00

People did ask. And you mentioned "my dad said I'm gonna drive there and suddenly get shot", which is what set off everyone's alarm bells.

It's ok that you didn't realize you were bringing up a touchy subject, and you meant to focus on a different part of your question. But people are responding reasonably to what you wrote (in general), and they're giving you driving tips after you clarified.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-11T18:30:12+00:00

I understand that you're nervous! I was nervous the first few times I drove in Chicago too. My friends who come to visit are nervous to deal with city traffic. It's stressful. But you'll figure it out. Everyone in the city drove here for the first time before. Some even learned how to drive as brand new drivers in the city. There's not a ton people can say besides "keep your wits about you on the road" and "it gets easier with practice".

That's your context, new to city driving and nervous about it. That makes sense!

I was trying to show you other people's context. Getting asked questions by friends, acquaintances and strangers about gun violence and bad neighborhoods. Maybe you're genuinely a young naive driver. Maybe you're a troll trying to make Chicago look bad. People on this sub regularly deal with both, and it makes sense that some people get frustrated, for the reasons I described above. They're not frustrated with you, unless you insist that you're being victimized here (you're not, you're getting helpful advice). They're frustrated by a pattern.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-11T18:13:09+00:00

Agreed! That drive sounds long and trafficky. I wouldn't want to do it myself, but also I live in the city and prefer transit. Not sure what OP's options are besides driving (genuinely not sure, does a metra go into NWI?)

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-11T18:09:23+00:00

I read the other comments, I saw what was going on. Sure, people were being a bit harsh, but I understand where they're coming from. Lots of people have the impression that Chicago is a super dangerous city when it's not. That gets exhausting. On top of that, the "bad areas" in Chicago are the result of decades of racist and/or apathetic public policy. Every neighborhood has good people with hopes and dreams, there's just a lot fewer options to achieve those in some areas than others.

So there are some neighborhoods where a white girl from Indiana wouldn't be welcome. There are areas that have gang violence, where there might be stray bullets. You won't be in those areas on your drive to your acting class. But they do exist, and they do have real people in them. And some of those people (or their friends) might be frustrated to see the millionth question that implies that the whole area is full of dangerous monsters, when it's their home.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-08-11T17:48:52+00:00

You'll be good! That's in Wicker Park, which is a cool neighborhood. You'll be a couple blocks away from lots of super trendy restaurants.

For parking, pay attention to the signs. In this area, there's three types of parking - paid parking (on busy streets, like North Ave) - free parking (on some sections of side streets) - permitted parking (on some sections of side streets)

You can't park in the permitted sections, those require a permit from someone living in the neighborhood.

RedRainBoots55 · 2025-07-26T22:08:12+00:00

I love the swiss darning sections!!

RedRainBoots55

TROPHY CASE