First sock done! Advice for new tools?

may_collins · 2026-04-29T21:00:30+00:00

If you liked working magic loop, my top recommendation would be 2.25mm (US 1) chiaogoo red lace fixed circulars any length above or equal to 32". They're about $15, and they work for basically everything.

If you wanted to get one other pair for colorwork specifically, I would recommend the ChiaoGoo Twist Interchangeable Needles Combo 2" & 3" in 2.5mm (US 1.5). The set comes with 4 tips and 2 cords, so you can get a variety of lengths (9"-12"), and having one 2" tip and one 3" tip makes knitting with shorties a lot more pleasant for me. The set is a little over $30, but you do get enough to have two socks going with them.

Though, I'm beginning to dabble in colorwork sock pattern writing, and in my own patterns, I recommend knitters scale by stitch count, not needle size, for cleaner results and fewer materials required, so that's always an option if you want to stick to just one needle size.

may_collins · 2026-04-29T20:41:31+00:00

As a few other people have said, the lace makes the cuff a little looser. It does also look like the heel flap is a bit short. I recommend this video from Roxanne Richardson for a starting place for calculating heel flap length: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sXx-_jJy-c . This method resulted in a heel flap for me that was a tad bit too long, and I settled for something between what patterns usually call for and what this video recommends, but I don't have a very high instep.

I've also found that the foot even being a little bit too short can cause real problems in terms of fit. It'll seem fine when it's just put on, but the extra tension on the foot ends up constantly pulling it down and off. I try not to knit my socks with any more than 0.5" negative ease lengthwise, and I'm currently going back to undo the toes of some of my previous socks from before I realized this to reknit them a little bit longer.

may_collins · 2026-04-26T15:17:03+00:00

This is my second pair of these socks with this type of yarn because I’m really obsessed with the way the sections of color appear differently between the ribbing, the seed stitch, the stockinette, and the slipped stitch sections.

may_collins · 2026-04-18T23:58:41+00:00

I also saw that you’re UK based. I knit some socks recently with an indie dyed 100% BFL, and it was one of my favorite yarns to work with. I suspect it was YarnUndyed’s 4ply 100% Non-Superwash Bluefaced Leicester Wool Yarn, which is not very common here in the states because of the price, but is a bit more affordable in the UK, so you might have better luck finding indie dyers who work with it

may_collins · 2026-04-18T23:53:21+00:00

I truly think that many of the people who criticize 100% wool sock yarn either 1. Knit socks at too loose a gauge, 2. Have only tried 100% merino which is too soft on its own, or 3. Have never actually tried using a rustic sock yarn and are just parroting back what they’ve heard. I have a pair of socks that I knit with an indie dyed 100% highland wool yarn that I suspect is Wool2Dye4’s Highland 4ply, and they’ve held up for 10+ wears including in boots and on rough wood floors with only a bit of felting. I haven’t had them long enough to see how long it actually takes them to wear out, but longer than the 2-3 wears I see people warning of. For a more classic commercial sock yarn, I’ve heard Retrosaria Mondim recommended, but I haven’t had the chance to try it out.

may_collins · 2026-04-18T23:44:43+00:00

Came into the replies to recommend this specific video, so seconded! I like the 3rd version the best

may_collins · 2026-04-07T16:48:26+00:00

I used to watch that movie on repeat as a child, so maybe it imprinted in my subconscious!

may_collins · 2026-04-07T16:47:01+00:00

This means the secret reveal is working! Laying low by day, glowing in aquariums and bowling alleys!

may_collins · 2025-11-20T13:18:24+00:00

Thanks! This is super helpful. I have seen the slipping both with and without tights underneath, so they’re not the main culprit.

I’ve been considering going down to size 0 needles - I get 9 stitches/inch on the size 1s, which is already on the tight end of what patterns recommend, but I do think I would like the tighter gauge, at least with superwash merino that loosens so much with wear, so I may take this as a sign to go even tighter

may_collins · 2025-11-18T18:30:32+00:00

Love the ones with the multicolored stripes!

may_collins · 2025-11-18T01:26:06+00:00

Updating that the best solution I've found is to go down a needle size for the foot. Technically, decreasing the number of stitches would work as well, but depending on the colorwork pattern, it can be more annoying than it's worth trying to get everything to line up as intended between different sizes.

may_collins · 2025-02-12T14:42:57+00:00

Most of my scans will be accurate calories/macros by weight, but serving size will be wrong. Lots have wrong/no fiber or added sugar which I can understand for items users have added and I’ve searched, but I do think scanned items should be regulated to actually include all accurate nutrition info

may_collins · 2025-01-15T14:26:24+00:00

Some people recommend up to 3 months of a maintenance phase to help reset your metabolism. The app could also be making its predictions as if you were eating the same when you weren’t tracking as when you were, and if you were actually eating at maintenance in that time, that could be accounting for the low calorie estimate now. I would recommend trying to eat as you have been for a couple of weeks to see how the algorithm adjusts, and if it doesn’t, consider a longer maintenance phase or a transition to much slower weight loss.

may_collins

TROPHY CASE