41 Comments
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Ansley Manke's avatar

I use two-at-a-time magic loop. It's kind of chaos getting started but once I'm going I really like it. There's relatively less moving stitches, you knit across both socks, then pull the cables through to go across both on the other side. And no second sock syndrome!

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Eliza's avatar

I have made 4 socks at a time for my grandchildren. I don’t recommend it unless the socks are pretty small and you don’t mind some chaotic yarn feeds.

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Kavitha's avatar

That is some feat Eliza!! 😍❤️

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Eliza's avatar

It was so low stakes - 2 pairs of socks for 2 little children (2 and 4 at the time). The entertainment factor (oh look at me I am so clever) kept me going. Socks turned out fine and even if they hadn’t, it would not have mattered!

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Lorraine Tilbury's avatar

I do this too. I very much prefer knitting both socks at the same time.

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Kavitha's avatar

Now you all are creating so much FOMO in me! The good kind I mean. 😂😂 I will find a way to jump in soon.

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Kavitha's avatar

This is definitely on my list to try soon. Thanks for reassuring me that it gets better after establishing. Avoiding second sock syndrome would be a huge win! 😅

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Eliza's avatar

You can try establishing a couple of rows on the socks individually then transfer them to the longer cable for 2 at a time magic loop.

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Kavitha's avatar

That definitely sounds doable to me!! Thank you so much. ❤️

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Ansley Manke's avatar

I learned from Melissa Moorgan-Oakes' book, and still get the book out to follow the sequence for the heels. I see she has a newer one on toe-up socks too.

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Kavitha's avatar

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. I’ll be sure to check it out. ❤️

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Lynn Ware's avatar

I am a DPN person. I have used magic loop but find it takes longer than using DPN. With the DPN I just keep knitting. I tend to be a fast knitter and don’t seem to suffer from second sock syndrome.

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Kavitha's avatar

That's good to know! I bet you churn out lovely pairs of socks like clockwork. :) I like DPNs for the fact that I don't have to keep sliding the stitches every half round. But I am not very fast with them.

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Lori Sievert's avatar

Magic loop all the way. Whether knit or crochet, 2 at a time works!!!

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Kavitha's avatar

So many people have mentioned TAAT! I think it’s a sign for me 😃

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Heather Riley's avatar

Beautiful sock pattern!

I prefer to knit my socks two at a time on two circular needles. I am looking forward to trying magic loop taat. This method helps me avoid a econd sock syndrome, but also I get the same size socks as gauge can change if I knit the socks at different times. At least that happened to me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Kavitha's avatar
5dEdited

Thank you! I agree, gauge maintenance is another great reason to try TAAT.

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Navneet's avatar

I use magic loop for my sock knitting and I don’t knit TAAT, i did it once and it was fine but i like to enjoy my knitting hence go slow and one at a time. I tried 9” needles once but they gave me terrible cramps in my hands so never tried that again.

I like the Lata cardigan pattern, the vine coming along looks very cool.

On another note I just finished listening to The Covenant of Water and enjoyed it totally. Now reading Heart Lamp.

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Kavitha's avatar

Navneet, good to hear your take on these things! I suspect 9” might be uncomfortable for me as well. It is interesting to hear about everyone’s tool and technique choices!

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Jill Wolcott's avatar

I have never been a sock knitter although I have an e-books worth of material on sock structure using short rows!

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Kavitha's avatar

I think I get that... a kind of love for process? Like sometimes the breaking down and understanding the process itself is so much satisfying and it is not necessary to actually knit the thing.

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Jill Wolcott's avatar

I love the process! Don’t have any interest once satisfied.

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Eliza's avatar

Know what works really well on magic loop? Two at a time SLEEVES! Obviously, cuff up, but sleeves will be identical and they”re both done at the same time.

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Sandy S's avatar

What a nice group of things you are knitting Kavitha! Nice of you to share what works for you and what doesn't. That is a part of knitting, that makes it fun. We each can learn what works for us and just do it! Then as we see something new, we can give it a try and add it to our skills, or not as it suits us. I love having videos to see how others knit. There is soooo much out there to learn from. We knitters are generous with our skills. Love that!!

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Kavitha's avatar

Thanks Sandy! At the moment I am loving every project on my needles. Like you say, developing preferences and honing skills over time lets us enjoy the craft even better. I am forever grateful for the knitting community for the knowledge, kindness and generosity that goes around.

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Stephanie's avatar

I prefer Tow-at-a-time, toe up, magic loop. I find a heel flap to not fit well. But I know if I don’t do two at a time, I will have one sock syndrome. Granted I’ll wear mismatched socks, but I don’t even want to go there!

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Kavitha's avatar

Sounds like you figured out your best tools and techniques for sock knitting! One thing that stops me from TAAT is that designing involves a lot of ripping back sometimes and I don’t want to rip twice the amount! 😅Guess I’ll have to work around it somehow.

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Stephanie's avatar

Oh that sounds like TAAT isn’t the best idea then. But at least you then get an almost built in test knit doing the 2nd sock!

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Kavitha's avatar

Ha ha! That’s exactly how I look at it. I keep telling myself now I am testing the pattern, to avoid SS syndrome. 😅

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Stephanie's avatar

I prefer two-at-a-time, tie up, and magic loop patterns. I never want one sock syndrome and found heel flap to be uncomfortable.

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Kim's avatar

9" circular for me! So fast.... No switching needles around. I started out on dpn's then went to magic loop, and now with 9" circs I'll never go back.

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Kavitha's avatar

Ah, good for you! I did buy very long cables hoping to make my magic loops really big and comfortable but I soon discovered I don't love sliding my stitches all the way for every half a round. I am back to experimenting with 5" dpns and slightly shorter magic loops

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Susan K's avatar

I’d live the crochet pattern. It’s beautiful

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Kavitha's avatar

Thank you Susan. I am using Saturday Sweater by Moogly crochet as my rough guideline but heavily modifiying the gauge and construction to suit my needs. :)

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Amy's avatar

Hi, I’ve become exclusively a magic loop gal. I finally learned to magic loop last summer and made my first pair of socks last fall. The only part of magic loop that I don’t like is when the first stitch is a purl. To remedy this I distribute my stitches whenever I can so I have a knit stitch first.

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Kavitha's avatar

Amy, that makes sense. Sometimes you need to distribute according to the stitch pattern so there is no awkward purling, yarn over or ssk etc right at the beginning. I try to give stitch distribution for various stages of the sock in my patterns.

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Lynn Ware's avatar

I am a DPN person. I have used magic loop but find it takes longer than using DPN. With the DPN I just keep knitting. I tend to be a fast knitter and don’t seem to suffer from second sock syndrome.

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Lynn Ware's avatar

I obviously need to learn how to post only once.

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Kavitha's avatar

No worries! Happens to the best of us. :)

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Lynn Ware's avatar

I am a DPN person. I have used magic loop but find it takes longer than using DPN. With the DPN I just keep knitting. I tend to be a fast knitter and don’t seem to suffer from second sock syndrome.

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Lynn Ware's avatar

I am a DPN person. I have used magic loop but find it takes longer than using DPN. With the DPN I just keep knitting. I tend to be a fast knitter and don’t seem to suffer from second sock syndrome.

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