Handspun Cut & Paste Kneesocks

Just in time for Socktober, a fun, free, and fully-customizable sock worksheet for you. Make your feet happy!

ready for fall!

So about three years ago, I spun up this yummy autumnal yarn:

Hello Yarn Wensleydale in “Heirloom” (August 2010 Fiber Club)
4 oz., 184 yards light worsted 2-ply

My hope at the time had been kneesocks, but I figured with the little yardage I got, I would need to spin another 4 oz., which I never did.

The thing about handspun yarn is, I always want to use every last precious ounce of it – I don’t want any of it to go to waste – and that can be difficult to manage when knitting socks. If you overestimate your yardage for the first sock, you end up not having enough yarn to finish the second; if you play it safe, you can end up having yarn left over. Which, like I said, I like not to do.

So I had this idea. Why not just knit all the yarn? Just knit it ALL UP till I’m done, and then make it socks? Find some yarn that would make nice contrast heels and toes, and knit a cuff out of it. Then start knitting with the handspun and just keep knitting till done. Then knit another cuff. That should work, right? So that’s what I did.

one loooong tube sock

All 184 yards of handspun are there, along with cuffs made from Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport (held double) in “Chocolate.”

that’s a long sock, yo

The afterthought heels I made last January (my first) went so successfully, why not try it again? Only this time, I would do afterthought toes, too. So I got out my scissors and went to work.

measure twice, cut once

And I unraveled the tube until I had two tubes.

Tube socks! Only not.

I put the live stitches on dpns and knit a pair of toes.

two toes, no heels

And then I got out the scissors again and cut a place to add the heels, added them, did a little weaving in of ends, blocked the socks, and then BLAMMO! Handspun socks. And not only that, turned out I had enough for kneesocks after all!

Yeah, they’re fraternal:

That’s part of the fun of handspun!

I’ve written all the details, including tutorial pictures, and made it into a free downloadable pdf on Ravelry, just in time for Socktober. It’s more of a worksheet than a pattern – fully customizable, you just take your own measurements, fill in your numbers, and get to it! I’ve also made a video tutorial to walk you through the process. It really is as easy as it sounds, but sometimes it helps to see these things in action.

I swear these socks took less time to make than an ordinary pair, though perhaps it only seems that way because they were so darn fun and easy.

Happy Socktober, y’all!

Find the free worksheet here. As always, I’m happy to answer any questions.