Introducing our first project: Sock Knitting

Since this is going to be Flock’s very first project, I thought I’d take a bit of time to explain what the projects are all about, and why we’ve chosen this one.

As knitters we are doing projects all the time. The research part starts with finding something that we want to knit, then there are all the yarn and colour choices to make, and maybe new techniques to learn. Then there’s the practical part, where we get to actually knit the object, and we can see how the colours and yarns that we’ve chosen work together with the pattern and any adjustments we’ve made. Hopefully when that’s finished the result is a beautiful finished garment, and some extra knitting experience and skill. Normally the more research I do before I start making something, the greater the chance of success! And I always really enjoy finding out about all the interesting history and techniques that are relevant to whatever I’m working on.

There are lots of knitting related topics that we want to explore, from techniques like cables and lace, to particular types of garment such as hats or cardigans, specific designers and yarn types, and historical traditions such as Fair Isle Knitting. We’re also really keen to hear about anything that you would like to learn more about, so if you have an idea for a knitting based theme that you think we might enjoy researching, please let us know. Our plan is to pick a new project every few months and then just dive in and find out everything we can about it. We’ll do this through writing blog posts and tutorials, visiting places and meeting people who are connected to whatever it is we’re looking at, and, of course, doing actual knitting projects! What better way for us to consciously deepen our understanding of some of the different aspects of knitting than to research them and share what we find out with our community?

There’s another reason behind the projects too: we decided really early on that we don’t want to get caught up in the traditional ‘seasons’ of the fashion/retail world. Rather than changing or adding stock at pre-determined intervals, simply for the sake of having something new or different, wouldn’t it be great if we could expand slowly and purposefully, in a more considered way? We’re really excited about using our projects as a way of growing our community, and meeting and working with designers, makers and other members of the fibre world. We’re looking forward to lots of exciting conversations and collaborations, and can’t wait to build a collection of items in our shop that are both well researched and relevant.

For our very first project, we’re going to look at socks and sock knitting. There are a few reasons why we’ve chosen to kick off with socks. For a start, they are the ideal small(ish) and portable project: you don’t need lots of yarn or lots of time to knit a pair of socks. They make fantastic gifts, are great to knit in summer when it’s too hot to think about larger knitted garments (let alone wear them); and they’re an absolutely brilliant way of exploring different techniques and stitches. They also have a long history - some of the oldest surviving knitted garments are socks - and some rich local and regional traditions. Socks will give us the perfect opportunity to look into nylon and superwash yarns, and make decisions about whether or not to use them, and to talk about the importance of mending our hand knits. We can research lots of interesting methods of constructing heels and toes, and learn what different qualities a fibre can have in order to be suitable (or not) for sock knitting. And finally, slipping on a pair of lovely hand knitted socks on a cold morning is one of life’s great pleasures, and we want to share that joy with you!

So I’ve been busily knitting socks in every spare minute for the past few weeks. I’ve tried out a selection of non-nylon sock yarns that I love, and experimented with all the different needle combinations and techniques that I’ve been able to find. And I’ve had so much fun! I’m going to carry on my sock research for a bit longer and I’ll continue to share what I find out here on the website. I’ve also started buying sock-related things for the shop. I’ve been stocking up on double pointed needles, long circulars, darning tools, sock blockers and all the other things that you’ll need to make, and care for, the perfect pair.

Keep checking back to follow along with my sock journey, and if you think of anything sock-related or otherwise that you think I should know about, please get in touch - I’d love to hear from you.