It is a well-known fact that most women suffer from cold feet, at least in winter. (If you weren´t aware of this fact you´re probably a (single) man or a very lucky woman indeed. 😉 )
As soon as it´s 35 degrees C in the shade, the problem somehow dissolves into thin, or rather warm air. 😉
One way to overcome the problem of the cold feet is to emigrate to Australia or any other country providing a tad more than a temperate climate – and believe me, I would love to! The other way, however, is a little bit cheaper. 😉
I´m talking, as you have surely deduced by now from the picture above, about socks.
When it comes to these little woolen life-savers, I´m quite fussy – I simply can´t stand it when the cuff is too tight and consequently throttling my blood supply and thus making my feet go even more cold.
Of course I could buy some nice socks in a shop, always hoping to make the right choice and pick the ones that are just right. There is, however, another solution to this and I have dedicated the last three months to it.
I´m talking about knitting your own socks.
Having knitted never anything else apart from scarfs, and since the last year, wollen hats and beanies, I decided to tackle the mystery of the handknitted sock the modern way – meaning, I watched a Youtube video 😉
And to my surprise it didn’t seem to be as difficult as I´ve always imagined it to be. On the contrary, as soon as I was finished jotting down the instructions I´ve absorbed by watching the video, I began knitting my first pair of socks.
This pair proved to be as warm as I´ve hoped for, but alas – it quite lacked an aesthetic appeal 😉 They are dark gray in color (which is not at all a bad thing) but somehow seem to grow larger and larger with each wearing! That doesn’t stop me from wearing them of course, I just need to wear another pair of socks underneath to provide enough friction/adhesion for them not to fall off my feet.
The next pair I knitted already improved, and when I showed them off to my mum who came over for a visit, she instantly decided that she wanted just the same!
Always happy to be of service, I got out my knitting needles and started knitting her socks the minute after she left. This time, I thought of making a picture of them before they were worn and it´s the picture you saw at the beginning of this post. Is it needl(el)ess 😉 to write at this point that I´m now busy knitting the counterpart socks (meaning the cuff, heel and tip in gray and the rest in salmon pink)? Maybe, but I´m doing it anyway 😉
Here´s the link to the Youtube video (it´s actually 3 but I only give you the link to the first part, the other ones should follow the video automatically) that helped me learn how to knit socks – it is admittedly in German, but since the language of knitting is universal and you need to see more than hear how it is done anyway, it will suffice. 😉
Also the teacher in this video does it r e a l l y slowly which helps enormously.
And now to the knitted carpet slippers that are also shown here. They are even easier to make than socks because you don´t need to knit the heel!
All you need to do is by some special kind of wool that can be used for felting (should be noted on the label). Felting means in this case that the piece you have knitted is afterwards washed in the washing machine at 40 degrees C (do not use the wool program! Only the normal one you use for multi-colored wash. It´s also advisable to add a pair of old jeans or an old towel to the slippers to help the felting process.). The main thing that needs paying attention to is the shrinkage from about 30 – 40% (my slippers shrank from 36 cm to 23/24 cm). This means you have to knit more than your feet actually measure. There are many lists to be easily found about this subject on the internet. In general you will need approximately 200 g of virgin wool for a pair of slippers.
I don´t have a video for you in this case though, because I used a book I borrowed from a friend. But I´m sure if you google “knitting/felting slippers” you will easily find the right page/blog/video for you to use.
And while you´re at it, have a look at my friend´s blog “Knitting with Heart“! Jackie knits the cutest hearts and shamrocks! 🙂
Do you knit? How did you learn it? Do you have any favorite knitting subject or pattern? Have you been gifted with something knitted that you can not stand at all and that you have to wear when the one who gifted you with it is coming around? 😉 I look forward to read all about your stories! 🙂
Wow, what a great idea with the felted slippers!! 👍🏻 This winter I have knitted felted Norwegian sitting pieces. I knitted a few iconic socks, the heels are so **** difficult … now I look forward to study your video and finally get the grip of things again. The post is the best thing since sliced bread! 👏👏👏😍 💕💕💕 Thank you, Sarah. So sorry to read about inflamed arm tendons, poor you. I do hope you feel better soon 💕
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Thank you, Dina! 🙂 A friend of mine “infected” me with the knitting bug and now I´m always looking for new things to create. I would so much love to see your felted Norwegian sitting pieces! They sound amazing! And I know what you mean about the heels 😉 The teacher in this video explains it very well and without her, I would never have done it! There are also different types of heels I´ve come to understand, but this one is the classic one I believe.
Thanks so much for your getting well wishes, Dina! 🙂
Have a very lovely and creative weekend! And I look already forward to your next beautiful post!! 🙂 xoxo 💕
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I can knit, but would much rather crochet. Knitting puts me on edge, the dropping a stitch worry. 😳
Like you, I get cold feet in winter, and finding comfy socks isn’t easy… something is always not quite right.
I love you choice of colors, Sara. 😁💜
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Thanks a lot, Cathy! 🙂 I just started watching some youtube videos about crocheting as I plan to fabricate a French style beret. So far it looks quite complicated to me, but you´re right about the lessened possibility of dropping a stitch 😉
I wonder if you wouldn’t suffer from the cold feet as well, were you be able to write those chilling stories? 😉
Have a lovely day, Cathy! 🙂 xoxo ❤
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When I was learning how to crochet, I found that if I did one step at a time, it was easier to follow along than trying to take in all the instructions at once for a particular stitch. Once I learned what I was doing, to me, it was much easier than knitting.
Have a great week, Sarah! 😊💜
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That´s definitely the right way to learn anything new, I think, one step after another. Sadly no crocheting or knitting for me these days as my arm tendons have become inflamed 😦 Will have to wait until they improve.
Wish you a very lovely day, Cathy! 🙂 ❤
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I’m sorry to hear that…is it carpal tunnel syndrome?
You have a lovely day, too, Sarah. 💜😊
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Thank you, Cathy. No it’s something else and should be treatable with rest and anti-inflammatory meds like ibuprofen. Can’t wait for it to be okay again, I miss doing something useful with my hands! xoxo 💜
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I can imagine! 💜
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I love your knitting projects and those slippers with flower fasteners are beautiful! You are a great crafter woman, Sarah! ❤
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Thank you very much, Robin! 🙂 I have lots of fun discovering this new “art” for me 🙂 ❤
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It is definitely an art and you created lovely socks for your sweet Mum, the slippers with buttons are pretty and soft looking. 🙂 ❤
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🙂 ❤ 🌷💕
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Look at my gift from you of happiness! 🙂 🌈🐦 Thank you, Sarah.
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Another talent of yours I’m amazed and delighted to learn about! Gorgeous work, Sarah. I don’t knit, so I’ll send you my measurements. 💋🐰
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Thanks so much, Rose! 🙂 And how convenient that you don´t knit yourself but have a friend who does, right? 😉
Have a very lovely Sunday! 🙂 xoxo 💕🐰
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Lol! Thanks Sarah — hope your Sunday was lovely. xo
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I’ve got that cold feet thing going also, Sarah. You can never have too many socks, and I love the ones you made. The carpet slippers are so precious! Alas, I never learned needle arts. I wanted to learn to crochet because my grandmother did, but she passed away when I was too young to learn. I have much admiration for your talent.
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Thanks a lot, Lana! 🙂
Those slippers are really wonderfully warm, I can only recommend them! And they are astonishingly easy to make, so I think you wouldn’t have any problem trying it even if you´ve never knitted before. Crocheting is even more easy to learn, though I don´t know how to make slippers with that technique, but I´m sure where there´s a will there´s a way 😉 And it´s never to late to learn a new thing! 🙂
Have a lovely weekend! xxx
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You had me at the beautiful socks, but felted slippers ….. I’m in awe. What a fabulous idea and yours look so beautiful. Thank you for this post Sarah, and the link. I’m going to try making some of the slippers for my mum who always has cold feet!!! I’ve just been to a podiatrist and think I’m going to have to wear orthotics in my shoes from now on to fix a pain in one foot that is probably being caused by the arthritis in my opposing knee. I spend most of my life in bare feet cos I work at home, but now I think I might have to wear shoes more often. Or maybe knit little pads into socks for support 🙂 Anyway, thank you again. Hope you are having a great week.
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Thank you so much, Su! 🙂 Your mum will absolutely love the ones you´re going to knit for her! It´s actually like walking bare-footed on a warm and fluffy cloud wearing these slippers 🙂 I´d never have guessed that they keep so warm.
I´ve often heard that walking barefoot is the best thing you can do for your feet and it´s just not very advisable where it´s too cold to do so or when you live in a city (glass shards, dirt etc.). So your feet should actually be super happy and healthy! 😉 But that knee business is very likely the source for your troubles. I wear little inserts in my shoes since I was a teen because my feet are too flat and that was the cause for my pains in my knees! Just the other way round! It´s amazing how these things are all connected to each other…
Wish you lots of fun knitting! Have a lovely weekend! 🙂 xxxxxxxx
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🙂 I usually put shoes on outside, but the Big T used to go barefoot in England, which caused much consternation amongst the locals and caused small children to fall off their bicycles in amazement. It’s going to be interesting getting used to the inserts (and remembering to move them between pairs of shoes — they’re too expensive to buy multiple pairs). Hope you have a lovely weekend xxxx 🙂
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Haha! 😀 I can very well imagine their looks of amazement!
You will get used to the inserts sooner than you think, a week or two maybe. One of my pottery students (11 years) got some a couple of weeks ago too because of knee pains, and now she doesn’t even notice them anymore 😉 It´s weird at the beginning though, I remember that. Or when you need to get new ones. It´s also good to remember moving them into a new pair of shoes that you consider buying. People might look at it curiously but so far no one ever commented when I did it 😉 xxxxxx
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Great. Even having my foot strapped up has helped a lot; I’m hardly noticing pain in that foot, so I am optimistic that the inserts will be good.
🙂 xxxxxxx
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Love these cheery coloured socks, Sarah 🙂 … just as lovely as I’d imagined! Your mom surely loves them! Thanks for mentioning my blog too. It’s been fun to talk about and share posts like this on my blog’s fb page 🙂 ❤ Jackie@KWH
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Thanks so much, Jackie!! 🙂 She already ordered a similar pair of carpet slippers! 😉
And you´re welcome! I enjoyed our lovely discussions and had to share the joy with
my fellow bloggers 😀 Oh! Facebook! I need to have look at that! I have a personal account there
but rarely use it… as for the account I´ve created for my blog there, I think it might have been cancelled
because of too much inactivity 😉
Have a lovely day! 🙂 ❤ xoxo
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How pleasant to think you’ll both be slipping into matching pairs of handmade footwear 🙂 Yup… fb is time-consuming! There are days when I don’t go at all Only if I find something kniterally sweet/fun to share—like your socks! Hope this week goes well, for you! 🙂 💜 Jackie@KWH
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It really is time-consuming and since I´m already busy blogging it would mean extra time spent on the computer instead of being creative… I think it´s different for non-bloggers, as it´s their only virtual outlet to share their doings and thoughts 😉
Have a great day! 🙂 xoxo ❤
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Agreed! Plus… fb ratings drop like a hot potato as soon as you pause from posting for more than a day Before the blog, I used to sit ‘n knit ‘n surf all the time… sighhh… Hope you get to spend some quality weekend time with your creativity, Sarah! 🙂 💜 Jackie@KWH
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Look cool!
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Thank you! 😄
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I don’t knit, nor crochet anymore. I do miss crochet. The socks and slippers are just wonderful and probably will last longer than anything store bought. Great colors too.
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Thank you so much, Marlene! 😄
And I agree, they should really last longer than the ones bought in the store. I also like the special feeling connected to things made by yourself, no matter if you ‘ve done it for yourself or even better for someone else. Like those lovely quilts you and your friends make – a gift like that will be kept and cherished all life long.
Wish you a wonderful week! 😄
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Wonderful! Just love them all… 🙂
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Thank you, Bette!! 😄
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Those felted carpet slippers are gorgeous! You are quite the knitting talent as well as very prolific!
As spearfruit said: I am very impressed.
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Thanks so much, Laura! 😄 Knitting is the perfect thing to be a bit creative and relax at the same time.
Have a great week! 😄
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The socks are wonderful – I am surprised as to how much has to go into making them. I am very impressed Sarah. 🙂
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Thank you, Terry! 😄 A knitting machine would probably knit a sock in a couple of seconds I suppose but then where’s the fun in that? 😉 Better than hand-knitted socks though is being bare footed and walking in warm and lovely sand, isn’t it? 😄
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You put so much love into them – they certainly are warm and lovely! 🙂
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Thanks, Terry! You always say the right words and make me smile! 🙂
Have a happy day, my friend! Huge hugs, energy and strength for your appointment tomorrow!
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Lovely! I admire those who can knit. My mom tried to teach me one time, but she gave up after 5 minutes. I was so happy to find out that my daughter knits. Maybe I should try harder 😉
Have a great day.
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Thank you, Helen! 🙂
My mom taught me also how to knit, but just the basics.
Great to hear that your daughter caught the knitting-bug too! 😉 I´m sure she would be very pleased if you ask her to give you a lesson or two 🙂
Have a lovely day! 🙂
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Who are these magical women who don’t have cold feet? I want to know their secrets!
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Hehe! 😉 Me too! I´m acquainted to exactly one woman who doesn’t suffer from the cold feet but she resolutely refuses to share her secret 😉 My guess: she doesn’t really know either 😉
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Perhaps she secretly does have cold feet and is playing a trick on you.
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Ooh! That would be cruel! 😉 But I believe she really might be related to those hibernating frogs that have a kind of antifreeze in their blood 😉
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