First Pair of Socks!

Yes... I have learned to knit socks! SOCKS! Can you believe it? Trust me, it was not an easy task for me, but I finally managed to get the hang of it.

I have wanted to learn to knit socks for a really long time. For my birthday, my mom gave me two books on how to knit socks (this one, and this one). I decided to start by learning the "toe-up" technique because, well, I just wanted to. Casting on was really difficult, and I almost gave up before I even started. After a few phones calls to my knitting expert friend Jen, I decided to try the "Judy's Magic Cast On" method. This video was super super helpful. A little obnoxious but it really helped me to learn.
Once I got past the cast on, it was smooth sailing. That was until I reached the heel. Yikes. It took me a good week before I even attempted to try this. Partly because the pattern said to "work off the 66 stitches on the second needles" then the first row said to knit 37. I was so confused as to what to do with the other stitches. Another phone call to my friend Jen. Expert advice = Just do it. Don't think about the numbers, just do what it says. Sure enough, it all worked out.

Continue knitting until it is the length you want. I ended with a 2x2 ribbing on the cuff for about an inch and used a Russian Bind-Off to end. Then... I tried on my sock, and it was slightly too big. Oops. Too big by about an inch. Double oops. Too big that it made the heel up my leg instead of snug around my heel like it should be. Triple oops. And there is a slight hole (can you see it?) that I'm not sure what went wrong. Oops all around.
Okay, not a big deal, I told myself. These are practice (learn how to) socks and I don't expect them to be perfect. So I started another sock. Same yarn, because even though they are practice socks I'd still like to be able to maybe wear them around the house. On the second sock, I tried the Sherman Short Row Heel. I struggled a bit with this one and decided to just use the pattern that was in the book, which required wraps and turns. It worked out great. Only this sock is slightly too small (width wise). But it fits comfortably and I really like the heel.

So...new plan. I'm going to rip out the first sock (just to the sole part) and make it fit so that it isn't so large, maybe try the short row heel on it instead of the slip stitch heel, and then I will have a completed pair of practice socks.

I think I might be addicted. All I want to do is buy sock yarn and learn to make different patterns, aside from the basic sock pattern that I used.
Raverly link.
Yarn: Sensations Bamboo & Ewe Pattern:Purple & Gray (purchased at Joann's)
Needles: DPNS size 2 (2.75)