Knitting socks

Zed42

Go for it

My first pair of socks was knit on "normal" straight needles, and then sewn up.

My second pair were some tube socks for DD, knitted in some neon acrylic DK yarn.

After that I bit the bullet, bought some double pointed needles (DPNS) and a ball of Regia 4ply which came with a pattern for a basic sock and never looked back

With respects to buying wool ..... online or in person, the choices are out there

If Lidl have a promotion on, that's a good place to start for minimum outlay ...

Charity shops also tend to have needles for sale, although they may not have them on display, just ask

Grandmama

Started knitting socks last Xmas. Learned to do Magic Loop on a 80cm circular needles. Played around with needle sizes and now use 4ply sock wool on 2.5 mm. Played around with fit and now have pattern firmly embedded in my brain. Love using Striped wool and can now play around with patterns on the leg bit. Plenty of sock books on Amazon but beware of American needle sizes and abbreviations. Only on my seventh pair but they knit up fairly quickly if you like knitting on the go, like bus journeys, anywhere you have to wait. Small enough to fit in handbag. Starts up some lovely conversations with strangers! Please persevere, it gets easier with practice.
PS. Lost count of how many people ask me to knit them a pair, usually tell them that 20 hours at minimum wage plus wool and profit will be at least £200 plus! So far no one has repeated the request.

jackyann

I am not a good knitter, so have nothing to offer on knitting socks. But I wanted to respond to something else in your thread.
My mother & I shared a love of dressmaking (when I was 11 she gave me a "clothes allowance" and the run of her sewing machine!)

I had a break from dressmaking when busy, and like you, when I took it up again, my mother had developed dementia. But she loved to feel the fabric, and see what I was making. She was able to offer some good advice, as her knowledge reached back to her childhood / young adulthood.

So although it might not be reliable, you might find it helpful to talk to your mum, and it will help her as well.