big needle, small needle

Well, the needles aren’t that big really, but bigger than I’ve been using lately! I started a new sweater project out of the Fibranatura Mermaid I bought while Ysolda was here:

mermaid sweater

Which proceeded to go really fast on 4.5 mm needles. I’m almost up to the armholes on the body. It’s slowed down a bit this week because of other stuff, but I’m determined to bust this one out!

mermaid waist shaping

In sharp contrast, I just started a new pair of plain socks out of some nice Jojoland Melody, toe up.

socks

On very small needles.

whatwhat?

I knit really loosely, so my socks usually turn out to be around 8 stitches per inch on 2 mm. I want some tighter-knit socks though, hence the 1.5 mm! It doesn’t feel super crazy thin, but I do notice that it’s a little harder to control splittyness in the yarn – it’s easy to catch part of the yarn rather than the whole strand since the needle is so thin!

Does anyone have any suggestions for really thin sock yarn or heavy laceweight yarn that would hold up for socks on this size of needle?


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20 responses to “big needle, small needle”

  1. Alice from france Avatar

    The colors of the yarn are pretty! I like the one used for the sock really pretty!

  2. Charity Avatar

    Very nice! What about Tofutsies for socks? I find it very thin, but sturdy.

  3. Sally Avatar

    I have the same issue. Perhaps worse. I just keep using teeny tiny needles.

  4. veronica Avatar

    I thought I was the only one who was in the land below zero for socks. I wish I had advice for you… I usually just pick thicker sock yarn so I can use a slightly larger needle and not feel like I’m knitting with straight pins. :P

  5. Seanna Lea Avatar

    I find the Wildfoot (I probably didn’t spell it right) to be on the thin side for sock yarn. Or you could try something like the Misti Alpaca laceweight that you used for Serrano?

  6. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    I second the recommendation for the Wildefoot. I knit my bf a pair of socks with this one on 2mm and I wish I had gone down a needle size because the resulting fabric was a little loose. In spite of that, the socks have stood up to significant wear amazingly well.

  7. Debi Avatar

    If you knit so loosely, wouldn’t “regular” sock yarn say like DIC Smooshy for example, give you a nice dense fabric if knit on such tiny needles? If you go thinner, you’ll just have a thinner sock with more stitches.

  8. maria Avatar

    I think Mountain Colours’ Bearfoot is pretty thin. As is Trekking. What about Fleece Artist’s BFL 2/8? I haven’t seen that yarn yet (it’s on order), but the numbers seem right. ^_^

  9. Micki Avatar

    I have knit Trekking XXL on 000s, and I loved the result. My favorite thin hand dyed sock yarn is Fearless Fibers superwash merino. Yum.

  10. alyson Avatar

    my favourite bordering-lace sock yarn is Schaeffer Anne – matter of fact, I usually use it more for knitting lace than for socks. it might be perfect for 000 socks.

  11. Melissa Avatar

    I agree with Alyson–Schaefer Anne is great for fine, fine socks. In fact, I wouldn’t knit them on anything bigger than a 2.0 mm. And rumor has it, this is Nancy Bush’s favorite sock yarn….

  12. knitlady Avatar

    Gosh, did the Addi really cost $21???

  13. teopea Avatar

    I was going to suggest schaefer’s Anne too – I’ve just made a pair of socks with it using 2mm needles and got a nice fabric. I don’t remember the stitch count offhand, but I know I got more rows than was suggested for the combination.

  14. Jacey Avatar

    The mermaid yarn is knitting up beautifully! I almost bought some on vacation a few months ago, and now I’m wishing I had. I’m also amazed by your triple zero knitting skills. I’m making a pair of socks (my first) on size 1’s, and they’re small enough!

  15. Brenda Avatar
    Brenda

    I wish Skacell would start making Addi’s in size 2.25mm. That is my favorite size for sock yarns that are the weight of Koigu or Socks that Rock. I have found that size in various off-brands, but usually, the joins aren’t very good.

  16. chrispy Avatar

    I would recommend Great Adirondack Silky Sock. I knit loose about one needle size down and discovered that this yarn made a dense fabric for me on 2.25 mm needles and that it had a nice fabric on 2.0mm needles.

  17. Kate Avatar

    Try Tofutsies. . . I love it knit tight.

  18. Buy fioricet….

    Buy fioricet….

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