If you’ve ever thought about knitting socks but didn’t know where to start, Winwick Mum is a name you’ll want to know. Known for her clear, encouraging approach, she has helped countless knitters gain the confidence to tackle their first pair.
We hear there's an interesting story behind how "Winwick Mum" came about - can you take us back to where that name first started?
“Winwick Mum” started as a column in my local church newsletter – they were looking for something to fill the gap between the village Home Watch report and the adverts page, so I volunteered to write a short piece every month about life as a Mum in Winwick.
Initially, I was too shy to put my name to the piece, so “Winwick Mum” was my pseudonym, and it’s stuck! After a while, I decided that I’d start a blog to publish the newsletter. At first, that was all that I wrote but after a while, I started to gain the courage to write more, and because I was already an avid knitter then it was natural for knitting to be a large part of what I write about.
The blog is 16 years old this year and I have no plans to stop any time soon!
WYS Sound Waves Socks by Winwick Mum made with WYS Colourlab Sock DK.
Falling in Love with Sock Knitting
You’ve inspired so many people to try sock knitting – when did you first learn to knit, and why were you drawn to sock knitting?
I’ve been able to knit since a very young age when my Nan taught me, but socks absolutely didn’t make sense when I first started knitting them. I knitted my first pair around the age of 16 for my lovely Uncle Harry in Scotland.
This was back in the 80s when it was quite difficult to find suitable yarns and patterns - I’d never used double pointed needles before and there was a lot of frustration and judicious sewing up.
I posted the finished socks off to Uncle Harry but I have no idea if he ever wore them! I then vowed that I was done forever with 4 ply and sock knitting.
When my youngest daughter was a baby, I spotted some balls of Regia Kaffe Fassett self-striping yarn on the counter of the yarn shop when I’d gone in to buy yarn for a baby cardigan.
I’m a huge Kaffe Fassett fan so naturally I asked what it was. “It’s sock yarn,” the shop lady told me. I shuddered and stepped away. “There’s a free pattern to go with it …” I left the shop with the sock yarn!
The pattern that came with the yarn was very easy to follow, and pair after pair came off my needles. By this time, I had started to adapt the pattern to make it my own and this is what is now published as the Basic 4ply Socks pattern.
Over time, I became more involved in the knitting community. After yet another person told me that socks were too hard to knit, I decided to create the Sockalong tutorials.
Socks are wonderful to knit, and I wanted to do my bit to help those who wanted to get hand knit socks onto their feet!
Tips for Sock Knitting Beginners
For beginners who feel intimidated by sock knitting, what would you say to encourage them?
Most seasoned knitters find the thought of sock knitting a huge challenge, but they have already knitted far more complicated projects than socks The most common questions I get before anyone has started are always about the heel.
There’s something about that 90 degree angle that causes no end of consternation!
My answer is always to just jump in go for it. Whether socks are your first ever knitting project (and why not?) or you’ve been putting them off for years, it’s just stitches on knitting needles. The worst that can happen is that you unravel and start again, but the experience is never wasted!
For Morris & Sons customers, what would be your ultimate "starter sock project"?
I am absolutely going to say my Basic 4ply Socks pattern! The pattern is free on the Winwick Mum blog along with the accompanying Sockalong tutorials which talk you through everything you need to know about choosing yarn and needles to working out the right cast on number for your socks, and knitting the socks from the cuff to finishing off at the toes.
This isn’t just because it’s my most popular pattern, but because it’s the base for all of my sock patterns. If you can knit a pair of Basic 4ply Socks, you can have a go at any of my other designs!
My aim is always to get someone through their first pair. Then, they are equipped to look around at other patterns and start to make their own adjustments.
I want everyone to be able to knit socks for anyone they choose and not have to rely on a pattern being the right size - I’m all about creating fearless sock knitters!
West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply.
Choosing the Right Yarn for Sock Knitting
What should knitters look for when choosing a yarn for their first pair of socks?
For everyday socks, a yarn that contains a percentage of nylon is a must. The nylon blend gives the yarn strength and makes it more hard-wearing, and knitting with a size or two smaller needles than the ball band recommends helps with that too.
We recently “retired” a pair of my husband’s hand knitted socks that were 15 years old! You can knit no-nylon socks, but sadly, they just don’t last as long.
However, they’re still perfect to wear either less often when you’re out and about, or as bed socks or sofa socks.
West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply, which is my favourite sock yarn, is great quality and great value, and created from fleece that’s “reared, sheared and spun in Britain”.
I think that good quality yarn is essential for beginner sock knitters especially – it’s tempting to start out thinking that cheap yarn will be good enough to see if you like knitting socks, but you so often get what you pay for, and cheap doesn’t necessarily mean easy to knit with! Signature 4ply is happy to be unravelled and re-knitted many times and will create a sock that will always look good on your feet.
You won’t be surprised to know that West Yorkshire Spinners were my first choice when I started to think about Winwick Mum sock yarn colourways, and fortunately, West Yorkshire Spinners thought they were a great idea too!
Basic 4 ply Socks Pattern (short version for summer) by Winwick Mum.
Knitting Socks in Warmer Climates
Do you have any tips for knitting socks in warmer climates or for year-round wear?
Wool is excellent at keeping heat in and releasing it gently on warmer days whilst keeping your feet cooler, but you can also knit socks in cotton blends which suit some people better.
I’ve designed ankle sock and knee-high sock version of my Basic 4ply Socks so I’ve got all the lengths covered, whatever the weather!
No matter the weather, socks are always an excellent out-and-about project so if you aren’t able to sit in an air-conditioned environment at home to knit during the hottest months, a small sock project bag is much easier than carrying a jumper or blanket around.
With Winwick Mum’s patterns and Sockalong tutorials, even beginners can confidently knit their first pair of socks. Using high-quality yarns like the West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply, your socks will be durable, beautiful, and a joy to wear.
