Knitting

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Giveaway: Getting Started Knitting Socks

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getting started knitting socks

Our winner is Dianne S.

There really is nothing better than a cozy pair of handknit socks on a cold day, and if you’ve never had that feeling because you’ve never knit a pair of socks before, I’m here to help.

This week’s giveaway is a copy of Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. This is a nice little book with more than a dozen patterns starting out with the most basic socks in a variety of sizes and gauges and moving on to striped, textured, ribbed, cabled and lacy projects.

In this one book you’ll find a nice range of projects to try as well as a step-by-step tutorial on all the different steps that go into sock making and tips for adding your own color or texture to socks (and some sample stitch patterns to get you started).

This is a great book if you’re just learning to knit socks, or if you have a couple of pairs on your feet and want to learn a little more about how to make socks that are completely individual.

If you’d like a chance to win this one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, November 16. Why don’t you tell me what experience you have knitting socks or why you’d like to learn if you don’t already know.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Looking for more knitted socks designs and patterns to keep you warm this winter? Check out these knitted sock patterns Etsy. And these Knitting Pattern books on Amazon.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Comments

  1. My husband has been wanting socks since I started knitting, but I have been too intimidated to try so far.

  2. Have knitted over 50 years but only tried socks once. Can’t find anyone to show me the proper way to do it, but from what I hear, this is the book that can do the job. Would love to win a copy

  3. Oh, to have a helping hand to knit socks! I can’t quite get beyond scarves and mittens. It is so sad to have lost the generations who had these skills, before they could pass along their know-how. Or maybe I was not ready to learn until now! I would love a chance to learn!

  5. The first socks I knit were knit using Regia yarn and lasted years! Not so much for socks knit with other yarns. But the first socks were plain and newer pairs were knit using fancier patterns. Thankfully my daughter loves hand knit socks so I can knit as many pair as my hands can handle.

  6. Me,me! Lol
    I have knitted yoga socks for a friend and myself and a pair of socks in the past. I jumped from scarfs to socks. I am known as the daredevil knitter in my community. Fun fun!
    I would appreciate and am greateful for the chance to learn and share among my peers.
    Thank you

  7. I learned to knit from my grandmother who taught me the basic techniques of knitting and crocheting. I thought that I had long forgotten how to, until one day I got the bug to start again at the age of 50. I have since knitted scarves galour, a blanket, and dish cloths. Knitting gives me a therapeutic calm as well as the enjoyment of using my hands to make a gift for someone. Learning to knit socks would be fun, and my brain would like the challenge!

  8. I am a newbie to knitting and have just started taking classes but I love it! I can’t wait to get home each day so I can knit a few rows. And I love socks, fun colorful socks so they are on my list to do once I get a little more proficient!

  10. my college age daughter is always sending me links to sock patterns! I really need to take the plunge – maybe we should learn together! thanks!

  11. If there’s a a simpler way to knit socks, please, count me in! My last three attempts have been complete and utter failures!

  13. I wear only my own hand knit socks . I became a sock addict around 2 years ago. I’d love to have this book to give to my sister. She lives 300 miles from me and has just started her first pair. I don’t see her very often and her last visit included a lesson in turning the heel.

  14. I knit this and that but socks sound exciting. A nice little project. I’d love to have the book for inspiration.

  18. Ann Budd is my most Favorite Designer!! Hers’ are the books I am forever borrowing from the library and digital collection! The three available for E-reading are either on my bookshelf or on hold list. This one is on the hold list. 🙁 Own a copy would be a very awesome life event!

  21. I have made ONE sock and that was a huge wool one that we felted for Christmas…this year we visited a lama etc farm and I saw that my hubby purchased. A or of their handknit socks..SO now that we are retired snowbirds the time has come for me to make him a pair..any help would be greatly appreciated..

  22. I’m a beginner knitter – basic squares and scarves. But my mother is pretty experienced. I would love to win this book so I could gift it to her, and in return she would knit me a pair of warm, fuzzy socks. So I guess that would be a win-win situation!

  23. I love knitting sock but so far have only knitted two at a time toe up and have been afraid to try top down this would help me get out of my rut.

  24. My first pair of socks are dreadful, my heels are confused and one my toes will finish up vertically instead of horizontally. I learn so much better from books with great detail about what I’m doing while following the pattern. This would be an awesome win. I’m not discouraged about this first pair and I’m ready to get back on the sock knitting horse.

  26. I would love to learn how to knit socks. I have knit miniature socks and would like to move to adult size.

  27. knitting – I learned from my Aunt Do. She would sit and knit for hours and let me watch and copy. I’m the only left handed girl in the family so I learned by copying each move she made, Yes my work was backwards, but I loved every moment. Now that I am older and have more time I have returned to find loom knitting. But, I look longingly at the socks patterns and plan to try ing the near future.

Have you read?

10 Knitted Christmas Bauble Patterns for a Tree Full of Handmade Charm

There’s always room for one more Christmas decoration, especially when it uses yarn you already own. That’s my reasoning, anyway. Those little leftover balls that aren’t quite enough for a hat suddenly look much more promising when you start thinking about knitted baubles.

I love the idea of adding a few handmade ornaments to the tree each year. They don’t all have to match, either. A traditional colourwork ball beside a slightly cheeky Christmas pudding feels far more interesting than a tree where everything arrived in the same box.

These knitted Christmas bauble patterns include flat-knit designs, festive characters and detailed colourwork ornaments. Most are free, with a paid collection included for anyone who wants plenty of designs to work through. Some suit newer knitters; others are small projects for practising skills you already know.

Christmas Baubles Knitted Flat

The free Christmas Baubles—Knit Flat pattern from Tat’sgrans Treasures is worth a look if knitting tiny rounds doesn’t appeal. It includes three sizes and charted words such as Peace, Hope, Love and Joy, worked using intarsia. The flat construction is approachable, although the lettering adds a challenge beyond basic stocking stitch. I’d choose this for meaningful gift ornaments, particularly when one of those words suits the person receiving it.

Christmas Pudding Bauble

The free Christmas Pudding Bauble by Amanda Berry has all the appeal of a festive pudding without anyone debating whether they actually like eating it. Knitted flat in DK yarn, it combines shaping, colourwork and seaming, with a little holly topper to finish. It’s best for confident beginners with some experience rather than someone learning their first knit stitch. At approximately 6 cm tall, it would make a lovely tree decoration or an extra treat tied onto a wrapped present.

Rudolf & Friends Character Baubles

The free Rudolf & Friends Ornaments by Claire Fairall bring a playful touch to a handmade Christmas tree. These character baubles are knitted flat, and the instructions include illustrations for assembly and embroidery. Hobbii lists the pattern as suitable for beginners, making it a useful option for knitters who would rather practise finishing details than stranded colourwork. The finished ornaments measure approximately 8 × 6 cm and would also look cheerful tucked into a handmade wreath.

Cute Christmas Baubles With Little Faces

The free Cute Christmas Baubles from Marianna’s Lazy Daisy Days turn small amounts of DK yarn into cheerful character decorations. Worked flat and seamed, they use simple shaping, stuffing and added facial details to create their personality. They suit knitters comfortable with knit, purl, increases and decreases who enjoy a little assembly afterwards. I rather like Marianna’s idea of using them on the Christmas dinner table before adding hanging loops for the tree.

Rudolph’s Nose Christmas Bauble

The free Rudolph’s Nose Bauble from DROPS Design is a useful choice when you want a traditional ball-shaped ornament. Designed in DROPS Flora, it uses knitting in the round with increases and decreases to create the shape. Choose this if you’re comfortable handling a small circumference and want a project focused on construction. I’d make a few in coordinating colours to bring a little consistency to an otherwise wonderfully mismatched handmade tree.

Merry Mints Bauble

The free Merry Mints Bauble from DROPS Design offers another festive option, this time designed in DROPS Cotton Merino. The instructions include working back-and-forth rows and shaping, so it’s worth considering if you prefer that approach to tiny rounds. Read through the construction before starting and pay attention to the instructions for working yarn overs to avoid unwanted holes. This would be a nice project for a knitter who enjoys seeing a shaped decoration emerge from a small piece of knitting.

Caorann Fair Isle Christmas Bauble

The free Caorann Christmas Bauble by Sarah Berry brings delicate Fair Isle detail to a small ornament. It uses fingering-weight yarn and 2.5 mm needles, with instructions sized for an approximately 60 mm bauble insert. Worked in the round, the design includes both written and charted directions for its repeated segments. I’d save this one for knitters with some colourwork experience who want to make a particularly special keepsake.

A Dated 2026 Christmas Bauble

The free 2026 Christmas Bauble by Smaatterier combines the year with two traditional Selbu rose motifs. It’s knitted in the round using stranded colourwork across the middle, with either fibre filling or a suitably sized plastic bauble inside. The charted design is listed as intermediate and finishes at approximately 6.5 cm tall. This is a lovely choice for marking a first Christmas in a new home, a family milestone or simply another year of making things by hand.

Colourful Christmas Balls From Two Strands

The free Christmas Balls by Mary Ann Stephens are full of colourwork detail, with optional touches such as duplicate stitch and nupps. The designer also discusses I-cord hanging loops, which give the ornaments a pleasingly substantial finish. These are better suited to knitters comfortable following charts and managing several colours than complete beginners. Follow the updated download directions in the post to find the patterns on the designer’s current website.

ARNE & CARLOS Christmas Ball Collection

The paid Twenty-four Christmas Balls 2024 collection by ARNE & CARLOS includes a basic ball pattern and 24 different motif charts. The ornaments are worked in the round using stranded colourwork, with a linked tutorial to help you follow the process. Although the designer lists the collection as beginner level, I’d be comfortable knitting in the round and making increases and decreases before starting. This is the pick for someone who wants a whole collection of coordinated ornaments rather than just one small project.

Choosing Yarn for Knitted Baubles

Small decorations are tempting stash projects, but check the yarn weight before diving into that leftover basket. A thicker yarn can make a much larger bauble, while changing the yarn in a fitted cover may stop it fitting the recommended insert.

For colourwork, choose shades with enough contrast for the motif to show. Two lovely colours can look surprisingly similar once they’re knitted together, especially on something this small.

Smooth yarn also makes it easier to see your stitches. Save the fluffy, sparkly and slightly mysterious leftovers for a pattern where you’re confident they’ll work.

Getting a Nicely Rounded Finish

If your pattern uses stuffing, add it gradually and spread it evenly. You’re aiming for a rounded ornament without stretching the stitches so far apart that the filling shows through. For designs worked over an insert, check the diameter and follow the instructions for when to put it inside.

Give the finishing a little time, too. A neat seam, securely woven ends and a tidy hanging loop help a small decoration feel properly finished.

I’d start with a pair for the tree and one to give away. Of course, once you’ve laid out all those yarn colours, “just three” may become a rather flexible arrangement.