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Giveaway: Sockupied

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sockupied giveaway

Judith is the winner!

I spent a fair bit of yesterday knitting the heel flap, turning the heel and working the gusset on a sock I’d neglected for more than a year. I’d knit the leg a long time ago and just moved on to other things, as will happen, but I’m trying to finish some things before the end of the year and it felt like a good place to start.

It reminded me how much I love knitting socks, especially that particular part I did yesterday, where the magic happens. It finally feels like you’re knitting a real thing when it curves into a sock shape, and I think that very part may be one of the many reasons so many of us like to knit socks so much.

Whether you know that feeling or have yet to knit your first pair, this week’s giveaway is designed to encourage the sock knitter in you. Sockupied: 20 Knit Projects to Satisfy Your Sock Obsession, edited by Anne Merrow, features patterns and advice from the “pages” of the digital magazine of the same name from Interweave. It includes 20 patterns from basic to slightly mind-blowing, as well as advice on things like working stranded colorwork on socks, casting on, binding off and shaping toes.

Check out all the patterns on Ravelry, and if you’re interested in winning this one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Dec. 4. I’d love to know how many pairs of socks you have knit and/or your preferred construction method. I usually go with top-down but my toe-up ones are probably my favorites to wear. Go figure.

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

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Comments

  2. I have still never had the opportunity to knit socks. These models are very beautiful and I would like to try!!!

  7. I have knit zero pairs. I am intimidated by socks!
    BUT my goal is to conquer sock knitting in 2017!

  12. I’ve knit 12 (!!!!) pairs of socks this year! I prefer the toe-up construction and a Fish Lips Kiss heel. My favorite pair so far is a No Purl Monkey pattern from Cookie A. It was free on Ravelry and has been a real pleasure to knit with the partridge eye heel. I like to try new construction and the last pattern I knit was a Vanilla Reversed sock.

  14. I have one sock that needs to be finished! just 2″ to the toes and my socks will be complete! Help me finish knitting that pair of socks! Its Christmastime, and my Carolina Panthers aren’t winning!

  15. I love knitting socks. I’m not sure how many I’ve made, but my favorite construction is toe-up. I even make toe up baby socks for new parents!

  16. I am very lucky my sister knits all of my socks for me. I think she prefers the top down version. I know she does both top down and toe up. I would love to win this book for her.

  19. I’ve knit at least 50 pairs, I still love them and have 2 drawers full. I also have 2 drawers full of sock yarn that need a little inspiration.

  24. I knit a pair of socks every month to month and a half. They’re my go-to-meeting knitting, mindless and portable, and my job sadly requires quite a few meetings. I have at least 20 pairs now. I normally do toe-up with a gusset and heel flap, but love exploring different construction techniques.

Have you read?

Book Review: No Fear Sock Knitting

I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks. 

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks. 

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more. 

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel. 

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options. 

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before. 

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.