Knitting

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Giveaway….Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn

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yarnTotally cool book! Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J Sulcoski goes into detail about the differences between hand dyed vs machine dyed yarns, different fibers, and blends. Oooooh, the blends!

And the patterns!  Gorgeous patterns, not just for handpaints, but for any yarns.

Tips for avoiding splotching and pooling. Ideas for choosing patterns that complement the yarns and guidelines for understanding how the colors in a sock work together! – Funny story….. I’m soooooo not the person who cares if my socks pool, or splotch or even match. It just doesn’t matter to me, but this last pair of socks I knitted are I.D.E.N.T.I.C.A.L!!  Of course I’m taking credit for this, but between you and me, I knit until I was happy with how long the cuff was (toe up patterns and I are bff!), and then just started with the toe on the next one. No amount of planning could replicate this freak of nature, but they match. And I don’t care! Who’da thunk??

Anyway, tell me about your sock horror stories, I’ll send an email to everyone who comments and as usual, the first one to respond back to me with their mailing address gets this awesome book!

And if you don’t win the book, you can buy it at Interweave Press, here: http://www.interweavestore.com/store/p/2274-Knitting-Socks-with-Handpainted-Yarn.aspx

They even have a few hurt copies at a discount, but hurry!

Comments

  1. I don’t have any pooling/flashing horror stories, but the last time I had to find a pattern for a special skein of handpainted yarn I kept swatching, then having pooling, and nearly scuzzed up the bamboo-blend yarn beyond usability before I found something that worked.

  2. My ‘horror’ sock experience was trying to knit two at a time with two needles. Way to many things hanging and dangling!

    I’m a magic loop kind of gal with a great toe up pattern! I turn the heel with no pick up stitches. yumm!

  3. Hmmm, sock horror stories…. usually my horror stories involve lace, lol, but my worst sock experience was using a REALLY expensive cashmere blend sock yarn that wanted to split at any given opportunity. I ended up finishing the socks because I was afraid the yarn would be trashed and not good for anything else. In the end they looked great, but I think I ground a quarter inch off my teeth!

  4. I don’t have any experienced ‘horror’ stories other then the fact that I am very afraid to start sock knitting with handpainted yarns. I have a few skeins of handpainted sock yarn that has been begging to be cast on but have yet to do so because of my inability to choose a pattern that would work with the yarns. Sounds like this book would help me with that conundrum.

  5. I just have an incredibly hard time knitting socks, for some reason. I always have to start them 5-10 times before I get a good beat going. Not the worst horror story, I know, but pretty difficult. Thanks!

  6. I just ripped out most of a foot (toe up is the only way I go)because of pooling. I mean, who wants to wear socks that have eyeballs looking up at them? Creepy!

  7. I’m brand new to the addiction of sock making – and in spite of having my first sock look like it could fit an elephant, I’m hooked. I have a comfortably snug cuff and a reasonably well fitting foot with a GIGANTIC ankle and body. The mate fits well but is definitely blotchy. Oh well…at least I have a pair of socks that I can stash away for the next family member who sprains an ankle – the elephant one could easily hold a package of frozen peas for cold therapy!

  8. I don’t really have a sock horror story – one thing though, I tried an unconventional way to knit socks by a very popular sock designer – I had to rip back at least 3 times to get the foot length correct – I guess I don’t know what an ankle bone is.

  9. I just had a toe up gusset go nuts on me. My yarn was striping very nicely until the 1st gusset increases. That was all it took…2 extra stitches to start the crazy z-ing. I keep knitting to the leg and ended pulling the whole thing back down to before the increase in did a short row heel!

  10. I can’t turn the heel! AH! no matter what pattern I use, what kind of yarn, I just can’t get past the heel. So I have a bunch of sock toes lying around lol.

  11. no real horror stories aside form horrid pooling, a bit uneven, still grasping toe up’s and the short foot! The last toer ups are sitting up on the needles for over a year now….yikes!

  12. I dont have a horror story with socks .. We actually used to have lots of fun with them

  13. I have the you can see them from outer space socks. The colors pooled like crazy no matter what I did. But they turned out to be perfect for my pre-teen niece. Apparently the more they scream the better they are to wear to school. And that book is fantastic too. I keep looking at it at the store but haven’t bought it yet.

  14. I have tried to knit socks once. I gave up because they looked horrid. I am still a sock virgin.

  15. I haven’t made socks yet, but I’m anxious to try. I need more colorful socks in my wardrobe!

  16. No horror stories yet – just a couple of nice pairs of socks. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky so far?!

  17. My horror story doesn’t have to do with pooling or flashing but instructions and writing down your modifications. I put a pair of socks I was working on aside to work on other projects. When I went back to them months later, I realized that I didn’t mark where I was on the chart and had modified things but hadn’t noted those changes anywhere. I ended up frogging them and starting another pair of socks with the yarn.

  18. I can’t think of any real horror stories with socks except for dropping a stitch in a lace pattern – it didn’t actually go far, but I was a new enough/confused enough lace knitter that I frogged back to the cuff.

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.