Knit Socks on a Circular Knitting Machine

My love for the circular knitting machines doesn’t seem to be letting up. I do still knit (and crochet) a lot, but I also enjoy playing with these machines to see what can be done with them and often make things with them that I wouldn’t knit otherwise.

I recently bought a 22-pin Sentro knitting machine, and one thing that I have seen a lot of people do with it is knitting socks. I was skeptical to say the least, but I figured I should give it a try.

I made a simple pair of tube socks in just a couple of hours (the one I stopped to take photos of took 41 mintues) and it was super fun. They’re actually really cozy, too!

These are made with worsted weight yarn (Lion Brand Heartland in a fun tweed colorway) and I need to experiment with using lighter weight yarn (I think a DK weight sock would also fit an average sized foot, but I haven’t tested it yet) and also play with adding ribbing at the top and maybe a heel (which I think would have to be handknit, but I’m not sure).

Since it’s a tube sock, the only part where fit is potentially problematic is around the top; if you have a large calf and your sock top isn’t very stretchy it might not fit. You can also make them shorter than I did so you don’t have to worry about that as much.

I did a single crochet “bind off” at the top of my sock, but if you leave a long enough tail you could also just bind off with knitting, which might also make it a bit stretchier.

You can see my socks and how I made them over at Our Daily Craft. If you’ve made socks on a circular knitting machine before I’d love to hear your recipe and if you’ve done anything beyond simple tube socks. I’ll definitely update you when I’ve done some more experimenting!

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

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