Review: Knitted Socks

This book — Knitted Socks by Anna Tillman — has been on my shelf for years and I always feel like I have reviewed it but apparently never did.

That’s a shame, because it’s pretty darn cute, as you might gather from the penguin socks pictured on the cover. It covers the basics of sock parts and how to knit them, knitting the right size, reading charts and finishing socks and includes 25 patterns for a range of sizes and using a variety of yarns and knitting techniques.

There’s a pair made of rainbow colored eyelash yarn, for instance, and felted slippers that are knit like giant socks. There are socks with cables, colorwork and lace, and simpler striped socks, too.

And there are toe socks. Which I love. The pattern is called Rainbow Toes and each toe is worked in a different color, and the colors are repeated at the top of the knee-high cuff.

Other standouts include The Whole Hog, which features colorwork pigs that make a whole picture when you put your feet together; Zigzag Socks, a fun pattern worked in a bold self-striping yarn; Fly Away Home, baby-sized ladybug socks; Going Dotty, a double-knit pair worked with circles throughout; and Cable Cuffs, which start from a band of cable worked flat, seamed and turned on its side to make the top of the sock.

There’s also information in the back on different heel, toe and ribbing options to help you design your own sock, as well as a kind of blank pattern to get you started.

Want a chance to win this book? Check out this week’s giveaway (ends March 22, 2015).

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.

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

Have you read?