Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

The Sock Knitter’s Workshop

by

Remember my desperate plea for help with my socks (well, maybe it was more like “help me not buy any more sock yarn”)? Anyway, I have issues with socks. They don’t quite fit. I wear them and love them because they are hand knit, and I know it’s me, because socks that others have knit fit just fine.

Enter The Sock Knitter’s Workshop – Everything Knitters Need to Knit Socks by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Linden. Check! Check! and Double Check!

This time the socks I’m knitting are straight out of this wonderful book. It’s like the authors are holding my hands and walking me through this. So far, so good. Step-by-step, hundreds of illustrations, and 15 really cool patterns too. It’s a can’t miss! Available from Sixth and Spring, here.

Comments

  1. love knitting socks but have become stuck in a rut of knitting them cuff down, get goofy when i start at the toe for some reason! Hmmm, need a book!

  2. I produced a video on how to knit socks. Step by step instructions, over one hour and 40 minutes of clear visual instructions. Give it a try, I have a lot of happy customers.

  4. Would like to see your video and want to knit the next pair from the toe up. Thanks for your sharing. Wanita

  5. I want to start the For Mother and Daughter…with lace pattern from pg 105 and 106 of The Knitter’s Workshop but in reading the diagram, a diamond is shown on both row 2 and 4 of the lace pattern. My problem is that no diamond is given in the key for the diagram. Has anyone done this sock? And if so what stitch did you use at that point of the pattern?

Have you read?

The Bunny Sweater Knitting Pattern that’s Actually for Cats

I don’t often share knitting patterns for pets, mostly because I don’t think of it. I don’t have a dog, and I’ve never knit for my cats except a knit couch and a little cat bed I made on a knitting machine, both of which were pretty much ignored. 

I have shared some pet bed knitting patterns, and both hats and sweaters for dogs. 

But I don’t think I’ve shared a pattern for a cat sweater, until now. 

This one is the Bunny sweater by Sarah Zhou, so named because her cat is named Bunny, of course. 

It’s a made to measure pattern because cats come in all shapes and sizes, and you can also use any yarn you like and whatever gauge you are getting with that yarn. 

The design is knit from the bottom up, that is, from the tail side up toward the head. Pairs of decreases shape the body as you work toward the armholes, which are made by binding off a few stitches. Then the belly and the back are worked flat, then joined and worked in the round for the chest part. 

There are some design options in the pattern, from the look of the photos they include using a contrasting color for the edging, working a scalloped edging, maybe a foldover collar? But of course you can add your own embellishments, stripes, make it in team colors or for a Halloween costume. I’m sure they’re quick to knit so you can make a bunch if you have a cat who is willing to submit to such torture. 

Bunny looks like a very good and mostly tolerant girl; I don’t think either of my cats would be willing to wear a sweater. But if you make one (the pattern is available on Ravelry) and successfully get your cat to wear it I would love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah Zhou]