Knitting

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Want to Knit Some Cool Socks? This Book Could be Yours

by

Knitted Socks book

Martha is getting this one.

The book Knitted Socks by Anna Tillman has been on my shelf for a long time. Nearly 10 years, it turns out. So long, in fact, that I have gone through several bouts of being sure I reviewed it somewhere and not being able to find any trace of it (I’m still not sure if I ever did).

It’s a book that takes novelty sock knitting to the next level (I mean, come on, those penguin socks on the cover have flippers, a beak and a tail that stick out from the sock) and allow you to knit fun and funky foot fashions for the whole family. Projects range from kid to adult sizes and have all sorts of options for fun, from socks with pigs that line up when you put your feet together to socks with tons of cables, flip-flop socks, felted baby booties, classic Fair Isle designs and more. There are even socks with tiny pockets for a little bear! (Check them all out on Ravelry.)

There is also information on the parts of a sock, sock knitting tips and finishing techniques that will get your sock knitting off on the right foot (sorry). And in the back you’ll find mix and match patterns so you can design your own socks with different cast ons, ribs, cuffs and toes.

If you’d like a chance to win this book, which is now out of print, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, April 30. I’d love to know if you’ve knit any funky socks before. I have to say all mine have been pretty plain, but the stranded knit heart ones from my color knitting book are my favorites.

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

 

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.

Comments

  1. I’ve wanted to finish learning about knitting socks! Thanks for the chance to win this book!

  2. Yes please! I learned to knit socks in school (mandatory in Estonia) and my granny who though me to knit was very strict on it. Many years have passed and would love to get back at it!

  4. Socks tend to be my meeting/tv knitting, so I usually knit fairly plain ones, with simple, easy to memorize, stitch patterns. Those penguins look fun tho! I think I need to expand my sock knitting.

  7. My favorite socks to knit are fraternals because I have trouble making two things the same. So I gave up and make two related but different! Always interested in finding new ideas about socks.

    From overcast VT,
    The Vermonster

  8. No I haven’t knitted Funky socks yet, but this book would be a great way to start.

  10. I have yet to jump into the sock arena. I’m afraid of putting in all the time and effort, and then wearing the bottoms out. Curious how all the sock knitters out there deal with this issue? (Aside of course from putting them in a drawer and never wearing them. )

  11. I have not ever knitted any socks but wouldn’t these be cool to start with? Those penguins are adorable!!

  12. I have knit many pairs of socks before but knitting some funky ones sounds like fun.

  14. Looks like real fun! Unique patterns not seen elsewhere. Too bad it’s out of print.

  15. This book looks so fun! Socks can take “forever” but this could make it worthwhile. 🙂

  17. Funky? Yes. Deliberately? Not really. First pair was two at a time on a single needle. Thought I was going to go insane, and it took me forever because I was soooo afraid of making a mistake. But I did it!
    thanks for making this generous offer!

  18. My go-to sock is usually a knit pattern. My son has been asking for more socks, these would be a fun change. Thanks for the chance.

  19. I have not knitted funky sock although I do have a kit fit “Shark week” My grandson would love some of those socks.

  21. My socks are usually pretty standard, but I would love to try the penguin socks! They are so cute!

  22. If you mean INTENTIONALLY funky, well then, no, I haven’t done that. More than that my pride will not allow me to say. Would love to do the pig socks. Thanks for the giveaway.

  23. All of the socks in this book are so cute and pretty. I am a sock beginner, so have not knit anything fancy. I would surely love to try, though.

  24. I have lots of niblings who would love some of these creative socks – and I do love to knit for my niblings! Thank you for the chance to win.

Have you read?

Knit a Leopard Print Shawl and Learn about Yarn Substitution

When I was looking around for free knitting patterns to share recently, I came across this fun leopard print wrap from Yarnspirations. 

This fun bulky wrap gives you tons of practice with instarsia and makes a bold statement while keeping you warm. It’s rated for intermediate knitters and the design is charted but pretty easy to follow. And it’s only 50 rows and worked in bulky yarn, so it wouldn’t even take that long to knit. (You can grab the free pattern from Yarnspirations.)

So what’s the problem? The yarn that the pattern calls for has been discontinued, and it’s not a yarn that a substitute for immediately springs to mind. 

The original yarn was Patons Alpaca Blend, a single ply bulky yarn that was a combination of acrylic, superwash wool, nylon and alpaca. 

My first thought was Lion Brand Hue + Me, which is an acrylic and wool blend, with two plies instead of a single. It looks like it has the colors you would need to make this fun shawl. 

But as I was thinking about it, I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to YarnSub if you don’t already know about it. This website is a giant database of yarn that can consider the qualities of the yarn you want to substitute and offer potential substitutions. 

It’s not only thinking about yarn weight, like I was, but also fiber content, number of plies, gauge and even the difference in yardage between one ball and another. It even looks at the price and can be filtered by your price range or preferences about fiber content (if, say, you’re sensitive or allergic to wool, for example, or don’t want to you acrylic). 

When I plugged in Alpaca Blend, it gave me a lot of different options, though many of them were self-striping or multicolored, which wouldn’t work for this project, and I don’t see a way to filter for solid colors only. 

Still, it’s a good tool to give you some ideas you might not know about or might have forgotten about, and it tells you how the new yarn is similar to the old one and how it differs, allowing you to make smarter choices when substituting yarns. 

[Photo: Yarnspirations]