Socks

Review: Folk Socks

by --Deb 12.18.2011
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Nancy Bush’s “Folk Socks” was a revelation. Not only did she explore the (mostly European) history of the stocking and all its regional variations, she provided some truly beautiful traditional sock patterns. Like many books of the period, though, the original had something of a no-nonsense feel to it. There were pictures, but, well, compared to the stylish knitting books in vogue today, it doesn’t look like anything special–very plain vanilla and utilitarian.

So, when I tell you that book has been updated, does it make your heart beat a little faster?

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Review: The Knitter’s Book of Socks

by --Deb 10.11.2011
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This is Clara Parkes we’re talking about here. She’s already established herself as an expert on yarns with her reviews at Knitter’s Review and her two earlier books about yarn and wool. You would expect a book of hers about socks to not simply be a collection of patterns. You would expect more … and you’d get it.

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Review: Sock Knitting Master Class

by --Deb 06.23.2011
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Most sock books are either filled with patterns with not a whole lot of time spent on technique, or they’re full of guidance but with blah patterns. Of course, some do hit the balance between pattern and technique. Some are fairly exhaustive, in fact, and you may already have them on your shelves.

But … they’re not THIS book, by Ann Budd, a genius in our time.

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Review: Knitting Knee-Highs

by --Deb 03.11.2011
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Okay, knitters, I want you to put down your sock knitting and look up. Way up.

As in … knee-high!

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Review: Think Outside the Sox

by --Deb 05.22.2010
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What happens when a well-known knitting magazine has a contest for creative sock patterns?

Well, in this case, you get 296 entries to be pared down by judges Cat Bordhi, Lucy Neatby, and Sandi Rosner. Then, after awarding prizes, you put the 61 best into a book and send it out into the world.

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Review: Sock Knitter’s Workshop

by --Deb 04.21.2010
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I know what you’re thinking–does the world really need another book on sock knitting?

Turns out, I think it does.

This book says that it is “everything knitters need to knit socks beautifully,” and I must admit, it’s pretty thorough.

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Review: Toe-Up Socks for Every Body

by --Deb 03.22.2010
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This is Wendy’s third book, and I think it’s the best yet. This is a book filled with toe-up sock patterns for men, women, and children, and they’re just lovely. I usually knit just plain-jane stockinette socks (yes, I know, it’s boring of me), but there are at least five designs in there that I’d like to make. That’s a huge number of sock patterns for me to seriously desire.

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Review: Sock Club

by --Deb 02.10.2010
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First, the facts: Title: Sock Club: Join the Knitting Adventure Author: Charlene Schurch & Bet Parrott Published by: Martingale & Company, 2009 Pages: 80 Type: Women’s Socks Chapters: A list of patterns, grouped by the method for changing size: Changing elements within a repeat Changing spacing between pattern elements Changing the number of background stitches [...]

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Review: Magnificent Mittens and Socks

by --Deb 01.01.2010
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The main part of this book is taken up by the mittens. Lots of mittens. Glorious mittens. Bright, colorful, creative, they make you wish for snow kind of mittens. 42 patterns for the mittens themselves, along with charts for the cuffs so you can mix-and-match, and an assortment of edges so you can finish your mittens however you like.

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Review: The Enchanted Sole

by --Deb 11.22.2009
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Such a fun book, filled with creative sock patterns. Each pattern in the book is inspired by various legends and fairy tales. Selkies, Mermaids. Tolkein’s elves. Alchemists. Atlantis.

Clearly, these are no ordinary socks.

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Review: Knitted Comfort for the Sole

by --Deb 08.02.2009
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I was looking for something creative, something that wasn’t the “same old, same old” sock book, and when I saw this one, I knew it qualified.

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Review: New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One

by --Deb 07.28.2009
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Suppose you wanted to take a fresh look at sock knitting, and come up with a new approach to a basic shape that has been around for centuries. The human foot hasn’t changed all that much, and knitting itself has been more or less consistent for a couple centuries now. So, barring new techniques like Magic Loop and short-row heels … how much “new” can there be?

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Review: Socks from the Toe Up

by --Deb 07.12.2009
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I don’t honestly know what took me so long to get this book. I love Wendy’s blog, liked her last book, have met and even interviewed her … why would I possibly dawdle about buying her book devoted to toe-up socks? Especially when they’re my personal favorite style of socks?

Yeah. I don’t know, either. Because I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Review: Sock Innovation

by --Deb 03.29.2009
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Have you ever wondered what you really needed to know to be able to design really fantastic socks? How to work in a stitch pattern, how to coordinate the placement of the heel, or the elasticity of the cuff? Maybe you’ve been looking for a nice, thorough guide to explain everything you need to know?

Or, maybe you’re not at all interested in designing socks, and you just want beautiful socks to knit. You want all the hard, thinking parts taken care of and just work off the sheer inspiration of meticulously crafted patterns.

Where, oh where, can you go to find all that?

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