Good Books for Newer Sock Knitters

I have reviewed so many sock knitting books through the years that I could tell you about a different one each day of the month and never repeat myself. (It's true; I actually did that last October and I've added a few reviews since then!)

Socks a la Carte by Jonelle Raffino and Katherine Cade. North Light Books.

Instead of bombarding you with info on every book under the sun, though, I thought I would highlight some of my favorites. Today we're taking a look at some of the best books for newer sock knitters.

Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd is a good basic reference that includes 22 patterns for socks in different gauges -- 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 stitches per inch -- and sizes ranging from a medium-sized child to a large adult. There are times I feel like this book is a little too basic, but it's a great one to start with.

Laura Chau's Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting is a wonderful choice for knitters who like to see a lot of pictures and step-by-step instructions for what they're learning. It offers basic and beyond patterns and has a ton of techniques including using circulars, DPNs and the magic loop, cuff-down and toe-up projects and a variety of heels and toes.

If you really need to see what you're doing in order to learn, the Zen of Socks DVD is a good choice. It takes you through all the motions of knitting a simple Stockinette sock and will leave you with a lot of confidence to try more complex projects.

Knit Socks! by Betsy Lee McCarthy is another good book with basic patterns for classic styles you'll want to knit. These 17 patterns don't go far beyond the ordinary, but the book will offer knitters a good grounding in the basics.

Finally, for knitters who want to go their own way from the beginning, I recommend Socks a la Carte by Jonelle Raffino and Katherine Cade. This fun book has 17 options for cuffs, 20 for bodies and 18 combinations of heels and toes that you can put together to make just the socks you want even if you're a newer sock knitter.

Do you have a favorite sock book? I'd love to hear about it!

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Using Sock Yarn for Things Other Than Socks

Once you've knit a few pairs of socks -- or maybe even before then! -- you may notice that you're accumulating a big collection of little balls of yarn. If you're honest with yourself, you probably know that you aren't going to knit socks with all those skeins, but what else can you do with them?

Sock Yarn Studio by Carol J. Sulcoski. Lark Crafts.

Carol J. Sulcoski and some of her designer friends have some ideas for you, from hats to shawls and cowls to tops. She's collected nearly 30 patterns for using sock yarn on non-sock projects in her book Sock Yarn Studio.

What I really like about this book in addition to the patterns is the discussion of how to best use sock yarn, which includes good information on determining the repeat of the pattern or colors involved so that you can best plan what sort of project to use it in. I particularly love the advice to use self-patterning yarns on projects that end up about the same size as a sock would be -- I did this without thinking on my Custom Arm Warmer pattern, but it's really good advice if you're better at thinking ahead than I am.

Have you ever knit something other than socks with sock yarn? I'd love to hear about it!

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Casting on for Toe-Up Socks

This week I wanted to continue the Socktoberfest fun with a closer look at toe-up sock knitting methods. I will readily admit that this is not a genre of knitting I have that much experience in -- certainly not as much as I do in cuff-down knitting of socks.

Casting on in the Turkish cast on method for toe-up socks. ? Sarah E. White.

So when I say that my favorite cast on for toe-up socks is what's known as the Turkish Cast On, it's because I don't really have a lot of experience with other options. I like it because it's easy, though, and you don't need any waste yarn as you do with some cast on methods that require provisionally casting on some stitches to begin. For that reason I think it's great for people just starting out knitting toe-up socks.

But I would absolutely love to hear your opinion. What other cast ons should I be experimenting with? What's your favorite cast on for toe-up socks? Or are you one who's never knit toe-up socks before? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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How to Turn a Heel on a Toe-Up Sock

One thing that I think really puzzles knitters who've made cuff-down socks about toe-up sock knitting is how to turn the heel. So many of us are used to the heel flap and gusset style of heel, and while that certainly is possible to do from the toe-up, just thinking about it can make your brain go a little fuzzy.

A short row heel after it has been worked. ? Sarah E. White.

But there's another style of heel that is a lot easier to work from the toe up (and that's great for cuff-down socks, too), and that's the short row heel.

A short row heel typically begins with working all but the last stitch of the row, then doing a wrap and turn and working back all but the last stitch of the row. Rows get progressively shorter until you're leaving just a few stitches unworked in the center (this is the heel cup) and then you start working out again, making each row longer until you've worked all the stitches in the row again.

From here you just join back to the leg stitches and work as before in whatever pattern was being used on the foot or leg, depending on which direction you're working. The heel just kind of sticks out the side of the sock and doesn't interrupt any patterning on the rest of the sock, making it a perfect choice for socks worked in any direction that have a complex pattern.

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Knitting Patterns -The Best Ways to Publish Your Own Knitting Patterns

If you design knitting patterns or teach knitting techniques and would like to publish your work, read on to discover the different ways you can publish, the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and essential advice about copyrights and how to use them.

Being a published designer or author is great for your credibility, will give you publicity and allow your work to be seen by a much wider audience. But before you rush in and write your book, you should first do some research and find out more about your market and whether your product or ideas will actually sell.

First of all, you need to think about who your target market is. Will it be a broad range of knitters or crocheters? Or is it a small niche group? Are they beginners or advanced? Is the content of your book in fashion at the moment?

Broad appeal knitting books are usually about knitting basics, how to knit, how to solve problems, and common knitting or crochet patterns. Even though they are aimed at a broad market, the most popular of these books still have something unique about them, or some kind of spin to make them interesting. Books aimed at niche markets are great because they have the potential to come into fashion and sell very well.

To research the market, look on the big book-selling sites like Amazon, where you can see what the most popular books are in your category. Some of the best-selling pattern books at the moment are books about sock patterns, knitted or crocheted decorations, warm weather knitting and solutions for knitting problems. By looking through these lists, you may also be able to find gaps in the market that you can fill.

When you have decided on your topic and created your content, you have three main choices for how to publish, advertise and sell your work:

One option is to use a publishing company to publish your book. There are obviously a huge number of publishers around the world, some very large with wide distribution networks, others smaller and perhaps more suitable for niche publications. The advantage of using a publishing company is that they will copyright, edit, print and distribute your book for you. Some publishing companies specialize in craft books, which means they will have more experience with your style of book. They will have experienced editors to give feedback and ideas for improvement.

If you use a large publishing company, your knitting book will be more widely distributed, much quicker than you could do yourself. It will be advertised in catalogs, and most publishers have reps that will promote and sell your book to stores. The downside is that you will lose much of your control over the book, as well as the profits.

Another option is to self-publish your knitting or crochet book using an online publishing service like lulu.com. By publishing your book in this way, you will retain more control over how your knitting book is presented and printed, where it is sold and how it is promoted, as well as the copyrights.

There are new copyrights called "Creative Commons" that are not as restrictive and allow people to share your patterns more freely, use them to inspire other work, or in knitting classes. This free use will encourage your designs to be distributed more widely and get your name as a designer more commonly known.

When you self publish your knitting book, you will get more of the profits. Most self-publishing services let you to print to order which means lower start-up costs.

However, you won't get the same book-store distribution as with an offline publisher. And you will be responsible for most of the promotion yourself.

A third option is to publish your knitting book online as an E-Book. This would be a good option if you have an existing website, or you can find sites that would be willing to promote your book. If you don't want to spend much on start-up, then this is a great way to test your market for very little investment.

You could also list your book or patterns with one of the many online pattern sellers. This way you can control the copyright and distribution of each of your designs individually.

In terms of knitting pattern copyright, there are several options available. All unique patterns are automatically protected under copyright law in most countries, so all you need to do is write "Copyright" and the year of creation, and your name. eg. Copyright 2009 Liz Raad. You can add the phrase "all rights reserved" if you don't want your patterns used for anything other than personal use. Or you can add specific exceptions like "not to be used for commercial gain".

However, you may have noticed that the world (especially the online world) is changing to a much more free approach to sharing information and ideas. If you free up your copyrights and use a creative commons copyright as mentioned above, your designs will be shared, and reach a far wider audience than if you severely restrict their use. Your income as a designer comes from sales of patterns or books, and lots of sales are made from personal recommendations, so the more people who know about you the better!

Whichever option you decide on, if you want to make money knitting then publishing your knitting book you will get greater exposure for your designs, and your name will become more widely known. Becoming a published knitting designer or author will provide you with more credibility, and might even bring new opportunities in your knitting design career.

Liz Raad is a small business coach and author of the book "Knitting For Profit - Your Step-by-Step Guide To Making Money From Knitting and Crochet." She also gives great free information and ideas about how to make money from knitting on her blog at knittingforprofit

Advanced techniques for knitting experts - part 1

After you learn to cast on, knit, Surinam and bind off, what's next? Advanced techniques, right? Where you draw on a line are techniques for knitting experts advanced? It comes to the knitter. Here is my list is the slightly increasing in a level difficulty knitting techniques, arranged.

Increases or decreases.

Receives these flat knit a whole new level design and ability to fit a human body. You choke for a waist, expand as you work your way of a pod, etc. There are many different increase and decrease methods, each with a different view, so that you can only right in your next project.

Yarn took over.

With yarn overs, increases or decreases, you can do to lead. The magic of the head is in the block, because looks lumpy and uninspired while airy open top is knitting. Whee!

Speaking block...

There are several methods:
* Steam
* enjoy, rinse, squeeze-out tie excess water, layout, shape, and you dry
PIN, spritz with water and allow to dry

Cable.

There are so many cable designs that can also try a knitter. They range from a simple crossed cable to complex Celtic node. Advanced knitters can cable without a cable needle.

Knit in the round.

You can continue a large or small tube in four ways:
* on double
* You are number close to the size of the u-Bahn on circular knit
* on two round pins with half the stitches on each
* Magic loop, where no. a large loop of the needle of the cables on one side of the tube pulled out using large circular

Picking up stitches.

Most socks want engravings collected the heel flap. For many other reasons for many projects, you will pick up stitches.

Special stitches.

These engravings, elongated stings, pimples include loop, stitch, twisted stitches, linen slipped stitches.

Knit two colors.

The slipped stitches can be used in the mosaic knitting, where the pattern looks, how to use two colors in each row or round, but work really a color and slip of the other.

Fair Isle changes two colors in each row or round and carries the unused color behind the knitted color for each stitch. If you feel expert enough, you can use more than two colors in each row or round. Good luck with the.

A sweater Bohus purl adds stitches for texture Isle but fair used. Beautiful stuff.

Marquetry is, where you can knit a color in a block or at a specific location in your work. Disconnect a color instead of to take him on the back. Locking of the yarns, to prevent a hole, if you change colors.

Shadow knitting.

A mysterious colour change, where you can see a pattern, if the work is displayed at an angle.

Are we ready? Definitely not! We are half way through my list of the advanced techniques for knitting experts. They more or less harder, like us, yes go getting?

Keep in mind that you knit for fun, relaxation and productive results. Tips to avoid a professional knit error you, customize the rope, visit my knitting gone bad blog at http://knitfitninja.com/blog/

How to Knit Socks

If you are familiar with knitting and have some extra yarn laying around, why not turn it into a pair of warm socks for yourself or someone you love? Follow these steps to learn how to knit socks. This tutorial assumes that you know the following knitting techniques: how to knit, purl, cast on, and cast off. If you are not familiar with these terms, you will need to learn what they are and how to do them before attempting to knit your own socks.

Step One: Choosing Your Thread

Choose the thread you want to use to make your sock. Using a thick yarn will make a better slipper than a sock, so you want to be careful with your choice.

Step Two: Choosing Your Needles

You will need double pointed needles to work with this particular sock pattern. You will need five because the symmetrical nature of this pattern calls for four needles to hold the work as you build the sock and one needle to work with to build the sock.

Step Three: Cast On to Avoid Having to Sew the Toe of the Sock

Using two needles, wrap the thread around them in a figure eight shape. All of the loops you create here will turn into stitches of the sock later. If you are making a small sock, use eight loops, but for larger socks, use 10 loops.

Step Four: Adding a Third Needle

You will need to use a third needle to knit all of the loops on the first one. After you have knitted all the loops on the first needle, take it and knit all of the loops on the second needle. The end result of this step should show all of your stitches on the first and third needles. Don't worry about the stitches being loose because they will be tightened later in the process.

Step Five: Building More of the Sock

With the third, or floating needle, follow the knit one, make one pattern until you have reached the halfway point over the needle. Now, you will want to add a marker to indicate the back center point of the sock.

Step Six: Adding a Fourth Needle

Add another needle into the mix and continue the knit one, make one pattern until there is one left, knitting the last stitch.

Step Seven: Continuing the Pattern to Build the Sock

Repeat these steps with a second casting on needle. If you are knitting a large sock, count on having six stitches on each one. If you are knitting a small sock, count on having five stitches on each one. Continue this knitting pattern until you have built the entire length of your sock. You should continue knitting until the sock is about two inches away from the back of the heel. Make sure to have foot measurements if you are making the sock for someone else.

Step Eight: Build the Heel of the Sock

Knit short rows, using only two needles. Using the knit and purl techniques, knit back and forth tightly to keep from building large holes in the sock.

Step Nine: Returning the Needles Back to Normal to Finish the Sock

Go back to your five needle stance to finish building the remainder of the sock, the area that goes around the ankle and up the leg.

Step Ten: Cast Off

When you have finished building the sock and done your ribbing of knit two, purl two, you will want to cast off loosely to ensure the sock is easy to put on and take off. If not, it can result in an uncomfortable sock.

Handmade socks make a great stocking stuffers, especially soft, fluffy warm ones! Learn how to knit socks [http://howtoknitsocks.org/] at: [http://howtoknitsocks.org/].