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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