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by Kelley on October 16, 2012
How many times have you fallen in love with sock yarn skeins that have been hand-dyed by a talented independent artist know as an “Indie-Dyer”. Oftentimes, I am drawn to more than just a couple of skeins. I find myself wanting nearly everything that particular artist makes. I call it the “sensibility” of an artist.Attending the two Sock Summits that have taken place here in Portland highlighted the concept of sensibility. Think of it as walking through a huge museum of Indie Dyers. Each booth full of yarn and fiber had a definite sense of color and style. |
Category Archives: socks
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by Kelley on July 23, 2012
I love books that are already spiralbound if nothing else because I don’t have to make a trip to Kinkos to have it spiral bound. I guess spiral binding is a sign of my respect for a book in some sort of weird way that I really don’t want to examine too closely. The Sock Knitter’s Handbook by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott is one of those kind of knitting books. Not a pattern book but it will definitely get you heading towards your sock yarn stash whether you are just beginning to explore the pleasures of knitting socks or you’ve got a few dozen in your sock drawer. |
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by Jenny K on July 17, 2012
It was just around this time last year when everyone was buzzing with excitement over the second Sock Summit, held here in Portland, Oregon. And even though there are no gatherings on such a grand scale happening this summer, it sure hasn't stopped any of us here at the office from springing right into a summer of sock knitting! It seems as though everyone has slowly put away the sweaters on their needles or quickly finished their WIPs in favor of these portable knitting delights. Even more interesting is watching just how everyone works their way through socks - some work their socks both at the same time, some use the magic loop method, and others use double pointed needles all while some knit from the cuff down and others from the toe up. Don't even get me started on the various cast ons, heels, and bind offs there are to choose from! And I love that about sock knitting - even though everyone is going through the same motions to create the same basic shaping, everyone gets to pick and choose from different styles and techniques to arrive at the finished project - a cozy pair of handknit socks. So in honor of our sock obsession that is taking over all of our needles, this technique of the week highlights our video tutorial for the backwards loop cast on! Perfect for starting your next toe-up pair of socks, this is yet another cast on that is wonderful to have in your knitting repertoire. |
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by Hannah on July 11, 2012
I've been hit with SOCK FEVER! I loved doing the color maps for the new Stroll Handpainted yarns and couldn't wait to start knitting socks with the pretty skeins when they arrived at the office a few months ago. I grabbed a skein of Leg Warmer and knit my very first toe-up, two-at-a-time socks! |
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by Kelley on June 26, 2012
It is completely up to you! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on June 5, 2012
That old addage has been used to describe so many things, but it's certainly true for the Ternion Knee Socks kit! The Ternion (fancy word for a group of three) Knee Socks kit features three patterns for three different pair of knee-high socks that use three totally different techniques. There are the stately Cabled pair, which feature intricate front cable panels and twist-stitch ribbing... |
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by Jenny K on June 5, 2012
Knitting socks from the toe up has been quickly becoming a favorite technique among knitters. At first, the idea of working socks from the toe up instead of the cuff down boggled my mind- how would you cast on, how would you work the heel, would there even be a heel flap? All of these questions came to mind, but eventually my curiosity grew to the point where I simply had to see how a toe-up sock came together. And I have to say, I'm so glad I gave it a shot! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and I even found a few advantages to toe-up socks that I really liked.So, if you've been on the fence to trying toe-up socks, this week's technique of the week is here to help you get started! In the Figure Eight Cast On for Toe-Up Socks video tutorial, Kerin shows you a simple and effective way to cast on for your toe-up socks. |
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by Kelley on June 4, 2012
No, it's not watching the original Battlestar Galactica series on Netflix. I'll probably get through those shows before we get up to Vancouver. (photo from Raverly project by linnakat) |
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by Kelley on April 23, 2012
I love this pattern! Beth promises that it is easy to memorize and she is not kidding. It's a progression acros sixteen stitches. Sixteen stitches that fit nicely on each of my four DPNs. |
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by Kelley on April 19, 2012
When I received an invitation to a Ravelry group called Socks of Doom, I had a few mis-givings. Would this be a collection of hopelessly confused sock knitters, a support group for sufferers of Second Sock Syndrome or, maybe, yikes! knitters darning heels! It turned out to be a sock knitting competition. I had no idea these sort of things existed. The idea is that two, paired up sock knitters race against each other to see who can knit a pair of socks first. Whoever loses - dies!! :) Yes, there are rules. And, no, I absolutely could not resist. The first pattern assignment (I sound like a sock knitting version of Mission Impossible) is the Nutkin pattern by Beth LaPensee. (photo from Ravelry pattern page) |
