Knit Socks!

Rating:
Summary: Overall, a good investment
Review: Here are some thoughts I have about this book:

1. The designs are fantastic. I would not object to making every sock in this book. They are not totally wacky, nor too simple. They use great colors, great textures. There is a total of 15 designs, only one is children's size, and one is both for adults and children. As for the adult socks, most of them are suitable for men and women. Various designs use cables, intarsia, stripes, simple lace. Overall, there is a diverse array of classy, interesting socks to knit.

2. Each design is double the fun! In a very convenient format, each design comes in two variations - sometimes it's written for two different yarn weights, and sometimes it's written for two different sizes. This is great because it makes yarn substitutions so much easier.

3. There is a sizeable introduction with techniques and tips, and other tips can be found throughout the book. Some tips include how to splice yarns together, how to make neater decrease stitches, how to avoid ladders, etc...

4. So why the four stars? Well, I actually made one of the patterns. The instructions for each sock are meticulous, really spelling out each step. To give you an idea, they tell you exactly how to redistribute the stitches between needles, and spell out row by row how to make the heel turn. Each pattern is about 8 pages long! In such an instance, it's really easy for the writers to make a mistake, or to give the knitter a false sense of comfort, allowing him/her to just blindly follow what's written. In the pattern I made, I found a few weird choices and mistakes, and I really needed to pay attention to what's written and if it made sense.

Overall, a solid investment. Really great patterns that you'll keep making. I would say this book is for an intermediate knitter, or for a really adventurous beginner knitter. Just keep your wits about you as you make the socks, don't let the step-by-step instructions fool you into infallibility on the writers' part.

Rating:
Summary: Good book for learning to knit socks
Review: I've been knitting for a while now, but I have been afraid to venture into the world of sock knitting. However, after seeing someone knitting a pair of sock, I couldn't think of anything else. I knew I needed to knit a pair of socks.

I went to a local yarn store and poured through every book they had on sock knitting. I finally ended up going with this one. The book has great illustrations for getting started on double pointed needles, and sock patterns that give instructions for multiple sizes and yarn gauges. The sock patterns range from beginner to intermediate, and all the patterns are socks that I would actually wear (though maybe not in the colors they are presented in). Also, the book is a convenient size for carrying around with your knitting.

The only drawback of the book for me was that they don't have any patterns for knee-high socks. But you can't have everything.

Since I have gotten the book I have been able to start my own pair of socks (well, the first one at least). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to knit socks.

Rating:
Summary: Good for a sock newbie
Review: This books assumes you have a basic knowledge of knitting and very little knowledge of knitting socks. That's what I wanted in a first sock book. There are explanations of each sock part, how to use double-pointed needles, and various other tidbits that might be useful to a first-time sock knitter. The instructions are set up step by step and are easy to follow.

The only problem I had with my first pair of socks was the short row heel, but I re-read the author's section entitled "You Can Do It!" and realized her explanation of short rowing did make sense. You really do follow the pattern and it comes out looking like a heel.

The patterns are lovely and fairly simple. There are patterns that would be a pleasant challenge to a sock newbie. If you're looking for more difficult patterns, this probably isn't the book for you. But, if you are new to knitting socks, this is a wonderful book.