Getting Started Knitting Socks

I have been looking for a good sock knitting book for a quite ahile. I think I found it in Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks. This is one of the best sock knitting books to come out in a long time. If you are new to knitting socks or want to learn how to knit socks or having been knitting socks for some time, you'll find this book to answer most, if not all, your sock knitting questions from getting gauge to casting on to solving common sock knitting problems.

Ann covers the basics of socks including five different ways to knit socks in the rounds which are with four double-pointed needles, with five double-pointed needles, with one very short circular needle, two circular needles, and one long circular needle.

She also covers a couple of flexible cast-ons , the long-tail cast-on and old Norwegian cast-on. And she shows three ways to join rounds. These are a simple join, a crossover, join, and a two-end join.

The best part of the socks basics chapter, however, is the photographs and sections on knitting each part of a sock. Ann breaks it down into knitting the cuff, knitting the leg, knitting the heel turn, knitting the gussets, knitting the foot, and knitting the toe.

Throughout she offers tips to handle sock knitting problems such as preventing ladder stitches, matching leg and foot lengths, preventing holes at gussets, preventing ill-fitting socks, and preventing holes in the heel and toe.

This socks basic information is then followed by a chapter on basic sock instructions. In it, Ann has patterns based on gauge and yarn weight. They include socks knitted with 8 stitches per inch, 7 stitches per inch, 6 stitches per inch, 5 stitches per inch, and 4 stitches per inch. Each pattern has directions for five different foot circumferences and foot lengths.

The rest of the book is broken up into three chapters focusing on different kinds of socks starting with knitting socks with color and texture the easy way with self-striping and variegated yarn. The next chapter shows how to add color and texture on your own with stripe patterns, rib patterns, cable patterns, and lace patterns.

The final pattern chapter has sock with different cuff and leg variations that include picot anklets, ruffle cuff anklets, and knee socks.

I highly recommend Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. It is probably the only sock knitting book you will ever need. It covers all the basics of knitting socks and shows you how to make your own variations so that you can be confident in knitting great socks every time!