Chloe Thompson - Beginners Guide To Knitting Socks

THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO KNITTING SOCKS

By

Chloe Thompson

Copyright 2013 by Chloe Thompson

All rights reserved.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, and faxing, or by any information storage and retrieval system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use.

This book may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Chloe Thompson, except in the case of a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journaland these cases require written approval from Chloe Thompson prior to publication. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHORS OTHER BOOKS

(To view books please click the link or type the HTTP link in your web browser or search book title on Amazon)

3 BOOK BUNDLE: "Knitting Scarves The Easy Way" and "Beginners Handbook of Knitting Stitches" and "Beginners Guide To Knitting Socks"

http://amzn.to/1cnBYH0

2 BOOK BUNDLE: "Beginners Guide To Knitting Socks" and "Beginners Handbook of Knitting Stitches"

http://amzn.to/11Da0RB

2 BOOK BUNDLE: "Knitting Scarves The Easy Way" and "The Beginners Guide To Knitting Socks"

http://amzn.to/15qaT32

2 BOOK BUNDLE: "Knitting Scarves The Easy Way" and "Beginners Handbook Of Knitting Stitches"

http://amzn.to/19EhhW3

The Beginners Guide to Knitting: Learn How To Knit The Easy Way

http://amzn.to/16iTkyr

Beginners Handbook of Knitting Stitches

http://amzn.to/14SxOh6

Knitting Scarves: The Easy Way

http://amzn.to/1cyUjPP

PREFACE

I do not think there are any knitting projects as enjoyable as socks. It does not take a lot of skill to knit up something that just feels so good, both for your hands and your feet. With every row, you can see progress as your socks take shape. When you are done, theres no assembly required. You can slip them right on. How awesome is that?!?

I have probably knitted close to a hundred pairs of socks in my lifetime, and I have taught almost that many people to knit them as well. That is a lotta footwear!

In that time, I have probably encountered every kind of sock knitting dilemma; from the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome to the nasty little hole that appears when knitting the gusset. I have also worked with some students who were paralyzed at the sight of double-pointed needles; I believe they called them sticks, chopsticks, and what the heck are those?

In this book, I will guide you through the basics of sock knitting: from choosing the materials (yarn, needles) to figuring out the size, and then, best of all, knitting a pair of socks. Just like so many things in life, there are several routes to getting where you want to go. You can knit one sock at a time or do them both at once. You can start your sock at the top or at the toe. You can cast on your stitches and bind them off in various ways.

In this book I have chosen not to confuse you with every option in the sock knitting universe. I have found that when a person is given too many choices, they choose to make no choice at all. So, Im giving you the benefit of many years of sock knitting, teaching and doing, so that you can get right down to it and join the community of sock knitting addicts.

CHAPTER 1: SOCK BASICS

Before you pick up your needles, lets talk about the sock itself, by starting with its anatomy (do not worry, there will not be a quiz at the end).

Think of a sock like any other knitted garment. For example, a sweater has different parts of it like the sleeves, cuffs, and neckline. Likewise a sock has different parts of it as well, unless you are knitting a tube sock, which never fits comfortably, right?

To get the wonderful shaping in your sock, you need to do a little maneuvering to allow for the curve in the heel, which is made up of the heel flap, heel turn, and gusset in the picture below.

*Take note of the other terms in this diagram because you will see them throughout the book.

GAUGE AND SWATCH

Knitting any garment without first making a swatch and checking your gauge is like baking without measuring cups. You might get it right, but if you do not, you have wasted your time and the ingredients.

What do I mean by gauge? In knitting, the term refers to how many stitches per inch you get from a particular yarn and needle size. The larger the needle, the fewer stitches per inch. Every pattern will include a gauge to indicate what they based the measurements on. So, if you are using a pattern that calls for 8 stitches per inch and the gauge for your choice of yarn and needle size is 6 stitches per inch, you are going to end up with a knitted garment that is way too big; if you follow the directions as written without making adjustments for the yarn weight.

I once had a customer come into my shop with a knitting crisis. She was knitting a bag to be felted, but her gauge was so far off from the instructions that her bag looked more like a small sleeping bag.

Please, please, please take the time to knit a swatch. Just cast on 20 stitches on the needle size you plan to use. Knit in stockinette stitch to four inches deep. Then place a ruler on top and count how many little vs there are in a row (each v is one stitch). Also measure the depth. Most gauges in patterns will tell you the gauge in both depth and width; I do not always worry about the depth, because I can adjust that by reducing or increasing the number of rows, but width is critical !

If your gauge does not match the pattern, change the size of your needles. However, if you have chosen a pattern that calls for fingering or sport weight yarn and you have got a bulky weight, this suggestion will not work. Always aim for matching the weight of your yarn to the one in the pattern. Or find a math whiz that can recalculate the pattern for you!

SIZING