Teach Yourself VISUALLY Sock Knitting E-Book

Laura Chau

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Consumer)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 162

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Socks are portable, fun to knit, and quick to complete--and they make great gifts. This step-by-step guide walks you through all the techniques used to knit beautiful socks--from buying yarn to working on double-pointed needles, from turning a heel to grafting a toe. It covers knitting socks top-down, toe-up, and flat, explains how to create various heels and toes, and gives you a dozen original patterns for everything from baby booties to knee socks. Whether you're new to knitting or just new to socks, you'll learn the skills needed for a lifetime of creative sock knitting.

Leseprobe

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Sock Knitting

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Sock Yarn and Other Materials

Yarn Weights

Protein Fibers

Cellulose and Other Fibers

Work with Color

Match Your Yarn to Your Pattern

Needle Materials

Needle Types

Notions

Using Stitch Markers

Chapter 2: Knitting Techniques

Cast On

Pick Up Stitches

Increase: Knit Front and Back, Purl Front and Back

Increase: Make 1

Decrease: Knit 2 Together, Purl 2 Together

Decrease: Slip, Slip, Knit

Decrease: Slip 1, Knit 1, Pass Slipped Stitch Over

Knit Cables

Weave in Ends

Blocking

Read Charts

Chapter 3: Get Started

Using Double-Pointed Needles

Using Two Circular Needles

Using One Long Circular Needle (the Magic Loop)

Joins for Knitting in the Round

Knit a Faux-Round Swatch

Measure Your Swatch

Anatomy of a Sock

Size Your Socks

Chapter 4: Top-Down Socks

Cast On

Knit the Cuff and Leg

Knit a Gusset Heel

Knit an Afterthought Heel

Knit the Foot

Make a Basic Round Toe

Make a Star Toe

Close the Toe: Kitchener Stitch

Close the Toe: Gather

Basic Top-Down Sock Pattern

Chapter 5: Flat Socks

Cast On

Knit the Cuff and Leg

Knit the Instep

Shape the Upper Toe

Knit a Heel

Knit the Foot and Lower Toe

Sew Up the Socks

Close the Toe

Basic Flat Sock Pattern

Chapter 6: Toe-Up Socks

Cast On and Knit the Toe

Knit the Foot

Knit the Heel

Knit the Leg and Cuff

Bind Off

Basic Toe-Up Sock Pattern

Chapter 7: More Sock Patterns

Slip-Stitch Ridges Socks

Worsted Boot Socks

3 × 1 Garter Rib Socks

Cabled Cuff Socks

Two-Needle Angora Baby Booties

Toe-Up Floral Lace Socks

Toe-Up Thermal Sport Socks

Toe-Up Cables Galore Socks

Toe-Up Cabled Knee Socks

Chapter 8: Troubleshooting–Fixing Mistakes

Unknitting

Dropped Stitch

Incomplete Stitch

Incorrect Stitch

Twisted Stitch

Knitting Inside Out

Laddering

Chapter 9: Care for Your Socks

Care Instructions

Washing

Drying and Storing

Repair Hand-Knit Socks

Appendix

Abbreviations

Sizing Chart and Yarn Requirements

Where to Get Supplies

Sock Knitting

by Laura Chau

Teach Yourself VISUALLYTM Sock Knitting

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ISBN: 978-0-470-27896-3

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Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Pam Mourouzis

Project Editor

Suzanne Snyder

Copy Editor

Carol Pogoni

Technical Editor

Lucinda Lautz

Editorial Manager

Christina Stambaugh

Publisher

Cindy Kitchel

Vice President and Executive Publisher

Kathy Nebenhaus

Interior Design

Kathie Rickard

Elizabeth Brooks

Cover Design

José Almaguer

Photography

Matt Bowen

Photographic Assistant

Andrew Hanson

About the Author

Laura Chau graduated with an H.B.Sc in Biology and Linguistics from the University of Toronto. In spite of this, she spends her time teaching knitting, spinning and dyeing while working at Lettuce Knit in Toronto, Ontario. Laura’s handknitting designs for new classic, wearable and fun garments have been featured in Shannon Okey’s Alt Fiber as well as the online knitting magazine knitty.com.

Laura is the author of the popular knitting blog cosmicpluto knits!, where she discusses her projects and passions, and self-publishes her knitting patterns.

Photo by Michelle Zada.

Acknowledgments

Eternal thanks to my family at Lettuce Knit: Megan Ingman, Denny McMillan, and Alexis DaSilva-Powell. I wouldn’t be here without you. The same goes for my family in relation and in heart. A particular debt of gratitude to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, for opening a door, and to Amy R. Singer for all the opportunities.

Thank you to Linda L. Roghaar, Pam Mourouzis, Suzanne Snyder and Matt Bowen for helping me through the process, and for working so hard to make this book great.

Of course, many, many thanks to my invaluable knitters, who provided their time and needles to produce the many pieces that appear throughout this book: Rachel Arseneau, Jacquie Blackman, Michelle DesGroseilliers, Aleta Fera, Molly Leonard, Kim McBrien, and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

Finally, thanks to all my knitterly friends and readers, in person and virtual, for all your creativity, openness, and skill. You inspire me.

Chapter 1: Sock Yarn and Other Materials

When you go to the yarn store and ask for sock yarn, odds are you will face a huge wall full of yarn. Sock yarn is available in an array of colors, fibers, and textures. Nearly any yarn can be used to knit socks, but some yarns work better than others. Different fiber contents and thicknesses will affect the feel, utility, and care of your socks, so carefully consider what you’ll make when you pick out your yarn. In this chapter, you learn about different yarn types, fibers, and textures, and how to best use each kind of yarn for socks. Matching a yarn to a pattern is sometimes daunting, so here you also learn how to figure out what yarn works best for different types of sock patterns.

In addition to yarn, you need a few more things to get started. First and foremost, you need needles! Depending on what form of sock you decide to knit, you need either double-pointed, circular, or straight needles. You also need a few important notions. For some types of patterns, you might need some extra tools, too.