First, the facts:
Title: Sock Innovation: Knitting Techniques & Patterns for One-of-a-Kind Socks
Author: Cookie A.
Published by: Interweave Press, 2009
Pages: 143
Type: Socks, design and patterns
Chapters:
1. Sock Techniques
2. Stitch Techniques
3. Sock Design
4. Patterns
Pattern Size Range: N/A
The In-Depth Look:
Have you ever wondered what you really needed to know to be able to design really fantastic socks? How to work in a stitch pattern, how to coordinate the placement of the heel, or the elasticity of the cuff? Maybe you’ve been looking for a nice, thorough guide to explain everything you need to know?
Or, maybe you’re not at all interested in designing socks, and you just want beautiful socks to knit. You want all the hard, thinking parts taken care of and just work off the sheer inspiration of meticulously crafted patterns.
Where, oh where, can you go to find all that?
Sock Innovation, that’s where.
The first third of this book is a masterpiece of engineering–not the actual book, mind you. That’s the normal paper and glue format of most books. I’m talking about SOCK engineering. Did you know that socks could be engineered? Because Cookie A. obviously has a PhD. in the subject, if there is such a thing. This part of the book is amazingly detailed and crystal clear in its explanations. Fantastic.
The rest of the book are examples of her skill. Beautiful socks, with great attention to detail. Each is named for a person she knows, and whose personality she has somehow captured in the perfect sock pattern.
There really isn’t much bad you can say about this book. I mean, okay, I tend to prefer toe-up socks and all of these are top-down construction, but is that a flaw? By no means.
The pictures are all clear and crisp, though really, how many ways are there to photograph feet? The patterns are spelled out in the Table of Contents. The illustrations for the techniques are clean and understandable. Generally, it’s just a great book. Every one of her patterns I’ve seen elsewhere have been amazing, and this book does not disappoint.
This book is available from Amazon.com for $15.61.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.
This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!
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Just the insight into how Cookie A. thinks about sock structure would make this book worth it!
Chris´s last blog post..Once Upon a Crime
I love this book, truly, but am quite disappointed at the sheer volume of errata. And I have found at least one error not noted in the errata!