Inside e-Knitting Magazines : Knitting Patterns

Sockupied Takes to the Streets

Anne Merrow — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Feet on the Street in Melbourne and Ontario

Welcome to the first post in our occasional “Feet on the Street” blog feature. There is such a passion for sock knitting around the world, and in this installment we feature knitters from Canada and Australia. We’re starting with just two sock stories, but there will be more tales of sock knitting to come. (To send us a submission for the series, see the complete details here.)

Ode to a Second Sock

These socks were knitted as a birthday present with Regia sock yarn in a colorway designed by Kaffe Fassett. The second one was a long time on the needles, which started me thinking about what the first, finished, sock might think about that.

It's been half a year since I saw you

I have been forlorn since then

Now that you’re off the needles

I won't let us be parted again

You were such a long time in the knitting

I had begun to despair

Would you ever be finished?

Would we at last be a pair?

I will guard you in the washing machine

That Bermuda Triangle for socks

I will never pill or snag on you

You are one right out of the box

—Lynn from Melbourne, Australia

When asked what yarn she’d like to receive, Lynn said, “I'm more interested in trying out yarn that I can't readily buy in a bricks and mortar yarn shop in Australia . . . . Yarns from North America are harder to find.” We’re happy to send her a pair of skeins of Quince & Co. Tern, a wool/silk blend that’s made in the United States.

The Kilt (Hose) Connection

My husband and I are both passionate about our Scottish heritage. Between the two of us we own five kilts—and believe it or not he is the one with three and I with two.

My husband has never been happy with the kilt hose that he has purchased in the past, as they never fit right. I decided this would be a perfect Christmas gift, a custom pair of hose.

They took a tremendously long time, and to be honest I don't know if I would do another pair. My husband has a new appreciation to how much work goes into knitting, and he cherishes them. I love them and am very proud of them. They challenged me, but it was worth it!

These hose are special for me as they represent my love for my husband, my Scottish heritage and my new love for knitting! The pattern is John Anderson’s Kilt Hose Top Down by Robert Jenkins, knitted in Briggs & Little Tuffy Yarn.

—Robyn from Bayfield, Ontario, Canada

In honor of Robyn’s heritage, we’re pleased to send her a skein Dazzle 4 Ply Sock from The Natural Dye Studio in Devon. Dazzle is 100% Bluefaced Leicester, a breed that originated near the Scottish border.

Keep your Feet on the Street stories coming—and keep your feet happy with handknit socks.

Toe-up or top-down? Socks your way

Anne Merrow — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:00:00 GMT

I recently received an email asking whether Sockupied includes toe-up sock knitting patterns. Why yes, we do! But how many, I wondered?

I took a look at all three Sockupied issues from last year, which are available together as a Kit of the Month until the end of April 2013. Of the 17 sock patterns, there are 13 pairs to be knitted top-down and 6 toe-up. (If you’re wondering how 13 + 6 = 17, it’s because two of the designs, Cat Bordhi’s Flutterby Socks and my Up + Down Socks, have included directions for knitting toe-up and top-down.)


The Up + Down Socks from Simply Sockupied are designed to be worked in either direction, perfect to try a toe-up sock pattern for the first time.		Cat Bordhi’s Flutterby Socks use her brilliant Sweet Tomato Heel, which fits perfectly worked cuff-down or toe-up.

Technically Speaking

Some knitters prefer to toe-up knitting because they’d prefer not to do the Kitchener stitch to graft their toes. Others prefer to avoid short-row heels. But designers sometimes mix and match these elements in different ways, and there are more new toe-up sock techniques that make knitting and wearing them more fun.

Lorilee Beltman’s toe-up Our Paths Cross Socks include a clever flap-and-gusset heel, usually a top-down element, with the decreases placed at the back of the leg. Kate Atherley added a gusset to short-row heels to make her toe-up (A)Symmetry Socks fit better. And Candace Eisner-Strick even figured out how to knit short-row heels and toes without a single wrap and turn in her Semaphore Socks pattern.


Lorilee Beltman's Our Paths Cross Socks, Sockupied Spring 2012		Kate Atherley's (A)Symmetry Socks, Sockupied Spring 2012

Some knitters and designers have strong preferences on knitting direction. Ann Budd has been known to design toe-up socks, but if you put needles and yarn in her hands she almost always turns to a top-down sock pattern that she shared with us in Simply Sockupied as Ann’s Go-To Socks.


Candace Eisner-Strick's Semaphore Socks, Sockupied Fall 2012		Ann's Go-To Socks by Ann Budd, Simply Sockupied

Knit All the Socks

At last count I had enough sock yarn to make over 70 pairs of socks. (But who’s counting?) With all that yarn, I don’t want to limit myself to knitting only toe-up or top-down. Besides the patterns, the 2012 issues of Sockupied include lots of techniques from toe-up and top-down toes to design elements that work in any sock. Until the end of April 2013, these three issues are on sale together as a bundle for $11.99, so you can knit in every direction to your heart’s content. (All right, so we haven’t done any side-to-side socks. Yet.)

Do you prefer knitting toe-up or top-down? Tell us why in the comments.

Sockupied Summer 2013 Preview

Anne Merrow — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:30:00 GMT

The Summer 2013 issue of Sockupied is almost here, but for now, we hope you'll enjoy this sneak peek of all the sock-knitting bliss this issue has to offer! From knitting two socks at once to cast-ons for colorwork, you'll find helpful tips and tricks to take your knitting to the next level. Five brand-new sock patterns featuring bobbles, lace, colorwork, and more will keep you on your toes all through summer.

The Mac and PC versions of Sockupied will be available from the Knitting Daily Store on April 29th, but the iPad version is available now.

Projects

Schwäbische Socks

by Lisa Stichweh

Elegant woven stitches transform and travel down the feet

Construction: Top down, short-row heel

Finished Size: 7½ (8¼, 9)" (19 [21, 23] cm) foot circumference and 8½ (9, 9½)" (21.5 [23, 24] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable.

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet (90% superwash Merino wool, 10% nylon; 192 yd [176 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #1249 maroon, 2 (2, 3) skeins.

Needles: U.S. size 1½ (2.5 mm).

Notions: Markers (m); cable needle (cn); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 30 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Skip to my Lou

by Rae Jean

Mesh lace provides the canvas for colorful handpaints or subtle solids

Construction: Top down, short-row heel

Finished Size: 7 (8¼)" (18 [21] cm) foot circumference and 9½ (10½)" (24 [26.5] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug 400 (100% Merino wool; 400 yd [365 m]/5¼ oz [150 g]): #166 elephant's daydream (blue) or #23 slate (variegated), 1 skein

Needles: U.S. size 1 (2.25 mm).

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 30 sts and 46 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Provenance Socks

by Heatherly Walker

Stripes and ornate scrolling patterns inspired by centuries-old embroidery

Construction: Top down, flap heel

Finished Size: 7¼ (8¼, 9)" (18.5 [21, 23] cm) foot circumference and 9½ (10¼, 11)" (24 [26, 28] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk (85% superwash Merino wool, 15% mulberry silk; 437 yd [400 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #5639 VanDyke brown (MC) and #5674 baby denim (CC), 1 skein each.

Needles: U.S. size 2½ (3 mm).

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 36 sts and 34 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in charted patt.

Cataphyll

by Hunter Hammersen

Leafy branches cut across panels of stockinette and fine ribbing

Construction: Top down, flap heel

Finished Size: 7 (8, 9)" (18 [20.5, 23] cm) foot circumference and 7¾ (8½, 9¼)" (19.5 [21.5, 23.5] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable.

Yarn: Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (75% superwash Merino wool, 20% cashmere, 5% nylon; 385 yd [352 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): dandy lion, 1 skein

Needles: U.S. size 1 (2.25 mm)

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle

Gauge: 32 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Zokni kötés

by Laura Halfpenny

Knotty stockings inspired by Hungarian folkwear

Construction: Toe up, flap heel

Finished Size: 7" (18 cm) foot circumference and 9" (23 cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable.

Yarn: Ella Rae Lace Merino(100% superwash Merino wool; 460 yd [421 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): #9 mustard (MC), #30 cherry red (CC1), and #131 orange fire (CC2), 1 skein each. Yarn distributed by Knitting Fever.

Needles: U.S. size 3 (3.25 mm)

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 34 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st; 44 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in bobble patt, relaxed.

Features

Try This: Two Socks at a Time by Kate Atherley

Tech: Colorful Cast-ons for Cuffs

Eye on Design: Hunter Hammersen's Chamber of Wonders by Leslie Ordal

Departments

Great Yarns

Self-striping yarns for hassle-free color

Try These

Stylish sock sacks and satchels

The Last Stitch

Caption this cartoon! See here for details.

There's so much to love in this issue of Sockupied!

Cheers,

And the lucky sock knitter is...

Anne Merrow — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:15:00 GMT

Earlier this year, we offered to send a copy of Alice Yu's book Socktopus: 17 Pairs of Socks to Knit and Show Off to a knitter who best answered this question:

In 5 words or less, what makes a sock yarn perfect for you?

We loved all the answers we received, making it a difficult choice. In the end, though, Sylvie summed it up best:

"Practical but a little decadent."

Our extra copy is en route to Sylvie in hopes that she finds lots of uses for her practical but decadent sock yarns!

Happy knitting,

P.S. We're getting ready to launch the first of our Feet on the Street blog posts. It's an ongoing feature, so keep your sock stories coming! If we share your story and image, we'll send you some yarn from our treasure trove...

Feet on the Street: The Yarn Giveaway

Anne Merrow — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:50:00 GMT

The "Feet on the Street" feature in the first few issues of Sockupied was always one of my favorites. I loved seeing and reading about what sock knitters had on the needles. Gifts for friends, treats for themselves, projects to keep their hands busy, irresistible patterns—we love hearing about them all.

In Fall 2012, Sockupied readers showed how socks made their gardens grow!

Now "Feet on the Street" is making the transition from magazine to blog feature. We want to share your sock stories with not only Sockupied readers but every sock knitter in blogland. After all, who will better appreciate the bumps and celebrations on the road to sock success than other sock knitters?

Did someone say yarn giveaway?

Why yes, I did. If we publish your sock tale on Inside e-Knitting Magazines, we'll send you a skein of yarn. Here are a few of the goodies we'd love to send your way . . .

Quince & Co. Tern, barnacle

With a lovely silk content, this yarn would be great in the Escadaria Socks by Kristi Geraci (Sockupied Spring 2011).

The Natural Dye Studio Dazzle, black pearl

This lovely Bluefaced Leicester yarn, reviewed in the Spring 2012 Sockupied, would shine in the Emerging Cable Socks by Stefanie Bold (Sockupied Fall 2012).

Dream in Color Starry, Bermuda teal

One of the lovely shimmering yarns reviewed in LaceKnits, this is a sock-weight yarn that shines. It would be a beautiful choice for the Cookie A's Passerine Socks (Sockupied 2010).

What Do I Have to Do?

To submit your story for Feet on the Street, email us at sockupied@interweave.com. This will be a recurring feature, so there is no particular deadline; we will evaluate submissions as they are received. We strongly prefer stories accompanied by a good photo or two (or even a video clip) with no more than 150 words. Make sure to tell us the yarn and pattern as well as what makes your socks special. (Comments left below will not be considered as submissions.) If we decide to publish your story, we'll be in touch about publication details—and, of course, your yarn.

Knitters shared their sock-knitting tips and tricks for "Feet on the Street" in the Fall 2011 issue of Sockupied.

Cheers,

Sockupied Gets Around

Anne Merrow — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:59:00 GMT

Meet the designers!

One of the great pleasures of editing Sockupied is getting to work with designers and writers who are clever, fun, and generally delightful. For Sockupied Spring 2013, the designers got together for their very own blog tour.

The Sockupied team gets to know designers a little bit as we correspond about the yarns, patterns, and logistics, but in this series of blog posts we get to know more about their inspirations, stories, and personalities. Visiting the posts, I came across some favorite new facts about the designers of these great socks. (Jennifer Crowley even created a series about the process of proposing and designing her Totem Socks for the issue, a great resource for knitters interested in designing for future issues of Sockupied.)


Rachel Coopey has visions of tiles running through her head at the moment. No wonder her Bockleton Socks such an enticing geometric pattern.		Jennifer Crowley is at work on projects ranging from a series of shawls to a series of small crochet fruits and vegetables (and a design for the Summer 2013 issue of Sockupied!).

The idea for Claire Ellen's Uloborus Socks was sparked by Shelob, the spider from the J.R.R. Tolkein novel The Two Towers. (Also, she'd just finished designing the motif the very day we asked her if she had an idea for Sockupied. Great timing!)


Kim Haesemeyer uses her knitting time to process her day, so she has to knit a bit in the evening.		Perhaps inspired by her little one, Alice Yu has the urge to design some knitwear for children.

Thanks so much to Rachel, Jennifer, Claire, Kim, and Alice for this peek! (And thanks especially to Jennifer and Kim for hosting the blog tour.) You guys are the best.

Happy knitting!

Knit's So Funny: Sockupied Caption Contest

Anne Merrow — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:15:00 GMT

The last page of Sockupied, which we call “The Last Stitch,” has always been one of my favorites. The 2010 issue featured Franklin Habit’s Cinderella cartoon. Anyone who’s read Franklin’s book, It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons, can picture me jumping up and down and clapping when I first saw the curtain rise on the Fairy Godmother and Cinderella discussing the glass slippers.

From there we had a paint-your-own-argyle in the Spring 2011 issue, saw our socks off on summer vacation in Fall 2011, and got in campaign spirit for Fall 2012.

But the most delightful ones have been opportunities for you, dear sock knitter, to share what tickles your funny bone. We decided to try something new in the Spring 2013 issue of Sockupied: a caption contest.


Illustration by Amber Felts

Now you have an opportunity to join in the fun. This cartoon is finished except for your witty winning caption. Send your caption idea to sockupied@interweave.com by Tuesday, March 5, and you could win . . . Well, what does every sock knitter want? Yarn. For complete details and contest rules, click here.

Enjoy,

New Adventures in Sokkusu

Anne Merrow — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:30:00 GMT

The digital world moves fast, but Alice Yu moves faster.

The Deuce socks, which Alice Yu designed for the Spring 2013 Sockupied, were named for her adorable pug.

Just as the Spring 2013 issue of Sockupied went on sale in the Knitting Daily store, Alice and her company, Socktopus, took a major step in a new direction. As we mentioned in our Eye on Design profile, Alice developed the yarn line Sokkusu to be just the type of yarn she wants. She partnered with (not employed, as we misstated in the article) dyer Ai-Ling Lee in the yarn venture.

With all the changes in Alice’s life—including moving to Hong Kong and welcoming her daughter—the partners decided that going forward Ling will continue to make Sokkusu yarn separate from Socktopus. After a brief reorganization, Sokkusu should be available again later this year under a new company yet to be named. For the time being, the Socktopus store page is inactive.

Alice gives the details of these big changes in a post on her blog, where she also drops a tantalizing hint of what’s to come: two new mystery designs, one sock and one shawl knitalong.

Craving more designs from Alice Yu?

We discovered an extra copy of the U.S. edition of Socktopus: 17 Pairs of Socks to Knit and Show Off in our office and couldn’t resist the opportunity to share with one lucky sock knitter. Since Sokkusu began as Alice Yu’s ideal sock yarn, we’d like to know: In 5 words or less, what makes a sock yarn perfect for you? Email us your answer at sockupied@interweave.com by March 5, 2013 (subject line: Socktopus book). If we publish your answer on the blog, we’ll send you a copy of Socktopus.

Happy sock knitting!

Knitting under the weather

Anne Merrow — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:40:00 GMT

Not feeling (kn)it?

I'm home today under the weather. I've escaped the dreadful sickness that's going around, so it feels a little wimpy to stay home with anything less than the plague, but I decided to spare my colleagues the opportunity to catch my bug.

The upside: Knitting. Even though Interweave is a knitting-friendly work environment-we told new colleagues that knitting in meetings (or crocheting or beading or stitching) was a treasured part of our corporate culture-it's a rare day when I get in some knitting time during daylight hours. So here I am at home, working on my increasingly late Christmas gift knitting.

My knitting is a mess...

Meet My Frog

Even though I don't have a frog in my throat, I do have a frog in my knitting bag. As you can see, the sock in progress is singing, "Rip it, rip it!" I've started this pair of socks (well, sock, for the time being) about 5 times, and I've just ripped back to the beginning of the heel. My first try at a stranded knitting pattern was just a complete mistake, and the second and third were too tight. The fourth, with a brioche cuff, was too loose. I cruised along to the instep and realized that there wasn't enough room for the high instep of the recipient.There are now two main balls of yarn and two mini-balls, plus yards and yards of curlicue yarn to straighten out. But even as I say unladylike words under my breath, I remember what I've learned from some amazing designers I know:

Good knitters rip.

I've seen my friend Charlene rip and reknit the same sweater no fewer than three times when the look wasn't what she wanted. In designing her Mork sweater (which I adore!), Julia Farwell-Clay tried and ripped and ripped again. Until it was just right, she frogged.

(She also started with a swatch, which I believe in but still can't bring myself to do every time . . . )

I believe in leaving little errors that no one will notice; the mantra of my first knitting group was, "Could you see it from a prancing pony?" But when I know I've gone down the wrong path, it always comes back to ripping it out—in hopes that someday I will be a really, really good knitter.

Even when it makes my stomach hurt.

Sockupied Spring 2013 Preview

Anne Merrow — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:00:00 GMT

The Spring 2013 issue of Sockupied is almost here, but we couldn't resist giving you a peek at the goodies included. In addition to articles about techniques such as short-row heels and knitting socks that fit, this issue includes five brand-new designs for sock-knitting bliss. Whether you prefer your socks toe-up or top-down, intricate or simple, and colorful or plain, you'll find the perfect pattern for your next pair of socks.

The Mac and PC versions of Sockupied will be available from the Knitting Daily Store on January 30, but the iPad version is available now.

Projects

Uloborus Socks

by Claire Ellen

Spider-inspired lacy beauties

Construction: Top down, flap heel

Finished Size: 5½ (6½, 7¼)" (14 [16.5, 18.5] cm) foot circumference and 7 (7½, 8½)" (18 [19, 21.5] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable. Socks shown measure 7¼" (18.5 cm).

Yarn: Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock (50% Merino, 50% Tencel; 382 yd [349 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): little black dress, 1 skein.

Needles: U.S. size 1 (2.25 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 36 sts and 48 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Bockleton Socks

by Rachel Coopey

Twisted-stitch texture and classic colorwork

Construction: Top down, flap heel

Finished Size: 7½ (9)" (19 [23] cm) foot circumference and 9 (9¾)" (23 [25] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable. Socks shown measure 7½" (19 cm).

Yarn: Regia 4-ply (75% superwash new wool, 25% polyamide; 230 yd [210 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): #1968 grey (MC), 2 balls; #540 royal (CC1), #1970 pigeon blue (CC2), #1988 lavender (CC3), 1 ball each.

Needles: U.S. size 1½ (2.5 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 32 sts and 44 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Totem

by Jennifer Crowley

An iconic design for wild colors or subtle solids

Construction: Toe up, short-row heel

Finished Size: 5¾ (7½, 8¾)" (14.5 [19, 22] cm) foot circumference and 8½ (10¼, 11¾)" (21.5 [26, 30] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; to fit women’s U.S. shoe size 6½ (8½, 10½). Socks shown measure 7½" (19 cm).

Yarn: Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock (80% Merino, 20% nylon; 430 yd [393 m]/3½ oz [100 g]): flannery (orange) or gavin (green), 1 (2, 2) skein(s).

Needles: U.S. size 1½ (2.5 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Markers (m); removable m; tapestry needle.

Gauge: 39 sts and 52 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Deuce

by Alice Yu

Double diamonds dance with a colorful yarn

Construction: Top down, short-row heel

Finished Size: 6½ (7½, 8½)" (16.5 [19, 21.5] cm) foot circumference, 7¼ (8¼, 9¼)" (18.5 [21, 23.5] cm) leg circumference, and 8½ (9, 9½)" (21.5 [23, 24] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable. Socks shown measure 7½" (19 cm).

Yarn: Socktopus Sokkusu Original (100% superwash Merino; 433 yd [396 m]/4¼ oz [120 g]): triton, 1 (2, 2) skein(s).

Needles: U.S. size 1½ (2.5 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 34 sts and 52 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st; 35 sts and 88 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in Deuce patt.

Bowden Cable Socks

by Kim Haesemeyer

Cables go traveling, up cuff and down heel

Construction: Top down, flap heel

Finished Size: 7½ (8¼, 9)" (19 [21, 23] cm) foot circumference and 7½ (8, 9)" (19 [20.5, 23] cm) long from back of heel to tip of toe; foot length is adjustable. Socks shown measure 8¼" (21 cm).

Yarn: String Theory Merino DK (100% superwash Merino; 280 yd [256 m]/4 oz [113 g]): eureka, 1 (1, 2) skein(s).

Needles: U.S. size 4 (3.5 mm): set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Markers (m); cable needle (cn); tapestry needle.

Gauge: 24 sts and 37 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Features

Try This: Your Feet, Your Fit by Kate Atherley

Tech: Short-rows for Socks

Eye on Design: Join the (Sock) Club by Mary Seals

Departments

Great Yarns

Squishy alpaca for soft socks

Try These

Books & apps for sock knitters

The Last Stitch

Caption this cartoon! See here for details.

There's so much to love in this issue of Sockupied!

Cheers,

Last-Minute Knitting: Socks for Dad

Anne Merrow — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 18:29:00 GMT

Socks for the Man Who Wants Nothing

My Dad has a bit of Ebeneezer Scrooge in him—when it comes to the holidays, he doesn't understand what the fuss is all about. In the Christmas Carol cast, I'm more like the nephew Fred: "I'll keep my Christmas humour to the last."

Well, even Scrooge needs warm feet. I first learned to knit socks when my Dad requested a pair for Christmas about ten years ago. In Scrooge fashion, he promptly (and unrepentantly) felted the alpaca/silk blend socks. The next year I learned to spend a little less on the yarn, but he felted them again. (How I managed so many years without learning about superwash yarn I'm not sure.)

Over the years I've knitted him about 6 pairs, with breaks for a scarf and a hat. There was the red-and-black pair that took years to finish, the gray pair that was eventually thrown in the trash mid-leg because I couldn't get along with the yarn, the pairs I had to rip back because it's hard to judge size when the feet aren't handy, and a few pairs that came out just right and eventually came back for darning.


An ill-fated pair of Christmas socks		Better luck with this pair of Two-Yarn Resoleable Socks (from Favorite Socks)

The Best Intentions

This year I've started a new pair of socks for Dad, the Semaphore Socks from the Fall 2012 issue of Sockupied. The textured-stitch cuff is interesting, the ribbed foot will hug his arch, and he'll be tickled at the fact that they're completely reversible.

Dad likes plain black or gray socks, so my exciting and colorful sock-yarn stash is off-limits. Still, he likes a kick of color here and there, so the toes and heels will be cherry-red.

Alas, here's what my Dad received last night on Christmas Eve. He's gotten such presents before, and a pair of socks usually materializes at the end. Sometimes even before next Christmas!

Happy holidays!

Whatever you celebrate, enjoy the lengthening days (all the better to see your knitting) and have a happy New Year. I resolve nothing except to have fun knitting.

5 Ideas for Scrap Yarn

Anne Merrow — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Since the first time I knitted a pair of socks, many sock yarn dyers have started including generous yardage in their skeins. Occasionally I’ll run out of yarn (especially on a top-down sock), but more frequently I wind up with bits of scrap yarn.


		I've lost track of the number of yarns used to darn these socks.

Some are tiny 10-yard balls, and some are generous 100-yard lengths. Especially when these are lovely, colorful yarns from my favorite sources, I have to figure out what to do with these little treasures. Here are my 5 favorite leftover-yarn tricks:

1. Darn it . . .

I knit faster than I used to, but knitting socks still takes me a while. (Just ask my Dad, who often waits for his knitted gifts all year!) So when a pair starts to show wear, I make my socks last as long as possible.

Eunny Jang wrote an article and demonstrated two darning methods in the Fall 2011 issue of Sockupied, and I’ve tried both Swiss darning and woven darning. My preference, though, is for reinforcing the weak spots in my socks before they completely develop a hole. If I have some of the original yarn left over, great, but the bottoms of my socks are often a colorful mosaic.

2. Finish up a skein when I run short on yarn

I’ve gotten so used to 450-yard skeins that I don’t always remember to conserve yarn when adding an extra repeat to the leg (or knitting for my big feet). One of my colleagues recently ran into the same problem, and she was happy to rummage around in the waste yarn bin until she found an appropriate yarn to finish the socks.

I blithely added repeats to the leg, then ran out of yarn for the toe.

3. Swatches!

I often need to pull out some yarn and needles to try out a technique that one of the designers is describing. No matter how well I read the pattern, there are some things that are easiest to see when you’re making the stitches yourself.

Sometimes a swatch is a veritable rainbow.

4. Spice up a pair of socks

I’m knitting my Dad a pair of Candace Eisner-Strick’s Semaphore Socks from the Fall 2012 issue of Sockupied. Like a lot of men, my Dad wants his socks to be pretty conservative in palette. However, he likes a little pop of color now and then. The short-row toes and heels of the pattern lend themselves nicely to a contrast color, so I’m adding bright-red accents. You could add a touch of contrasting color to a cuff for a little pizzazz, too.

A waste-yarn cast-on and cherry-red toes, all courtesy of leftover yarn.

5. Waste yarn

What if all I have left is a few little yards, not even enough to make a respectable ball for darning yarn? I love the fit of short-row toes and tubular cast-ons, but sometimes you have to start with a little waste yarn. I hate to think of any yarn as wasted, so sending the last tiny bit of a beloved skein is a worthy end.

Cheers,

Interactive eMags on Low-speed Connections

Anne Merrow — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Being connected to the Internet at broadband speeds has gotten so common that I'm surprised to find myself in spots with no connection. Surely I can see YouTube videos on my phone from a cave deep in the Rocky Mountains?

A reader recently pointed out that broadband Internet isn't part of her daily life. She loves the peace and solitude in the country, and her Internet connection is still dial-up. When she visits a larger town she takes advantage of their high-speed wifi to download what she needs, then takes it home to enjoy at her leisure.

Still, she loves spinning yarn and knitting socks and many of the other subjects that Interweave has explored with our eMags. Was there anything for her to enjoy, even without a fast connection?

The Immersive Flash Experience


The yarn review in the Fall issue of Sockupied includes interactive pop-ups with product information and web links.

When we were first deciding what Sockupied would be, we thought a lot about what you should be able to download with your initial purchase and what you'd need to visit the Internet to view. (I used the "airplane mode" as my standard guide.)


	Instead of a slideshow function, we've included buttons that let you toggle between multiple images.

For the Mac and PC versions, we decided that all of the videos and patterns listed in the table of contents should be right there ready for you to use. Including the videos in the "package" makes the download larger but lets you use them any time you like. The patterns are included as PDFs, which can be saved to a tablet device or printed for convenience.

Websites that we mentioned, such as yarns or designers' websites, are available through an Internet link. And since you'd already downloaded the whole eMag, you can always close a web page that's taking too long to load and go back to the app-no clicking a back button to find your place again.

As time has gone by, we've developed a more consistent style to let you know which text will link to the web and which will jump to another part of the eMag. We use shapes and colors to indicate which buttons are active, and we use a particular type style to show which links will take you to the Internet. To show interactivity and links within an issue, we use the same type for the links but in gray.

The Portable iPad

The first iPad versions gave us some fun new challenges. For one thing, opening a web link on the iPad launches a limited browser window inside the app. You can still close the browser window if it's taking too long, and you can tap a little arrow to open the page in a full browser. (Still, for the impatient among us—by which I mean me—the ability to browse the app at the same time that a page loads is something I miss on the iPad.)

The other big difference between the Flash and iPad versions is that we can't embed a PDF in the iPad version. For the first few issues, we simply hosted the PDFs, requiring an Internet connection to download them. Once they're open on the iPad, you can save them for use in a number of apps (including Knit Companion). If you have a printer connected to your iPad, you can even print from there.


	View the pattern as a printable PDF or embedded in the eMag.

We weren't completely comfortable with this solution, though. What if you were in airplane mode, needles and yarn at the ready, but hadn't saved the PDF? One of our production designers came up with the perfect solution: Include the pattern both ways. Beginning with LaceKnits and continuing in our future issues, the knitting eMags include the pattern displayed on the iPad screen and hosted in print-friendly, portable PDF.

In other words, Sockupied and the other eMags include plenty of features that don't require an internet connection after the initial download whether you're on a Mac, PC, or iPad. And we try to improve our eMags with every issue, so if you have suggestions on making them more user-friendly, please email us.

Cheers,

Wherefore art thou Turnalar?

Anne Merrow — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:00:00 GMT

One of the contributors for the Summer 2013 issue of Sockupied recently asked how our sock patterns get their names. Should she come up with an evocative name, or would we change it when we put the magazine together? Well, I told her, it depends. Naming sock patterns is one of the oddest things I do in my weird (but fun) job.

Call It What It Is

Many socks come with perfect names. Leslie Comstock’s Turkish-inspired socks in the Fall 2012 issue came perfectly named: the Turkish word for cranes, “turnalar” is distinctive without being unpronounceable, and the long elegant limbs of the crane echo the curves in the stranded colorwork motif. The stranded colorwork pattern from SpillyJane came with the only name her design could have: Oak + Acorn was her tribute to a beloved tree from her childhood.


Turnalar Socks by Leslie Comstock		Oak + Acorn Socks by SpillyJane

The sock patterns from our featured designers keep the names they come in with. The designs allow us a peek into their creators’ minds and inspirations, and their names complete the picture. Cat Bordhi’s Flutterby Socks combine her sense of whimsy with a passion for nature. Ann Budd’s Gansey Clock Socks have a straightforward name—I’d expect nothing else from Ann—that explains the cultural source and design elements in her handsome design. Chrissy Gardiner’s Fall 2012 pattern, Chardonnay Socks, hints at the grapevine motif in the design but also celebrates the viniculture of her beloved state of Oregon.


Gansey Clock Socks by Ann Budd		Chardonnay Socks by Chrissy Gardiner

I Dub Thee Pumpion

But what if a pattern comes without a name? Cookie A’s socks for our first issue, a gorgeous feather-inspired pair with twisted stitches, came in a file titled simply “Socks.” Cookie’s inspirations are so varied that I was stumped at first, but the bird motif sparked an idea. Wikipedia to the rescue. . . . Exploring the taxonomy of birds led to “passerine,” the genus that includes perching birds.


Passerine Socks by Cookie A		Pumpion Socks by Julie Suchomel

Sometimes the perfect name is taken. The pumpkin-themed socks from Julie Suchomel in the Fall 2012 issue include gourds and vines, so Julie named them Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately, several other sock patterns had claimed the name first, and we wanted a name as special and classic as Julie’s design. Back on Wikipedia, I learned that the etymology of “pumpkin” included pepon (Greek; sounds to me like some kind of bird), pompon (French, but with an entirely different contemporary meaning!), and pumpion (British).

Which leads back to our upcoming pattern, a delightful contribution from a featured designer I’m really excited about. She chose her own name, a word I didn’t recognize that made perfect sense when she explained it. You'll have to wait for our Summer 2013 issue to see it for yourself.

Cheers,

The Sockinator

Anne Merrow — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:00:00 GMT

I have a friend who refers to my favorite eMag as “the Sockinator.”

I feel a little guilty playing favorites—I love ColorKnits and LaceKnits and EntreKnits and SpinKnit and Colorways too—but I can’t help it. Sockupied is my favorite. I’m a Sock Knitter not just by profession but by temperament, and no one gets more excited about seeing the sock designs come in than I do.

After a couple of years, Sockupied sometimes feels like the well-oiled machine that my friend’s sobriquet implies. Sometimes there are unplanned adventures, though:


	Leapfrog Socks by Debbie O'Neill, Sockupied Spring 2012


Emerging Cable Socks by Stefanie Bold, Sockupied Fall 2012

One of our designers for the Spring 2013 issue moved to Hungary right after we selected her sock for publication, so there was a mad scramble to get her yarn and some anxious days while we waited for the mailed package to finish its 17,000-mile journey. (The socks arrived, as lovely as we hoped.)

A few months ago an over-eager spam filter deleted any message that included the words “out of office,” and I wondered why no one I contacted about being part of the issue got back to me.

Also on the digital front, last month a popular antivirus program deleted or quarantined every download of the brand-new Sockupied Fall 2012 because (this kills me) there weren’t enough users to prove that it was trustworthy.

Sigh.


Oak + Acorn Socks by SpillyJane, Sockupied Fall 2011


	Muscadine Socks by Star Athena, Sockupied Spring 2011

But as I sit knitting socks feverishly on a last-minute deadline, wondering whether I’ll have a minute to eat dinner (nothing messy!) and still finish up, I’m also looking over the socks for the Spring and Summer 2013 issues and wondering which one I’ll cast on first.

(Or maybe it will be something irresistible that we receive in response to our call for submissions for Sockupied Fall 2013!)

What can I say? There’s never a dull moment making an eMag about knitting socks.

Cheers,