Socktopus: 17 Pairs of Socks to Knit and Show Off Paperback – October 25, 2011

For a long time, I have admired the work of British sock designer Alice Yu. Because her pretty, highly-patterned designs have been mostly distributed through her subscription-only sock club, I've actually knitted only one of her patterns (Shur'tugal, included in this book). But from that experience, I know that she knows how to write patterns for socks that really fit.Designer Yu excels at creating highly-textured socks, using combinations of slipped stitches, twisted stitches, yarnovers, cables, and surface stranding. There is not a single pattern in this book that I do not want to knit, but my favorites are "Farmer McGregor" (a double-lattice allover pattern), "V Junkie" (a honeycomb pattern of "blood cells" inspired by the "True Blood" TV series), "Spring Shoots" (an allover lace pattern with "afterthought leg" construction and a swirly heel that I must try), "De Stijl" (using an exotic stitch pattern with rows of crisscross stranding on the leg), and, of course, "Shur'tugal" (a simple twisted-stitch pattern that really looks like dragon scales when knitted up).The book includes a chapter on sock knitting basics, which discusses sock fibers and yarns, and sock fit and anatomy. The patterns are mostly charted, and fairly complicated to knit, although there is one pattern, "Totally Vanilla", for just plain socks. Each pattern starts with a schematic that gives the measurements of the socks knitted from the suggested yarn, so that knitters will know whether they need to re-size.The book is printed on glossy paper, and the full-color photographs are beautiful. Whenever there is a particularly tricky technique involved in knitting a pattern, such as shadow wrap, stranding, twisting, or the Channel Island cast on, there are close-up photos of knitting on the needles which show each step involved. I think that the patterns in this book can be knit by adventurous, moderately experienced knitters; and that experienced knitters will find the patterns interesting and challenging, because they use so many unusual techniques and/or stitches. If you love the beautiful sock designs of Cookie A. (author of  Sock Innovation ) , you are almost certain to love these designs too.

Soctopus by Alice Yu contains patterns for 17 pairs of luscious socks. The book goes into good reasons to knit socks: Good things come in small packages, socks are reassuring, socks are practical and sock knitters rock. There is a section on fibers and sock knitting that I found very informative and useful It goes into the kinds of fibers usually used to knit socks along with the benefits and distinctions of each. There is also a section on yarn construction and ply and how this relates to sock knitting.The patterns start off with the most basic sock, a stockinette knit sock with just a small rib on the top. It proceeds to more diverse and difficult patterns, all delectable. The Kandahar socks are lovely with a nice cable rib. Yu describes the pair as "apres-ski socks to be worn while sitting next to a crackling fire with Testarossa cocktail in hand." Junkie Socks are one of my favorites. "Red blood cells made from slipped stitches and purl rows, these socks were inspired by True Blood, a TV series." Thee pair is comprised of sextagons layered row after row. All the socks have neat names and cute descriptions.The book is for someone who's knit socks before as there are no photos of how to put socks together or ways to do gussets or heels. Overall, it's a wonderful addition to my knitting library and I can't wait to get started on some of these patterns.

I should have paid attention to the negative reviews. The socks looked beautiful and I was excited to try them. I am not a novice knitter, but these patterns are so complicated that it is no fun to knit them. One second of not concentrating very closely and you're finished. I have tried four different designs in this book so far, and had to quit on three of them. Now on the fourth, I am feeling like this is getting personal and I am pushing through, though I have had to rip it apart several times before finally more or less getting the hang of it. Haven't got to the heel yet, I am scared, very scared... The directions are not always clear. For example, one pattern says to work the leg design until sock is 6 inches long. Okay, but she neglected to mention the pattern chart has a different number of stitches than you have on your needles, you need to add extra sections at each end to make it work, but she doesn't mention that. In another she describes mkfb (mirrored kfb), then the sock directions it says kfb, was this a typo? Should it be a mkfb, or kfb, if so, how do you do a kfb? There are only directions for mkfb. In another pattern, the entire sock was made with single stitch cables every two to three stitches, not every few rows. It took me forever to do a single round futzing with the cable stitch holder and I thought I might finish that sock by the time I turn eighty. If there is a faster way of doing a cable I would like to know it, she doesn't say. The sock was not special enough to spend months knitting one of them.Bottom line: knitting for me is supposed to be relaxing and rewarding, not a grueling marathon of frustrations. I am sure there are others out there who have superior skills to me, but I do have a drawer full of pretty patterned socks I have knitted for myself, so I am no beginner. This book is not for anyone who is not prepared to spend a LOT of time knitting a sock.

Das Buch enthält 16 Anleitungen für abwechslungsreiche Mustersocken und eine Grundanleitung ohne Muster.Die Muster sind vielfältig, mal mit Hebemaschen, mal mit Wickelmaschen, mal mit Lochmuster, mal mit Verzopfungen. Viele der benötigten (und nicht ganz alltäglichen) Techniken werden mit Bildern gut erklärt, so dass auch die erfahrene Strickerin hier noch das eine oder andere dazu lernen kann. Ausserdem findet man viel Abwechslung bei den verwendeten Fersen und Spitzen, sowie bei den Strickrichtungen (vom Bund zur Spitze, von der Spitze zum Bund, und sogar den Fuß zuerst und dann den Schaft nachträglich angestrickt).Den Punktabzug gibt es allerdings für die schlechte Passform, die man bei den meisten Socken für gängige Fußformen erhält, wenn man nicht die nötige Erfahrung besitzt, das rechtzeitig zu erkennen und anzupassen. So kann z.B. eine Größe "Small" je nach Anleitung eine deutsche Größe 36 werden, oder schon auch mal eine deutsche Größe 41. Für wenig Geübte kann das dann schon mal zu einer Entäuschung führen.Mit ein wenig Erfahrung lassen sich aber die meisten Anleitungen ganz einfach entsprechend modifizieren.

Sehr schöne Sockenanleitungen. Die jeweiligen Muster sind in geschriebener Weise und als Chart aufgeführt. Jede Anleitung gibt es in zwei Grössen: Small und Medium/Large. Alles ist schön übersichtlich und gut nachzuarbeiten. Einige Techniken werden mit Bildern erklärt, zB Maschen zusammenstricken. Wobei ich es immer hilfreicher finde, so etwas in Videos auf YouTube zu lernen.Leider kann ich nicht herausfinden, ob das zweite Buch dieser Autorin, dass ganz ähnlich heisst (nämlich Socktopus: 17 Pairs of Socks Worth Showing Off, aber ein ganz anderes Cover hat und immerhin 4€ billiger ist, die selben Modelle beinhaltet...

Ich bin eine leidenschaftliche Sockenstrickerin. Die Muster in diesem Buch gefallen mir alle! Und die verwendete Wolle gibt mir Anregungen, Wolle selbst zu färben.

Very nice but not my socks sizing, have to adapt the stitch count

Good patterns