An Essential Kate Atherly Sock Book!
My Sister Knits now has copies of Kate Atherly’s book Custom Socks: Knit To Fit Your Feet! Kate Atherly is one of my favorite teachers and even before I took a dive into this book I knew it would be fantastic, thorough, and easy to understand. Kate is a mathematician who brings that knowledge and also her years of tech editing sock patterns to this invaluable book.
Kate starts out her book detailing how to measure your foot to ensure a good sock fit. She includes a table where you can write down the specific measurements for your feet, both left and right.
Then she goes on to inform readers why a tightly spun 4 ply yarn is best for socks. These are resistant to abrasion and will wear longer. Most yarns that are labeled ‘sock yarn’ have some nylon in them for added strength and are fingering weight but not all fingering weight yarns make good ‘sock yarn’. Her favorite yarn for socks is a blend of 75-80% superwash wool and 20-25% nylon.
© Interweave/F&W Media Basic Toe-Up Sock with self striping yarn
Now you have your foot measurements and yarn, you need to choose which needles to use. Kate discusses how to use double points, two circulars, or the magic loop method for both toe-up and top-down socks.
Ladders are columns of loose strands between stitches at the breaks between the needles. Ladders can be referred to in horrified, hushed tones and are to be avoided at all cost. How to do that? Kate offers her thoughts on both minimizing them and living with them. She’s found that the extra yarn usually gets distributed and disappears with washing and wearing. Problem solved!
© Interweave/F&W Media Man of Aran sock, toe up or top down
Socks are knitted at a tight gauge to create a dense sturdy fabric for better fit and longevity of the sock. She has included a Yarn Equivalents Table that lists the usual gauge and needle size along with the recommended sock gauge and needle size for a variety of yarn weights.
Next up, basic patterns for a top-down sock and a toe-up sock. Of course, because this book is by Kate Atherly, there are specific explanations and diagrams so you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing!
© Interweave/F&W Media toe-up Lindisfarne sock
Following the basic sock pattern information is a fount of information on adding stitch patterns! Would you like to add a ribbing pattern? Lace? Cables? Colorwork? It’s all in chapter 4!
Besides the basic patterns, there are 14 more. These range from a basic ribbed sock to lace and cables to intricate stranded colorwork. Many of these patterns are written for both types of construction, others are specifically only toe-up or top-down. At the end is a chapter on how to make adjustments for non-average feet and how to troubleshoot some common fit problems.
© Interweave/F&W Media top-down Carpita sock
This book is a must for understanding the entire sock knitting process and then putting that knowledge into a pair of socks! You may as well buy a skein of sock yarn that’s calling to you when you purchase this book because you’re going to want to cast on right away!
Happy knitting,
