Review: Knitter's Book of Socks

Title:  The Knitter's Book of Socks by Clara Parkes
Genre:  non-fiction
Format: e-book
Source: library

Summary from Goodreads:

A sock is a work of wonder. No other knitted garment has as many structural demands or endures as much wear and tear. The humble sock must defy gravity, suffer the confines of our shoes, and endure being trampled on all day long.

All too often, the root cause of a sock's triumph or failure is the yarn itself. In The Knitter’s Book of Socks, Clara Parkes shows you how to knit socks from yarn up, following the sock yarn life cycle from its foundations to its final moments on a proud foot. By understanding a sock's basic needs—elasticity, strength, and moisture management—you’ll learn how to play with these tools like building blocks, confidently combining fiber, twist, ply, pattern, and clever stitch tricks to construct your perfect pair of socks.

Review

I learned a lot about the fundamental make up of yarn, namely how ply, twist, and crimp can work for you or against you in a sock yarn. I was impressed how even handed the discussion of technique was, acknowledging differing opinions in the knitting world. Most people think 1x1 is the stretchiest rib, but Elizabeth Zimmerman thought it was 2x2. Twisted stitches can be good for tightening up a pattern, but so-and-so points out the yarn may wear out faster... and so on.

The patterns are from designers you know and love, including Cat Bordhi, Anne Hanson, Cookie A, Jared Flood, and Nancy Bush, with a few newer faces as well. I read an ebook from the library so I can't vouch for the charts or technical editing but I appreciated the closeup shots that were included with every pattern. Many of these socks would do better with a solid or semi-solid yarn but there's something for everyone, from two pairs of "indestructible" socks to lace to cables to colorwork.

The writing style is refreshingly human, the information is interesting and informative, and I could see myself knitting several of the patterns. However, I won't be buying a copy for my own shelf... maybe if the information was a little more in depth, or if more of the patterns called to me.

Verdict

★★★★