Tag Archives: ann budd

Review: New Directions in Sock Knitting

Posted on February 26, 2016 by | Comments Off on Review: New Directions in Sock Knitting

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First, the facts:

Title: New Directions in Sock Knitting: 18 Innovative Designs Knitted From Every Which Way

Author: Ann Budd

Published by: Interweave Press, 2015

Pages: 167

Type: Socks!

Chapters:

1. Top-Down Construction
2. Two-Up Construction
3. Other Types of Construction

KS: New Directions in Sock Knitting

The In-Depth Look:

Oh, Ann Budd, never change. You and your crack team of designer friends/accomplices never cease to amaze.

Love knitting socks, but getting bored with traditional structure? Ever wonder if there is another way to construct a sock so that it fits the foot and ankle but isn’t just a standard tube with a right angle knitted into the heel?

Do you ever wonder if there’s a better way? Or, if not better, something different, just this once?

Well, Ann Budd obviously does, and she got a group of designers together to come up with a new way of looking at socks. When she says they are “knitted from every which way,” she means it.

She writes, “When I set out to acquire the socks for this book, I wanted to assemble a collection that differed from every other sock book on the market–hence the title New Directions in Sock Knitting. In this book, you’ll find an array of socks that deviate a little to a lot from the traditional top-down or toe-up construction. From the imaginative ways that heels, gussets, and toes are formed to the ingenious directions of the knitting, this book will change the way you think about knitting socks. The eighteen designs herein represent the efforts of seventeen designers who have puzzled out new ways to knit socks. The designs range from quite simple socks that are appropriate for first-time sock knitters to quite challenging socks that may require a leap of faith for those accustomed to traditional sock constructions.”

The book lives up to that promise–lots of creative ways of turning heels, or starting toes. Methods that construct the sole on its own, or do a u-turn around the heel. Lots and lots of creativity here, and tons of visual interest.

The designers? In order of appearance: Kate Atherley, Cat Bordhi, Carissa Browning (2 designs), Rachel Coopey, Hunter Hammersen, Jennifer Leigh, Heidi Nick, Kathryn Alexander, Anne Berk, Marjan Hammink, General Hogbuffer, Anne Campbell, Louise Robert, Betty Salpekar, Jeny Staiman, Nicola Susen, Natalia Vasilieva.

This great book can be found at Amazon or in your favorite shop.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by . Thank you!

My Gush:

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Review: Scarf Style 2

Posted on September 22, 2013 by | Comments Off on Review: Scarf Style 2

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First, the facts:

Title: Scarf Style 2: Innovative to Traditional, 26 Fresh Designs to Knit

Author: Ann Budd

Published by: Interweave Press, 2013

Pages: 175

Type: Scarves, cowls, wraps..

Chapters:
No chapters, just patterns.

KS: Scarf Style 2

The In-Depth Look:

The introduction to this book begins, “Who knew back in 2004 when Pam Allen wrote the first Scarf Style that scarves–and their cousin shawls, cowls, stoles, and wraps–would inspire such creativity among knitters? Instead of being the obligatory first project for beginners, scarves have been elevated to fashion necessities that run the gamut from rustic and casual to sophisticated and elegant. Whereas scarves were once uninventive garter-stitch rectangles, they now include rectangles, tubes, and mobius strips knitted from every direction and in every imaginable stitch pattern.”

She has a point, too, because I’ll be honest–when I think about knitting scarves, my first thought is “boring.” I’ve been knitting for quarter of a century (yikes!) and think I have knitted a grand total of three scarves–certainly no more than five–because, yes, those rectangles start feeling endless.

And then a book like this comes along that makes me think, maybe it’s not that boring after all?

Twenty-six patterns in all, here, with a variety from basic rectangular scarves to cowls and shawls. There’s some color-work, some cables. There are lacy wraps and thick mufflers, scarves with texture … in other words, NOT boring. In fact, they’re really quite lovely!

You can find your copy at Amazon.com or your local yarn or bookshop.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!

My Gush: Lovely and NOT boring.

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SOCKS!

Posted on November 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on SOCKS!

I did it. I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was so close to them, I just had to cast on for the Thigh High Stripes. These socks are so delicious, I can’t wait to have them finished and on me. It’s so much wool, and I wish to be clothed in all of it’s bright, colorful gloriousness!

I am making minimal changes to this pattern. I basically changed the brown to a dark charcoal and picked colors similar to the originals out of Knit Picks Palette, because whoa, these socks take a lot of yarn. I didn’t know if I would like Palette, but this is the second pair of socks I have used it for and I really like how squishy and sticky it is. I will report back how it wears.

Of course, I am going to have wait until these socks are done because it was a bit disingenuous of me to say that I have knit two pairs of socks out of it. when I only knit one of the French Market Socks–and not in a size I will ever be able to get on my foot. I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, it was her first real stranded color work project, the gauge was too tight.” And you would be ever so wrong. My gauge is fantastic! It’s exactly what the pattern should be, though I used US size 3 needles to get it, but you know I usually go up a needle size or two when knitting in the round. The reason I can’t wear this sock, is that it is knit for someone with feet the size of a doll’s.


Can you spot the meme?

Now, dear reader, you must be asking yourself why in the world I didn’t knit this sock long enough for my ginormo lady feet, and then knit a mate to go with it so I could have toasty, classy, French feet this winter? And the answer to that question is because I would have stuck four very large double pointed needles in my eyes by the end of it! I’m sorry, I think the design for these socks is gorgeous. I think the colors I chose show off the design perfectly, but seriously, what the heck was I thinking? I am not classy and understated. Me, the woman who is attempting to plan out how long before she can be self-employed again so that she can dye her hair hot pink, thought she could knit this very elegant pair of socks in understated natural colors. It was like trying to be someone I wasn’t at a very base level every time I sat down to work on them. Like I was trying to be a knitter that I am not. My original color combination was much more me. Remember that one?


Oh practice swatch, what a lovely dream you were. . .

The French Market socks are my one cheat from the whole book. I figure that so many other people have modified the Thigh High Stripes to be knee highs or even normal high socks so they would have a pair of socks they would actually knit that I can skip a second sock that I would never ever wear ever. Don’t tell the knitting police.

In other news, I am also working on the Happy Go Lucky Boots Socks


Yarn: Lamb’s Pride Sport

These have become my work / car knitting, so they are going rather slow, but the pattern is fun. I particularly like the color combination here. They remind me an old-fashioned Professor’s office with dark wood and leather everywhere–and one of those desk lamps with the green glass shade. These socks look like a they should be wearing a tweed jacket.

And finally, I am combining two of my favorite things: sock yarn and Jane Eyre. I dyed myself some periwinkle yarn and cast on Jane’s Ubiquitous Shawl along with the craftlit folks. I am quite happy with the dye job, and knitting the pattern while listening to the book is just about the most sublime combination for someone who should have been a librarian, but couldn’t quite make it because the lure of having pink hair was just too strong.

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Socks and Sweaters

Posted on August 8, 2012 by | Comments Off on Socks and Sweaters

After swatching on Sunday, I found that my usual gauge for the assymetrical cables socks worked perfectly. Hooray for not having to buy smaller needles! I used my same old trusty long tail cast on. I happen to cast on really loosely, so if you cast on tightly, I might recommend a slightly more elastic cast on.

So far, the cable pattern is pretty straight forward, and I am loving the yarn. I would be further along, except I got a little distracted by OWLS.


I love how charming a little 2×2 ribbing can be as it transitions into stockinette. Very simple. Very classic. The instructions for this sweater so far are clear enough for me to keep up with all the decreases and still chat with my sister all night–until I gave her my tablet to read something funny–and I then I didn’t have my pattern anymore. Between chunky projects, I always forget how satisfying it is to work with this weight yarn. I feel like I am doing so much with so little effort. I can’t wait to teach this class. Details are coming soon, I promise.

And just because it’s pretty.

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Sundays are for Swatching

Posted on August 5, 2012 by | Comments Off on Sundays are for Swatching

I have felt a bit aimless in my knitting lately. I have been knitting a lot of simple things, stockinette socks, stockinette sweaters, garter stitch bags. While all of them are relatively easy, they are all also relatively simple. I like a good simple knitting project for stressful times, when the hands just need to be producing and the mind needs to be relaxing. I will still tell you, if you ask, that a plain stockinette sock is the best relaxation knitting in the world. But every now and then, there comes a point where a woman needs just a little more to do. Taking on the Pearl Street Pullover was part of that. I have never done a cabled sweater before, and I am enjoying the heck out of it, even if I am afraid I am going to run out of yarn. I think it was also my motivation for the ill-fated moth man scarf I blogged about last time. Ill-fated? Yes, it is already in hibernation. I have a record with lace yarn and it seems I am doomed never to ever finish a project made out of it. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I am a cable and color girl, and that while the occasional lace is nice, I prefer the solid to the dainty.

Which brings me to today’s topic. You see, I have plans. Big plans. Plans that almost scare me a little bit when I think about it too much.


This is the pile of things I am going to work on today, because it’s Sunday, and if I can’t sit on my butt and knit all day, I don’t know what else Sunday is for. In the middle you see the beginnings of a sock. This is my control project. A simple pair of stockinette socks on the needles that I can pick up when my brain needs a break from all the new things.


This particular pair of socks are my little brother’s birthday present. (His birthday was a month ago, but I am consoled by the fact that it has been 100 or more degrees every day since then and he wouldn’t have worn them anyway.) They are some self-striping t-rex yarn that he picked out of my shop. He might have just turned twenty, but I am proud to say he couldn’t pass up having Air Bender inspired socks.

Why do I need a control project you ask? Well, mostly because I made two knitting decisions in the last week that prove I have obviously gone quite insane. Two things happened to me last week. I stumbled across Ann Budd’s blog where she challenged herself to knit every sock in her Sock Knitting Master Class book. Second, I was finishing up teaching my beginners sock knitting class, and was thinking what other knitting classes I should schedule for the fall. Some how, the amalgamation of these two ideas in my work-stressed brain led me to make two very ill-conceived decisions. One, I need to learn more knitting skills so that I can be a better knitting teacher, therefore I too shall knit through the sock knitters master class, and blog about it. Two, I will teach a sweater knitting class, because I love knitting sweaters and would like to pass the bug along. Of course, the pattern I chose, O W L S, I have never knit before. I don’t feel comfortable teaching something I have never done, therefore I need to knit this sweater. I don’t have any illusions about knitting it all before the class starts, especially given my insane sock undertaking, but I would like to stay at least one step ahead of my students.


The yarn I am going to use for O W L S is just some knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky I bought ages ago. I have a ton of this stuff laying around. I am not sure what my plans were anymore, but I have enough of this steely grey color for a sweater. Today I am swatching for the sweater.


I am also swatching with this lovely golden protoceratops sock yarn for the first pair of socks in The Sock Book (this might be how I refer to the Sock Knitting Master Class for the duration of the project.) I do have to confess, that I have not swatched for socks since probably the second pair of socks I knit. I have not had a problem thus far, but I figure when socks are patterned and offer different sizes, it might be prudent to get a good idea of what my sock gauge even is these days.

First up is Assymetrical Cables by Cookie A. Wish me luck.

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