Thrift Shop Stash Enhancement

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats. Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."

- Hamlet

Am I the only one that thinks that when I think "thrift shop"? I hope not. 

Anyway, when I'm looking for random stash storage solutions, I don't run across a lot of chances to make my stash bigger, but this time, I got lucky. Under a pile of acrylic yarn, I found 4 skeins, 2 with labels, but they all look like the same yarn: 

I've never used The Philosopher's Wool Co. yarn before, but it's 100% wool, smells like lovely lanolin, and seems perfect for my Sherwood Slippers. I'm planning on holding the yarn double, and I hope I have enough to get a pair of slippers from each skein. 

It seems a little heavier than Cascade 220 (which I also hold double for those slippers, and any kind will do, just as long as it's not superwash), so I may have to make adjustments. We'll see! 

Bootstrap Socks, Procrastinatrix Socks and Sidle Socks

Ok, guys, here are the last 5 Sock Architecture patterns!

Bootstrap Socks 

The Bootstrap socks have a line of garter-stitch running down both sides of the leg that continues onto the heel. In my mind at least, they slightly mimic the most fun detail on a western-style boot — that little seam running down the outside of the leg. The sock ends with a wide toe that can be made short, medium or long.

Besides just looking cool, that little line of garter stitch seems to make the knitting go faster than plain stockinette. As a bonus, it makes counting rounds absurdly easy, so you don’t have to worry about losing your place when you make the second sock (or the heel flap).

It uses a Balbriggan heel, which takes just a small amount of grafting to finish. It’s well worth it, I promise. It looks and wears like a dream.

Why It's My Favorite: I wanted a sock that would coax knitters into trying the heel that has fallen out of favor, for some reason. It's completely unjust that every knitter who loves socks hasn't at least tried this heel. (I found it in Weldon’s Practical Stocking Knitter from 1885.) Maybe I just like the underdog, but it's my go-to heel for top-down socks. I hope everyone else loves it, too!

P.S. - Maybe I don't have a favorite favorite pair of socks from Sock Architecture, but the test knitters sure seemed to. They all clamored to try the Bootstrap Socks!

Sidle Socks, Top Down

"To sidle” means to walk up to someone, usually in a furtive or sneaky manner. These socks aren’t made in a sideways fashion, but the heel and toe are both 90 degrees from what you might expect, and they are pretty enough to surprise. The afterthought heel is worked in exactly the same way as the toe. There is no gusset for this sock.

Why It's My Favorite: Afterthought heels are great for when you just don't have the energy to worry about a heel at the moment but want to knit a sock, anyway. I love them for when I don't know the exact length of the wearer's foot, but know their general size enough to get the circumference right. If you don't plan out the position of the heel as you work, you can adjust the foot length, as needed, when you add the heel.

If you know the exact length of sock you want, you can avoid having to pick out tiny stitches later by using my Extra Needle technique. I explain it, in detail, in the book, and I've also made a video about it.

Sidle Socks, Toe Up

As with the top-down version of this sock, there is no gusset here, but the large heel will help it fit a variety of feet very well. It is possible to nearly completely avoid math in this toe-up version.

The fit of the toe is very similar to a medium wedge toe, and even begins in the same way.

Why It's My Favorite: Again, Extra Needle technique or sizing flexibility, plus the fun of working toe-up and having the sock look a little like a sock even when you've just started it. If you measure the toe after it is finished, you'll know how long your heel will be, which saves just a little math if you are working out your own sizing.

Procrastinatrix Socks, Top Down 

In this sock, the heel is knit last, so it hints at a slight proclivity to procrastination. Hence, Procrastinatrix. Spellcheck may not like the name, but I sure do.

Everything about this sock is entirely run-of-the-mill and familiar, except for the order in which it is made. Amaze your friends and companions by turning what looks like a very strange sock indeed into one with a French heel.

If you love top-down French heels, but hate picking up stitches along the side of the heel flap, this is the heel for you. Decreases, not picked-up stitches, connect the heel flap to the gusset.

I used a slipped-stitch heel flap, for strength.

Why It's My Favorite: This heel concept is a second look at the heel I created for my Tootsie Socks. It allows you to create a relatively common heel, which may already be your favorite, but work it as the last step to your sock, instead of halfway through.

It's either my masterwork or a method that about 5 other people on the planet will like. Time will tell.

Procrastinatrix Socks, Toe Up 

As you might guess, this is very similar to the Procrastinatrix Socks that are knit from the top down. I added a little color change into these: heels, toes and ribbing are in a contrasting color.

I’ve never managed to get grafted stitches at the top of a heel flap to look quite as nice as I would like, so even though this sock is knit from the toe up, the heel is knit from the top down. It’s a bit of a twist and is only really possible with this style of construction.

If you need any more convincing to try a toe-up sock, with this version you can avoid casting on gusset stitches. In many ways, it is the best of both worlds.

Why It's My Favorite: It's a toe-up sock with a top-down heel. The only grafting you have to work is hidden under the heel, so it doesn't matter if it isn't absolutely perfect.

Checked and Square Socks

So, this time I didn't try to get fancy with the name. These socks are in a checked pattern and have square heels. Easy!

Checked and Square Socks, Top Down 

These simply checked socks have square heels and are knit from the top down with an Eye of the Partridge heel flap.

Why It's My Favorite: The stitch pattern makes the sock a little more exciting to knit and makes counting rounds super-easy. I think the square heel makes a great introduction to flap-and-gusset heels, since it's a little easier to keep track of where you are as you are turning the heel. Wouldn't that color be a little pop of summer all year 'round, too?

Checked and Square Socks, Toe Up 

These simply checked socks have square heels and are knit from the toe up with an Eye of the Partridge heel flap and a toe that can be easily customized for a perfect fit.

Why It's My Favorite: I don't always get to work with a lot of different colors in my socks, so I add texture when I can. This stitch pattern is easy to knit, but not to frilly to be unisex. There is no grafting, but there are some picked-up stitches. Plus, and I know this has nothing to do with the actual pattern, I love how sophisticated it looks in gray!

Mouchoir Socks

Mouchoir means “handkerchief” in French. This sock has a half-handkerchief heel and a simple stitch pattern to match. I love the stitch pattern, but it does limit sizing options a bit. I hope you can forgive me. Both toe-up and top-down versions require no grafting at all and are written out in three sizes, plus an adjustable size.

Mouchoir Socks, Top Down

Why It's My Favorite: Another simple-but-exciting stitch pattern, an easy-to-adjust heel shaping and a round toe that doesn't require grafting. What's not to love?

Mouchoir Socks, Toe Up

Why It's My Favorite: This heel, when worked from the toe up, doesn't need any picked-up stitches at all, just increases and decreases. Also, it's a good heel to know for anyone who wants to design their own socks because it fits in a way that's pretty similar to the Round or French heel, but is much easier to work out, math-wise. I love the toe shaping, too, which can be a little more pointy than most but doesn't have strong lines, which could be a bonus for hand painted or self-striping yarns.

Dyad Socks

With the Dyad set, I finally opened up a little color into the equation. I don't have anything against socks in multiple colors. In fact, I really love them! But, with this book, I really wanted to have fun just exploring the different shapes possible when knitting. Deep playing around with color will have to wait for another day. 

I chose “dyad” as the name for these socks as a kind of reference to my thought process.
I wanted to explore the easiest way I know to make a two-color sock: one color for the heel and toe, and another for the rest of the sock. I was also eager to use a band heel and a toe to match.

In Sock Architecture, they are worked both from the top down and the toe up in five sizes, plus a plug-in-your numbers size.

Dyad Socks, Top Down

Why It's My Favorite: Working in color blocks is an easy way to add color and even stretch a leftover skein of yarn, if you don't have enough for an entire pair of socks! The sideways toe and the band heel look great together. They are both a bit unusual, but easier than they look.

Dyad Socks, Toe Up

Why It's My Favorite: The band heel is fun and can be worked with or without a gusset. I also love the sideways toe that matches it so well. The single line of contrasting color around the front of the foot is a little different, too.

Strie Socks

Strie means “stripe,” “groove,” or “gore” in French, so it seems like the perfect name for these very simple, garter-stitch-ribbed socks with French heels and wedge toes. In Sock Architecture, they are worked both from the top down and the toe up in five sizes, plus a plug-in-your numbers size.

Strie Socks, Top Down

Why It's My Favorite: For the experienced sock knitter, this is a super-easy pattern in a fun mix of pattern/heel flap stitches. For the beginner, it's an introduction to some of the most common shaping methods in socks, in both toes and heels.

Strie Socks, Toe Up

Why It's My Favorite: Even experienced knitters may not have worked their "usual" heel turn from the toe up. Beginners can experience how easy it really is. Bonuses: No picked-up stitches needed along the heel flap and no grafting.

Adjoin Socks

Adjoin Socks

Why It's My Favorite: I love this heel construction, which looks so different, but fits so well! I swear, even Dee has happily worn these, and she can be a bit...particular. The cast-off at the back of the heel may look a little strange, but it is easy to work and allows the knitter to avoid grafting. If you prefer a different look, you could graft it, too. 

The toe is a little unusual, too. I designed a "training wheel" toe-up toe for people who aren't in love with Judy's Magic Cast On.

I would love to see it worked up in a self-striping yarn. The front of the foot, if colors are managed well, could look completely uniform from top to bottom!

If you're not crazy about the stitch pattern, you can leave it out.

This is the only pattern in my book that can only be made from the toe up.

Sock Architecture Photos and Patterns Are Going Up On Ravelry

One of the first conversations I had with Shannon at Cooperative Press about Sock Architecture was the tone of the photography. We both thought a white background would be great - we wanted everything to be as clear as possible!

Since I was am a photographer, I knew it would be best if I had a completely consistent lighting setup for the entire book. I talked Dee into letting me take over a corner of the living room as a small photo studio. There were other rooms I could have used, but that was the only one with the perfect corner and white walls.

You guys, I can't exaggerate how awesome it was having a permanently-ready lighting setup and a clean background. As soon as I get the basement in our new house sorted out a bit, I'm going to do the same thing all over again. I'll tell you all about it when I do it, but, pro tip: that 36"-wide white paper came from Staples and cost all of $7. If you're only shooting small things, it's pretty tough to beat. Professional photo background paper costs at least $50 a roll and is ridiculously difficult to store.

Ironically, the only time I couldn't shoot was when it was really sunny outside. My lovely living room had tons of windows and sunlight bouncing off pretty green grass into windows can do really freaky things to color tone. It's just another reason to love snow.

Shannon suggested I get a model foot, so I did. Dee and I even bought a tiny lamp shade for it and called it "fra-gee-lay."

Then, I picked up a few more sock blockers/forms for socks that didn't fit the foot, like extra-large and extra-small. 

Socks just look so much better when they're stretched a tiny bit. After all, they are stretched a bit when you're wearing them! 

With this setup, I could shoot socks, heels, and toes as soon as they were ready. Morning, noon and night!

Which is all kind of a long way of saying that, since the digital release of the book is imminent (the physical books will start shipping a few weeks after that), I've been given the go-ahead to finally show these photos to people other than my non-knitting family and test knitters. 

All of these designs were absolute labors of love for me, so I don't have a favorite. Instead, every time I pick one up, I think, "Ooooooh, this one's my favorite!" But then I think that about the other 16 patterns, so there you go. I guess I could try to tell you why each one is my favorite? 

Uncommon Dragon

Why It's My Favorite: Two reasons - the stitch pattern and that heel! I love taking the stitch pattern as far as possible down the leg. Oh, and the toe. I think the toe goes with the stitch pattern really well.

Arithmophobia Socks, Top Down

Why It's My Favorite: I love the goofy name, and I adore my method of making short-row heels and toes. No fuss, muss, stitch markers or wraps! Also, it's so easy to custom-fit to any foot. 

Arithmophobia Socks, Toe Up

Why It's My Favorite: Again, goofy name. And, for the toe-up version -- no grafting. At all. Ever. Also I do have a soft spot for toe-up socks. I tried really hard to make EVERY pattern in the book go both ways. The only ones I couldn't manage were grafted-under-heel types like Uncommon Dragon. (Technically, that's possible to make toe-up, but it would take major, major knitting gymnastics. I mean, beyond even where I wish to go. I tried it, and it just made me too nuts.)

But, don't worry, toe-up enthusiasts. There's one heel that's only really possible from the toe-up. I couldn't resist using it in my Sherwood Slippers. I'll put that sock design up on Ravelry tomorrow!

Sock Architecture

I don't know if anyone else remembers, but over a year ago I took a (non-matching, very small) pair of socks on a trip with me and did the usual knitter-normal things like put them on landmarks and take pictures of them..and put them on Twitter, with the tag #GreatSockAdventure. If you like, you can see more of them here.

In the lion's mouth. OK, it's just a cool-looking door.

It was mainly because I couldn't tell you about my other Great Sock Adventure, and the fact that those two little guys weren't alone. They were part of this crowd.

Safe at home.

Which is kind of a long way of saying that my recent silence hasn't just been because of the move. I have been feverishly working away at finishing my book. It's called Sock Architecture. Writing it has been quite an adventure, and I can't wait for other people to see it. I love it, and I'm not just saying that because it's mine. I keep printing out pages and using them as a reference in my own knitting bag (not just when I'm getting frantic emails from test knitters), and I think that's a pretty good sign.

I'm going to explain it more and share as much of this final process as I can, but just for starters, here's the basic book description:

Sock Architecture is perfect for both experienced and novice sock knitters. This thorough, imaginative collection of sock shapes and patterns to try includes 17 toes that can be knit either from the top down or toe up and heel shaping techniques that can be combined into 26 ways to knit a heel from the toe up and 68 ways to knit one from the top down. You're bound to find at least one or two new favorites!  

Choose the best shape for a perfect fit, add a new technique to your bag of tricks or simply try out a different look for your hand knit socks. All the heels and toes are carefully explained and clearly photographed, and you can plug in your own numbers to work at the exact size and gauge you want.  

If you'd rather just pick up the needles and start knitting, Lara designed 17 patterns for Sock Architecture. Most of them include 5 sizes, from women's extra small through men's large, and an adjustable size. With the adjustable size, you can choose your own gauge, size, or both, to make socks as unique as you! 

Lara also demystifies popular sock-knitting techniques and gives you tips and tricks that could only have come from the mind of the creator of Math4Knitters. Terrified of grafting? Love afterthought heels but hate retrieving those tiny left-on-hold stitches? Adore the look and fit of your usual top-down heel, but hate picking up gusset stitches and dealing with that weird little hole at the top of the heel flap? There are tools and methods to make everything easier, and Lara explains them all.  

Jump right in to this ultimate guide to the world of sock knitting!

I'm so happy/terrified/proud/excited that I can barely sit still. Good thing I've got my knitting.

P.S. - Sock Architecture is available for purchase!

Grungy Basement and 16 Handknit Socks

Sorry for showing you my grungy basement. Hey, it's dry and functional, and that's really all I ask. But, I am very grateful for the little green bar someone hung up there a while ago. It's the perfect spot to hang 16 socks to dry at once!

My sis bought me that little octopus years ago at Ikea. I love it to bits.

So, I haven't dropped off the face if the earth, and I've been knitting socks.

Starting Over

I didn't like the way that one was turning out. So, starting over with toe-up!

Don't you love the colors together? They're a bit darker than this and called Mrs. Moss and A Lovely Thing. I'm not normally nuts about pink/rose, but, my. These are pretty!