Inspiration
2 Cool Designs for Sock Yarns
Dear Kay,
It has come to my attention that there are people in the world who don’t knit socks.
[Pause.]
Moving on.
I get it. I actually do. The good news is that sock yarn—that fingering weight delicacy—is great for all sorts of things beyond socks.
Two recent designs have me doing some serious scheming with the skeins, and I’d like to share my dreamydreams with you.
Design No. 1: Florid Wrap
by FatimaH Hinds of Disturbing the Fleece
Panels of color, stripes overlapping, texture galore.
Here is the Florid Wrap in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Rustic Fingering Gradients. A good gradient pattern is a joy to find.
Six feet long is a fine length for a wrap.
Photos by TUMPED DUCK, used by permission.
The stitch pattern is one of my favorite magic tricks in knitting: wrapped stitches, then dropped. Really lovely.
The whole thing is knit on the bias, to keep us on our toes. Decrease on one edge, increase on the other.
I’m seeing mine in Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock. (That’s it up top.) We carry seven shades and I’m itching to make something using all seven. I think I have my pattern. Thanks, Fatimah!
Design No. 2: Nokonoko
by Miyuki Watanabe
Megan Ingman of Lichen and Lace gave me the heads up about this curvy pullover, Nokonoko. Love it.
That hemline! That subtle fullness across the back!
The sample is shown in Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock. Beautiful.
I’m also thinking that it would be a good adventure to make it with Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock, which we carry in nine shades in the MDK Shop.
And Barnyard Knits Sock/Fingering would be a good fit too. (Nine shades in the MDK Shop.)
Nokonoko lets all the color randomness happen within a silhouette that has a lot of art to it. You want to see all the swoops and dashes of color that come with variegated yarn—that’s where the fun is.
I could do this all day. Dreaming with yarn is one of the best procrastinations. Do you have a favorite pattern for sock yarn that is not a sock?
Love,
Ann
I LOVE to knit a Baby Surprise Jacket in sock yarn.
I’ve been seeing the Florid Wrap on IG and really admire it. It’s so gorgeous! This is the first that I have seen Nokonoko, and I love that hem! I sure hope whatever crazy thing is going on in my left shoulder will subside soon so that I can get back to my knitting.
Well here goes….I have never made a sock. Absolutely no desire to make a sock (or a pair). Scarves, shawls, hats, fingerless mittens – all yes! And as a beginning knitter, I’m looking forward to one day knitting a pullover. And my ever growing stash includes wonderful colors of sock yarn. Whew, I feel better now.
If you ever experience the magic of turning a heel . . .
I’ve made about five pairs of socks and I learned that not only do I dislike knitting them, I can’t wear them-they hurt my feet. But I like using sock yarn for baby and child clothes with because it’s washable. I’m making the Little Sister Dress pattern now with Knitpicks Felici and it’s really cute. I wouldn’t wear colors and stripes like that in my feet because I don’t want them to be the focal point, but they look darling on children.
I am so happy to see a work of Fatimah Hinds’s featured today. I loved her Pom Cubes Hat that was in the 2019 Bracket and could see that she has an amazing talent.
My favorite non-sock project out of fingering weight yarn is the Timely cardigan by Truly Myrtle (akaLibby Jonson). It only takes a few skeins and is so wearable I’m planning to knit two more.
I love to make shawls.i have a ton and am knitting a few more as we speak (write). I have not knit a sweater yet but I have a few that I’m eyeing.
Shawls in fingering weight have long been my passion!! There are more than I need in this lifetime as it’s taken me a decade after 50+ years of knitting to actually attempt socks!!!
I’ve been looking for something like that wrap. This one is perfect for the stash yarn I have in mind. Thank you!
Joji Locatelli’s Starting Point is a great stash buster. I used the better part of 5 skeins (400+ yds each) for this 90″ wrap. It’s fun to knit, I love the finished product, and I can wrap myself up in it all year round (air conditioning kills me)
Yeah, I’m not a sock knitter. However I have knit with a lot of fingering yarn – it makes lovely shawls. But beware of variegated yarns in lace – you can’t see all that work.
And there’s a lot of it in my stash – I love knitting shawls. Including Linchen and Lace as well as Neighborhood Fiber Co.
Hermoso los modelos y la explicación. Gracias
I am not a sock knitter. There…I said it!
However, I have knit 1 sock (2nd sock syndrome) and that’s only because it was worsted weight yarn and cables! I just have no desire to knit with toothpicks and string, lol
Cannot seem to master knitting socks! Would love to make them with these beautiful yarns
O…secret addiction, sweaters in sock yarn. Yeah, not so secret as there they are, right on me. One of my favorites is “Robin” in “amimono” – that wizard little booklet of wonders from Marian Isager. I did it up in an olive sock yarn from the Malabrigo folk. Curiously, a group of shop regulars nearby declared it couldn’t be done! When they saw the results, a trend started…. Teehee. The hand of sock yarn sweaters is incomparable and they feel like Heaven.
Fingering weight is my favorite yarn for EVERYTHING…socks, hats, fingerless mitts, shawls, and sweaters. The Curling set by Anne Hanson (mitts and cowl) is a great project for a special skein of sock yarn. Another favorite is the Sproutlette baby dress by Tanis Lavallee.
Spring Showers cardigan by Joji Locatelli. I have made it many times with variegated sock yarns and it always turns out gorgeous.
The Water Street cardigan by Glenna C. is stellar for variegated and speckled (or semi/solid) fingering weight yarn. The silhouette is imminently wearable.
Just finished knitting Goldfish Memory by Casapinka using four skeins of brights, variegated, and speckled yarns—it was a blast to knit and is now blocking. Highly recommend!
Don’t forget baby sweaters! Pretty, hard-wearing washable yarn meant for socks make perfect baby sweaters.
Pattern for Nokonoko–I see it can be purchased on Ravelry, but is it written in Japanese only or is there an English translation? Also, sock yarn is my favorite for everything. Have made a Baby Surprise jacket. Also just finished a Casapinka shawl, Aquiline. I prefer a lighter yarn and fabric.
Check out “pavement “ by Veera Valimaki. Its my go-to sock yarn sweater and is very flattering. It’s in her “Bespoke” sweater ebook and is very similar to this in style. Lots of really cute patterns in there too!
Thanks for the suggestion. I just checked it out and you’re right, it’s quite similar.