Dear Kay,
In anticipation of the One-Sock Knitalong that begins on Monday, May 16, I’m thinking about sock patterns.
As I write, there are 42,799 patterns in the Ravelry pattern database for the category Accessories/All Feet/Legs.
In a historic first in the knitting universe, I will here rank all 42,799 patterns in order, from my least favorite to most.
#42,799 through #42,510: Barefoot Sandals. C’mon, this is the worst of both worlds—you’re neither barefoot nor besandaled. It’s like you caught something in between your toes, which is the second-worst sensation in the world.
#42,509 through #40,976: Other. This is like the size 0. Size 0 is not a size; “Other” is not a category. “Other” is, however, life’s rich pageant of things that fit into no other category on Ravelry.
#40,975 through #40,837: Spats. I’m calling BS on this category, because a quick run through the Spats category reveals quite a few non-spats entries. I’m seeing legwarmers, gaiters, boot toppers, and Starbucks cozies redeployed as ankle cuffs. Only a couple of these 139 patterns gets at the core of what a spat is, according to Wikipedia: “Spats, a shortening of spatterdashes, or spatter guards are a type of classic footwear accessory for outdoor wear, covering the instep and the ankle. Spats are distinct from gaiters, which are garments worn over the shoe and lower trouser leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment.” Got it?
#40,836 through #33,488: Booties. I can’t really hate on booties, but I can worry that there are 7,349 bootie patterns. It’s a garment for a foot that’s three inches long. And it’s a foot that refuses to keep a bootie on it, ever. Booties represent the eternal battle between cute and annoying.
#33,487 through #30,529: Legwarmers. A sock without all the sockiness. There’s a lot to be said for a legwarmer. Sometimes you just need to pile more onto that calf area.
#30,528 through #25,716: Slippers. Fraught! A category with great beauty and awfulness. I haven’t ever knit a slipper, and maybe I should. But I need some traction for my commute to the kitchen for the first coffee of the day. And I don’t need to make that trek wearing slippers made in my college’s team colors.
#25,715 through #25,488: Toeless Socks. Yeah, I know: it’s a legwarmer that takes a turn along the way. I get that people like these for getting pedicures or yoga or other leisurely pursuits, but the likelihood of me getting to either with the right toeless socks in my bag is zero point zero.
#25,487 through #5: So Many Socks. Now that I’ve narrowed it down, I’ll leave it to you to find your perfect pattern in this wilderness. Send up a flare when you find one you like.
#4: Wild Oak Socks. Pretty, with a nice rhythm to the cables and openwork. Virginia Sattler-Reimer taps into that sweet spot of texture and pattern.
#3: Out of Phase Socks Rachel Gibbs writes: “This is a top down sock pattern with a flap and gusset heel and cables inspired by signal processing travelling in opposite directions down the leg.” Of course it is!
#2: Toe-Up Socks with a Difference by Wendy Johnson. Cuff down or toe up? Wendy’s pattern makes the case for starting down low. (I noticed Raveler kokinotane cooked up Wendy’s socks in a really lush combination of Regia 4-fatig Tweed and Crazy Zauberball. Four-round stripes are such a great proportion for a striped sock. Mashing up two shades of yarn looks like a recipe for very fine stashbusting.)
#1: Simple Sock in Three Sizes. This is it! My favorite sock pattern is the pattern that taught me how to knit socks, the absolutely classic ribbed sock by Cat Bordhi featured in her book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. Here’s my post about that memorable first trip “Into the Rabbit Hole.”
So there you have it: 42,799 patterns. Why isn’t there more CHOICE, for pity’s sake?
Love,
Ann
You nailed the booties issue. Love knitting socks I’m in.
I almost spit my coffee over “the second worst feeling in the world”!!
I learned to make socks from that book, too. I have only made the “simple socks” pattern, but never with the ribbing all the way down, just K1, P1 for 2″, then knit all the rest of the way. I did make 2 pair on double points several years back, just to see if I could. They went to afghans for Afghans.
Getting my stash yarn ready for Monday, trying to fight the urge to buy new.
LoveDiane
Good morning, Diane–that sounds like a good alteration to the pattern–smooth on the top. I do think that ribbed socks fit the best. But sometimes a variegated yarn looks best knit in stockinette. So many options. And yes–double points are a big challenge for me. Two circs all the way!
I thought so too about the double points, but found out that it’s all the same! The only difference really is that the stitches cannot fall off the ends of the circus. So, if I put my sock knitting down, it will be intact when I get back to it.
So, with the ribbing going all the way down, the sock still stays up? I have never worn any socks (or much of anything else) that I have knit.
I’m excited about this. It is giving me the go ahead to knit for a4A, rather than lament my busy schedule.
How exciting to see my pattern! I start my day with a visit here and my coffee, what a delightful surprise, you made my day! xoxo
Hello Virginia! I can’t wait to make your socks. They’re really great! I am in the excellent limbo right now of picking out the yarn–needs to be a nice solid so that all your textures will show up well. Thanks for a beautiful pattern.
I’m afraid to look in the wilderness. I’ve already got so many sock patterns I will never knit them all. Sock knitting is the best.
You cannot go wrong with any of Virginia Sattler-Reimer’s sock patterns. She makes such beautiful socks! And with 28 to choose from there is bound to be something for everyone! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#designer=Virginia%20Sattler-Reimer&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=date&pc=socks
Hilarious! My only foray into sock knitting was Purl Soho’s pom pom socklets (aka adult booties) for my daughter to wear in her dorm. I had no idea what I was doing, so it was very exciting when the heel part actually came out looking like a sock heel. I started another pair, but it’s been in a bag in the closet for years. Maybe I’ll dig it out this weekend & join in on the one-sock fun!
Every time one of Virginia Sattler-Reimer’s sock patterns crosses my path, I’m drawn to it. Doesn’t matter which one. True story.
I’m in like Flynn. If any one in the us needs yarn I’m donating. I have sock yarn coming out the wahzoo.
Check out “Barn Raising” over at Ravelry. It’s referred to as a quilt, but it is a knitted blanket made of leftover sock yarn (has been on my knitting bucket list for years). Maybe it could give you inspiration for using your sock yarn stash, or consider referring to the book if you want that actual pattern. 🙂
Are you serious? I have boxes of hats and mittens ready for A4A but was lamenting that if I were cold what I’d really want is some warm socks—something I’ve only ever made one of as I found I didn’t have enough yarn left for the other. This is inspiring me to get with it and try again, but I don’t think I have any actual sock yarn. Could I give you something in exchange?
Oh my. I finally finished my Stopover sweater (I came late to that party), and just this week began something completely different: a nice, mindless Before and After scarf. I was happily unaware of the Out of Phase socks, but now I know I have to make them for my husband and my son — both physics geeks of the first order. I love knitting socks — but I may find that fourth sock rough going. And men’s socks take forever to make — they’re so BIG. I can’t KAL this time — I need to finish my scarf — but thanks for the Christmas ideas 🙂
Hahaha!
I bought the book “Sock Architecture” by Lara Neel when it came out but I’ve only knit one pair of socks out of it so far. I had been struggling to find a sock pattern that really fit my foot, but when I put the first Neel sock on, I exclaimed out loud. It fit PERFECTLY! So I’ve been meaning to knit another pattern from that book ever since. I’ll pick it out over the weekend.
Ann, kudos to you for your phenomenal research, analysis, and classification skills! On top of all that authoring and knitting and such! 🙂
Last night I accidentally over-knitted the foot of my current second sock during a West Wing immersion experience (two weeks in and I’m on Season 3). After I rip it back and rip back the toe on finished sock#1 because I changed my mind about having contrast toes, I may get this pair off the needles this weekend, thus freeing my needles for a whole nother pair of socks for your KAL. Huzzah!
Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with 🙂
Oh no, I’m all about the footies! I mean come on … http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pom-pom-socklets And if they do slip down, a little row of double elastic thread at the top and you’re golden.
Simple is the way to go with socks, I am also knitting the first pair of socks I ever knit basic socks (from the Folk Socks book, it was the early nineties. Even in high end yarn stores you sometimes saw Nylamb rather than the cornucopia of sock yarn we have today. Those basic sock patterns are infinitely customizable, you can add fancy ribbing or cables or stripes. Monkeys are good, too they are the only lace socks I ever knit. Those Wild Oak socks are aces, I am tempted.
I am not really all that fond of knitting socks but they make a great gift and I like to wear them, so I have made around thirty five pairs. What is there to knit for male relatives and friend’s husbands other than socks and scarves?
I think I am in with the sock finishing along y’all are running. I am three quarters of the way through a pair of red black and gray self stripers. I liked these socks a whole lot more before I realized that Sknitches intended them to be the colors of a college in Columbus. I have nothing against Columbus but I have never even been there.
Currently having a crocheted washcloth binge. Every time I go to the Sugar ‘n Cream aisle I think of you guys’ first book, and how wonderful it is, baby things in dishcloth cotton. What a nice change it was from the cashmere baby blankets you saw in magazines.
On the subject of booties Preach Sister Preach! How can something so cute be so annoying? It’s a mystery for the ages. I have never knit booties and I never will because children hate shoes and it starts in infancy.
Started a pair of socks and am madly knitting away so I can have a partially made pair to start completing with you all by Monday. (That sentence is probably nonsensical to anyone but another knitter.)
Some booties are too cute to pass up, but I’ve accepted that they are really just tokens of goodwill, and will be promptly lost.
Rachel Coopey’s sock patterns push all my sock buttons. Really well written patterns, my go-to sock books. but not mindless knitting.
General Hogbuffer’s socks are fascinating in a deer-in-the-headlights sort of way. I’ve bought several Hogbuffer patterns, because they look so interesting. Someday I will actually knit them.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#view=captioned_thumbs&page=1&query=hogbuffer&sort=best
That said, I usually just knit a 1×1 twisted rib cuff and a 5×1 ribbed calf and instep, so my socks won’t slouch, much. Pretty mindless, works well with variegated yarns.
Looks like I am going to make my first pair of socks, cuz I’ve already found some stash yarn and downloaded a pattern of Cabinfour’s. They will be sport, and since I have barely enough yarn, I have already added stripes at the cuff. I have no idea what I am doing, but it is fun so far. Thanks a lot, Ann, for enticing me down this rabbit hole. 😉
I have been using Wendy’s Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern for years. If I think I want to knit something with a stitch pattern I read the pattern to see if it will convert (easily!) to Wendy’s pattern. If not, I’m out.
I am not sure I want to knit anything but socks and hats. Ever. I have knit mostly using the Yarn Harlot’s Plain Sock Recipe. Though I have made a pair of Hermione’s Every Day Socks, as toe up, with short row heel. Plain socks fly along during project planning meetings.
It may be time to make a fancier sock. But not too fussy.
It may also be time to make Turkish Bed Socks.
OHhh I didnt know about the sock a long! Thanks. I have No pairs right now on the needles but one lace to begin to match the other
I would add that “Getting Started Knitting Socks” by Ann Budd is amazing and my go-to for socks. She has the patterns (basic and advanced) by stitches-per-inch. Therefore you just make a (god help me) SWATCH and then just follow the pattern that matches that stitch count. Easy. Genius.
Also – re socks I’m obsessed with the sock yarn by Arne and Carlos – it is a self-fair-isleing yarn and the first edition of it is perfection (edition 3 is meh…). Also – please be warned if you start watching their new youtube channel you will lose half a day. It’s mostly them quietly knitting in a garden while trying to find the english word for “cuff” – but it’s fantastic.
My biggest challenge with this KAL is deciding for which of the many single socks I will knit the second sock. Making the decision will give me a weekend pursuit.
I’m gathering up a few singles that will soon become couples. I feel like that guy from EHarmony.
Thank you for the finish that sock knit a long. I was knitting a beautiful pair of socks in 2009, waving lace pattern from Favorite Socks, an Interweave book, abiut 3 inches from finishing sock 2 I ranout if yarn! It wasn’t my fault because it’s a very popular and pricey (well in the old days pricey) yarn with 2 50 g skeins. And sock one was fine. So in a fit of complete idiocy instead of just finding a way to finish sock 2 I ripped out the kitch earring of sock one and ripped back through the not intricate but not totally simple pattern because for unknown reasons I wanted the toes of those socks to match. Why? Why? Almost no one ever sees the toes of my soxks. And I love fraternal soxks. Whatever. Because of this great scheme I now have zero soxks knit to completion and while I’ve taken them out of their gallo size zip lock numerous times over the last seven years, I look and put them back feeling like figuring out that pattern for the last inch or 2 of patterning left is just too much.
I suppose if I really sat down with them it would take me an hour or maybe 2 hours to finish these really nice socks.
Ann, I really hope your knit along is the miracle I need. And if not, at this today I have hope.
So sorry for all those tyoos.
I’d also like to add that I love wearing hand knit socks and I have an inordinate love of sock books, but knitting them, well, not so much. I think because I want a perfect fit. And maybe because I used to use size zero wood dpns which kept snapping while knitting.
So, I’ve only completed 3 pairs, 1st pair 99% perfect fit – had they had more wool less cotton I think they would have been 100% perfect but as a new knitter I didn’t even realize what fibers I was knitting with. 2nd pair I did intricate math to make the mock cables work with decreases I devised for going calf downward (my calves were bigger in those days) and they were perfection! Except knit from a very popular sock yarn that is 100% wool – so cozy — but the bottom wore through. (Modern 100% wool sock yarn looks sturdier to me.) They are beautiful and fit perfectly. And some day perhaos I’ll use the bit of excess yarn to darn that sole hole that is now rather large. Twist Collective has a great article on darning. Oh, btw, sock pair number 3 was the easiest pattern (plain with ribbing at top) and worst fitting of all!!
Once upon a time I had a goal of one pair per year……… Oh, how I wish I had all those socks!
Maybe my favorite post ever.
I’m not planning on joining this KAL but I have to say, this post was great reading.
Must knit THESE!!!! http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEff11/PATTdoubleheelix.php
Hey! I’m wearing my pair of your #1 sock pattern socks. Favorite pair and first pair made on 2 circs, in the class.
One Sock KnitALong? Holy Guacamole, Bat-Ann, I am so Totally In!!! I can knit one sock. Indeed, I’m primed to knit one sock, because I only bought enough yarn for one. One sock, as in half a pair. Sign me up!!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fruit-stripe-gum-socks-featuring-a-spiral-rib
This pattern is, like, the third pattern I ever put in my Ravelry library. First, there was the search for suitable yarn (the first, failed, attempt got converted to a pair of legwarmers for my granddaughter). Now I have a (single) skein of KnitPicks Felici in my stash bin, purchased specifically to knit a (single) sock over this pattern.
Let Monday come! I am prepared!!!
You are a brilliant genius writer! I love to read your posts. I have no problem with the fabric between the toes, however the other is ridiculous!
I’m all excited to try socks! I’ve never done them before so I’m going to try “Susan B. Anderson- How I Make My Socks” pattern and keep it simple. I’m out to get some sock yarn. Today’s blog- http://lovelyyarnescapes.blogspot.com/2016/05/saturday-sock-thon.html. Thanks, it sounds so much fun.