Unconventional, rule-breaking socks are part and parcel in this unique guide to sock knitting that includes 15 new sock patterns. The skills of the average sock knitter are increased through design exploration and advanced stitch manipulation, treating the sock as a knitted canvas where elements are strategically and intentionally placed. New designs of floral lace patterns, angular geometric shapes, and unusual cables are presented along with detailed instructions on modifications to suit needs and aesthetics. The incredible range of style and complexity in this guide runs from sweet and simple to delightfully imaginative.
Whether you knit them toe-up or top-down, getting just the right fit on hand knit socks can be a major challenge! In Custom Socks, Kate Atherley sets out to teach knitters of all levels the skills and tools they need to understand sock fit, and to knit a pair of socks that fit properly. She calls on her years of experience as Knitty's Managing Technical Editor, where she has edited hundreds of sock patterns, to share this information in a way that is easy to understand with patterns that inspire. So go ahead and treat yourself to these 15 original sock patterns that are easily customizable and work with any needle configuration. Your feet will thank you!
Guys Knit provides a beginners’ guide to anyone who thinks they’d like to give knitting a go. Aimed specifically at the male market, it challenges the perceptions of who knitters are -- and breaks apart those dusty stereotypes to show, once and for all, that knitting is in no way a gendered pastime, but is instead, a universal hobby for anyone interested in working with their hands, and creating warm and practical things to wear, share or even sell.
"Nineteen patterns ranging from simply chic to astonishingly intricate are arranged into three sections. In Columns, Cookie looks at the relationship between adjacent columns within vertical patterns and how they interact with one another. The section on Tassellations combines a variety of shapes into geometric outlines with surprisingly organic results. And the last section, Diagonals, will take you off the standard rectangular grid into curves, intersections and travelling components that swirl around the foot. These categorizations introduce a new vocabulary for classifying and understanding patterns. Among the projects are Pointelle, a pattern which features diagonal lace lines over an arrowhead lace background, and Wedge, an ingenious use of garter stitch short rows and stockinette bands that will have you marvelling at its simplicity. These rich and seemingly complex patterns are broken down step by step into bite-size components that are easy to digest. Illustrations, diagrams and charts accompany each project, offering an invaluable guide for visual knitters"--Publisher's description.
This collection of sock patterns was inspired by the superabundance of wild new sock yarns, which knit to gauges of 6.5 to 9 stitches per inch. These yarns offer far more color variety within a single filament of yarn than knitters -- unless they are hand spinners or artful dyers -- have previously experienced. The book is filled with tips, techniques, and suggestions.
Sock knitters now have something to really get their needles into with the lavish and inspirational "Socktopus," which is packed with invaluable tips and 17 fabulous patterns. Full of clear, helpful instruction on topics such as how to master turning a heel, sizing a sole, and fitting a high arch, "Socktopus" is the book that will enlighten and intrigue knitters.
Work from the ground up with knitwear design: create your own socks! Sock Knitting Master Class showcases methods for designing and knitting creative socks, featuring signature elements and techniques from 16 top designers. You'll learn what makes good sock design, and then dive into knitting 18 spectacular, brand-new patterns featuring the widest variety of techniques. With patterns divided into two sections by top-down and toe-up construction, Sock Knitting Master Class explores such techniques as cables, twisted stitches, lace, stranded colorwork, entrelac, shadow knitting, and intarsia worked in the round. Plus, you'll discover inventive ways to start and end socks, shape heels and toes, and knit the soles. Sock Knitting Master Class is an all-star assembly of the most inventive, exciting designers working in socks including Cookie A, Kathryn Alexander, Nancy Bush, Cat Bordhi, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Anne Hanson, Melissa Morgan-Oakes, Meg Swanson, Anna Zilboorg, and many more. And you'll also learn how each yarn contributes to the overall design from Clara Parkes.
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. To help put these principles into practice, The Knitter’s Book of Socks also offers 20 fresh, original patterns from today’s sock-design luminaries, including Cookie A, Cat Bordhi, Ann Budd, Nancy Bush, Anne Hanson, and Melissa Morgan-Oakes. The socks presented here run the gamut from simple knit-and-purl combinations suitable for beginners to innovative designs with lush colorwork, swirling cables, and delicate lace. Understanding the elements of yarn is the first step on every successful sock knitting journey. With this book as your guide, you’ll learn how to make any sock yarn shine and love every pair of socks you knit.
After thirty years of economic reform, China has reached a crossroads in its development process, and faces many challenges in the use of natural resources, the living environment, and the economic, social and political systems. The sustainability of China’s reform and development is even more salient in the face of the global financial crisis and economic recession. Taking the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as an iconic turning-point, the book explores key themes such as economic reform and sustainability, innovation and sustainability, globalisation and social development, and analyses the prospects for sustainable reform and development in Post-Olympic China. The book includes topics such as Chinese banking reforms; the issue of regional inequalities; energy and environmental challenges; industry development and corporate social responsibility, and democracy and media bloggers. With analysis written by experts from a wide range of disciplines, the book will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in China’s environment and sustainable development, economic and political reform, and international relations.
