Knitch Magazine

Title: Socks a la Carte 2: Toes Up

Author: Jonelle Raffino & Katherine Cade

Date Published: July 2010

Review Date: August 5, 2010

Who is this book for?

Did you know that you can search holdings in the Library of Congress catalog? I wondered how many sock knitting books might be listed in the national archives and found 66 listings. With that kind of competition, a new book will have to stand out from the crowd just to be noticed. Jonelle Farrino and Katherine Cade follow-up their best-selling Socks a la Carte with a book focused entirely on toe-up construction methods. Socks a la Carte 2 is a design tutorial geared for beginners or intermediate sock knitters and a comprehensive exploration of the toe-up construction method. In addressing experienced knitters, the authors acknowledge they may want to continue the leg patterns across the top of the foot but assume knitters will know how to do this. While experienced knitters can make the necessary adjustments to extend the leg pattern, beginners and intermediate knitters would benefit from instruction. This aside, most beginners will be satisfied with the construction methods used by the authors, and can readily find help to expand their skill set from the many other sock books and classes readily available.

What Yarn Does it Feature?

Jonelle Raffino is President of SWTC, Inc., distributors of earth-friendly yarns and fibers made from soy, bamboo, even shrimp and crab shells (chitin). All socks in this book are knit with TOFUtsies, a sock yarn that’s 50% Superwash Wool, 25% SOYSILK brand fiber, 22.5% Cotton, and 2.5% Chitin. It is machine washable and dryable and knits at a gauge of 8 stitches per inch. All socks are sized for the average woman’s foot (size 8). The aughors use TOFUTsies, a highly resilient yarn, and they believe socks knit to the gauge and stitch count give will stretch to fit most feet. There are some general tips about size adjustments, but if you have very hard to fit feet, you’ll need to consult other resources.

What's Inside

Socks are constructed of four simple parts: the cuff, leg or body, and the foot which includes the heel and toe. Calculate the dozens of choices you have in constructing any one of these sections and you have an unlimited range of possibilities for knitting a simple pair of socks. Socks a la Carte 2 is devoted to knitting socks from the toe up. Rather like top down sweater construction, many knitters prefer this method because it allows them to try the sock on as it is knit, guaranteeing a perfect fit. Other advantages to this method are that it eliminates the anxiety provoking toe graft (Kitchener stitch), and allows you to better gauge materials. With toe-up socks, you can knit the leg as long as your materials allow, leaving a bit for the cuff and cast off.

This is foremost a design book. Stitch patterns suitable for the leg and cuff are presented in dictionary form with full color photographs of swatches and detailed instructions. Choices for forming the toe and heel are displayed the same way. Taking a reader’s suggestion, all swatches and socks are shot in the same color. This helps readers focus on key stitch details, and is especially helpful when using the flip pages to toy with sock designs. It’s much easier to envision your final design if you’re not distracted by competing colors or patterns on each part of the sock. There are many color models sprinkled throughout the book. They add zesty color to the layout and help you see what the socks will look like in something other than royal blue. If you want to see how socks might look using some of the lovely print or variegated yarns, there’s a picture gallery with 16 models knit using several different cuff, leg, and foot patterns. After you complete your original design, the authors invite you to send a photo to them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Using It

To get the most from using this book, follow the authors’ advice. The opening chapter, “How this Book Works,” gives the lay of the land and explains basic premises in the book like yarn used, sizing and where to get more information or help.

The hidden spiral binding lets the book lay flat, an important feature when you’re paging back and forth between cuff and leg stitches. How many paperback binds have you broken in trying to get the pages to lay flat so you could read the instructions printed in the gutter margins? No such issues with this handy book. Ultimately, it’s the flip pages that make this book unique. They help you make sense of the thousands of possible combinations of stitch and construction methods in designing your own socks. In this section, the pages are divided into thirds, one for the cuff, the leg and the foot. Here, all the options presented earlier in the book are reproduced with the pattern name and page number for the instructions. Flip through to build the design you want, then secure the pages with the elastic band and you’ll have an instant model for the sock you just designed. For example, you can build a sock using the “edgy cuff “on page 69, the “leaves have eyelets” body on page 56, and the origami toe and heel on page 26. Simply arrange these pages in order, mark with the elastic band, and commence to knit.

Best Pattern (or Best Advice)

Remember when you used to like going through your mom’s purse? The authors allow us a peek inside their knitting bag. Instead of a dry list of resources for knitters, we get to see what they think are the essential supplies for sock knitters, including a bit of chocolate.

Recommendation

Socks a la Carte 2 is thoroughly documented, well presented guide for designing and knitting socks from the toe up. If you are looking for better fitting socks, then this is the answer for you.

Overall Recommendation

I rate this book #8.