Customer Reviews

Sock Innovation

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love Cookie A socks. I have knitted half a dozen pair and am part of a group who is knitting every pattern in this book in order. The socks as pictured are gorgeous - as are all Cookie A socks. She is my favorite modern sock designer, hands down.

The problem lies with Interweave Press (NOT Cookie A.) who have put a book into print that has errors in NINE out of the 15 patterns. That is 60% of the patterns containing errors. I can understand one or two errors, but nine is unacceptable.

Yes, Interweave has corrections available for download at their site. But I don't want to download separate pieces of paper that I'm supposed to somehow stick in my book. I want a book that I don't have to mutilate or supplement in order to use. That is what I paid my money for. I pre-ordered the book, but never would have given Interweave my money for the product in the form it is in.

If you haven't purchased the book yet, I'd wait for the printing (I've been told it will be out in July) in which Interweave will fix the errors. I will change my rating to 5 stars when the errors are corrected.

My recommendation is to have that dread Second Sock of some boring sock about halfway done when you get your mitts on this book. First, because you will be motivated to finish it to clear those needles, and second because it will force you to read the stuff before the patterns. This is one of those rare books where the information is just as valuable and informative, if not moreso, than the patterns themselves.

Most sock books could almost swap the pre-pattern material--they talk about the parts of the sock, casting on, different heels and toes, etc, and maybe a special technique like shortrowing or Magic Loop. Sure, Cookie covers most of this, too, but the real meat is her discussion of how to create a sock design--not just how to pick a pattern you like, but how to arrange it on the sock, how to do the math to make it fit, and how to artfully switch from ribbing to pattern and pattern to heel and instep. It's like a master class in sock design!

Then, when you go to the pattern section, you'll be able to look at the patterns not just as scrumptious patterns, but as illustrations of the lessons she's teaching also.

The patterns are great; none of them a simple vanilla ribby sock. There are some reasonably easy ones and a few real showstoppers to tempt your needles. There is no duplication between the patterns she has available other places (like on Knitty)--these are all new designs, so if you like her online stuff, you will adore this book and get brand new patterns.

She does show parts (graphs) of some of her other socks: I saw the Monkey chart and the Pomotamus (or however it's spelt) charts in her section on converting charts, but no acknowledgement of their source. It might have been nice to have some caption like 'full pattern available on Knitty' or something for someone who saw that chart and picture and just fell in love. A small gripe and probably completely moot to those who will already know the name Cookie A.

It's not for beginners, though she does cover some of the basics: but it's certainly inspirational. If you're a sock addict, this is worth its weight in cashmere/alpaca/silk blend.

I love Cookie A's socks. She has a wondrous talent for putting stitch patterns together in her designs that makes me drool. So when I bought her new book I was full of great expectations. Those were met and then some. The information is excellent and every sock knitter should read it. The patterns are breathtaking in their design. So why only 3 stars in my rating?

What was Interweave Press thinking? They have published a book where 10 of the 15 patterns have errata! That's 2/3rds of the patterns!!! This is unacceptable. When I filed a complaint I was told the errata can be found on the internet, so it's not a big deal. Excuse me? NOT a big deal???

What happened to quality workmanship? Shame on you Interweave Press! I am tired of paying hard earned money for knitting books only to find them chock full of errors. Until we knitters stand up and protest with our pocketbooks and our voices, this disgraceful policy of knitting book publishers will continue.

You will not be sorry if you purchase this book. I can't think of another knitting book published in the last few years that I would give a glowing review, but I wholeheartedly will to this one. Not only are the patterns beautiful, unique, and well thought out, but you also get a clear, well explained description of the design process, including pointers on common problems that you might encounter in designing your own patterns and how to spot and fix those problems. To say it exceeded my expectations would be an understatement.

Yes, yes, yes, yes! This is a terrific knitting book. Not only are there over a dozen be-yoootiful socks to knit from patterns, but Ms. Cookie gives you the inside scoop on how to innovate (design) your own socks.

So if you have any of those wonderful stitch dictionary books around, and if you can construct a simple pair of plain socks, the author tells you how to use that knowledge (with toes and heels variations included in the book) to create your original designs.

Which patterns look right? How will spiral lace look on a foot versus chevron or lozenge patterns? What about texture, variegated yarns? You can see how these work up and design accordingly. If you aren't completely sure if your chosen stitch pattern will work, look at one of the examples to figure out if the pattern you like will give you the effect you are going after. Much discussion here on why certain stitches work the way they do.

After I read this book, I immediately designed a pair of socks with a lace cuff using variegated yarn, using a lacy pattern from a German knitting stitch dictionary and they came out very nicely. This is just the book we sock knitters have been wanting to have.

Lots of eye candy in this book and technical info galore.

You will note that every pattern is written for a person whose leg and foot circumferences are about 8". Suggestions to resize each pattern are made. Size will be dependent on the stitch pattern, i.e., whether there is enough give in the stitch pattern to allow the sock to fit a person whose measurements are other than those presented in the book. A lot of "playing around" (ribbit) will be required to fit individuals with "different" measurements.

Had the author presented the number of stitches needed for the different sizes, I would have rated this book as excellent. As an experienced sock knitter, I do feel that anyone would experience a lot of frustration before hitting on a sock that would fit.

Who doesn't love Cookie A.'s sock patterns? They're creative and the details could have you looking at stitches all day long. I will eventually knit every pattern from this book (after I have a spiral bound inserted). The book includes patterns for solid colored yarns, as well as handpainted yarns. The instructions are clear, but they require attention to detail. My knitting group loves to laugh and talk, so I won't be working on any of these patterns in such a social setting.

Cookie A, well-known for her complex and stunning sock designs, has hit a home run with her first book of patterns. As other reviewers have mentioned, the technique section in the front of the book is an intensive course in sock construction, modification, and design. Especially interesting were the sections on transitioning between stitch patterns and modifying your favorite stitch patterns for use on socks. At more than 50 pages, this section alone is worth the book's price.

Of course, the meat of the book is the 15 meticulously written patterns for both men and women. Lace, cables, raised stitches, and even Xs and Os are all incorporated with Cookie A's signature polish. Even my husband, whose interest in socks (and knitting) is minimal, requested a pair of the mirror-image sprial Rick socks when he spotted them.

The only complaint I have, and it is minor, is that the socks are knit at a rather loose gauge, from 30-32 stitches per 4 inches for most patterns, which produces a fabric that does not last as long, particularly if one uses the finer indie sock yarns like Wollmeise and Sundara, both of which give optimal wear and stitch definition at 36-40 stitches per 4 inches, in my experience. At least with the information in the design section, I should be well-equipped to modify the patterns!

Cookie A is the current goddess of sock design. Her patterns are constructed from the top down (which is the way most knitters learn for their first socks) and progress from easy to challenging, each design building on the previous entry. What's more, she gives exhaustive tutorials in the first half of the book on how she develops patterns, how to adapt side-to-side knitting for knitting in the round, heel treatments, and more. It's not a book I'd recommend for a beginning knitter, but it's an excellent book for an experienced sock knitter, especially one who likes to play with intricate patterning.

I love Cookie A's sock designs, and the socks in this book are fabulous. The only reason I give this 2 stars is the unacceptable number of errata (corrections). I originally borrowed this book from the library, which presumably has had it for a while--and some of the errata had been fixed in the library edition. So I bought the book (September 2010), assuming it would be a later printing in which most, if not all, of the errors had been fixed.
Somehow, even though this book has been out for a year, all 13 pages with errata still remain, and I had to copy and paste the corrections from Interweave Press into my book. This is totally unacceptable. I will not buy another book from Interweave Press. Cookie A--please sell your designs directly through Ravelry