Toe-Up! Patterns and Worksheets to Whip Your Sock Knitting Into Shape [Paperback]

Chrissy Gardiner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 29, 2009

Knitting socks starting at the toe allows the knitter to get a custom fit by trying on as she goes. It is also an essential technique for economizing as it allows the socks to be knit to the very last yard of yarn.

In this action-packed book filled with tips, tricks and versatile patterns from designer Chrissy Gardiner, you'll learn how to incorporate her favorite cast-ons, toes, heels and bind-offs into all your toe-up socks using a series of fill-in-the-blank worksheets. You'll also find 15 patterns for toe-up socks to fit a wide variety of sizes and knitting abilities.

Whether you're a beginning sock knitter or a seasoned expert, you'll find plenty of ways to keep your needles clicking and your feet warm in this indispensable book.

"A veritable toe-up masterclass complete with helpful worksheets, well-illustrated technique tutorials, and 15 fresh and varied patterns from someone who is truly passionate about socks."
-Clara Parkes, KnittersReview.com, author of The Knitter's Book of Yarn and The Knitter's Book of Wool

"Any knitter will succeed and thrive under Chrissy s tutelage in this comprehensive and impeccably organized course in toe-up socks, with its generous menu of heels, toes, custom worksheets, and stunning original designs."
- Cat Bordhi, author of New Pathways for Sock Knitters and Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chrissy Gardiner is a knitwear designer, sock fanatic and former toe-up skeptic whose patterns have been published in a number of books and magazines, including Interweave Knits, Knitty and Twist Collective. She also publishes her own line of pattern leaflets, Gardiner Yarn Works, which is sold in yarn shops across the US and Canada.

She teaches sock knitting, among other things, at local yarn shops and events in and around Portland, Oregon, where she lives with her husband, two kids, three chickens and one very spoiled cat.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sydwillow Press; 1st edition (July 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981966802
• ISBN-13: 978-0981966809
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After learning to knit from her grandmother at age 10, author and hand knitting pattern designer Chrissy Gardiner dabbled in the fiber arts (including knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and needlepoint) for years before discovering her local yarn shop and the lovely luxury yarns therein. It was here she first laid hands on merino and learned that not all wool is unbearably scratchy.

Knitting became a renewed obsession for Chrissy after her children were born and she was left wondering what happened to her creativity. She left the corporate world and her former life as a software architect behind for good and decided to start a small knitting pattern publishing company called Gardiner Yarn Works. Soon after, the lure of writing her own book became too strong to resist and Sydwillow Press was born.

In addition to her Gardiner Yarn Works and Sydwillow Press designs, Chrissy's work can be found in many past issues of Interweave Knits as well as various pattern compilation books, knitting pattern websites, sock clubs and yarn company pattern lines.

She keeps her skills sharp and gets feedback from all sorts of knitters while teaching at yarn shops, knitting guild meetings and knitting conventions. When she's not teaching, designing or dealing with the myriad tasks of running a small business, she spends entirely too much time trying to convince her two children not to run with knitting needles.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reference for the Technical Knitter August 22, 2009

By Lynne E. TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was out of stock when I first went to order it, and now I understand why! It is not only filled with patterns for beautiful, wearable socks that look like they would be fun and interesting to knit, but it is also a fine reference book for "technical knitters". There are clear photos showing how the needles and yarn are positioned in executing various stitches, and excellent definitions of knitting terms.

For me, the explanation of the double decrease (Slip 1, K2tog, PSSO) alone was worth the price of the book. With the double decrease, as with SSK, you slip as if to knit--an exception to the general rule that you slip as if to purl if the pattern is silent--so that the stitch that ends up on top will not be twisted. I recently looked through a lot of my technical knitting books, and could not find the answer to this question! As a result, I ended up having to reknit several inches of a complicated lace pattern, because I slipped the critical stitch as if to purl.

I think that this may be the best sock-knitting book ever. If you are a sock-knitter, or if you want to be a sock-knitter, you can't go wrong with this purchase! It's a steal at the price. Sock patterns can cost $5 to $6 each when downloaded from the Internet, and the sophisticated patterns in this book could easily command the same price if they were sold that way.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Toe Up Rocks! November 30, 2009

By Nicki

Format:Paperback

Four and a half stars!

As someone who's abandoned knitting socks from the cuff down, the recent plethora of offerings of toe up books has been most welcome. This book, along with Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up, are the best of the bunch. While the pattern selection is a bit small, the information on techniques, the variety of toes and heels, atypical cast-ons and bind-offs makes this book a treasure.

While there aren't a ton of patterns, they're all very well written and clear as a bell. Love 'The Dude Abides'. Chrissy's designs are interesting without being brain-breakers and fit like a dream. The tutorial photgraphy is great, too. She'll inspire you to boldly design your own socks and boost your confidence when you see them knit up perfectly, thanks to her ability to teach through the page.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Toe Up Wonderfulness!! July 31, 2009

By knitola

Format:Paperback

Even for a rabid sock-knitter like myself, Chrissy has tons of tidbits to share so there's something new for everyone to learn (and more than enough information and photos for the newbie to get started, including detailed descriptions of various toe-up heels, toes, etc). The patterns are gorgeous-- about half are sized for little wee people up to big strapping men, the rest are fancy socks for the ladies (including my personal favorite, Sakura, with the most interesting heel flap patterning I've seen) Best of all, there are cool little worksheets that you can copy and use to tweak your sock knitting to fit just right, using a variety of different toes and heels.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Toe-Up Reference Guide January 25, 2010

By Julia Vedders

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really like this book. It brings together a lot of toe-up sock knitting techniques that I was searching all over the internet to find & some that were new to me as well. It is nice to have everything in a convenient sock reference guide. My favorite part of the book is the worksheets for each toe & heel technique. I wish that I had those when I was first starting to knit socks. The pictures are fabulous & easy to follow. I highly recommend this book!

The patterns for socks in this book are more advanced, most are probably an intermediate level & the fancy socks section has experienced socks in it. That is perfect for me, because I have been knitting socks for a while. I was thrilled with the patterns in this book. However, if you want more basic toe-up sock patterns, buy Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits. Wendy's book doesn't have enough pictures or explanations for the techniques, so you would probably want to purchase both books like I did.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Close-up color photos of different knitting choices enhances a specific guide knitters will appreciate November 16, 2009

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

Toe-Up! Patterns and Worksheets to Whip Your Sock Knitting Into Shape begins at the toe and tells how to knit toe-up socks for customized fittings. It's packed with tutorials and tips, offering some fifteen patterns and color photos. Close-up color photos of different knitting choices enhances a specific guide knitters will appreciate.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best toe up sock book available. October 22, 2009

By Silver Mermaid

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Toe-Up! Patterns and Worksheets to Whip Your Sock Knitting Into Shape
The above link connects you to the book that can teach you all you need to know about this technique and how to make socks that are custom made to whatever size or pattern you want. This book is so much more than just another sock knitting book, I wouldn't be without it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars good resource for toe-up socks October 22, 2011

By Linda A

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I learned to do toe-up socks from this book, and it's a favorite resource. I found it clear, and the worksheets very flexible in figuring out sizing. There are selections of types of toes and heels, so you could put together your own kind of socks. Good tips. One complaint - many of the pictures look like they were taken by someone who has no clue about using depth-of-field in photography, and are blurry - it's hard to really see some of the stitch patterns and socks. They don't look arty-blurry, they look inept blurry, and I wish the some of the photos were better. Some are just fine.