Ethnic Socks & Stockings: A Compendium of Eastern Design & Technique (A knitter's magazine book) (Hardcover)

by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts (Author), Alexis Xenakis (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This resource provides a rich mixture of techniques, color, and Eastern design.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Xrx Books (January 28, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964639106
• ISBN-13: 978-0964639102
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #416,290 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just about knitting socks!, June 2, 1999

By	S. Pirkle "avid reader" (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'd recommend this book to anyone who's been knitting for a while and wants to learn new techniques - NOT "just" sock knitters. It's certainly not a "how to knit" book, but it covers subjects that could improve any knitter's technique.

The subject of the book is the Art of sock knitting, as practised in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The Art section of the book is well researched and well presented. The pictures make it fun to read.

The focus of the book is on the Craft by which these works of art are created. This book includes a compendium of cast on techniques, analysis of knitting styles, detailed instruction on how to spin yarn which will wear well and maintain its shape, and great information on designing, especially with multiple colors.

The section on knitting intarsia (multiple colored pictures) IN THE ROUND is worth the cost of the book by itself. There are multiple options for shaping toes and heels, and for solving typical sock knitting and fitting problems as well.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, thorough book about Central Asian socks, March 12, 1999

By A Customer

This is a wonderful book if you've become fascinated with knitting socks. Priscilla covers the traditional, knit from the toes up socks of Central Asia. She also covers spinning your own yarn, East/West hybrids, and working sample socks to learn the techniques.

The book is well written, well laid out and the socks are fabulous! It covers some of the same territory as Fancy Feet and Anatolian Socks, but I'd recommend this book if you could only have one!

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eastern sock parade!, September 30, 2000

By	Mary Z. Cox (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Aspiring and experienced Eastern sock fanatics! This is your book! Full color photos and charts and sketches of how to knit Eastern socks. Shows many historical beauties in enough detail to copy. Here are my thoughts on knitting these socks. They are dreamy and historically compelling--but the foot of yesterday's Eastern women is shaped totally different than my foot. I need Western socks with western shaping. Would I ever knit a pair of these socks? Why sure--when I die and go to knitting heaven and get 20/20 vision and magic knitting needles that lead my hands to create these art socks. Do I reccomend this book? Of course. I've spent many wonderful afternoons in the hammock with this book, dreaming which ones I'll knit. I usually pick the Eastern Anatolian stockings as I think the lovely russet shadings will look great on my feet as I hop from cloud to cloud. Now--down to earth ! The best part of this book is there are directions for minature samplers of the major sock styles in this book. You could knit these as a collection and display them as an art grouping--or sew them into quilt squares for a stunning wall hanging. I think it's a very pratical application if you desire to try your hand at knitting these intricate designs successfully. This is a beautifully well thought out book and has given me many hours of pleaure reading and viewing these socks and the directions for making them. :)Miz Socks Cox