Discover realm after realm of mysterious knitting as Cat Bordhi takes you on a guided tour on beyond conventional sock knitting. Here, socks begin as a journey along the highway of your imagination, emerging in ways both amazing and beautiful from between your needles. Which should surprise no one -- after all, Cat is the knitter who introduced us all to the magic of Moebius knitting. For Cat, it is a short yet mighty leap of imagination from riding the Moebius Highway to considering what might happen if you approached the shape of your sock from unprecidented angles and in deliciously unexpected ways. (Hint: Magically mysterious knitting will unfold before your eyes and between your needles.)

Seriously, New Pathways is a not-to-be-missed adventure for any knitter, with or without sock knitting experience. We have seen many of the models Cat created for New Pathways and can assure you that there is nothing but knitting joy between the covers of this new book. Once you try out this new "sockitecture", you'll never look back. Suddenly, the world, or at least your foot, will become your knitting playground. Be prepared to romp and frolic with Cat as you find new pathway after new pathway.

Cat's Magical Markers, designed by Cat especially to accompany her New Pathways for Sock Knitters, are here.

We have many of the yarns Cat uses in New Pathways, too!

Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 is here
Fleece Artist Sea Wool is here
Hand Maiden Sea Silk can be found here
Fleece Artist Kid Aran awaits you here
Nature's Palette Fingering Merino is here.

Antje Gillingham has extended the use of two circular needles to include knitting both socks at a time. I have to say, it is much easier to use her method for two-at-a-time knitting than it is to use my method. With her method, the socks both share both needles and you move seamlessly from one to the next and around and back. With my method, each sock had (notice the past tense!) it's own pair of needles and I worked one sock and then the next, untangling the yarn as I switched. Antje has changed all that for me and she can do so for you, too.

Her lovely book is filled with clearly photographed instructions, charming sock designs and lots and lots of useful information, including yarn and size conversion tables. There's even instructions for translating dpn instructions to her two-socks/two-circulars method. Anyone who wants a better method to knit two socks at a time will find it in Knitting Circles Around Socks.

Favorite Socks offers a tantalizing collection of some of the best sock designs that have ever appeared between the pages of Interweave Knits, Spin-Off and PieceWork magazines plus 6 brand new patterns to delight us even more. Many of my favorite sock designers are well represented: Nancy Bush (with some phenomenal ethnic designs), Priscilla Gibson-Roberts (with both ethnic and simple short-row creations), Ann Budd (treating us to beautiful new designs), and Evelyn Clark (whose grasp of sock styles of the mid-20th century is beautifully on display in her designs). There is much more, also: a "Two-Yarn Resoleable Sock" based on Elizabeth Zimmermann's Moccasin Sock (original pattern found in Knitter's Almanac); anklets; footlets; bed socks; and on beyond your fondest sock dreams.

In other words, this is must-have material for anyone interested in sock knitting. You'll love the panorama of designs, the sharp, clear photos, and accurate, easy-to-follow directions. You'll find socks to soothe you with their easy ways and socks to wake you up and make you take notice with their complexity. Mostly, though, you'll find sock knitting joy. This is a truly great sock book.

What a treat to find this classic back in print! It is to Dowager Lady Gainford that we owe this sparkling collection of traditional Scottish stocking top turn-overs and cuff designs, gathered by her from her friends and neighbors in the countryside surrounding her home. Some of these are just breathtaking in their combination of beauty and design - really, you'll want to make yourself a pair even if you never want to be seen in a kilt. As a sourcebook for sock knitters, it belongs on every shelf, maybe even in every knitting bag - it is just that inspiring.

I should add that if you are very new to the world of sock knitting, you will want to read Lady Gainford's instructions closely. Her manner of presentation is not as intuitive as we have become accustomed to, though her instructions are complete, once you grasp how she conveys them. And, you will need to simply trust your own common sense as to gauge -- she never once (that I've found, at any rate) gives a suggested gauge for a stocking, though she does give suggested needle size ranges in some places. However, you must also remember that she uses English sizes, not American or metric. So, when she says, for instance, to use "nothing larger than a 10 or smaller than a 13," please translate that to "nothing larger than a US 3/3.25mm or smaller than a US 1/2.5mm."

With those few things in mind, you will quickly find yourself happily ensconced among some of Scotland's greatest knitting traditions, able to knit stunning stockings with ease. Maybe you'll even develop a craving for bagpipe music, who knows? (I love the stuff myself, but, then, I grew up on it.)

Everyone we know has been barely able to contain themselves for impatience to see this DVD - sight unseen, we all knew it would be great (what else could it be with Lucy at the helm?). Now, having seen them, I can state unequivocally that Sock Techniques 1 & 2 ARE great! In fact, I have never seen so many techniques so beautifully demonstrated before. It's my own opinion that if there is a sock making technique that is not on Sock Techniques 1, then it can be found on Sock Techniques 2. If it isn't on either of them, it's probably because no one knows it. That's just how complete and astonishing these DVDs are!

To show you what I mean, I'm printing the detailed chapter lists for each DVD here - they say more than anything I can write. Just look at this:

(NOTE: Page references relate to Lucy's book Cool Socks Warm Feet)

Introduction

• Choosing Yarn for Socks (p.87)
• Choosing Needles for Socks (p.80)
• Sock Anatomy and Fitting
• Common turned heel
• Tubular sock with an inserted heel
• Comparison of common and inserted heels

Bind-Off Methods

• Picot (p.33)
• Modified Conventional knitwise Modified Conventional purlwise and in rib (p.120)
• The last stitch, joining the gap
• Expanded rib (p.33)
• Three Needle (p.119)

Cast-On Methods

• Long-Tail / Continental (with two hands) (p.105 - 107)
• Adjusting the width of your cast-on edge (p.105 - 107)
• Adjusting the tension of your cast-on stitches (p.105 - 107)
• Looking after your tail yarn (p.105 - 107)
• Long-Tail / Continental (one-hand)
• Long-Tail variation for an extra strong elastic edge (ideal for socks) (p.105 - 107)
• Picot (p.75)
• Provisional Crochet (p.110)
• Setting up working in the round with a provisional edge
• Working in the round down from a provisional edge

Cuffs and Edgings for Top-Down Socks

• Latvian Twist (p.105)
• Ruffled Turn-Over (simulating round knitting) and a purlwise double decrease (p.38)
• Scalloped Turn-Over (p.38)
• Wavy Edge (K2, O, k2, k2t) (p.54)

Cuffs and Edgings for Toe-Up Socks

• Expanding a 2 x 2 Rib with a m1 increase and "working as set"™ (p.33)
• Binding off an Expanded 2 x 2 edge (p.33)
• Double Layer Rib facing with double turning round (p.77)
• Garter stitch in the round

Finishing Techniques

• Duplicate Stitch (Swiss Darning) (p.115)
• Circular Sutures, the Boggle and naturally occurring holes (p.115)
• Phoney duplicate stitching
• Joining the gap in a cast-on edge, and neatening yarn tails
• Joining the gap in a bound-off edge
• Darning ends from toes
• Grafting the Toe (Kitchener Stitch)
• Make the sock Toe Chimney (p.117)
• Using the sock Toe Chimney (p.117)

Common Heel

• Dividing for the heel flap
• Working the Heel Flap in Alternative Heel Stitch (p.16)
• Checking the length of the heel flap
• Areas of Adjustment in the Heel flap (p.72)
• Turning the heel and using a reinforcing yarn
• Areas of Adjustment in turning the heel
• Knitting up the stitches around the heel and resuming working in the round (p.16)
• Stitch distribution and the first round
• Areas of Adjustment after turning the heel

Toes - Common Wedge

• Shapings for the Common wedge (p.18)

Working in the Round with Double Pointed Needles

• Casting on and dividing the stitches (p.100)
• Joining the round and setting up the needles
• Circulating stitches, starting with a knit or a purl?
• Transporting your work
• Running yarn markers (p.113)
• Three needles when working with few stitches

Working in the Round with One Long Circular Needle

• Casting on and joining the round
• Working on one long circular needle

Working in the Round with Two Circular Needles

• Casting on and joining the round (p.102)
• Working on two circular needles

Tips for Great Socks (p.7)

Garment Gallery

• A brief look at a selection of garments incorporating many of the techniques covered

The Small Print

• A printable text section covering:
  • Definitions
  • Filming considerations
  • Copyright issues
  • About Lucy
  • Product information
  • Acknowledgments

The fun and the learning continue! Check this out - it's hard to believe how much is packed into this one DVD:

NOTE: Page References relate to Lucy's book Cool Socks Warm Feet

Introduction

Bind-Off Methods

• Preparation for Sewn Tubular Bind -Off and simulated round knitting (p.121)
• Sewing the Tubular Bound-off edge
• Looking at the tubular edge
• Conversion of 2 x 2 to 1 x 1 rib

Cast-On Methods

• Channel Island (p.108)
• Channel Island and Long Tail Diagrams
• Provisional Crochet Cast-On Removing the Provisional edge (p.110)
• Giant stitch demonstration of the tubular edge
• The finished Tubular edge
• Tubular 1 x 1 rib with waste yarn (p.110)
• Tubular 2 x 2 rib with waste yarn (p.110)
• Conversion of 1 x 1 to 2 x 2

Cuffs and Edgings for Top-Down Socks

• Sideways Garter St explanation (p.51)
• Sideways Garter St, preparing the cuff (p.51)
• Sideways Garter St, joining the cuff (p.51)

Inserted Heels

• Description of Garter Stitch Short-Row and Turkish
• Calculating the placement of inserted heels (for Garter Stitch Short-Row or Turkish)
• Garter Stitch Short Row Heel Decrease section (includes weaving in the tail of the heel yarn, garter stitch short rows, use of parking needles) (p.25)
• Increase section
• The final heel row
• Close-up of finished heel
• Turkish Heel (aka Peasant or Afterthought Heel)
• Setting in the Waste Yarnn (p.34)
• Picking up stitches and opening the heel gap
• Knitting the Turkish Heel

Miscellaneous But Useful

• Circular Suture (p.115)
• Phoney Duplicate stitch (p.115)
• Neatening the Cast-On joggle
• Wraps per inch (W.P.I.) (p.10)
• Running Yarn Marker (p.113)
• Right-slanting increase (raised increase)
• Hills and valleys

Toe-Up Toes : Bosnian

• Bosnian Toe Square - giant yarn demonstration (p.29)
• Creating the toe square (p.29)
• Working the foot

Toe-Up Toes : Garter Stitch Short Row

• Decrease section (p.44)
• Increase section
• Setting up into the round

Toe-Up Toes : Stocking Stitch Short Row

• Decrease section (p.65)
• Smoothing rows
• Increase section

Turning and Facing Rounds

• Planning your Facing (p.33)
• Picot Turning round (p.34)
• Fusing the facing to the sock
• Rib with double turning round

Garment Gallery

• A brief look at a selection of garments incorporating many of the techniques covered

The Small Print

• A printable text section covering:
  • Definitions
  • Filming considerations
  • Copyright issues
  • About Lucy
  • Product information
  • Acknowledgment

I've decided that Lucy Neatby must be a combination of Barbara Walker, Cat Bordhi and Piet Mondrian. She's absolutely amazing! She has engineered designs that are brilliantly unique in and of themselves, but also (how many times am I allowed to use the word "brilliant" in one sentence??) highlight the joys to be found in printed yarns. The socks that emerge are genius works of art that are also playful delights. It's as though she discovers the joyful relationship of color and form at every turn.

But that's not really what makes Cool Socks Warm Feet a "must have" on your bookshelf. The reason we all want and need copies of Lucy's book is because there is more in-depth, amazing and essential information about sock knitting between its covers than any other single source I can think of. Lucy knows all and tells all.

• She has tucked new and wonderful techniques into each and every pattern;
• she begins with Tips for Great Socks and four pages of Helpful Notes - many of which can save you hours of struggle
• after the six breathtaking patterns (packed as they are with goodness and light), she gives us a wee section on Miniature Socks, for those who may be longing to make matching necklace and earings;
• And then the fun really begins! Check out some of the things that are in the second half of the book:
  • Spare parts for Your Ultimate Socks - discover the joy of mixing and matching all manner of traditional cast-ons, heels, toes, cuffs, facings and bind offs. No two pair of your socks ever need be alike again!
  • Techniques, Tactics and Tools of the Trade - including a complete illustrated detailed discussion of how to knit socks with double-points and two (or more) circular needles; the amazing varieties of sock yarns and what to do with them; fitting your socks and adjusting your patterns for fit; sock finishing.
  • Getting started on the sock needles of your choice; yarn carrying techniques (and I bet you thought there couldn't be more than one!); obscure, fascinating and useful cast-ons; darning and grafting; waste yarn openings; various bind-offs for flexibility and style.

So you see, this is truly a sock book par excellence - a sock knitter's constant companion and friend. Oh, and it has great sock patterns, too.

Cat Bordhi's first book changed the landscape of handknitting socks. I'm someone who has never really minded using 4 or 5 double pointed needles to knit small items in the round; on the other hand, I have never really looked forward to it, either. Never once in my knitting experience have I gone out of my way to find an excuse to use double pointed needles. Needless to say, my interest in knitting socks was minimal at best.

All that has changed now: In addition to enticing me with terrific designs, Cat's technique, which replaces the 4 or 5 double pointed needles with 2 circular needles, makes sock knitting fun, fast and much, much easier to do well. Her instructions are crystal clear and well-illustrated and her techniques are elegant and sure.

Additionally, she is very, very funny to read -- the only trouble I had when trying to follow her instructions was that it's hard to keep track of where you are when you are laughing so much. However, even with that challenge, I did manage to move forward and can now zip along through a pair of socks as though I've always known how.

Cat Bordhi is also the author of Treasure Forest, the best juvenile fiction I've read in years, A Treasury of Magical Knitting, and A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting.

Priscilla A Gibson-Roberts is one of the most consummate knitting researchers ever. Her years of research have culminated in this phenomenal sock book for intelligent knitters. The author explains and diagrams construction, provides easy-to-read color charts and teaches us to create within the tradition rather than follow a specific pattern. There is no line-by-line text, yet we learn numerous diagramed construction and design techniques. Structurally, none of the 26 pairs are alike although most start at the toe leaving choice of finish at the top to us. A must have!

See Andrea Wong's DVD to learn the knitting technique that many Eastern knitters use to create such socks and stockings.

Sensational Knitted Socks will teach you just about anything you want to know about sock making, offers you great design ideas, AND (this is the really great thing about this book) will show you how to take any yarn you love, using your favorite sock-making technique (2-circulars, 4 dpns, or 5 dpns, favorite heel and toe construction, etc.) and create your own brilliantly written pattern to make beautiful socks designed by you!

Indespensible? Absolutely. This is one sock book that is destined to become a classic reference for anyone who loves knitting.

And a big Thank you! to Tracy, a favorite sock yarn customer who alerted me to the wonders of Sensational Socks!

Nancy Bush's newest book is already one of my best friends. Her "remakes" of the classic Weldon's patterns are so wearably wonderful that my first impulse was to take off for a cave in the Himalayas with nothing but her book, yarn and, of course, a reasonable collection of needles. There, I was sure of it, I would have the time to do nothing but recreate these socks. Of course, reality intervened, I think in the form of Bob asking for dinner, and so I'm still here without all the socks knit (yet!). However, I'm working on it -- and know you'll want to do the same. This is a delicious book, one where knitting ideas intersect with history and stories of times past. I should add that Nancy, in her usual fashion, gives us all sorts of information about more sock construction techniques than most of us would have thought existed. Most important, to me at any rate, is that when she brought the patterns up-to-date, she in no way dumbed them down (unless you call changing the needle size from 00000 US to 1 US dumbing down -- I call it lifesaving, myself). You'll love this book, I'm sure of it.

Folk Socks is a joy - each sock has an elegant simplicity about it that beckons you to pick up your needles and yarn so that you can discover its joys, too. These socks speak volumes about the lives of the people who created the styles. I have made several and have been inspired to make many more that are variations on what I found here.

Plus - Nancy Bush's well-illustrated history of footwear is so interesting, you may need to learn how to knit and read at the same time! Not to mention that her section on sock making technique is thorough and comes with enough photos and drawings to calm any nervous questions you may have.

Although socks are indeed the perfect knitting project to take along anywhere, you don't have to leave your favorite knitting chair to love this book. Nancy Bush is a favorite sock designer -- her designs are classic, beautiful, a delight to knit and, best of all, very, very wearable. Here are 17 new designs, inspired by destinations the world over, that will take you on journeys of their own through techniques traditional and modern, with yarns from every corner of the knitting globe. These are socks you love making every step of the way -- and then you love wearing them and introducing them to your friends!

As if that weren't enough, Nancy Bush has provided an excellent introduction to all the techniques she uses and even gives us a "yarn equivalency" chart for over 50 likely sock yarns, by name and manufacturer. If you can't find the yarn she uses, you'll truly have no trouble finding a wonderful substitute.

I've been reading Priscilla Gibson-Roberts great articles on spinning and knitting for years - Simple Socks carries on her tradition of uniting the old and the new in ways that delight the heart. For me, the best gift this book brings is the introduction of short-row heels and toes, both of which have added a new dimension to my sock making. Although there are no photos, there are ample clear drawings and excellent step-by-step instructions. You'll discover that short-row heel/toe construction can be applied to any sock design -- and they have the added advantage you can quickly replace them when the inevitable day that they wear out comes.

There is no end of socks to explore in this stunning collection of sock designs that ranges from very simple to extraordinarly (and delightfully!) complex. There are plain socks, patterned socks, socks with pictures, lace socks, thinking-out-of-the-box socks (Debbie New's, of course) and even socks with a poem on them! When I need to take a short vacation from daily stresses, I just pick up this book and browse until I'm smiling again. There is no end of socks to make and designs to explore - and, interestingly, both Nancy Bush and Priscilla Gibson-Roberts helped Elaine Rowley as judges for the contest!

If you've been searching for socks with amazing heels and backs, this is the collection you've been waiting for. This new edition also includes free-sole socks and a full-color poster of all the scintillating socks in the book. An adventure in sock knitting, for sure!