A SOCK is an ideal blank canvas for early steps in knitwear designing. Toe and heel aside, it’s essentially a straight tube, perfect for showing off any yarn or stitch pattern. You can keep things very simple, or include complicated cables or lace. The pattern simply has to work around the tube of the leg, then split in half at the heel to continue down the top of the foot.
INSPIRATION
Inspiration in sock design often comes from one of two main sources: the yarn or a stitch pattern. For my ‘Brighton Rock’ design shown here, I knew I wanted to show off the yarn I’d chosen. It has such a gorgeous sheen, combined with gently variegated colours, that I didn’t want to hide those qualities in complicated cables or lace. Yet I wanted something more interesting than plain stocking stitch. My solution was a spiralling pattern. The wide strips of stocking stitch show off the yarn, while the spiralling yarnovers help make it more interesting to knit and to look at!
Alternatively, you might see a stitch pattern, either in a stitch dictionary or in another design, and decide to use it on a sock. In this case, choose your yarn carefully. High-twist sock yarns will make your cables pop, while solid colours often work best with lace designs.
YARN CHOICE
There’s more to choosing a sock yarn than just showing off
