Year of the Sock | Squirrel Picnic

October 6, 2016
by JO

Let’s Crochet Halloween Socks!

October should be a fun month for sock crochet, and I didn’t want to leave you out of some of the festivities happening in our Year of the Sock Facebook group. To celebrate the season, we proposed to crochet socks inspired by Halloween and autumn. If you’d like to join in, you might choose a Halloween or fall sock pattern or create your own design inspired by the season. To help jump-start your creativity, I put together the mood board below with Halloween color palettes and designs, including a roundup of patterns. Feel free to choose one of the patterns listed here, or you might choose to work a basic sock pattern (or your favorite sock pattern) in Halloween colors, or crochet a pair of funky monster slippers!

I found this mood board to be a great starting off point for my October socks. After crocheting nine pairs of socks already this year, I think I’m ready to try my hand at designing my very first pair. I hope to use some of the techniques that I’ve really enjoyed from all the socks I’ve crocheted. I’m thinking that this pair will be worked from the toe up, with an extended single crochet stitch for the foot, a short-row heel, and a very special stitch pattern that I recently stumbled upon (and now can’t get out of my head) for the leg. I think I’ll keep it a secret for now, but if you follow me on Pinterest, I bet you could guess which stitch pattern it is (when I get obsessed, there’s no stopping me!). Last night I ordered the yarn for my socks from Knit Picks. I can’t wait to see how these tonal grays work with little bits of bright green and purple popping through.

: Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn from Knit Picks in Train Station

: Stroll Sock Yarn from Knit Picks in Duchess Heather

: Stroll Sock Yarn from Knit Picks in Peapod

And I can hardly wait to see what socks you come up with for the month! Will you share a photo of them with me? You can email squirrelpicnic(at)gmail(dot)com or join the Facebook group. We would love to have you!

September 29, 2016
by JO 2 Comments

Year of the Sock: September

Pattern: Patons Toe Up Socks

Check out the step-by-step tutorial (pattern is also available here): Crochet Socks Beginner Tutorial from The Crochet Crowd

Ravelry Listing: Toe Up Socks (crochet) by Patons

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Jacquards in Meadow Jacquard

Skill Level: Easy

Size: Pattern includes instructions for foot lengths of 6, 7.5, 9.5, 10.5, and 11.5 inches

Special Pattern Features

Worked in joined rounds
Afterthought heel
Stitch for foot: single crochet
Stitch for leg: single crochet
Cuff: Alternating half-double crochet and front post double crochet

Last month several people in our Year of the Sock Facebook group asked for a recommendation for a good first-time crochet sock pattern. I have been on the lookout for such a pattern all year, and after scouring the internet for one to recommend to the Facebook group, I think I have finally settled on one that will do nicely. I say this with a bit of reservation: for the most part, this a great beginner sock pattern, but there are also a few things that annoyed me. What bothers me though might not bother you, so take my review with a grain of salt.

The first thing that really peaked my interest is that this pattern comes with an hour-long step-by-step tutorial by the designer, Mikey of the Crochet Crowd. This tutorial really is step-by-step; this kind of detail is exactly what every beginner craves. I wish I had known about this pattern and tutorial when I was starting out. Anyone who is interested in trying their hand at sock crochet could start with this video and gain a very good grasp of sock construction and terminology, and most importantly be able to crochet their very first sock. Continue reading →

August 31, 2016
by JO 4 Comments

Year of the Sock: August

Pattern: Side to Side Socks by Rohn Strong

Where to Find It: Annie’s #871510, New Methods for Crochet Socks

Ravelry Listing: Side to Side by Rohn Strong

Yarn: Aspen Sock Yarn in Boden from Western Sky Knits

Skill Level: Easy

Size: Pattern includes instructions for foot lengths of 9, 10, and 11 inches

Special Pattern Features

Worked flat
Afterthought toe and heel
Stitch for foot: half-double crochet
Stitch for leg: half-double crochet

For the month of August I wanted to try something a little different, so I chose a sock pattern that is actually worked flat. It was surprisingly easy to do! Here’s how a sock is constructed using this method.

First you crochet the body as a long rectangular piece of fabric. This will be the top of the foot and the front of the leg. Next, you crochet the bottom of the foot by only crocheting into 1/3 of the body stitches, leaving the rest unworked. After this, you attach your yarn in one of those unworked stitches and crochet the same number of rows as the foot to create the leg. When you fold this so that the edges meet and sew it up, you get a tube with a hole for the heel. Pretty cool!

Then all you have to do is crochet around each opening to create the toe and the heel. The really neat thing about this pattern is that you use the same instructions for crocheting the heel and the toe.

My only concern with this construction is that the ankle is quite tight. Even in the pattern’s main photo the stitches at the ankle seem to be stretched. The heel could be a bit wider I suppose. It’s also important to note that unlike toe-up socks, with socks worked flat like this, you can’t make any adjustments as you go. Therefore it is highly recommended to make a gauge swatch before beginning these socks.

All in all, this was a fun pattern and I recommend it for anyone who would like to try something new.

Check out previous months in this incredible year of the sock:

July 28, 2016
by JO 2 Comments

Year of the Sock: July

Pattern: Crochet Heart & Sole Socks (AKA Step-by-Step Socks) by Amy O’Neill Houck

Ravelry Listing: Step-by Step Socks by Amy O’Neill Houck

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks in Aqua Jacquard (Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight in Soft White was used for the toe and heel)

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: The pattern is written for a 9″ foot length but you are advised to try the sock on as you go (if possible) to adjust.

Special Pattern Features

Toe-up method
Afterthought heel
Stitch for foot: linked double crochet on the bottom, V-stitch on the top
Stitch for leg: V-stitch

This sock is worked from the toe up in continuous rounds. The toe, foot, and ankle are worked in one piece and an opening is created for the heel. The afterthought heel is created by working 50 stitches into the heel opening and then decreasing with sc2tog at each corner for 15 rounds.

For the month of July, Patricia (my year of the sock partner in crime) and I chose Crochet Heart & Sole Socks by Amy O’Neill Houck to complete for the month of July along with the crowd over on our Facebook group.

This is one popular pattern. It even goes by two different names depending on the source. It has been featured by Crochet Today!, Crochet Now! (twice), Red Heart Yarns, and the Knit and Crochet Today! TV show. After completing these socks, I can see why. They are pretty fast and easy to do. The instructions are clear and straightforward and contain a lot of interesting features.

One thing I am learning as we go through this year of the sock is that the stitch patterns that a designer selects for the top and bottom of the foot can mean the difference between a mediocre pattern and a great pattern. There are a few things to consider it seems. 1) The stitches on the bottom of the foot need to be flat so that they are comfortable to walk on. 2) The stitches on the top can be anything, so long as they are the same height as those on the bottom (for socks worked in the round). 3) The shorter the stitches used, the less ease is created to the fabric. In other words, short stitches create a tighter, less stretchy sock. What you really want is for the sock to hug the foot with just enough ease so that movement isn’t restricted. So far the stitch patterns that seem to work best for the bottom of the foot are the modified half-double crochet (used in March’s sock), extended single crochet (used in April’s sock), and linked double crochet, which was used in this month’s pattern.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these details. Continue reading →

June 30, 2016
by JO 4 Comments

Year of the Sock: June

Pattern: Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon

Yarn: Fingering-Weight Merino from Cozy Rabbit Farm

Special pattern features:

Toe-up method
Afterthought heel
Stitch for foot: cable and openwork on the top of the foot, single crochet remaining stitches
Stitch for leg: the cables continue in the leg with additional cables and ribs added, evenly spaced around

As you may recall, my May sock didn’t go as well as expected (due to a touch of user error… and general malaise), so I declared a do-over! I chose a fingering-weight merino from Cozy Rabbit Farm. I couldn’t tell you what this glorious colorway is (it’s not listed on their website and the belly tag doesn’t list it), so I think I’ll call it orange sherbet.

When it starts to get hot in Colorado, like it has been this week, I daydream about orange sherbet. My favorite!

I had more success with the pattern and yarn this time around. It just goes to show what a difference a great skein of yarn can make. You may remember that I used Cozy Rabbit Farm merino for my March socks as well. It works up like a dream and is just as the name suggests: completely and utterly cozy.

Cozy Rabbit Farm recently updated their website and they now offer online ordering. I don’t know about you but I’m eyeing those skeins of mocha magic. Wouldn’t that make a divine tunic? Be sure to check out the “Where to Find Us Tab.” They might just be at a show near you!

Once again, June’s sock pattern is “Ribbons & Bows” by Jerry Rigdon. It features a toe-up construction and afterthought heel. The bottom of the foot is done in single crochet stitches. The openwork center panel of stitches creates little bows up the top of the foot. Cables on either side of this look like jaunty ribbons. The combination makes for a fun sock project that is fast and easy to do.

A word of caution, though: single crochet provides very little ease, so it is important to check your gauge before starting out and to try on the sock as you go. For this sock I ended up working the largest pattern size with a D-3 (3.25 mm) hook. This worked out fine, but I probably could’ve gone with a larger hook, knowing that my single-crochet stitches tend to be tighter.

I think the cables on either side are my favorite detail. If you like cables like I do, the fun really begins at the ankle where the pattern places another set of cables evenly spaced at the back. This is paired with alternating front and back post double crochet stitches in between each cable. This provides great fpdc and bpdc practice! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be breezing along. The ankle really does work up much faster than the foot with all those dc stitches.

Another detail worth mentioning is the afterthought heel. Afterthought heels use an attached chain to create a hole where the heel will be stitched in later. After you’ve finished with the sock, you go back to this heel, pull up a loop with the RS facing, and place your stitches evenly around the hole. Then you continue crocheting in the round, while decreasing at the two corners until you have about 12-15 stitches. You FO and use the tail to sew the remaining stitches closed.

Stitching in an afterthought heel.

This pattern is the first sock I’ve ever crocheted with this type of heel. Up until now I thought that I really preferred the short-row heel the best because it reminded me of knitted sock construction. But there’s something very important to be said about afterthought heels. If you have a tendency to wear out the heels on your socks, this is a great method to use. When your heels wear out, you can carefully unravel just the heel and replace it with a brand-new one just by stitching it back in. Isn’t that cool?

Which heel construction do you prefer?

And don’t you think my new socks are sunshiny fabulous?

Let’s Crochet July’s Pair of Socks Together!

Before I forget, we are doing something different for the month of July. My friend Patricia of PopsdeMilk.com and I have chosen a very easy, but interesting sock pattern that we can all crochet together. Together we’ll be making “Crochet Heart Sole Socks” by Amy O’Neill Houck. This free pattern from Red Heart is worked from the toe up with an afterthought heel. A linked double crochet stitch is used for the foot and a v-stitch is used for the ankle.

If you’d like to participate, you’ll need approximately 425 yards of fingering weight yarn (4 ply), a 2.75mm (US C/2) crochet hook, stitch markers, and a yarn needle. The pattern is written for women’s size 9 shoe but you can try on the sock as you go to make adjustments.

Grab the free pattern here: http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/KTV2005C.pdf

Check out the Ravelry page for more details: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/step-by-step-socks

Be sure to join our Facebook group to get the scoop on tutorials, techniques, and tips related to this sock pattern. And don’t forget to share your progress photos and let us know if you have any questions. We can’t wait to get started. Let’s crochet socks together!

Check out previous months in this incredible year of the sock:

May 28, 2016
by JO 2 Comments

Year of the Sock: May

Pattern: Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon

Yarn: Paton’s Kroy Sock Yarn in Tangerine

Special pattern features:

This sock, and the month of May in general, were really rough going. No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to go right.

I was so enthusiastic about this sock when I began. The pattern, Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon, is really cool. The openwork center panel of stitches creates little bows up the top of the foot. Cables on either side of this look like jaunty ribbons. The combination makes for a fun sock project. It was surprisingly fast to do. I was zooming along, having the time of my life, when it suddenly dawned on me that I wouldn’t have enough yarn to finish. I was heartbroken. I had been so exciting about crocheting these socks that I completely overlooked the yardage requirements. Continue reading →

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Tag Archives: Year of the Sock

Let’s Crochet Halloween Socks!

Year of the Sock: September

Special Pattern Features

Year of the Sock: August

Special Pattern Features

Year of the Sock: July

Special Pattern Features

Year of the Sock: June

Pattern: Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon

Yarn: Fingering-Weight Merino from Cozy Rabbit Farm

Special pattern features:

Let’s Crochet July’s Pair of Socks Together!

Check out previous months in this incredible year of the sock:

Year of the Sock: May

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Pattern: Ribbons & Bows Socks by Jerry Rigdon

Yarn: Fingering-Weight Merino from Cozy Rabbit Farm

Special pattern features:

Let’s Crochet July’s Pair of Socks Together!

Check out previous months in this incredible year of the sock:

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