Wendy D. JohnsonToe-Up Socks for Every Body: Adventurous Lace, Cables, and Colorwork from Wendy Knits

Great book for making toe up socks

This book is fabulous! Okay, that might sound like a bit of hyperbole, but if you are a fan of toe-up socks, then you must have this book. Pure and simple. Socks for you, your husband, boyfriend, best friend, your child or someone else's...something for everyone. Anklets, regular socks, kneehighs...and if you fancy something really over the top, try the thigh-high stockings!The subtitle on the cover says it all: "Adventurous Lace, Cables, and Colorwork" - yup, got that right! The lace patterns are lovely, there are Austrian twisted stitch patterns, and some really beautiful stranded knitting...including argyles, which I've always wanted! One of the things I particularly like is that the photography showcases the socks which are knit in solid or semi-solid colourways, so that the stitch detail is wonderfully visible, unlike some sock pattern books which feature socks in patterned yarns where the design pattern is lost completely.Are you are a fan of short-row heels, or do you prefer the look and fit of the heel flap style? These heels are in here. There is also a short-row heel with a mini gusset...something I've been curious to try. And while there is a great deal of valuable information and lots of helpful advice, as with her other book,  Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits , this book isn't a rehash of that book. Rather, this is the next step in your toe-up sock knitting process!The layout of the book is very nice. In Part One, she provides basic information, including tips for designing your own socks. Part Two covers the patterns, which are nicely divided into types of patterns: Lace, Cable and Colorwork. The Appendix covers knitting and finishing Techniques. And finally, the Index includes small photos of each of the completed socks and the pages where they can be found...a very handy and thoughtful addition. Clearly, this woman has put herself in the position of the reader/knitter and knows what we would like in a book.I've bought, and returned, toe-up books from other designers, but Wendy's are definitely keepers! And if you would like to know Wendy a bit better, then read  Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn . Not only is it a hoot, it's also got patterns for socks, sweaters and more!

This is becoming my favorite sock book!!! I've been knitting socks toe up two at a time ever since I found the toe up method. though the two at a time method is a little more time consuming you don't have to take such rigorous notes to repeat on the second sock!I just finished my first foray into twisted stitch cable socks (the wrought iron pattern) in a knee sock! I love this pattern!! I should admit that I used my intuition on the shaping on the back of the sock and didn't really follow the pattern as it was charted. Instead I used the advise in the "about knee socks" section in the pattern!Why toe up? Because you don't have to figure out how to shape and close the toe! While I like the kitchner stitch method I could never remember how to do it and using Susie's stretchy bind off instead of trying to figure out a really stretchy cast on is better for me!! Also no uncomfortable closure bumps in the toe with the tow up method!!I also like the fingers first glove/mitten idea... It's easier to figure out gauge in the palm and looks nicer IMO... But I'm a seat of the pants knitter and do a lot of my knitting patternless!!The only downside is the lack of any information of the "eye of the partridge" heel flap pattern. Which is one of my favorites!! You can look it up on YouTube if you are looking for an option other than the rib flap that is so common.Great book and would certainly suggest this to a friend!!!

After receiving "Socks from the Toe Up", I had to order her new book. I follow her blog for us and she often adds tips on sock and shawl knitting. It is great to have a book that dedicated to Toe-Up socks again. The one thing you can count on in Wendy's books is a range of socks for the new knitter to experienced knitters.The author gives a short section on how to start the socks - at the toe! She offers four different cast-ons for the toes and explains the three different techniques: double pointed needles, two circular needles and one long circular needle. The gets you off to a good start.Wendy provides some beautiful sock patterns, 21 in all. There are seven each in lace, cable, and colorwork. All of the colorwork are called Fair Isle by technique in that there are only two different colors worked in any one row. In each of the categories given there is one in the easy, some in intermediate and some in higher areas of knitting ability.I have given a brief breakdown in what is in the book. The cable area covers mostly stitches that only reliant on two stitches to be worked. If you are competent in doing cables without the cable needle, this would be a good time to do it since most of the socks use 2 stitches in making the cable. If you are not familiar with cables or are able to handle cables well, both ways are easy to use in this section. I would suggest that you look up the no cable needle needed method because the cables used are simple.I would like to see one of Wendy's socks incorporate using three colors in any single row. Most of the cable patterns also include lace in them. But she has given you great value in this book. The organization is excellent, the charts are included, and the pictures given tell you what to expect as an outcome. I think all skills in knitting will find this a fun book to have and use.

英語は苦手で、内容は読むことができませんでした。けれども、靴下は何枚も編んだ経験があり、踵も数種類の編み方を既にマスターしているため、文中にある数字（目数）や編み図を頼りに楽しく編み上げることができました。

I have always been hesitant when it comes to knitting lace socks, even though I have made lace sweater, jumpers etc. Maybe iit was the size and charts that I found a bit scary.Wendy D, Johnson has done such a beautiful job writing this book. The instructions are excellent. The pictures of the socks are beautifully done with a good look at the details of the socks. This is the second book of hers that I have purchased and they are both a joy to follow and read.She has the book set up nicely in that she lets you know if any sock one wants to knit is easy and more difficult and for a more experienced knitter. There is a nice grouping of socks for easy, intermediate and more difficult. No one is left out.The only thing that I found difficult, at least for me is that the charts are so small.My son took my book into a shop to have the chart blown up but they refused saying it was against the copyright laws and that they weren't allowed to do this. I did contact Wendy through Ravelry and she answered me right away. I told her of my predicaments and she assured me that it was ok to have the charts enlarged as long as it was for my use only but they still refused to do it. Maybe, in the future there could be somewhere in the book a release sayiing that one copy could be enlarged for the customer. I ended up getting some graph paper and doing it by hand. Other than that one problem I would reccomend the book hiighly. She is such a talented lady.

Je suis toujours à la recherche de nouvelles techniques... Voilà qui répond bien à ma demande : commencer ses chaussettes par les orteils et avoir la possibilité de les essayer à n'importe quel moment.Un livre qui comprend les explications écrites et les schémas.Une bonne pioche.

das ist mein zweites Buch von ihr und ich stricke Laurels, bin abolut begeistert von den wundervollen Mustern und möchte es jeder Sockenstrickverrückten ans Herz legen.Schön ist diesmal, daß jetzt die Charts in den verschiedenen Breiten vorliegen, sodaß man schnell entscheiden kann, welche Größe die Richtige ist.Der Chartkey ist der gleiche wie auch im ersten Buch sodaß man auch als nicht Engländer problemlos alles lesen und umsetzen kann. Die Bücher bauen aufeinander auf und die einzige Masche die man im ersten Buch nicht findet ist die Ktbl - 1 rechts verschränkte Masche, alles andere ist gleich.Keine Angst vor englischen Charts, man kann sich im Internet wirklich problemlos Übersetzungen und Videoanleitungen für alles holen.In jedem Fall sind es bildschöne, wenn auch nicht wirklich allzuschwere Herausforderungen, gut strukturiert und wirklich einfach nachzuarbeiten. Für diejenigen, die noch mit Lacetüchern o.ä. schwanger gehen sind es wundervolle Übungen mit einem maximalen 33 er Satz. Wirklich gut um erste Kniffe zu erlernen!Toe -up Neulingen würde ich zum Einstieg " Von der Spitze zum Bündchen" empfehlen, da gibt es auch einen Basiskurs.UND bitte auf die richtigen Nadeln achten:Anfänger bitte LANG YARNS Rundstricknadeln 2 mm kaufen ( 2 Stück ) glatter Übergang vom Kabel zur Nadel ( wichtig, sonst zerrt man am Strickgut ) Fortgeschrittene dürfen sich mit den Chiagoo's von Knitpro austoben ( noch sensibler )

Most of everything I've ever learned about knitting socks from the toe up has come from Ms. Johnson's patterns and website instructions and this book was on pre-order as soon as I heard about it. I've finished the 'Basket Case' socks which use a Japanese-type travelling stitch and found that the toe, sole and heel are knitted in a smaller needle than the instep and cuff which makes for a great fit. Simple or what? None of the patterns are disappointing, most of them are ones that I'm going to knit and all in all, this book is great value, very interesting, stunning patterns and great illustrations.Most of the patterns are knitted using the 2 circular needle method but a set of double-pointed needles can be easily substituted for us dyed-in-the-wool dpn lovers.Summary: love it.