Solefull Socks, review and giveaway
I got to know Betty Salpekar last spring at the writing retreat I attended in Washington (that’s her in the back row, fifth from the right). She was there talking about her fantastic new way of knitting socks. I got to see many of her amazing creations, and have spent the intervening year trying hard not to follow her around going ‘is it done yet, is it done yet, is it done yet’ like a demented parrot (I figured it wouldn’t actually speed things along, so I refrained). But now the book is done and out, and I get to share it with you!
So, please allow me to present Solefull Socks: Knitting from the Ground Up. Betty’s done something marvelous here. She’s worked out a new way of making socks. Not top down, not toe up, not even side to side. Instead, this sock starts with the sole and works its way up your foot and leg. Betty puts it perfectly when she says she “imagined the knitting proceeding exactly like water covers your foot when you step into a warm bath.”
And she’s created precisely what she imagined. All these socks start with the sole, then work upwards, using clever built in shaping for the heel, toe, and ankle. This approach creates socks that are both lovely and practical. This construction allows you to easily reinforce the sole (or replace it down the line if it wears out) and gives you new set of design possibilities for the top of the foot. The results are stunning.
The construction is perhaps most easily seen in a plain sock knit with a long color repeat yarn: 
But it plays beautifully with fancy stitch patterns too:
And colorwork looks smashing as well:
You really can’t go wrong! And once you see how these socks go together (and try one on), I think you’ll be hooked. Betty has kindly agreed to help get one of you addicted to this clever new construction. She’ll send a copy of the book to one lucky winner. If you think it should be you, just take a look at the patterns in the book and leave a comment here saying which one you’d cast on first!
Comments left between now and the end of the day (eastern time) Sunday, June 1, 2014 will be entered to win. I’ll pick a winner, contact them to get their addresses, and arrange to send the book their way. Be sure to use a real email address so I can contact you if you’ve won (I won’t do anything with those email addresses besides notify the winner). If I do email you, I need to hear back from you within 72 hours or I will pick a new winner and contact them. The images in this post are from the book and are used with Betty’s permission.
Fair-gyle – without a doubt! Thanks for the chance…
A tough choice! I think I would try the basic sock first to get a feel for the technique.
OOOH! So hard to pick, but I think Poinsettia is my favorite!
This sounds like a fun way to construct socks! I am intrigued by Fair Isle Trellis. Thanks for the chance to win this great book.
I’d probably cast on Twining Vines…I love anything that looks leafy or plant-like. It’s an interesting way to knit socks and I’d like to try it.
I love them all but possibly the Fair Isle Trellis the best.
The Balanced Biases caught my eye right away. I think this pattern would solve the problem of yucky pooling in so many of my stash sock yarns.
These socks are so intriguing with how they seem to be put together.
I would cast on Balanced Biases first as it looks like a good one to learn the construction of the socks (and the pattern is on my husband would enjoy wearing!).
Let the yarn shine looks like the place to start. And I’ve got a perfect skein of handspun.
Semi Aran continues to capture my attention. I would probably try Balanced Biases first.
Thanks for bringing this book to our attention. I look forward to using it at some point in the future even though I don’t think of myself as a sock knitter. This book may change that.
I wouldn’t mind at all if it became available as a Kindle version, by the way.
Poinsettia ’cause that’s my Mom’s favorite.
Oooh! I have that first yarn in a different color way. That would be fabulous! Thank you.
Fair-gyle! It reminds me of another Betty – the Betty Crocker Cookbook cover!
It would be a fist fight between Flaming Arrows and Poinsettia. They are all quite lovely, so I would not likely stop with just one!
Twining Vines is particularly pretty with this technique!
I would begin with a basic plan pattern to make sure I had the technique down before taking on a more challenging pattern.
Love the Twining Vines or Lace Trellis both look potato chippy and must be knit right away!
It would be Irises for me! I have known of this book for awhile and it is absolutely on my wishlist. I would say that Betty Salpekar is second only to Hunter Hammersen and I am not brown-nosing when I say that, no matter what it sounds like 🙂
I would love to do the Canyon Wall socks.
Wow! What an interesting structure. I think I would go with Let the Yarn Shine–it looks very basic except for the yarn and I would like to understand the structure of the sock before I got to fancy stitches.
WOW – How cool is this!!! I loved to try the Balanced Biases.
So many choices, I really love “Balanced Biases” and “Louvered Light”. But in reality, I’d start with “Let the Yarn Shine” so that I can fully wrap my brain around the basics of this new concept without the distraction of pattern or texture. Plus I have the perfect yarn in my stash that’s just been waiting for it’s time to shine!
Flaming Arrows would be the first one, to get familiar with the method. Thanks for the give away and I really hope I win!
It’s a tough choice but I am really drawn to Semi Aran!
Traveling Trellis!