Loom Knitting Socks: A Beginner's Guide to Knitting Socks on a Loom with Over 50 Fun Projects (No-Needle Knits)

As a beginning loom knitter (albeit intermediate needle knitter), I thought this book was very good. It has lots of information, from describing basic loom knitting techniques required to knit socks, to instructions on quite a few stitch pattern variations (knit/purl combos, cables, lace) which can all be adapted for use in other types of loom knitting on other types of looms (larger gauge, flat panel, etc). To specifically address some concerns noted by other reviewers: 1) The patterns in this book are indeed for fine gauge (pegs ~ 5/16" on center) or extra fine gauge looms (pegs ~ 1/4" on center). The yarn used would most commonly be fingering weight, or possibly in some cases sport weight. However, though the patterns in the book are written for a certain number of pegs on the loom, this does not necessarily mean that you have to work them up in that size only. The pattern repeat (number of stitches) is listed for each pattern so that you can size your sock up or down, depending on what foot size of sock you want to make, or what size (peg number and or gauge - meaning distance between pegs) of loom you have. In one of the early sections of the book there are helpful charts and explanations of how to size your sock to your foot size, based on gauge of the loom and swatching. Of course, as previously mentioned, this is limited in that you are probably not going to be able to adapt these patterns very successfully to, say, a thirty peg loom using worsted weight yarn -- they are designed to give a finer knitted fabric than those specifics would allow, so if that is the kind of sock pattern you are looking for, then you would be advised to look for a different pattern book. Even so, I still think the basic principles of sock technique, construction and design as explained in this book would be valuable to a beginning loom knitter. I have the KB Sock Loom (fine gauge) and have resized many of the patterns written for 64+ pegs down to my 60 peg loom successfully. 2) Though I found the instructions in the book fairly easy to follow, I have also augmented my learning of the techniques as described in this text by watching quite a number of videos online for the various techniques. Sometimes it seems that a demonstration of a technique in needlearts is much easier to understand than a written description. Likewise, some folks are more apt to learn from watching rather than just reading about prior to the doing. I do agree that in places throughout the book there are tips and tricks that are dropped so abruptly into the main text that it could become confusing for beginners, until a better understanding of the concepts is achieved. One such example is on page 26 where the author is describing reverse short row shaping. The tip of what order to work the loops off the pegs is just thrown in prior to the written description of how to accomplish the shaping and, upon first read, it appeared like this "tip" was supposed to be the first step in starting the shaping, rather than just a general concept to practice where appropriate during the working of the short rows. Kind of like the ambiguity that can occur when appropriate punctuation is not applied to sentences (ala "eats shoots and leaves"). Again, this can be resolved by augmenting one's learning by also checking out various videos for the basic sock techniques that are readily available on the internet. I would take a half star away on my rating for this less-than-optimal page layout that occurs sporadically throughout the book to give 4.5 stars, but can only do full star ratings on Amazon, hence the five stars.

This book has some great ideas for creative loom knitting patterns, but really can't be labeled a "beginner's guide." If you already know what you're doing, it will be very useful and inspiring, but the instructions are vague and aggravating to say the least if you're counting on the author to teach you the basics. I was also a little annoyed by how unclear the photos of each finished sock were, as most of the tiny pics didn't show much of the design except what color yarn she used.

I have a couple of loom knitting books from Isela Phelps. While her writing style isn't always the clearest, I'm used to interpreting her instructions by this point. And I have successfully made one sock, following her directions. It didn't necessarily look pretty, but it *did* look like a sock. So she is leading me in the right direction. With time, I fully expect to improve. (I suggest just trying a sock on a large gauge loom first, to get used to the directions. It'll work up quickly and help you identify your personal problem areas. And that way, you're not wasting expensive sock yarn on mistakes! The "house socks" on page 122 would be good for this purpose.) The book is full-color and printed on heavy paper; it should stand up to repeated bending of the spine! The beginning of the book is some pretty standard (for Isela) stuff about gauge, loom parts, tools, yarn, etc. It may even be recycled from her other books, but it's nice to have all that here for reference, so you don't have to carry around three books to work on one project. The drawings are generally quite clear, although sometimes I wish intermediate steps were illustrated. Usually, though, I can figure out what she means by comparing the drawings with the written instructions. Please do read the section about yarn, because one thing that is true for socks that is not as important for hats and scarves is that breathability is an issue. Synthetic yarns will probably make your feet sweat! I particularly like the charts on page 30-31 that match shoe size to measurements for circumference of the foot, etc., as well as the number of pegs on your knitting loom. While it would be possible to do these calculations on your own, here they are presented for easy reference. It takes out any guesswork and eliminates the possibility for mistakes. You will need an "extra fine gauge" loom for all but one of the patterns in this book (the house socks are the one pattern that use a large gauge loom). These extra fine gauge looms are usually sold as sock looms (I have the adjustable sock loom from Authentic Knitting Board and I expect it to work here). Please note that sock looms can take a bit of adjustment to work with because they're tiny and the pegs are close together (corners in adjustable sock looms may be especially troublesome). If you are just starting out with loom knitting, I'd suggest not starting with socks. Choose hats and scarves on a larger gauge loom to work on your technique. Sock looms will be waiting when you are ready to move on. Nearly all the projects in this book require super fine yarn (weight "1"). You may have to order this online as I could not find much to choose from at a local craft store. Even with the lightweight yarn, the socks appear to be fairly thick, based on the pictures (all are shown on models, which is actually a very good thing so you can see how they're supposed to fit). These would not be light, summery socks, but would be more suitable to wearing with booties, clogs, and the like. I will never have time to make every pattern in the book, but there are a lot that appeal to me. And, for once, there are only a few patterns specifically written for children (Isela's books often include quite a few baby- and child-oriented patterns so it's refreshing not to see that, for once). The majority of the patterns in this book are for adult foot sizes. Horizontal stripes and ribs are pretty common in terms of color and texture, respectively, although you will find a few other interesting patterns. There are a handful of colorwork patterns (mostly single bands around the ankle or lower leg) and some designs with cables (you'll need a separate cable needle for those). There's even a pair of socks with a beadwork pattern around the ankles, for the adventurous. (Designs are marked with difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 4. Specialty stitches and patterns other than stripes tend to get the "3" and "4" difficulty ratings. I generally agree with these assessments.) And don't forget, you don't have to use the colors used in the demonstration pieces. At any rate, there's a lot of variety in here. I'm pleased with the focus on patterns for adults; however, if you're looking for a book with a lot of children's patterns, you may want to look elsewhere. Start with Isela's "Loom Knitting Primer" if you're just starting out with loom knitting, though, and save this book for when you're ready for a bigger challenge (the Primer includes a handful of sock patterns so you can see if socks are something you'd like to try).

I also don't consider this book to be a total novices book. It's a good book, but if you have never used a loom before or have no knowledge of knitting terms, you might have some problems. You don't need to have a DALooms loom, you can substitute other brands, but if you don't know already about sett and peg counts, it can be confusing. I would recommend this book to someone who had a basic understanding of knitting in general, and an idea of what goes into sock knitting. Other than that it's a well photographed book, I do wish the instruction pictures of the looms and stitches were photographed rather than line drawings. There was a possible mistake in the instructions on grafting, there is just no way a person needs to leave a three YARD tail to work the kitchener stitching for the toe closure. I having NO experience in regular knitting or sock looming of any kind, actually cut a 3 yard tail and worked patiently in attempting to kitchener my toe of my sock. Can we say tangled beyond belief? I ended up cutting it down to 2 feet and had much less problems. Other than the fact that I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I'm still glad I got this book though, there are some socks in the patterns that I Definitely want to make.

This book has everything you need to know to make socks on a knitting loom. My copy is filled with sticky notes and dogeared from use. It is my go-to source for anything related to making socks on a knitting loom. I am so disappointed that so many reviewers did not understand what they were buying when they got this book. I have been loom knitting for about three years and always put off trying socks because I knew they would be more difficult than anything that could be made on the Knifty Knitter looms. The KK looms only come in very large gauge and require chunky yarns or two strands used as one strand of the most common type yarns, like good old Red Heart Super Saver that grandma made afghans from. Imagine this yarn made into a sock? And since it would require two strands it would be twice as thick. These would be more like slippers than socks. The same techniques for sock making can be used on the KK looms but the finished item is not something that could be worn with regular shoes. (I have heard of people wearing them with gardening clogs.) Thinner yarn requires pegs that are closer together in order to make small stitches. Even needle knitting requires the smallest knitting needles for sock yarn. So a sock loom requires small pegs close together, and the gauge is then referred to as "fine gauge" or "extra fine gauge"; and these are determined by measuring the distance from the center of one peg to the center of the next peg. Fine Gauge is about 3/8" and Extra Fine Gauge is about 3/16". Sock yarn varies by manufacturer but commonly is described as knitting 7 to 8 stitches per inch (or more)with size 1 or 2 needles. So of course a sock loom is going to have many more pegs per inch than the KK looms which can have a gauge of 3/4". One look at the beautiful socks on the cover of the book is a clue that this is small stitches and thinner yarn specially made for knitting socks. And, the "Beginner's" the title refers to are beginner sock knitters, not beginner loom knitters. (Isela Phelps has written a book for beginner loom knitters too, called "Loom Knitting Primer" which is a must-have for the knitter new to knitting looms.) Sock knitting requires loom knitting experience and knowledge such as short row knitting, different stitches for some of the patterns, and even how to do cable knitting on a loom for others. Using a grafting stitch to close toes is an additional skill needed. As the book says, it has all the information needed for a beginner sock loom knitter. Loom knitting is very popular and the looms are appearing at most craft and yarn suppliers. With coupons and sales the adjustable sock looms can be found for less than $20 and full price is less than $30. These looms have become my favorite gauge for making fabric that has a smaller stitch size. They are great for any project that calls for up to a size 5 or 6 knitting needle and size 1 to size 4 yarn that will fit on the number of pegs available on the loom. The book has a page of charts for common shoe sizes and how many pegs to use for each size of sock. The author often uses pictures of a larger loom to show how the stitches are knitted but that doesn't mean the knitter should use the same loom; the loom should match the size of the yarn and the sock to be made and that makes the adjustable looms the ones to use. It would be almost impossible to make useable photos of the tiny stitches on the small looms. So, if you are a loom knitter who wants to make terrific socks on an adjustable sock loom this is the book for you. You will love it.

Like the previous review said - if you plan on making socks on a loom with this book you have to have a 64 peg extra fine gauge knitting loom in order to make these socks. I didn't and was surprised to find out that I had to wait 3 -4 weeks after placing my order to receive my loom, and then I had to go back and order a different knitting tool because the one they sent with it was too big for the fine yarn! So, plan ahead when ordering this book. Now that I've said that - the book is excellent. The patterns in the book are some of the nicest sock patterns I've ever seen. There are lace socks, cable socks, socks with beads, socks with colorwork, plain socks, socks for men, yoga socks, sandal socks, pedicure socks and socks for kids. I honestly did not expect to find such nice patterns when I purchased this book. I'm new to loom knitting, so the first sock I've chosen to make is one without heels and it's going well so far. I'm a little nervous about trying heels with the loom, but I know the author has several videos online and I've used them for other types of loom knitting, so I'm sure I'll be fine when I'm ready. And the instructions in the book look very detailed. Another thing I like about this book is that since they are almost all for the 64 peg loom and those are the amount of stitches on my needles when I knit socks with needles, I'm planning on making some of the more complicated patterns with my dpns. So, even if I never get beyond the sock without heels on my loom, this book will still be very useful because of all the great patterns that I'll be able to knit either with my loom or with my needles.

I just received this book and am thoroughly enamored with the patterns. I am not a "Proficient" sock knitter. I've been knitting socks on looms for about a year. I've used the blue knifty knitter and I also have a FG DA adult size loom - with 44 pegs. The patterns in this book are adaptable to many looms. Each pattern gives you the multiple for the pattern that you can adapt to other looms. 95% of these patterns can be adapted to my my DA loom. One pattern is specifically for the KK loom. Stating that you must have a 64 peg loom is totally incorrect. I would recommend this book to any loom knitter that wants to make socks. The patterns are fully explained, there are sections that explain the stitches used and other parts of the pattern such as the Kitchner stitch. I am very impressed and have already started my first sock from the book.

Important Note: Many reviews say that this is NOT a good book for Beginners - not true. It's not good if you skip the 27 page Introduction which includes detailed instructions with drawings and pictures and go straight to the patterns. You NEED the Introduction - read it. Yes, with the exception of the first few patterns in the first part of the book all others are bit complex for the average loom knitter much less a beginner. But you need to follow the order of patterns. The point is that they start easy and get harder as you get better. I will say that some are extremely difficult for beginners which is why I gave the book a 4 star instead of 5. But, if the newbie is willing to YouTube the techniques then all the patterns can be worked out. Most of the projects need a small gauge loom preferably a sock loom like the Authentic Knitting 9"x3" Sock Loom Knitting Board W/Dvd- . This is an added expense for beginners who usually have large gauge economy looms. Truth be told, if you are going to knit socks - this is the BEST loom. The other don't help you make socks - the socks are way to bulky to put in your shoes. You need the right loom. These negatives take little away from the FACT that this is a great book. With 50 distinct projects. She'll get you excited about socks. To often authors just regurgitate the same first project over and over again. I'm not a fan of knitting socks. Reluctantly bought this book specifically to review it for my loom knitting site.I'm sure people that read my blog like making socks. Surprise - Surprise ! I was happy to receive the gift of so many AWESOME stitch patterns that are included in this book. Whooda thunk it. I expected to look it over. Try a pattern - drown it in my pile of No-Looky-More books. Nope,I now use this fine resource like crazy to make some socks but mostly for my hats.

super! A new way to knit to add to my skills

I had taken this book out from the library prior to buying and thought it was great. The directions are very clear and there are so many patterns. I love the chart inside the front pages which gives you different sizes without having to sit down and calculate it. This really is the definitive guide to sock knitting on a loom! One caveat - I would probably try to seek out some videos on YouTube before making socks on a loom. It's just hard to explain the heel/toe wrap/double wrap process otherwise (I don't think any book could do it!). So I wouldn't fault this book if the instructions seem a bit difficult at first. Once you make 1-2 socks, everything does make sense!

Very good explanations and easy to understand

There are 2 projects that teach 2 different ways of starting socks (toe up and top down method) Then there are a total of 48 more projects. (50 projects in total, but the 2 starter/learning projects are incredibly boring). Looms required include: - large gauge knitting loom with 24 pegs (the small round Blue Knifty Knitter loom) - Decor Accents Oval child's sock knitting loom with 36 pegs -WonderSock fine gauge knitting loom - Pink Long loom and loom clip with 24 pegs (that's literally how it is described in the book :( ) - extra fine gauge loom with 50 pegs Yarns required (how many projects with that yarn in parenthesis) - ww 1 (45 projects) - ww 2 (1 project) - ww 4 (1 project) - ww 5 (1 project) Projects available by difficulty level: level 1 difficulty - 4 projects level 2 difficulty - 17 projects level 3 difficulty - 16 projects level 4 difficulty - 10 project It is a good introduction to sock loom knitting, with different styles including: -simple socks - yoga socks - textured socks with designs, lace panels and cables on the cuffs of the sock - slipper style socks - kids/babies socks Definitely a book you can be using for a long time and would be a great gift with a sock loom for anyone starting an interest in knitting socks.

Good book to get you stated on loom knitting .