Today I’m sharing a review of a sock knitting book that includes 30 patterns. The beginner sock knitting pattern, Molten, was available through September 30, 2025. I’m also including a giveaway with the chance to win my review copy, so read on for details.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. GMC Publications Ltd provided me with a free review copy of Simply Knitted Socks: 30 Beautiful Patterns to Create (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) by Christine Boggis. Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review. My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.
Book Review: Simply Knitted Socks
Simply Knitted Socks: 30 Beautiful Patterns to Create (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) is a collection of sock knitting patterns by Christine Boggis. (I previously reviewed JOMO Knits: 21 Projects to Celebrate the Joy of Missing Out by Christine HERE, including a free sweater knitting pattern.)
In the introduction, Christine explains that the book includes sock patterns for beginners through experienced sock knitters, sizes from booties through adult, and a variety of approaches including toe up and cuff down, as well as two-at-a-time socks. She brings up the dreaded “second sock syndrome” for knitters who don’t like making the same thing twice (and therefore, always end up with just one sock from the pattern done) and offers several solutions including wearing mismatched socks (why not?), casting on both socks at once, making a stack of one socks and only making the second before gifting/using, and using the two-at-a-time method.
The first section, How To Knit Socks, describes how the cuff, leg, heel, gusset, foot, and toe are formed for toe-up or cuff-down socks and shares helpful hints including referrals to different sections of the book. Christine explains that the foot on her sock patterns is always plain stocking stitch (called stockinette stitch in the US) or a simple slip stitch pattern to avoid creating marks on your feet. In the next section, Sock Yarns: The Lowdown, Christine talks about the characteristics of great sock yarns and how to care for your knit socks. Tools of the Trade is the next section, where Christine discusses double-pointed and circular needles, scissors, sewing needles, stitch markers, cable needles, and measuring tape.
The book then transitions into the patterns. The first pattern section is Quick and Cosy which includes five sock knitter beginner patterns using chunky yarns. Pitter Patter includes 11 patterns for baby socks, booties, and baby sets. Best Foot Forward includes 14 more patterns for exploring techniques and building skills while knitting socks. Each pattern includes a description, Size (including the age or sizes it will fit and length and circumference measurements), You Will Need (including yarn, needles, and notions), Tension (including gauge measurements and notes), Pattern Notes, instructions, and at least one large photo of the finished project. The patterns include 12 in children’s sizes (mostly infant and toddler sizes), 3 in men’s sizes, 5 in women’s sizes, and 13 in adult sizes (gender not indicated). Additionally, one of the 30 patterns is for a set of legwarmers, and four of the sock patterns include a matching pattern (two hats, a pair of mittens, and a bag). Lace, cable, and some colorwork patterns include charted instructions in addition to written instructions.
The next section, Techniques, includes the skills needed for the included patterns. Each technique includes both written instructions and photos. Techniques explored in this section include:
- Cast ons (knitted cast on, long-tail cast on, and Judy’s Magic Cast On).
- Stitches (knit, purl, knit through the back loop, and both left- and right-leaning 4-stitch cables).
- Knitting in the round (the magic loop method for small circumference knitting on circular needles and knitting with double pointed needles/DPNs).
- Colorwork (jogless join, helical stripes, stranded knitting, and two-colour brioche).
- Increasing (make one right or left, knit front and back, and yarn overs before knit or purl stitches).
- Decreasing (k2tog, ssk, and sk2po).
- Heel and gusset methods (making an afterthought heel, turning the heel, a slip stitch pattern for a reinforced heel called the heel stitch, heel flap and gusset, shadow-wrap and German short rows, toe-up gussets and heel flaps).
- Knitting two toe-up socks at the same time.
- Grafting and weaving in ends.
- Bind offs (standard bind off, stretchy bind off, and Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off).
Throughout the Techniques section you will find boxed Top Tips that provide helpful hints. The book ends with Abbreviations using UK terms; Conversions including metric knitting needle sizes to UK and US sizes and UK to US terms; Suppliers listing the yarn suppliers; and Acknowledgements.
While many sock knitting books focus on a specific method (toe-up, cuff-down, or two-at-a-time), or style (cables or lace), or size (adult or child/baby), Simply Knitted Socks: 30 Beautiful Patterns to Create (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) is a resource for many ways of making socks in different styles for both children and adults. It’s inclusion of clearly written instructions with photos make it a great resource for newbie sock knitters as they expand their skills.
There are three minor things I don’t love about this book. First, the adult sizes are not standardized. Some patterns are listed for specific shoe sizes (typically, UK 5-7 which is the same as US 7-9), while others are S, M, L, XL, or to fit an average woman. There is no index, but the patterns refer you to the page number of any special techniques used and the table of contents is very detailed. And, finally, the You Will Need section lists the yarn by brand name and does not list the yarn weight. If you don’t have access to the yarn listed, you will have to do a little research to learn more about it. (The YarnSub website is a great free resource that makes yarn substitutions easy.)
Although the book is a paperback, because it has both front and back flaps, it is easy to knit and keep your place in the book. Overall, Simply Knitted Socks: 30 Beautiful Patterns to Create (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) makes a great book for someone who is interested in exploring sock knitting, or a beginner sock knitter hoping to get to the next level.
Giveaway
After reading my review of Simply Knitted Socks: 30 Beautiful Patterns to Create by Christine Boggis, you’re probably ready to get your hands on this book! You can buy it now through independent booksellers or on Amazon, or enter the giveaway below by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, September 15, 2024 for your chance to win my review copy. While my copy of the book was provided by GMC Publications Ltd., the giveaway is organized by Underground Crafter. Enter using any of the options on the Rafflecopter widget below. One winner will be chosen from the entries at random to win my review copy of the book. Winner will be contacted approximately 1 week after the entries close. Winner will have 3 days to claim the prize. If winner does not respond within 3 days, prize will be awarded to an alternate. By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to share your contact information with Rafflecopter and/or Underground Crafter. You can read the Rafflecopter Privacy Policy and the Underground Crafter Privacy Policy here to understand how this information is used. This giveaway is open worldwide, except where prohibited by law. Good luck!