My Favourite Free Sock Knitting Patterns

 

It is that time of year again - the time when our thoughts start to veer towards all things Christmas!

And for handcrafters, our thoughts tend to head towards the making of gifts. 

I personally enjoy receiving practical gifts that are beautiful or cute as well as useful. 

And if you are a knitter, there will be a sock design to suit every member of your family and circle of friends. 

So I thought I would collect some of my favourites here. All of the patterns are available for free through Ravelry. I will add that I have not knit all the patterns personally but they are certainly all in my queue in the hope that I wil get to them one day! 

Winter's Frost by This Handmade Life

A lovely, delicate lace pattern for a ladies' sock.

This Handmade Life has quite a few free sock patterns so definitely take a look at them all.

Oma's Sokken by The Kitchen Sink Shop

This pattern comes in adult sizes small, medium and large, so would be perfect for the men in your life.

Margaritaville by Adrienne Fong

This pattern makes me think of mermaids! 

Coffee Cantata by Caoua Coffee

I think this pattern is not for the fainthearted! But if you love texture and are up for a challenge, give it a try.

Call Them Cherry Blossoms by Tiina Kuu

Such pretty stranded colourwork!

Baby Mitten Socks by Barbara Prime

What can we say except adorable?! Newborn knits are just the cutest. Make some in Christmas colours for the new baby in the family.

Epresso Shot Shortie Socks by Cheryl Ham

Shortie socks always come in handy. With the added bonus that they make for quick gift knitting! 

Fox Isle Socks by Life Is Cozy 

How cute are these foxy socks?! 

Craggy Shore by The Blue Mouse

A fairly simple pattern with enough extra for interest. 

My Own Personal Flurry by Anna Lange

I have always loved snowmen so these are perfect for winter/Christmas! 

I have only shared ten patterns with you - believe me there are literally hundreds and thousands more to discover on Ravelry! I have searched for some of the less knitted patterns - let's get them circulating so these lovely patterns wll be knitted more!  

I am always astounded by the amazing talent on Ravelry. And more patterns are added every day! Enough patterns to keep us all knitting 24 hours a day for years! 

Comment below with your favurite free sock pattern. I can always do with some more for my Rav queue! Have you knitted any of these patterns? Let me know if you do - I'd love to see! 

Happy knitting! 

Diamonds Really Are Forever!

 

Literally forever! 

Although I am enjoying working on this jumper, I;m sure we would all like to see a new Stitchcraft project soon! 

But there is progress to report. The front and back are completed. I will block them while I knit the sleeves and hopefully there will be at least one sleeve next week as well.

And look at this! I picked up Bestway Fair Isle Designs on eBay, a pattern book from the 1940s. 

I will have plenty of yarn left over so I can match a whole matchy matchy set, if I feel so inclined! 

I have knitted exactly one pair of gloves before, many years ago. I wouldn't mind giving them another go. 

Have a lovely week!

Books In 1932

The Diamonds are moving along so slowly that I thought I would cover another subject from 1932. 

So what was happening in the book world in 1932?

The Cheney Report was published in the US in 1932. This report was commissioned by the National Association of Book Publishers to examine the overall structure of the book publishing industry and suggest possible improvements.

Cheney recommended standardising the physical size of books. He was also the first to suggest a machine based coding system for the organisation of books. It was not until several decades later that the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) was introduced.

Albatross Books, a German publishing house was established in 1932. They produced the first modern mass-market paperbacks. The first list included ten books with authors such as James Joyce (Albatross Number 1 was Dubliners), Virginia Woolf and Aldous Huxley and was called the Albatross Modern Continental Library.

A possible forerunner to the orange Penguin Classics?

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new theatre was opened on April 23 (Shakespeare's birthday) by the Prince of Wales, after the original theatre was destroyed by fire in 1926. Designed by architect Elisabeth Scott, it was the first major building designed by a woman in Britain.

The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to John Galsworthy for The Forsyte Saga. It is a collection containing three novels and two interludes. 

The Pulitzer Prize for a Novel was awarded to Pearl Buck's The Good Earth. I remember reading this in high school and being absolutely blown away. 

I did not know until recently that this is the first book in the House of Earth trilogy. Sons and A House Divided are the second and third books, both of which are currently out of print. 

Other books published in 1932 include:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell

Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald - the first and only novel by the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Peril At End House by Agatha Christie, the eighth Hercule Poirot book

And of course, many more! 

This is a really interesting website that is featuring the top selling books of the last 100 years. 

Top Selling Books of 1932

The books I have mentioned are the ones that have remained in print but most of the books that were top sellers in 1932 are no longer in print.

I found it most fascinating to see the books that everyone was reading in 1932. 

As you can tell, I do love a book list! 

Have you read any of these books? Do you have another favourite book published in 1932?