Sock Pattern Ideas with Emma

Hello Woolly Thistlers! I'm Emma, and I’ve got a post for you today about how I used my 2021 Sock Bag from TWT. I was SO excited about this bag and I can’t wait to dive into this year’s as well. Here’s a recap of the yarn and projects I used it for:

1) Broken Rope Socks from the Hello, Sailor! Sock Set by Summer Lee

in Garthenor Snowdonia (Glyndwr color)

I absolutely love this pattern – it’s really simple but the texture is just interesting enough to keep your mind busy. I received a marled set of Snowdownia skeins – dark brown + slightly lighter greyish brown. Alone, this color is already so deep and rich because it almost looks like it has texture built in with the marls, but I chose to stripe it with a partial skein of 100% merino superwash sock yarn that I found in my mom’s deep stash (don’t worry, I asked her first!) because the colors went so perfectly together! Because Snowdonia is 100% wool, you can use a nylon-enforced sock yarn for heels/toes/cuffs/stripes/whatever you want if you know you’re hard on your wool socks.

2) Petty Harbour Socks by Rayna Curtis (free)

in John Arbon Exmoor Sock (Boulderin' Clouds color)

Like the Broken Rope socks, these have a simple texture. I tried knitting up lace socks in this, but because the color was quite deep, the pattern didn’t show up like I wanted, and I felt that the texture of this pattern was just perfect. This yarn is woolly like Snowdonia, but it has more plies – use sharp needles to avoid splitting! Hiya Hiya sharps or Chiaogoo Red Lace are my favorite choices.

3) Twizzler Socks by Tangled Bekah (free)

in West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply (Blue Lagoon color)

I received the Blue Lagoon colorway and chose this pattern because it was designed for self-striping socks but was a little more interesting than plain Vanilla sock knitting. It’s done with slipped stitches, so it’s very easy! This yarn is buttery soft and there are SO many colors to choose from – check out
the options where you can get a solid that goes with a self-striping so you’ve got a matching contrast for your heels and toes!

4) A freestyle lace pattern by me

in CoopKnits Sock Yeah! (Ammolite color)

My best friend loves this color pink, so I designed this pair of lacy socks for her. This yarn is spectacular for lace work because it blocks out SO smooth! Think your favorite 75/25 hand-dyed base…but even softer. It’s quite thin, so I added a couple of extra stitches around the leg to accommodate, and I’d suggest knitting a naturally stretchy pattern (lace or rib-based), but your feet will be so happy in your socks made from this yarn! And at some point, I promise I’ll write up the pattern…

The author of this blog post is Emma Barnaby of Tiny Desk Knitting. You can find Emma on social media as @barnaby_knits and on her YouTube channel, Barnaby Knits.