Sockupied Spring 2015 Review

I love a good pair of hand knit socks and normally knit a few pairs each year. Last year however, was a sock dry spell and I am on a mission to remedy that this year. That's why when I saw the opportunity to review the Spring 2015 issue of Sockupied I jumped at the chance. 

I have never purchased Socupied before, but love the new PDF format. I tend to be a mixed bag when it comes to downloading patterns. From my laptop, to iPad, to phone, or Kindle, this format makes it perfect to get anywhere.

Karner Butterfly Socks

Let me start with what I love the most, the photography. I thought the photos were not only beautiful but did a really excellent job at maintaining a lovely and relaxed feeling. And there was even a dog! The colors chosen for the socks were varied and really maintained interest even though the photos were all shot in the same location (inside a house). The overall aesthetic really feels like spring! Especially considering they probably photographed these in December.

I really appreciate that there was a variety of yarns chosen to feature the samples in. Yarns were Opal, Fibernymphs, Huckleberry Knits, Lorna's Laces, and Anzula. I haven't used all of these yarns, only a few (and have a couple hidden away in my stash too) but I still like the diversity. I'm not always a fan of when books/magazines do all the yarn from one company since I feel like it makes it more difficult for me to substitute. 

Laith Socks

My favorite feature was the designer profile. I love hearing about how designers got started, their process, and advice they have for knitters. The profile this issue was on Rachel Coopey. I would have liked to see a bit more information on her, as much of what was shared was in bullet points. Her design for the issue was simple, but not boring. The socks have loads of texture and visual interest. 

Washington State Knee Socks

This issue included a pattern for knee socks. Along with the pattern was an in-depth tutorial on sizing knee socks. I (having never knit knee socks) sort of assumed you just measure your leg and boom, knee socks. However, the article gave a lot of good advice which involves adjusting gauge and ease for your knee socks. 

Chain Socks

Two patterns were my absolute favorite; Chain Socks by Mone Drager and Mill Ends Socks by MK Nance. Chain Socks is a fantastic pattern to use with variegated yarn. I will be honest: I mostly hate variegated yarn. HOWEVER, I think the use of the slipped stitches in this pattern does a lovely job of breaking up color pools and variegation. Mill Ends Socks uses the movement of stitches to show of the gorgeous colors in hand-dyed yarns. The stitches move in varying direction across the sock. This pattern is simple but so unique. 

Mill Ends Socks

One thing I would like to see in future issues is a wider variety of sizes. Some socks came in five different foot circumferences and lengths, while a couple only had three or fewer sizes. While I am on the small footed end of things, I have friends and my sister-in-law who have much larger feet. So a consitently wider variety between sizes would suit more people. 

The pattern was written in the style common to Interweave Knits and Knitscene. In this way pattern instructions are blocked together based on the portion you are working on (i.e, all the heel directions in one paragraph). This is not my favorite way to follow or write a pattern. I find it visually overwhelming, but that's just my personal preference. 

Before I leave you to make your own decisions about Sockupied let me leave you with this, at $11.99, that is about $2 per pattern. A steal! 

Overall, I'm very excited to cast on Mill Ends Socks as my 2015 socks. I have the perfect skein of Anzula Squishy in my stash.While this was my first Sockupied, I doubt it will be my last. 

Check out the patterns in Sockupied and tell me, do you have a favorite?

Full disclosure: While I was given a review copy for this post, all ideas and opinions are my own. 

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