Re-footable socks

#1

For Intermediate knitters (or the very adventurous beginner!)…

I just discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman’s “Moccasin Socks.” They are so wild!

You know how most socks are knit, basically, in a tube, from the top down, or from the bottom up…

Well, these socks are knit it the wildest way. First you knit the leg, then the top of the foot of the sock (without the bottom!). Then, when you get to the toe, you switch from your nice, soft, pretty yarn, to your durable nylon-reinforced yarn, and knit the bottom!

The whole idea behind this sock is:
–you can knit the whole bottom of the sock in a durable yarn, not just the heel and toe
–when the sole wears through, you can easily unravel it, and re-knit it, independent of the top of the sock!

Isn’t this just crazy cool?!
I know what my next project is going to be!!

…If you want the pattern for this sock, you can find it in Elizabeth Zimmerman’s book, The Knitter’s Almanac. (If you buy this book, or any book, through this link, you will be supporting this site; I get a small kickback. Thanks.) …Or, better yet, you can buy this book directly from the publisher: Schoolhouse Press was started by Elizabeth Zimmerman, and is now run by her daughter.

#2

Here’s a picture of the socks I just made with this pattern. (I’ve changed the toe shaping, but the principle is the same.)

#3

Very very cool!
I’m glad you posted a Pic. I was thinking ‘way too confusing, and doesn’t sound pretty’ before I saw the end results!

#4

Wow! Very interesting!!! I like the idea that you can replace the bits of the sock that get the most wear. :smiley:

So let me see if I understand you… You knit the leg bit and cast off. Then you knit the sole bit and cast off. And then you sew the two bits together?

#5

You don’t cast off. You knit the leg until you reach the heel, and put the heel stitches on a string to hold them. Then you knit the top of the foot, and switch to the sole yarn when you reach the toe. You decrease the toe down to the tip (you still have a few stitches on the needles), and from the tip, you begin picking up stitches along one side of the foot, then those heel stitches just get knitted, then you pick up stitches along the other side of the foot until you’re back at the toe. You just knit these stitches around until you reach the heel again, then you do some short rows back and forth on the heel to make the heel shapping (it’s actually pretty easy). When you’ve got about an inch of knitting from the picked up stitches, you begin decreasing. When you’ve got two inches, you kitchener stitch one side to the other, from heel to toe.

It’s actually not that hard a pattern, once you get the idea.
Amy

#6

I just purchased this book through Amazon through your site to help support the site. The socks you knitted sold me on the book. Thank you for posting this site. I’m new, and I’ve found your site very helpful.

#7

Those are FANTASTIC! Love the colors too. :slight_smile:

I just cast on and did 3 rounds of a swatch to start make my girls some socks. I really should be finishing the 4 Christmas gifts I have left. :lol: I blame Amy and her cool sock video. :wink:

#8

Those are fantastic! i’ve been looking for a pattern like this so I can attach these soles:

iwonder how that would work out. i guess there’s naught to do but give it a try, eh, unless someone has some ideas?

#9

I made those one shown in the picture for my Dad. I was planning on making myself a pair in different colors, but I liked the way those turned out so much, that I made identical ones for myself. :slight_smile:

Anise, you could of course use any sock/slipper pattern, and just sew those soles onto the bottoms. But the mocassin sock pattern will save you some knitting! :wink: You’d probably want to stop knitting when you’ve done the top, and just skip ahead to working the stiches on the heel, to bring it down to line up with the bottom edge of the rest of the foot. You could also work the whole thing in your nice yarn; no need to use a tough yarn for slippers like that! Sounds like a great project! Nice idea to use those slipper bottoms!

Greyrider, I hope you like that book. I’m picky about patterns, and I don’t own many pattern books. I love those mocassin socks, but haven’t fallen in love with any of the other patterns; but she does have good ideas and she’s funny and tells some good knitting stories. :slight_smile:

Amy

#10

I clicked through the link and added the book to my shopping cart. Will finish the order when I get back from the mountains. Don’t want it to deliver while I am out of town. Rainy season now!

Thanks Amy. Now THIS is a sock I can wrap my brain around. My husband will LOVE the sturdier sole!

#11

There’s a resoleable sock pattern in “Favorite Socks” from interweave press. Here’s a picture of it from Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-yarn-resoleable-socks

#12

Is it just books? I buy sooooo much from Amazon… like diapers and wipes, I get free ship so they are cheaper than Walmart…

I already have this book… I LOVE IT!!! I’m making a Pi Shawl for dd for Christmas… It’s a Christmas Pi Shawl :teehee: