Book Review: The Sock Project by Summer Lee

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Book Overview

The Sock Project: Cool, Colorful Socks to Knit and Show Off by Summer Lee is a book all about sock knitting, published in February 2024. It is knitting designer Summer Lee’s first book, although Summer Lee has been designing sock patterns since 2020. The book retails for $24.99 USD and is available at major book retailers online as well as local yarn stores. It is paperback, 192 pages, and currently available in English.

I first discovered Summer Lee through Ravelry when I tried knitting my first pair of socks. Her Hello Sailor Sock Set pattern bundle had caught my eye for being both timeless and fun! Since then, I have fallen in love with her patterns and was so excited to find a copy of this book at my local yarn store. Summer has a great eye for design and color, and her patterns range from basic to advanced.

The Sock Project is a comprehensive book all about knitting socks. It has 3 main sections: Materials, Sizing, and Fit; Basics; and 25 Socks. The book contains a lot of tips and tricks on sock knitting, 5 different heel construction patterns, and 25 original sock patterns that are exclusive to the book.

Section I: Materials, Sizing, and Fit

This section starts with the very basics of sock knitting, including types of sock yarns you can use, types of needles needed to knit socks, and how to measure your feet to knit the patterns in this book. If you’ve never knit a sock before, this will teach you everything you need to know (although there is the assumption that you already know how to knit).

Section II: Basics

This section contains 5 different stand-alone patterns that each contain a different heel construction. Different cuff constructions are also shared in this section.

Heels covered include: 

• Heel Flap and Gusset

• Afterthought Heel

• Forethought Heel

• German Short Row Heel

• Fleegle Heel (the only toe up pattern in this book)

Each pattern contains detailed photo tutorials on how to construct each heel and cuff. By the end of each of these patterns, you will have a completed stockinette “basic” sock. Then you’ll be ready to start the patterns in the next section!

Section III: 25 Socks

This section is the bulk of the book, where 25 sock patterns are split into chapters by style. The styles that are covered include:

• Striped Socks (2 patterns)

• Socks with Fades (1 pattern)

• Ribbed Socks (3 patterns)

• Thick Socks (DK weight) (3 patterns)

• Socks with Knits, Purls, and Slipped Stitches (4 patterns)

• Lace Socks (3 patterns)

• Colorwork Socks (5 patterns)

• Cabled Socks (4 patterns)

Each chapter shares tips and tricks on that particular sock style, which will help you knit the patterns in that chapter. The patterns build on each other, so as the book goes on, the patterns may use skills taught in previous chapters. Some tips found in this book include jogless stripes, weaving in ends as you go, a fade recipe for 3+ colors, colorwork tensioning, and how to knit cables.

The patterns are all knit cuff down, and the majority are for fingering weight yarn (20 total). 5 patterns are DK weight. All the socks are graded for adult foot sizes, foot circumference ranging from 7-10” (18-25cm). A decent amount of the socks have extended sizes for Toddler and Kid (3-6”, 8-15cm). Summer suggests a variety of yarns throughout the book, covering both budget friendly brands like Knit Picks and higher end hand dyed yarns such as Hedgehog Fibres.

For a full list of patterns included in the book, check out the Ravelry page here.

Major Takeaways

As someone who enjoys sock knitting, I can tell I will get a lot of use out of this book! It has a wide variety of sock patterns, so I know I can find a pattern that suits my mood at any time. I also love the color inspiration throughout the book! It is inspiring me to use my stash and knit with colors I might not normally knit with.

I think this book is great for a knitter who has never knit socks before. There is so much information in this book on how to get started, including great photo tutorials. If you start with the basic socks at the beginning of the book and work your way through the patterns and tricks, you might be able to knit the complex color work and cabled socks at the end eventually!

This book would also be great for a knitter who wants to expand their sock knitting skills. Perhaps you’ve only knit vanilla socks and want to try socks with texture or different colors. Or, you want to try different heel constructions to see what fits you the best. This book certainly has the resources to get you going with those more advanced sock techniques! 

Now, this book might not be great for an advanced sock knitter. A lot of the book is spent teaching basics, and about 9/25 of the patterns included are just stockinette or ribbed. You might not find value in those basic socks patterns and wish that the full list of 25 patterns was more complex. This book might also not be the best resource if you are looking for detailed grading on sock sizing and fit. While this book covers basic sock sizing based on the circumference of the ball of your foot, it does not cover nuances of gusset circumference, ankle circumference, or leg circumference. If you are looking for a resource on that topic, I highly recommend Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet by Kate Atherley.

This book is a great value for anyone who loves sock knitting. At $25 USD for over 25 patterns, it’s certainly a great bang for your buck! 

I can’t wait to dive into the patterns in this book. So far I have my eye on the Happy and Scrappy Socks, the Soma Socks, and the Scrimshaw Socks!