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Honestly, I bought The Sock Project by Summer Lee for the eye candy: the photos alone are worth the price of admission! (Yes, I did judge the book by its cover.) But, beyond the photos, the book is packed full of great patterns and tips. The beginning section is an excellent primer on sock yarn, sock construction, fit, and techniques. Then she shares tons of awesome patterns – each moving incrementally to more advanced techniques like lace, cables, and colorwork.
I love that Summer walks you through knitting socks cuff-down and toe-up, so you can see which style speaks to you. I’m a cuff-down fan, but it’s good to learn how to knit both ways, in case you fall in love with a pattern from the other camp and must have it!
I typically recommend Betsy Lee McCarthy’s book Knit Socks as the best book to learn how to knit socks, but The Sock Project is definitely a contender to replace that recc. Both are great primers for newbies, but this one is a bit more modern, and I really love Summer’s writing style: it’s warm, funny, and made me feel like we’d totally be friends IRL.
After flipping through the book, I couldn’t resist casting on a pair (well, two). Summer’s playful approach to color really pushed me outside my usual comfort zone, and I ended up with two very different projects, but her patterns and style inspire both.
Sock #1: Bright & Bold Vanilla Sock Fun
This first pair of socks was inspired by Summer’s color aesthetic, which is much more daring than I usually come up with. My friend gifted me this gorgeous bright pink variegated and speckled yarn from Hedgehog Fibres and The Sock Project inspired me to double down on the bright vibe by using this dandelion yellow Stroll for a contrasting cuff, heel, and toe.
The pattern is essentially her Basic Sock No. 2 – the one with an afterthought heel. I love a good afterthought heel when working with a variegated yarn like this so I don’t have to worry about weird pooling at the gusset. (For example…)
This sock was such a cheery project to knit during the dark days of winter: 10/10 recommend!
Sock #2: Neutral but Playful: Breton Stripe Socks
The next sock is a daring color combo of brown and beige… lol! That may not land it on the pages of The Sock Project, but it is still very much inspired by Summer’s work, particularly her use of Breton stripes, which make an appearance several times in the book.
These basic ribbed socks are such a simple concept, but, believe it or not, I have never knitted ribbed socks before! Why? BORING! Well, boring unless you add stripes… which I never did because of that nasty purl dash that appears when you change colors in ribbing.
But, guess what: Summer shares a cool tip to avoid that! All you have to do is knit every stitch in the first round of the new color, then resume the ribbing on the second round. I was very skeptical that this would look good, but it totally does! You can’t even tell that there are knits in the purl columns and the color change is perfectly clean. Love it!
This sock is based on the Breton Stripe Ribbed Socks pattern, but I did a gusset heel and skipped the color block design.
These socks are still a WIP, but I’m knitting them on US size 2 needles so they’ll be done in no time. I even splurged on Summer’s favorite circular needles: the ChiaoGoo Red Lace ones. They are super pointy and feel nice in your hands: I can see why she likes them!
So, whether you’re new to sock knitting or looking to shake things up with color and creativity, The Sock Project delivers. I loved how it pushed me to try new techniques, play with bold combos, and even appreciate the magic of a good ole’ beige stripe. This one is definitely worth adding to your knitting library!
Now, here are my usual project notes for these socks:
yarn details
Pink & Yellow Socks
Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn in Pinkmas (discontinued color)
Fingering Weight
90% superwash merino, 10% nylon
handwash in cold water
100 g/ 4137 yd skein
Knit Picks Stroll in Dandelion
Fingering Weight
75% Merino, 25% Nylon
Machine Wash & Dry
50 g/231 yd balls
Striped Socks
Knit Picks Stroll in Prairie Heather
Fingering Weight
75% Merino, 25% Nylon
Machine Wash & Dry (if you dare)
50 g/231 yd balls
Knit Picks Stroll Tweed in Farmhouse Heather
Fingering Weight
65% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon, 10% Donegal
Machine Washable/Tumble Dry Low
50 g/231 yd balls
project details
Pink & Yellow Socks
pattern: “Basic Sock No. 2” by Summer Lee in The Sock Project
size knit: CO 64
needles: US size 1 (2.25 mm) nickel-plated circs from Knit Picks
gauge: 9 stitches per inch according to my cheater gauge ruler
yarn used: 218 yards (50 grams) of Pinkmas and 65 yards of Dandelion (14 grams)
finished size: leg: 8.5” from top of cuff to bottom of heel; foot: slightly shy of 8.75” from back to heel to tip of toe; cuff measures about 1.25” (15 rounds)
duration: December 2024-March 2025
Striped Socks (Work in Progress)
pattern: “Breton Stripes Ribbed Socks” by Summer Lee in The Sock Project
size knit: CO 64
needles: US size 2 (2.75 mm) ChiaoGoo Red Lace circular needles
notes
- Usually, when I do an afterthought heel, I dive right into the decreases, but Summer’s pattern has you knit three plain rounds before doing so, which gives a bit more depth to the heel. I’ll be sure to try that again.
- See pics of the striped socks on my WIP page as I finish them up!
Love this book too!