Review: Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith

Big Foot Knits, Andi Smith, Cooperative Press, 2013, 134pp.

I was so excited when book came out!  And it’s not just because I love Andi & am thrilled for her — this is the sort of book that, if you’re even thinking of knitting socks, whether you have big feet or small, should be on your shelf.

I’m a big proponent of altering your knits (whether it’s my pattern or someone else’s) to fit your body.  There are a ton of resources out there to do so (if you don’t have it yet, check out Amy Herzog’s Knit to Flatter — I reviewed her PDF series here, but the book is even better), but until now there wasn’t anything like that for socks.

One of my pet peeves for socks is someone offering only one size then saying “change needle size to change sock size”.  To me, socks, regardless of how big or small, need to be at a firm gauge; if that gauge is, say, 8 sts per inch, it needs to be 8 sts per inch for size small and for size large.   Now, if you want to work a pattern that has only one size, and you were a little iffy on how to alter it to fit you, Andi’s book is there for you!

Over a third of the book is devoted to how to properly measure your feet and how to alter the socks at various points to fit your foot. There’s an entire chapter on making your toe shaping follow your own foot’s shape.  Ultimately you complete your own Custom Sock Worksheet (top down or toe up, your choice), in which you specify all the different techniques, stitch counts, gauges, etc that you will use.

I’ll admit I’m a cuff down, heel flap & gusset gal.  Andi prefers after though heels, and all the subsequent patterns have after thought heels.  But of course, as she points out, you can apply her principles to any sort of heel.

The remainder of the book is devoted to 12 lovely patterns.  Each pattern includes tips on customizing, including working toe up or cuff down.  Stitch patterns range from cables & twisted stitches to textured & lace.

The photography is fabulous, as is the styling — Fluevogs galore.  But more importantly, each photo clearly shows details of the various stitch patterns.

Marama, above, is one of my favorites, with a lovely intricate cabled pattern.

I also love Arundhati — the pattern works harmoniously with the gradient yarn.

General comments:  Stitch patterns are charted.  Three sizes, generally ranging from about 10-13″ (sometimes larger) foot circumference, are given for each sock.

I received my review copy from Cooperative Press. All opinions are my own.