Sock yarn is a bit of an obsession for me. Can’t leave the yarn store without a skein or four! But, just because it’s called sock yarn, doesn’t mean you can’t knit (or crochet) it into something else! Here are some wonderful and unique sock yarn projects to inspire you.

Planter Cozies

How awesome are these planter cozies? I have yet to push my skill set to include Fair Isle knitting, but this would be the perfect pattern to experiment with. I mean it’s a planter cozy, not something you’re wearing out in public;-) The fully charted instructions are here.

Fair Isle Cuffs

These cuffs are another gorgeous example of Fair Isle knitting. I’ts shocking how much difference arm warmers make in the dark cold depths of winter. If this is above your skill level (*me waving*), just pick a lovely solid color or speckle dyed sock yarn and you’ll be pleased as punch with the results. You can find the pattern here.

Prisma Loop

If you’re going to give this pattern a go, use the Chroma Fingering yarn by Knit Picks that is called for in the pattern. It is absolutely stunning! Chroma is a color-transitioning 70% superwash wool and 30% nylon blend yarn. Pair the brightest colors with your boldest projects, or choose a subdued shade for gentle waves of changing color. The colors move gently through a single ply, creating subtly blended and shaded sections. Chroma is a single ply yarn that has subtle differences in thickness that gives a handspun look to your finished projects.

Boot Cuffs with Buttons & Lace

All sorts of color combinations would work with this boot cuff pattern. The example above was knit with a DK weight yarn, so you’ll likely need to make an adjustment if you are using sock yarn. That’s okay, you can do it! It’s also not exactly a beginner project, but there are links in the instructions so you can find the information you need to complete the project. Knit several of the lace parts in different colors to interchange to ensure they match your outfit!

Knitted Bracelets with Beads

Aren’t these lovely? Made with scraps of sock yarn and a basic linen knit stitch, it’s the bead embellishments that really bring these to life. Fairly fast to make, these make awesome gifts for your girly friends.  The free pattern is here.

Della Mitts

I’ve made myself a pair of these Della Mitts and they work up quickly and look amazing! They are much easier than they look and they will guarantee you lots of compliments. Trust me, everyone will want a pair, so be prepared for those requests.

Pembroke Scarf

This asymmetrical Pembroke Scarf is on my needles right now! It’s a simple two-row pattern that you repeat essentially until you have only a few yards left to finish the bind off. It’s my “car knitting” project and kind of like socks, I expect to have one of these on my needles at all times. It takes a while, but it’s worth it for that special skein of sock yarn that is just too pretty for your feet;-)

Bookworms

Aren’t these the cutest? You won’t be able to make just one. Literally. I think you can only buy the googly eyes in a package of like 4000 eyes. It’s a fun project for beginners. You can add beads if you want for a little extra weight in the tail end.  I use them all the time in my cookbooks. You can find the pattern here.

Onete Scarf

Sock yarn knit with US size 8 needles. Can you say AWESOMENESS? A simple garter stitch throughout most of the pattern with a bit of flair for the edging makes this an almost mindless knit for Netflix binging. It has great texture and a lovely drape. You can find the pattern here.

Shetland Shorty

This piece knits up fairly quickly with minimal shaping and makes a pretty and useful addition to your summer wardrobe. With all the fabulous choices of hand-dyed fingering-weight yarn available, your wrap can truly be customized to suit your color preferences. Just check your gauge and off you go! Keep in mind, you’re probably going to need two skeins of sock yarn for most sizes of this wrap. The free pattern is here.

Hope you’ve found some inspiration in this roundup of sock yarn projects that aren’t socks! See you next time;-)