Adjustable Sock Blockers (Illustrated Review)

Welcome to Littlejohn’s Yarns. It’s time for another crochet gadget review but this one’s going to involve knit also! We’re trying out looking at the Red Suricata Adjustable Size Sock Blocker. You can purchase this as a pair for $27. 95 free or a set of 2 pairs for $48.95 shipping with Amazon

If you have never used sock blockers before, we’re going to have a little crafting experiment to see how well they work. I have three types of socks that we are going to block, a hand-knit sock, a crochet sock, and a sock that was made on my Addi Express Pro circular knitting machine.

Why you should block socks

Let’s get right down to the review and see how well it works. The reason why you would want to block a sock is to give your sock a more uniform look and better stitch definition. As you can see from the picture above, this knit sock is very crinkly and needs to be blocked. I’ll show you how to block a sock shortly.

So, let’s take a closer look at this sock blocker. Typically, when you buy a sock blocker you’ll need a ‘small’, ‘medium’, or ‘large’ depending on your size.

What’s great about this one is that it is completely adjustable. The Red Suricata Sock Blocker is in U.S. and European sizes. Adjustable U.S. men 5-11.5 & women 5.5-15.

They have patent-pending technology where you literally snap in place whatever size that you need. You move the arrow to your corresponding size. Check out the picture above.

I found an awesome crochet hack that works perfectly with these sock blockers. It works great for designers or people who don’t have models of their own to measure against. I’ve never made a crochet sock a day in my life, but I was able to crochet the sock without having a model! I used my size 7.5 silicon foot to test the sizing results.

How to Wet Block

Clean your socks Start with warm water and wool wash such as Knit Picks Eucalan Woolwash. Its concentrated formula is the perfect finishing touch to all your handmade items. It’s enriched with lanolin, so it helps the wool regain some of its original softness and relaxes the fibers.
Place our sock inside the water until it is completely submerged. Let sit for 15 mins.
Gently squeeze out the water with a towel. Don’t twist or rub your work. This can cause felting depending on the yarn that you are using.
Now adjust the Red Suricata Sock Blocker to your corresponding size and slide the sock onto the sock blocker. Try not to stretch your sock during this process. The sock easily slides on without catching on the blocker.
Then you let them dry. There’s a hook on the top to allow you to hang them to dry.

Comparison

Now that our socks are dry, we’re going to take a look at our three socks (hand knit, machine knit & crochet). I’ll leave before and after pictures, so you can judge for yourself.

Crochet Sock– Paintbox yarn, #3 weight, 100% acrylic

As you can see in the before and after picture, there is very little change. I believe the crochet stitches and thicker yarn helped it hold more of its shape. Crochet is made up of twist upon twist unlike knit, crochet fabric is less flexible.

I love being able to create my own crochet sock without having the model on hand. When I am filling custom orders, this handy block is going to be my go-to sizer. When making slippers and socks in the round, the blocker is easier than using a measuring tape.

Let look at how well my sock turned out. It came out absolutely perfect! Now I can make any size sock for an exact fit.

Machine knit sock– Bernat Premium, #4 weight, 100% acrylic

These socks were made on my Add i Express Pro circular knitting machine. These were a lot more difficult to make because the Addi Express only has 22 needles. The before and after are above.

As you can see there is a little more change in the shape of the sock. This yarn is even thicker than the last, helping it hold a nice shape before blocking.

Hand-knit socks- #1 weight yarn, 75% wool & 25% nylon

Our very last one is the hand-knit socks. This blocked sock showed the best improvement in appearance. It is so completely different, like a brand-new sock. In the first picture the socks are scrunched up and misshapen. It’s not a big deal if you’re just making socks for yourself, but if you’re giving away these socks as a present, I definitely recommend blocking it. This is especially important if you’re using a thinner yarn.

Final Review

I’m ready to give you a 2 review on the Red Suricata Sock Blocker. One for knitters and the other for crocheters. You get three sizes in one sock blocker, small, medium, and large. Most importantly your socks turn out so nice. This is a must-have for knitters & a nice sizing option for crocheters.

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