Favorite Socks (20 page)
Authors: Ann Budd
Sandy Cushman
These comfortable roll-top socks are an adventure in unusual construction: they can be knitted from the toe up or the cuff down, and they feature an “afterthought heel” worked from held stitches after the rest of the sock is completed. To make the mirrored spiral, the color pattern is worked in the opposite direction on the second sock.
INISHED
S
IZE
About 7½ (8)" (19 [20.5] cm) foot circumference and about 9¼ (10)" (23.5 [25.5] cm) foot length. To fit a woman (man).
ARN
Sportweight yarn (CYCA #2 Fine).
Shown here:
Plymouth Cleckheaton Country 8-Ply (100% washable wool; 106 yd [97 m]/50 g): #18 red (MC), 2 balls, #9215 grayish green, 1 ball. Plymouth Cleckheaton Tapestry (100% washable wool; 109 yd [100 m]/50 g): #5 multicolored (CC), 1 ball.
Note:
The contrast-color yarn has been discontinued; substitute the sportweight washable wool of your choice.
EEDLES
Size 5 (3.75 mm): set of 5 double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
OTIONS
Small amount of contrasting waste yarn; markers (m); tapestry needle.
AUGE
12 stitches and 14 rows = 2" (5 cm) in slip-stitch pattern, unblocked; 11 stitches = 2" (5 cm), blocked.
S
TITCH
G
UIDE
Slip-Stitch Pattern
(multiple of 4 sts)
Rnds 1 and 2:
With CC, *k3, sl 1; rep from *.
Rnds 3 and 4:
With MC, sl 1, *k3, sl 1; rep from *, end k3.
Rnds 5 and 6:
With CC, k1, sl 1, *k3, sl 1; rep from *, end k2.
Rnds 7 and 8:
With MC, k2, sl 1, *k3, sl 1; rep from *, end k1.
Repeat Rnds 1–8 for a right-leaning pattern.
Work the opposite direction (Rnds 8–1) for a left-leaning pattern.
OTES
- Rounds begin at the inside of the foot; hence, the instep stitches are worked first for the right sock and the sole stitches are worked first for the left sock to place “seam” (color changes) at inside of leg, where they are least noticeable.
- At color changes, always bring the new yarn
under
the old to prevent holes.
To set up for working in the round, pick up and knit 6 sts along each selvedge edge and 4 sts along CO edge of beginning rectangle.
Toe
With red, CO 4 sts. Beg with a knit row, work these 4 sts in St st for 9 rows. With RS facing, use 3 other dpn to pick up and knit 6 sts along one side edge, 4 sts across CO edge, and 6 sts along other side edge (see
box above
), then knit the first 2 sts from the original 4—20 sts total. Place marker (pm) and join, arranging sts so that there are 5 sts on each of 4 dpn and placing a second marker between the 10th and 11th sts.
Beg with red and alternating 2 rnds red with 2 rnds green, inc as foll:
Rnds 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9:
Knit.
Rnds 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10:
K1, M1 (see Glossary,
page 124
), knit to 1 st before m, M1, k2, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1—4 sts inc’d each rnd; 40 sts after Rnd 10.
Rnd 11:
Knit.
Size small only:
Rnd 12:
K1, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, knit to end—42 sts.
Rnd 13:
Knit.
Rnd 14:
Knit to m, k1, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1—44 sts.
Size large only:
Rnd 12:
K1, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, k2, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, k1—44 sts.
Rnd 13:
Knit.
Rnd 14:
K1, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, knit to end—46 sts.
Rnd 15:
Knit.
Rnd 16:
K1, M1, knit to 1 st before m, M1, knit to end—48 sts.
Knit 0 (2) rnds red. Break off green. Join multicolored yarn and work Rnds 1–8 of slip-stitch patt (see
Stitch Guide
) until piece measures about 7 (7½)" (18 [19] cm) from beg, or about 2¼ (2½)" (5.5 [6.5] cm) less than desired total foot length (including heel), ending with an even-numbered rnd.
Cont in patt across first 22 (24) sts for instep, drop main yarn. With contrasting waste yarn, k22 (24) sts for heel, then drop contrasting yarn and work these 22 (24) sts again with main yarn. Knit to end of rnd.
Note:
Do not work slip-st patt on the 22 (24) heel sts for 2 rnds. Resume patt on all sts on the next odd-numbered rnd of patt.
Cont in patt until piece measures about 2¼" (5.5 cm) less than desired total length to top.
[Knit 2 rnds red, knit 2 rnds green] 3 times—6 stripes. With red, knit 5 rnds. BO all sts loosely.
Place dpn through the 22 (24) sts on each side of the waste yarn, then carefully remove waste yarn as illustrated below. Arrange sts so that there are 11 (12) leg sts on each of 2 dpn and 11 (12) foot sts on each of 2 other dpn—44 (48) sts total. With red and beg at the gap between the leg and foot sts, pick up and knit 2 sts in gap, k22 (24), pick up and knit 4 sts in the gap on the other side, placing m between the 2nd and 3rd picked-up st, k22 (24), then pick up and knit 2 sts in the first gap—52 (56) sts total. Place m and join. K1, ssk, knit to 3 sts from next m, k2tog, k1; rep from *—4 sts dec’d. Alternating 2 rnds green with 2 rnds red, dec in this manner every other rnd 7 times total—24 (28) sts rem. Then dec
every
rnd until 12 sts rem. Knit 1 rnd.
With yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, use the Kitchener st (see Glossary,
page 123
) to graft rem sts tog. Weave in loose ends. Block lightly.
Work as for right sock, but work slip-stitch patt in the opposite direction (Rnds 8–1) and mark the heel opening on the
first
22 (24) sts of the rnd.
Leg
With red, loosely CO 44 (48) sts. Arrange sts evenly on 4 dpn, place marker (pm), and join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts.
Knit 5 rnds. [Knit 2 rnds green, knit 2 rnds red] 3 times. Beg with Rnd 1, work slip-stitch patt (see
Stitch Guide
) until piece measures 5½ (6)" (14 [15] cm) from beg, or desired length to ankle bone, ending with an even-numbered rnd.
Cont in patt across first 22 (24) sts for instep, drop main yarn. With contrasting waste yarn k22 (24) sts for heel, then drop contrasting yarn and work these 22 (24) sts again with main yarn. Knit to end of rnd.
Note:
Do not work slip-st patt on the 22 (24) heel sts for 2 rnds. Resume patt on all sts on the next odd-numbered row of chart.
Cont in patt until piece measures about 2 (2½)" (5 [6.5] cm) less than desired total foot length.
Alternating 2 rnds red with 2 rnds green, dec as foll:
Rnds 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11:
Knit.
Rnds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12:
K1, ssk, knit to m, k2tog, k2, ssk, knit to m, k2tog, k1—4 sts dec’d each rnd; 20 (24) sts rem after Rnd 12.
Size small only:
Rnds 13 and 14:
Knit, dec 4 sts as before—12 sts rem after Rnd 14.
Rnd 15:
Knit.
Size large only:
Rnd 13:
Knit.
Rnds 14, 15, and 16:
Knit, dec 4 sts as before—12 sts rem after Rnd 16.
Rnd 17:
Knit.
Both sizes:
Break yarn, leaving a long tail. With tail threaded on a tapestry needle, use the Kitchener st (see Glossary,
page 123
) to graft sts tog.
Work as for toe-up version.
Work as for right sock, but work slip-stitch patt in the opposite direction (Rnds 8–1) and mark the heel opening on the first 22 (24) sts of the rnd.
Weave in loose ends. Block lightly.
Erica Alexander
learned to knit more than twenty years ago but waited ten years to knit her first sock. Since then, she’s “always got a pair on the needles” and boasts that she hasn’t worn a store-bought sock for years.
Jennifer L. Appleby
designs knitwear with a view of British Columbia’s “wilderness” outside her windows. Her days are kept busy running her yarn shop, adding to her Woollen Earth leaflet collection (which sells in shops throughout North America), and designing for magazines and books. Visit her website at
www.thewoollenearth.com
.
Ann Budd
loves to knit and especially loves to knit socks. She is a book editor for Interweave Press and author of the
Knitters Handy Book
series.
Nancy Bush
has a passion for traditional hand-knitting, which has encouraged her passion for knitting socks. Her designs and articles have appeared in
Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting, Knitter’s,
and
PieceWork.
She owns The Wooly West, a mail-order and online yarn source. She is the author of
Folk Socks, Folk Knitting in Estonia, Knitting on the Road,
and
Knitting Vintage Socks,
all published by Interweave Press.
Evelyn A. Clark
lives in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys finding new ways to make holes in her knitting.
Sandy Cushman
studied painting in textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design. She currently paints and dyes her own yarns and hand prints her own fabrics for garments and home design. Depending on the season, she can be found biking or skiing near her home in Durango, Colorado.
Priscilla Gibson-Roberts
loves to make socks and learn about traditional knitting. In addition to contributing patterns to
Interweave Knits,
her work includes the titles
Knitting in the Old Way, Spinning in the Old Way,
and two books of sock patterns.
Wayne Pfeffer
still knits, after taking it up in 1956 a as sophomore in college. He lives outside Centralia, Missouri, on the piece of wooded land he bought forty years ago. He also spins some of his own yarn and occasionally weaves.
Mona Schmidt
knits socks for family members and friends in Montréal, Quebec, and is the Associate Creative Director of JCA Inc.
Mary Snyder’s
formal training is in designing rocket and satellite communication systems, but her passions are knitting, spinning, and making fine silver tools and accessories for knitters and spinners. Visit her website at
www.MarySnyderDesigns.com
.
Jaya Srikrishnan
has been knitting for most of her life. She is an accomplished designer and teacher who loves to share her expertise and enthusiasm with other knitters. Her designs have been published in
Cast On, Interweave Knits,
and
INKnitters,
as well as various books, and she teaches regularly in and around her hometown of Wappingers Falls, New York.
Candace Eisner Strick
is an internationally known knitwear designer, author, and teacher. Her new line of yarn, Merging Colors, made its debut in 2006, offering knitters a unique new experience of colorful knitting. Candace loves traditional Austrian knitting designs and uses them whenever her brain needs exercising.
Anne Woodbury
is the ever-proud mother of two sons, one in high school and one in college. She spends her days volunteering, working in her organic vegetable garden, and knitting (of course). She loves living in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon.