Grandma Knitty Home
Knitty: little purls of wisdom
what's the editor up to lately?feature articlesKnitty's generous selection of patternsKnittyspinşarchive of previous issuesMeet other Knitty readers and chat in our coffeeshop!sign up for the free Knitty newsletterLooking for an ad fromone of our advertisers? Click here!Our tiny, perfect online shopping mallGet yourself a little Knitty treat!read the behind-the-scenes news at Knitty
 


Find exactly what you're looking for

The answer to your question about Knitty is probably here!

Take home something Knitty today

Advertise with Knitty

Get your cool stuff reviewed in Knitty

Full information about how  to get published in Knitty

Read exactly what FREE PATTERNS really means...respect our designers and authors rights [and thank you]

Knitty is produced in a pro-rabbit environment

© Knitty 2002-2007. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. This means you.

 


<click for more!
 

Pick Up Sticks


Drawn to the look of Norwegian black and white stranded knitting, but think Xs and Os are better left to Henry VIII and Ms. Réage? Want to get retro with your needles, but feel legwarmers are a little too Flashdance? Need a little jailbait striping in your life, but not the record? Just want the neatest 2D feet this side of the century? These may just be the socks for you...or someone you love.

Each sock has a different chart for its cuff and plenty of possibility. Work them as written, or mirror one chart for an alternate universe pair. Use a variegated yarn when knitting the grimmees for a stained glass effect. Raid your leftovers for a rainbow look. Change the positioning of the repeating invaders on each sock. Substitute purls for stranded knitting for a very subtle impression.

There are plenty of choices and ways to make these socks yours, including a number chart to immortalize your own high score.

Game on!

photos: A. Goto

SIZE
Women's large/Men's medium
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Leg circumference, unstretched: 10.25 inches
Foot circumference, unstretched: 8.5 inches
 
MATERIALS

Louet Gems Pearl [100% merino wool; 185yd/50gm skein]
[MC] Black; 2 skeins
[CC1] Cream; 1 skein
[CC2] Fern Green; 1 skein
Note: If desired, CC2 may be omitted and CC1 may be used throughout. Alternately, you could dye some of the cream yarn green using this technique

2 US #0/2mm circular needles, any length
Tapestry needle

 
GAUGE
36 sts/48 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch and stranded knitting
 
PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

Working the charted patterns for this project will result in long yarn floats. To help manage these floats it is useful to know how to weave them on the wrong side of the work while knitting. A tutorial can be found here.

SSk3tog: This is done when working the increasing short rows of the heel and toe in this pattern. The next 3 sts on the needle will be 2 [yo]s, and a knit stitch. Depending on how you work a [yo], the orientation of the [yo]s on the needle will likely be reversed, so that the right-hand side of the stitch is to the back of the needle, instead of the front. Correct this by slipping each of the [yo]s to the right needle, then slipping them back to the left needle, reversing their orientation so that the right-hand side of each stitch is to the front of the needle. Knit the third stitch on the left needle (the knit stitch) together with the 2 [yo]s.

SSP2tog: Slip next 2 sts to right needle, one at a time, as if to knit. Slip them back to the left needle and purl them together through their back loops.

SSP3tog: Slip next 3 sts to right needle, one at a time, as if to knit. Slip them back to the left needle and purl them together through their back loops.

Corrugated Rib (Worked over a multiple of 4 sts):
When working Corrugated Ribbing, be sure to carry the yarn not in use loosely along the back of the work.
Round 1: [P2 using CC1, k2 using MC] to end.
Repeat this round for Corrugated Ribbing.

PATTERN

Repeating Invaders Sock

CUFF
Using CC1, loosely CO 92 sts. Place 46 sts on each needle and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. The first and second needles of the round will be designated Needle 1 and Needle 2, respectively.
Work 10 rounds in Corrugated Rib.

Next Round: K to last 2 sts on Needle 2, k2tog.
91 sts: 46 on Needle 1 and 45 on Needle 2.

Work all rounds of Repeating Invaders chart; chart will be repeated 7 times in each round.

K 1 round using MC.

Next Round: Using MC, k to last 3 sts of Needle 1, slip these 3 sts to Needle 2; k to last 4 sts of Needle 2, slip these sts to Needle 1.
There are 47 sts on Needle 1 and 44 sts on Needle 2. The sts on Needle 1 will form the heel and sole of the sock, while the sts on Needle 2 will form the instep.

Next Round: K1, ssk, k to end of round.
90 sts:46 sts on Needle 1, 44 sts on Needle 2.

Next Round: [K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on needle, k2tog, k1] twice. 4 sts decreased.
K 1 round.
Repeat these 2 rounds twice more.

78 sts: 40 sts on Needle 1 and 38 sts on Needle 2.
Next Round: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on Needle 1, k2tog, k1; k all sts on Needle 2.
76 sts: 38 sts on each needle.

HEEL

The heel is worked back and forth over the 38 sts on Needle 1.
It is worked in stripes formed by alternating CC1 and MC every 2 rows. The row changes are very short, so it is unnecessary to break the yarn between rows of different colors; the yarn not in use may be carried loosely along the inside of the work. When beginning a row with a new color, be sure to bring the strand of the new color up from underneath the old color. This will ensure that the strands will be twisted around each other, preventing holes from forming at these points.

Row 1 [RS]: Using CC1, k37. Turn work.
Row 2 [WS]: Yo, p36. Turn work.
Row 3 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k34 using MC. Turn work.
Row 4 [WS]: Yo, p34. Turn work.
Row 5 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k32 using CC1. Turn work.
Row 6 [WS]: Yo, p32. Turn work.
Row 7 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k30 using MC. Turn work.
Row 8 [WS]: Yo, p30. Turn work.
Row 9 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k28 using CC1. Turn work.
Row 10 [WS]: Yo, p28. Turn work.
Row 11 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k26 using MC. Turn work.
Row 12 [WS]: Yo, p26. Turn work.
Row 13 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k24 using CC1. Turn work.
Row 14 [WS]: Yo, p24. Turn work.
Row 15 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k22 using MC. Turn work.
Row 16 [WS]: Yo, p22. Turn work.
Row 17 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k20 using CC1. Turn work.
Row 18 [WS]: Yo, p20. Turn work.
Row 19 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k18 using MC. Turn work.
Row 20 [WS]: Yo, p18. Turn work.
Row 21 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k16 using CC1. Turn work.
Row 22 [WS]: Yo, p16. Turn work.
Row 23 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k15 using MC. Turn work.
Row 24 [WS]: Yo, p16, SSP. The [yo] at the turning point of the previous short row has been worked together with the following stitch. Turn work.
Row 25 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k16 using CC1, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 26 [WS]: Yo, p18, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 27 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k18 using MC, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 28 [WS]: Yo, p20, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 29 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k20 using CC1, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 30 [WS]: Yo, p22, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 31 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k22 using MC, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 32 [WS]: Yo, p24, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 33 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k24 using CC1, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 34 [WS]: Yo, p26, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 35 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k26 using MC, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 36 [WS]: Yo, p28, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 37 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k28 using CC1, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 38 [WS]: Yo, p30, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 39 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k30 using MC, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 40 [WS]: Yo, p32, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 41 [RS]: Yo, k1 using MC, k32 using CC1, SSk3tog. Turn work.
Row 42 [WS]: Yo, p34, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 43 [RS]: Yo, k1 using CC1, k34 using MC, SSk3tog. Break CC1. Turn work.
Row 44 [WS]: Yo, p36, SSp3tog. Turn work.
Row 45 [RS]: K37, SSk3tog. All sts have been worked.

FOOT

Begin working in the round again using MC only.
Continue in stockinette stitch until work measures 2.75 inches less than desired length to end of toe.

K 1 round using CC1.
Using MC, continue in stockinette stitch until work measures 2 inches less than desired length to end of toe.

Work Toe in the same way as Heel, over sts on Needle 1.
When Toe is complete, graft sts on Needle 1 to sts on Needle 2.


High Score Sock

CUFF

Using CC1, loosely CO 92 sts. Place 46 sts on each needle and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. The first and second needles of the round will be designated Needle 1 and Needle 2, respectively.

Work 10 rounds in Corrugated Rib.

K 1 round using MC.
Work all rounds of High Score chart; chart will be repeated twice in each round.

K 1 round using MC.

Next Round: [K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on needle, k2tog, k1] twice. 4 sts decreased.
K 1 round.
Repeat these 2 rounds 3 times more.
76 sts: 38 sts on each needle.

Work Heel, Foot, Toe and Finishing as for Repeating Invaders sock, omitting the round of CC1 before the toe, and the Shooter.

FINISHING

Weave in all ends.
Following Shooter chart, work Shooter motif in duplicate stitch on Foot (see photo at top of pattern).
Block if desired.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Aija's glut of education is no match for her current occupation as full time playmate to the cutest toddler in the world.
She is attempting fluency in the universal language (sock knitting, natch!) and blogs about it here. She maintains a small knitting accessory shop here as well.