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by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

With a stripe pattern that seems random [but isn't] and intarsia on the heel, these socks are designed to get you back into sandals as soon as possible [I like socks with Birkenstocks; sue me].

Read through the pattern to learn simple ways to avoid weaving in your ends and to avoid the jog of stripes in circular knitting. Color wimps can knit the sock all in one color except for the heel, but they won't have as much fun.

model: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee photo: Ken Allen paper tulips: the Pearl kids

SIZE
Women's S [M, L] For large, go up a needle size.
 

MATERIALS

Striped:
Regia 4 fadig [75% wool, 25% polyamide; 210 meters per 50g ball]; 1 ball of each [with huge leftovers] white [2080], yellow [612], green [1254], fuschia [1258] and turquoise [1255]
Solid:
Regia 4 fadig; 2 balls turquoise, small quantities of white, green and fuschia

[S/M] 1 set US #2 [2.75 mm] double-pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge
[L] 1 set US #3 [3.25 mm] double-pointed needles or size needed to obtain gauge
tapestry needle to Kitchener toe and weave in ends

 
GAUGE
S, M: 30 sts/40 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
L: 28 sts/40 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

 

DIRECTIONS

Using fuschia for the stripe version, or white for plain, CO 64 sts and divide onto three needles.
Mark beg of rnd.
Join without twisting.
Work in K2P2 rib for at least 2 inches.

Begin the stripe pattern - or not
While this striping pattern seems complicated, once you understand how it was created, you'll be off and knitting. There are two things going on at once: the order of colors, which repeats, and the width of stripes, which also repeats. Because there are four colors and five widths -- voila, random-looking stripes! The easy way to do this is use the color chart provided below. For more fun, use the blank side of the chart below to make your stripe pattern. Like wider stripes? Thinner ones? The only suggestion I give you is to use at least 2 row stripes, so that the "jogless jog" works elegantly and so that knitting in your ends is humane. If you don't care about the jog -- and you don't give a whit about knitting in ends -- do as you like.

With white, start the leg of the sock, knitting every round, and changing colors according to the chart.

If you are knitting the plain version, change to turquoise and carry on.

Avoiding the jog
If you merrily knit around, doing nothing but changing colors according to your whims [or mine] you will have a slight misalignment of the stripes at the beginning of your round. It looks like the stripes are higher on one side than the other -- and they are: you are knitting a spiral. You may not care, but if you do, try this:

Change colors and knit the first round with your new color. When you come back to the first stitch of the new color [first stitch of the round] pick up the stitch below it, [it will be your old color] put it on the left needle in front of the first stitch of the top row, knit them together and carry on normally. if you are not changing colors, don't do anything. Try an Internet search on "jogless jog" for more information.


Avoiding weaving in ends
I hate weaving in ends, but you may not. If you don't, then do it your way and skip this.

There are several ways to avoid weaving ends. Here are two:

1] Run the colors up the back, without breaking the yarn, twisting them all together once each time you change color. Works okay, a little bit of a cop out... but hey, who's looking at the inside of your socks? But if you choose stripes wider than mine, the carries of yarn can be long enough to catch a toe in.

2] Knit in the ends as you go. Very elegant, tidy, and good practice. Break the yarn for the color you just finished, and as you knit hold the end up for one stitch, [so your working yarn goes under the end] then hold it down for the next stitch, so your working yarn goes over the end. Weaving it up and down for about 12 sts is good. You can cut the rest off. Try a search on "knitting in ends" if you still don't get it.

Stripe charts [my way or yours]

 

color

rows

   

color

rows

1

white

6

 

1

   

2

turquoise

3

 

2

   

3

yellow

5

 

3

   

4

green

2

 

4

   

5

white

4

 

5

   

6

turquoise

6

 

6

   

7

yellow

3

 

7

   

8

green

5

 

8

   

9

white

2

 

9

   

10

turquoise

4

 

10

   

11

yellow

6

 

11

   

12

green

3

 

12

   

13

white

5

 

13

   

14

turquoise

2

 

14

   

15

yellow

4

 

15

   

16

green

6

 

16

   

17

white

3

 

17

   

18

turquoise

5

 

18

   

19

yellow

2

 

19

   

20

green

4

 

20

   

Pattern repeats after section 20

Striped version: Follow the chart to the end of section 14.

Plain version: Knit until the work measures 7 inches.

Both versions: Break the turquoise yarn.
Put the last 16 sts and the next 16 [either side of your "seam" up the back] onto one needle.
Working on these 32 sts, join white at the beginning of this needle, and starting with a knit row, work the Heel Chart.

Begin at the bottom right. K RS rows, p the WS rows, always slipping the first stitch of each heel row.

Turn the heel
Continuing with green, sl1, k17, SSK, k1, turn. [SSK= slip 2 sts knitwise, knit both together]
Sl1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
Sl1, k6, SSK, k1, turn.
Sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn.
Continue in this fashion, slipping the first stitch, working to one stitch before the gap, working 2 sts together over the gap, then k1 [or p1] until you finish all the heel sts.
18 sts remain.

Foot
Change to yellow and resume stripe pattern at section 15, or change back to turquoise for the plain version.
1st needle: K heel sts, pick up 16 sts up side of heel.
2nd needle: K 32 for top of foot.
3rd needle: Pick up 16 sts down side of heel, k first 9 heel sts [82 sts in all].

Decreases
1st round:
1st needle:: K to 3 sts before the end of needle, k2tog, k1.
2nd needle: K all.
3rd needle:: K1, SSK, k to end.
2nd round: K.
Repeat rnds 1 and 2 until you have 64 sts [divided 16, 32, 16].
Cont in stripe patt, or plain turquoise until sock measures 4[5, 6] inches from picked-up sts.

Make the toe
1st round:
1st needle: K to last 3, k2tog, k1.
2nd needle: K1, ssk, k to last 3, k2tog, k1
3rd needle, K1, ssk, knit to end
2nd round:
knit plain.
Repeat these 2 rounds until 16 sts remain.
Graft two sets of 8.

 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Known as "the Knitting Sensei" among her friends, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has been knitting since she was 4 years old. She cheerfully admits to being obsessed with all things wooly, recently started spinning and looks forward to the day when she can own her own sheep. When not lost in her substantial stash, she may be found painting, writing and attending to her day job in between perpetual loads of laundry.

Stephanie lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband, three daughters and an ancient cat.

Pattern & images © 2003 Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Contact Stephanie.