ROY
G. BIV SOCKS
by Margot Hayes
Here's my attempt at the
pattern for the Roy G. Biv socks...(bearing in mind that I didn't have any
orange).
Yarn:
Breaking all the rules, I used Merit by Phentex in 50 g. balls
6 or 7 balls in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (or
any colours of your choice! 3 ply - worsted weight and $1.00
ea. Canadian at my Wal-Mart.
Needles:
3.25mm - 3 American
Gauge:
12 sts. and 16 rows = 2" or 5 cms.
Instructions:
*
Cast on 56 sts. on three or four needles. On three, stitches are divided
as follows: 20, 20, 16.
*
Join in round.
* Rib
(K3,P1) around. This is continued for entire sock leg and top of sock foot
to toe decreases.
* I
used 7 or 8 rows (sometimes I lost count a teensy bit) of each colour (Roy G.
Biv) in this order(remember, I
have no orange!) R, Y, G, B, I, V, R, Y, G.
To Make a Heel:
I used Blue.
*
Turn work around so you are looking at the back of the needle just knit.
Purl 29 sts. all on one needle.
Divide remaining stitches up on two needles. Ignore these stitches for
now and go back to the 29 stitches
that you just purled...Turn
* Row
1: K 1, Sl 1 across row. You will end with a K st. Turn.
* Row
2: Purl across all 27 stitches. Turn.
*
Repeat these two rows until heel is long enough. My measurement is
2+1/2" for a daughter with size 9 feet.
Turning the Heel:
I continued in Blue.
* Row
1: K 1, Sl 1 for 17 sts. (ending with K 1), then S 1, K 1, PSSO. Turn.
* Row
2: Sl 1, P 7, P 2 tog. Turn.
* Row
3: (Sl 1, K 1)4 times, Sl 1. K 1, PSSO. Turn.
*
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 9 stitches are left.
On to the Instep:
I continued in Blue until I had 7 rows of Blue ribbing & then I switched
to Indigo followed by other colours in same order as before.
* K
across 9 sts. Pick up and K 15 sts along Heel.
*
Place 29 sts that are on two needles back on one needle ( this is the front of
your sock).
* K 2
tog. and rib as usual to last two sts. and K 2 tog. You now have 27 stitches
on front needle.
*
With separate needle, pick up 15 sts along other side of Heel.
*
Knit 4 stitches from Heel needle on to this needle. You should have 20
sts., 27 sts., and 19 sts.
* Row 1:
K 1st needle: Rib 2nd needle, K 3rd needle.
* Row
2: *1st needle: K to last 3 sts. K 2 tog., K 1.
*2nd needle: Rib
*3rd needle: K 1, Sl 1, PSSO, K to end of row.
*
Repeat these two rows to 13 sts on needle 1, and 12 sts on needle 3.
*
Continue knitting in ribbing pattern until foot measures (for my
daughter, 7 + 1/4") ending with the 3rd needle.
*
Slip one st. from front needle to needle one. Sts. now arranged 13 sts.,
26 sts., 13 sts.
Shaping the Toe:
Remember, no ribbing once the toe is being shaped.
* Row
1: 1st needle: K to last 3 sts., K 2 tog., K 1
2nd
needle: K 1, Sl 1, K 1, PSSO, K to last 3 sts., K 2 tog., K 1
3rd
needle: K 1, Sl 1, K 1, PSSO, K to end of needle
* Row
2: K around all 3 needles
* Continue
with these 2 rows until there are only 4 sts., 8 sts., 4 sts.
*
Using the 3rd needle, K 4 sts. from 1st needle. You now have 2 needles,
side by side with 8 sts. each.
*
Leaving 1 + 1/2 or 2 feet cut yarn. Thread yarn end in darning needle
and graft toe.
I don't know if
this helps but, in order to make them the length Bronwyn wanted and to fit her
feet and using six of the seven colours, I had exactly three repeats of each
colour. I made the second sock the reverse of the first to keep myself
from being bored!
Copyright: Margot Hayes, February 25, 2000