Date: Mon, 03 Nov 1997 09:52:33 -0800 From: jp To: Knit@bolis.com Subject: KNIT: knit -- [...] lacy sock pattern from: jpa@agora.rdrop.com [...] AND FINALLY, ANOTHER SOCK PATTERN As usual, this is a very long post, made even longer by posting a pattern. I hope y'all don't mind. I enjoy posting them, even though they're pretty basic, but I worry that it's a sign of creeping egotism to think that they're worth sharing, especially with all the talented people on the list. (If y'all agree -- "yes, jp, your patterns are stupid, so shut up already!" -- I'll try to restrain myself in the future.) LACY SOCK IN WORSTED-WEIGHT WOOL These socks use a very easy lace stitch, which works surprisingly well in the fairly thick, heathery-colored yarn I used. They are also reasonably warm, even with all those lacy holes in them. The lace stitch is somewhat inelastic, so the socks might be a bit loose and slouchy. Since there are only 36 stitches in the sock, they are quick to make. Yarn: I used Lamb's Pride Superwash, worsted weight, in SW 34 Rose Quartz, a heathery pink color. Any worsted weight yarn (or two strands of sock-fingering weight yarn) will do. I used a bit less than two 50g/100yd skeins of yarn for the pair. If your feet are longer than about 10", you may want to have some extra yarn handy. Gauge: 5-5.5 stitches per inch in stockinette (row gauge is 6-7/inch, but who cares?) In the lace pattern, gauge is about 4 st/in (and about 6-7 rows/in) before any blocking or wearing. I used #2 dpns, but most people will probably need something larger. The pattern: This lace pattern is from Barbara Walker's First Treasury. It is called Vandyke Faggot (which leads to vulgar speculations about possible names for the sock pattern...). I used a slight variation of the stitch. Vandyke Faggot Variation (multiple of 3 stitches) round 1: *k1, yo, k2tog* rounds 2 and 4: knit around round 3: *k2tog, yo, k1* The alternating yo's and k2tog's elminate any biasing. Sock pattern: Cast on 36 stitches and do a K1,P1 rib for an inch or two. (My original socks used a picot hem, but it flares out and doesn't help with the elasticity/loose sock problem. It may also be helpful to use smaller needles or fewer stitches for the ribbing. Feel free to experiment and improve on this pattern!) Switch to the lace pattern and work until the leg is 5-6" long, or as long as you like, ending with round 4 of the lace pattern. Then, divide for the heel. I left the first 18 stitches of the round on their dpns, and simply turned and purled back across the last 18 stitches of the round to use as my heel. Do the heel in stockinette stitch, purling the wrong side and knitting the right side, counting the first purled-back row as row #1. Slip the first stitch of each row to make a chain selvedge, which will make picking up gusset stitches easier. Do 18 rows for the heel, ending with a right-side row. (You can, of course, use any stitch you want for the heel, and can make it deeper if you want.) Then, turn the heel: 1: Slip 1, purl 9, p2tog, p1, turn. 2: Slip 1, k3, SSK, k1, turn. 3: Slip 1, p4, p2tog (across the gap), p1, turn. 4: slip 1, k5, SSK (across the gap), k1, turn. And so on, decreasing across the gap until all heel stitches are being used. You should have about 10 stitches left on the heel. Pick up gusset stitches, in stockinette, from the sides of the heel, one stitch per chain in the selvedge, plus one from the corner where the instep meets the heel. Knit across the reserved instep stitches (it will be round 1 of the lace pattern), then pick up gusset stitches from the other side of the heel (also in stockinette, and don't forget the corner instep stitch). >From now on, the rounds start in the middle of the bottom of the foot. The 18 instep stitches will remain in the lace pattern, while the sides and bottom of the sock will be in stockinette. Gusset decreases: (1) knit around evenly (2) on first needle, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. Do the lace pattern on the instep (it should be a round with yo's and k2tog's -- round 1 or 3 of the lace pattern). On the last needle, SSK, then knit to the end. Repeat these two rounds until you're back down to 36 stitches. Continue knitting until the sock is about 1.75" less than the total length of the foot. (I'd probably end with round 4 of the lace pattern, even if the foot was a little longer or shorter.) Then, switch totally to stockinette stitch and do the toe decreases. Toe decreases: (1) On first needle, knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. On the instep needle(s), k1, SSK, knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. On the last needle, k1, SSK, knit to the end. (2) Knit around evenly. Repeat these two rounds until you're down to about half the original number of stitches. Then, decrease every round until only 8 stitches are left. Finish off by grafting or by running the cut end of the yarn through the stitches and pulling snug. Make another sock if you'd like one for your other foot. --jp jpa@agora.rdrop.com --- This pattern downloaded from Wool Works: the online knitting compendium http://www.woolworks.org/