Tiny pirates
Size: S-M (32 stitches) You need: Soft 4-ply sock yarn in black and white (209 - 210 m/50g) in black and white (about 10 - 15 g of each colour). Merino, cotton, similar.. 5 double pointed needles 2.5mm (15 cm length) Tapestry needle to weave in the ends. Knitting gauge: 2 x 2 cm = 6 stitches und 7 rows im stranded pirate pattern ( 6 stitches and 8 rows in stripes pattern) Cast on 8 double loops (16 stitches) with Turkish cast-on, figure 8 cast-on (as shown in the photograph) or Judy's Magic cast-on in black.
Figure 8 Cast On
Hold the two needles next to each other but a bit apart, holding one needle over the other. Make a loop knot and put it on the needle above. Put the yarn from the back around the needle below, turn it around the needle so that the yarn comes up at the front, pull it between the needles, from the back around the needle above. Pull it over the needle above, turn it round the above needle so that it comes down between the needles again, pull it from the back around the needle below again... It looks like you are doing figure 8 all the time. Repeat until you have 8 loops (stitches) on each needle.
Note: you have to pull tight and also knit the first row tight to get a nice toe. Then start knitting the 8 stitches from the needle above. Turn your knitting that the needle below is now the needle above. You may have to tighten up the loose stitches from the needle first. Knit stitches through backloop. Use yarn tail to mark the beginning of the round. Tiny pirates @Sandra Jaeger 2012 for privat use only 2.round: Knit 1 stitch, make 1 stitch from the loop between the two stitches by knitting it through backloop, knit until you reach the stitch before the last stitch of half of the stitches. Make 1 stitch. Do the same on the other side of the sock. Repeat round 1 (knitted round without increases) and 2 until you have 32 stitches (8 stitches on each of the 4 needles). Repeat round 1 once again. Your toe is finished. Stripes pattern: \*knit 3 rounds in white, knit 3 rounds in black. \* Repeat \* until foot (from toe to the beginning of the heel) measures 6 cm, end with white stripe (I knitted 3 white stripes altogether) Knit the heel in black over needle 3 and 4 only. + the last white stitch of the last round, but put a black loop around it Turn your knitting. Purl 14 stitches. Make loop around next stitch. Turn your knitting. Knit 13 stitches. Make loop around next stitch. Turn your knitting. Purl 12 stitches. Make loop around next stitch. Repeat these steps until only 8 non-wrapped stitches remain. Half of the heel is finished. Knit to the first wrapped stitch. Put the loop and the stitch on the left needle and knit them together through backloop. Put a loop around the next stitch. There are now 2 loops around the next stitch. Turn your knitting, purl 8 stitches, purl wrapped stitch and loop together. Put loop around next stitch. Turn your knitting. Continue in this way until all wrapped stitches are knitted/purled together with their loop(s). This was the heel. Start to knit in stripes pattern in black, increase two stitches between 1st and 2nd needle (from the loop between the stitches) and 3rd and 4+h needle to avoid a hole when joining the heel with the rest of the sock. Decrease these stitches in the next two rounds as follows: 1st and 2"d needle: slip 1 stitch, knit a stitch, pullslipped stitch over the the knitted stitch. Tiny pirates @Sandra Jaeger 2012 for privat use only 3rd and 4th needle: knit 2 stitches together. Continue in stripes pattern until desired length, end with a black stripe. Knit pirate chart. Let the unused yarn loosely flow! Do not pull too tight! The pattern should give way and still look good when stretched.
Pirate chart
Knit one round in black. Ribbing: \* knit 1 stitch through backloop, purl 1 stitch. \* until ribbing is 1.5 - 2 cm Cast off with the Russian bind-off (this gives a more stretchy bind-off): Knit 1 stitch through backloop, purl 1 stitch. Put both stitches back to left needle and knit them together through backloop. Then knit the next stitch through backloop, put both stitches back on the left needle and knit them together through backloop... Continue in this way until all stitches are cast-off. Weave in all ends. Finished! Note: Alternatively the socks can be knit from top down. Then cast on 32 stitches and knit in ribbing. Knit 1 round in black. Knit pirate chart. Then knit stripes pattern, knit heel as described (alternatively you can knit any favorite heel you have :-) Decrease for toe in each second row 4 stitches at the sides of the socks. (1st and 3rd needle. Knit 1st stitch and knit 2 stitches together., 2nd und 4th needle, slip stitch before last stitch, knit 2nd stitch, pull slipped stitch over knitted stitch) until only 16 stitches remain (8 stitches on each side of the socks). Graft the 8 stitches of front together with the 8 stitches of the back of the sock. Happy knitting! Tiny pirates @Sandra Jaeger 2012 for privat use only
