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T R I U MI P H S C K S
My Construction Notes
Fiona Oliver 2015
Page 2 of 6
Triumph Toddler Socks
About this design
These socks represent my triumph of figuring out how to write a toe-up sock pattern from first principles. In other words, I've figured out this pattern by starting with standard sock sizing measurements, adding in a tension swatch and then doing some mathematics to calculate increases for the toe and gusset, turning the heel and creating the heel flap. At times I thought that my brain would explode! Needless to say, one size is enough for now and I will give my brain time to recover before I try to scale up my calculations. And yes, I realise that there are lots of sock calculators available on the web, but that would have been too easy and I wouldn't have learned how to do this for myself . The design incorporates my favourite sock techniques—Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on, German Short Rows for turning the heel and Jeny Staiman's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off.
Size
Toddler (12-18 months). Foot length is 12.5 cm/5 inches.
Tension
26 st x 34 rows over 10 cm/4 inches in stocking (stockinette) stitch, knitted in the round using 3.75 mm (US size 5, UK size 9) circular needles. A close match for tension is important for this pattern in order to ensure a good fit. Please move up or down a needle size and swatch one more time if your gauge does not match.
Materials
Yarn
Approximately 30g/1.2 oz of any 8 ply/double knit yarn that knits to match the required tension gauge (equivalent to 75 metres/82 yards). The sample Triumph Socks have been knitted with Filatura di Crosa Zara extra fine merino in shade1755.
Needles
Two 3.75 mm (US size 5, UK size 9) 61 cm/24 inch circular needles.
Notions
Tapestry/darning needle. Stitch marker.
Construction Notes
These socks are knitted toe up using Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on with the gusset worked with conventional knit front and back increases. The heel is turned using the German Short Row technique. The German Short Row technique differs from the more conventional way of doing short rows because you turn the work and then work the stitch, rather than what happens with a conventional short row where you work the stitch (wrap it) and then turn the work. Fiona Oliver 2015 Page 3 of 6
I searched long and hard for abbreviations to describe what you do to create a German short row turn but couldn't find any, so in the end I made up my own. If anyone knows what they are, then please share . The socks are finished with Jeny Staiman's Surprisingly Stretching Bind-Off. This bind-off incorporates yarn overs and these help make the finished edge super stretchy, a vital attribute for a comfortable pair of socks. The socks are knitted in the round using two circular needles, with instructions being given for each needle where relevant. If you are unfamiliar with any of these techniques then please refer to the Reference section of this pattern.
Abbreviations
BO Bind off cm Centimetre(s) Cast on in inch(es) k Knit kf&b Knit front and back in the same stitch m Metre(s) p Purl pso Pass stitch over p2so Pass 2 st over pw Purl wise sl With the working yarn in back, insert the right needle into the next stitch as if to purl and transfer the stitch from the left needle to the right. sl wyif With the working yarn in front, insert the right needle into the next stitch as if to purl and transfer the stitch from the left needle to the right. sm Stitch Marker ssk Slip the next two stitches knitwise, insert LH needle into the fronts of the two slipped stitches and knit them together. st Stitch(es) stst Stocking/stockinette stitch (knit all st when working in the round) t&w Turn and work (German short row technique) wyif With yarn in front ybon Move yarn to back, wrapping it over the needle and pulling the stitch out of shape yd Yard(s) [] Repeat the instructions inside the square brackets
Instructions
Toe
Using Judy Becker's Magic Cast-On, cast on a total of 12 st, 6 on each needle. Place sm at end of needle 2 st to mark the beg/end of the row. Round 1: K all st. Round 2: [kl, kf&b, k to last 2 st, kf&b, kl] 2 times. Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 16 st on each needle (32 st in total). Fiona Oliver 201 Page 4 of 6
Foot
Knit 12 rows in stst (k all stitches in the round).
Gusset
Round 3: K all st across needle 1. On needle 2, kl, kf&b, k to last 2 st, kf&b, k1. Round 4: k all st across both needles. Repeat rows 3 and 4 until needle 2 has 28 st, finishing with round 4.
Turning the Heel
Round5: K all st across needle 1. On needle 2, k2l. Turn and continue to work the heel rows back and forth on needle 2 only. Row 6: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, p13. Row 7: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, kll. Row 8: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, p9. Row 9: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, k7. Row 10: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, p5. Row 11: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, k3. Row 12: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, pl. Row 13: Sll pwise wyif, ybon, k to end of needle 2, treating double-legged stitches as a single stitch i.e. knit them as if you were k2tog (28 st on needle 2). Round 14: K all st across needle 1. On needle 2, k2l, ssk, turn. You will now work back and forth on needle 2 only. Row 15: Sll, p14, p2tog, turn. Row 16: [Sll, kl] 7 times, sll, ssk, turn. Row 17: Sll, pl4, p2tog, turn. Repeat rows 16 and 17 three more times, ending with row 17, until all gusset stitches have been worked (16 st on needle 2). K all st on needle 2. You will now recommence working in the round over both needles.
Leg
Round 1: Puk 1, k all st to the end of needle 1, puk 1. K all stitches on needle 2 (18 st on needle 1, 16 st on needle 2). Round 2: K2tog, k14, ssk, on needle 1. K all stitches on needle 2 (16 st on needle 1, 16 st on needle 2). Round 3: K all st on both needles. Repeat round 3 until you reach the desired leg length. The sample Triumph socks have been knitted with 5 rounds for the leg section.
Cuff
Next round: [k2, p2] 8 times. Repeat the 2 x 2 rib until the cuff has reached the desired length. The sample Triumph socks have been knitted with 5 rounds for the cuff. BO all st using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy bind-off as follows yo, kl, pso, yo, kl, p2so, [yo, pl, p2so, yo, pl, p2so, yo, kl, p2so, yo, kl, p2so] rep until all st have been BO. Fiona Oliver 2015 Page 5 of 6
Finishing
Neatly weave in all ends using the tapestry/darning needle. Block your Triumph socks using your preferred blocking method. The sample socks were blocked using steam.
References
Judy Becker's Magic Cast-On
This video by Judy Becker, the inventor of the Magic Cast-On, is very clear and very comprehensive. If you've never tried this cast-on before then you can't go past this video for learning how to do it in a way that suits your knitting style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmxRDz-cwo
German Short Rows
This very instructive video by Mimi Kezer of Pastiche Knits shows how to do the German Short Row technique and compares it to the more conventional wrap and turn short row technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6Pjl20zKA
Jeny Staiman's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off
Cat Bordhi's demonstration of the Jeny's surprisingly stretch bind-off shows how to do the technique when working Continental style. However, her instructions are so clear that it is easy to translate the technique if you are an English-style knitter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abBhe-JYmgl
Knitting in the Round with Two Circular Needles
This PlanetPurl video provides a good overview of the key concepts for knitting in the round using two circular needles. http://www.planetpurl.com/community/index.php?page=videos§ion=view&vid_id =100082
Contact
capitalKNITS@icloud.com
Photo Credits
Fiona Oliver 2015. Please respect my copyright. Please do not distribute these images for commercial purposes without my permission.
Copyright
Fiona Oliver 2015. Please respect my copyright. Please do not distribute this pattern or use it, or items made with it, for commercial purposes without my permission. Fiona Oliver 2015 Page 6 of 6
