Socks, circa 2008 designed by Cailyn Meyer dailvskein.wordpress.com
Finished Size: Women's Size 8 1/2-9, foot length $9\,1/2^{\,\prime r}$ Needles: 2 size 0 (2mm) circulars (or DPNs), 2 size 2 $(2.75\mathrm{mm})$ circulars (or DPNs) Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering, MC: Caribou(2 skeins), CC1: Champagne (1 skein), CC2: Ginger (1 skein), CC3: Neptune (1 skein) Extras: Tapestry needle Gauge: 9 sts $\mathrm{~x~}12\;\mathrm{rows}=1^{\prime\prime}$ in stockinette, 9.5 sts $\textsl{x11}$ rows $=1^{\prime\prime}$ in Egyptian Chart
I am fascinated by the history of knitting. Did you know that knitting (as we know it) probably started in $E g y p t?$ Somewhere between 1200 and 1500 AD. Most of the early pieces that have been found there have been cotton, knitted with at least two colors. And the gauge! Most of the old knitting has a gauge of 20 or 30 stitches to the inch! Insane, I say, insane! No wonder it's all so beautiful, though. They could fit some really detailed designs on that many stitches. The color work chart on these socks is taken from one of the earliest pieces of knitting found. I added the extra colors, though. Most of the ancient knitting I've read about used a single color for each motif but would have multiple motifs. The “clocks" (a design that runs down the leg and splits at the heel) are also traditional but from later in the chronology. If you look at Nancy Bush's books Folk Socks and Folk Knitting in Estonia you'llsee socks much like these, with color work at the top and clocks down the sides.
I couldn't think of a name for these socks that really fit, so I gave them a bit of that historical flair. By that I mean I was looking through the History of Handknitting, hoping that the place the fragment was found or something else would be a good sock name. When that failed, I just decided that naming them as if they were found in an archaeological dig somewhere was the easy way to go. The color work chart only repeats twice and only has 3 colors. The clocks on these socks are a simple twisted stitch motif that doesn't require a cable needle. There are three versions of the color work chart on page 2. They are all the same, but one has just color, one has colors and symbols, and one has just symbols. Use the chart that you are most comfortable with. Errata added 4/9/09
Special Stitches
Knit tbl: Knit through the back loop. On WS rows, purl through the back loop. Right Twist: Slip next two stitches purlwise. From the back, insert the left needle into the back of the first slipped stitch. Pull the right needle from both stitches and reinsert right needle into the loose stitch from the front. Slip this stitch back to the left needle, then k2 tbl. On WS rows: Slip next two stitches purlwise. From the back, insert the left needle into the back of the first slipped stitch. Pull the right needle from both stitches and reinsert right needle into the loose stitch from the front. Slip this stitch back to the left needle, then p2 tbl. Left Twist: Insert the right needle into the back of the second stitch on the left needle. Pull left needle out of the first two stitches and reinsert the left needle into the loose stitch from the front. Return stitch on right needle to left needle, then k2tbl. On WS rows: Insert the right needle into the back of the second stitch on the left needle. Pulleft needle out of the first two stitches and reinsert the left needle into the loose stitch from the front. Replace stitch on right needle to left needle, then p2 tb1. Right Purl Twist: Perform a Right Twist, but at the end, kltbl, p1. On WS rows: Perform a WS Right Twist, but at the end p1 tbl, k1. Left Purl Twist: Perform a Left Twist,but at the end, pl, kltbl. On WS rows: Perform a WS Left Twist, but at the end k1, p1 tbl. Cuff $\mathrm{CO}\ 68$ sts with smaller needles. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Work k1, p1 rib for $1^{\prime\prime}$ Leg Round 1: K8, $^{*}\mathrm{m}1$ ， $\mathbf{k}17^{*}\,3$ times, m1, k9. 4 sts increased. 72 sts Round 2 and 3: Knit Switch to size 2 needles. Round 4-18: Work Egyptian Chart twice. Switch to size O needles. Round 19 and 20: Knit. Round 21: $*_{\mathrm{K34}}$ , k2tog\* twice. 2 sts decreased. 70 sts Round 22: Work Chart A, pl, k23, pl, Chart A, pl, Chart B, pl, k21, p1, Chart B, p1. Repeat Round 22 until leg is desired length.
JLeft Twist LeftPurlTwist
Heel At the end of any round, turn. (Make a note of which cable row you stopped on for the instep.) The heel will be worked back and forth over the next 35 sts. Put remaining the remaining 35 sts on a stitch holder or scrap yarn. Row 1 (WS): Sl 1, work Chart B, k1, p21, k1, Chart B, k1, turn. 35 heel sts on hee flap Row 2 (RS): Sl 1, work Chart B, p1, $^{*1}\mathrm{k}1$ , sl 1,\* 10 times, kl,pl, Chart B,pl, turn. Repeat Row 1 and 2 until heel measures $2"$ (approximately 30 rows) ending after a WS row. Turning Row 1: S11, k2tog, k17, ssk, k1, turn. 2 sts decreased. 33 sts on heel flap.
Ktbl (RS), P tbl (WS)Purl (RS), knit (WS) RightTwist Right Purl Twist JLeftTwist LeftPurl Twist Turning Row 2: Sl 1, p5, p2tog, pl, turn. 1 st decreased. Turning Row 3: Sl 1, k6, ssk, k1, turn. I st decreased. Repeat Turning Rows 2 and 3, working 1 more st each row, until ll sts have ben worked, ending after a RS row. Next Row: S1 1, knit across. 20 sts remain. Gusset Pickup and knit 1 st inach slip stitch along the hee flap. Pick up and purl1 st inthe gap between heel and instep. Instp: work Chart A, pl, k23, p1, Chart A. Pick up and purl 1 st in the gap between instep and hee. Pick up and knit 1 st in each slip stitch along the heel flap. Knit across half of the heel sts. This is now the beginning of the round. Round 1:Kit tstsfre thfrst pu st, t,k,, wkChat A,,Chat ,, , sk, kit tt of the round. 2 sts decreased. Round 2: Knit to first purl st, pl, work Chart A, p1, k23, pl, Chart A, pl, knit to the end of the round. Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until there are 71 sts remaining. Next Roud: Ktog, knit to first purl st, pl, work Chart A, pl, k3,l, Chart A, pl, knit to the end ofthe roud. 1 st de creased.70 sts Arrange stitche sothat theeare3knitsts on th sole nles.）heothsts, incuding thepuls and cable, shul on the instep needle(s) Foot Knit to first purl st, pl, work Chart A, pl, k23, pl, Chart A, p1, knit to the end ofthe round. Repeat until foot reaches 2" shorter than desired length. Toe Move thefirst and last purl stithes from the instep nede to the adjacent sole needle(s.）There shouldbe 35 sts on the sole and 35 s on the instep. Round :Kit to3stithe before instp, tog,k,ssk, knit to3 sts efore the endofthe instep, tog,k, ssk, kit to t end of the round. 4 sts decreased. Round 2: Knit. Repeat Round 1 and 2 until 18 sts remain (9 instep sts, 9 sole sts). Knit to the end ofthe sole. Move stitches so that all sole stitches are on one needle and allinstep stitches are on a second needle. Graft remaining sts together. Weave in ends and steam block lightly.
