Trickle Socks
By Katie Douglass
It often rains in London, or at least it seems to. The rain turns up when you really don't want it to. As I sat watching the rain trickle down the window, pooling at the sill; I wondered if someone could make the rain slightly more appealing. Trickle socks have a continuous stream of stitches that start in the cuff. They wander down the leg, where some of them trickle off the heel. The rest of the stitches trickle on down the foot before pooling at the toe. At least this rain is comfortable and warm to wear!
SIZE
To fit an average woman's foot FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Foot circumference: 8 inches approx Leg Length: 7.5 inches
MATERIALS
I used Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love in Tourmaline; but any sock yarn should work. 1 set US #1/2.50mm double-point needles or 1 32 inch or longer US #1/2.50mm circular needle notions required Cable Needle 1 Stitch Marker Tapestry Needle GAUGE 33 sts/47 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES
M1 make 1 stitch invisibly by making a right leaning increase. Lift the stitch below the stich on the left needle and knit it. T2FP Slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold at front of work, purl next stitch from left needle then knit tbl stitch from cable needle. T2BP Slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit tbl next stitch from left needle then purl stitch from cable needle. C2F Slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit tbl next stich from left needle then knit tbl stitch from cable needle. Sl1wyib slip 1 stitch with yarn at back of work. K2togtbl knit 2 stiches together through the back loop. Chart A is repeated 5 times round the leg. Chart B is for the foot, the red section is repeated once. You can choose to either make the patterned toe, or a standard toe. I have included instructions for both.
PATTERN Cuff
CO 65 sts. Distribute across needles as you prefer, join to begin working in the round. Mark or note beginning of round. Ribbing Round: (p2, k2tbl, p3, k1tbl, p2, k2tbl, p1) 5 times. Repeat ribbing round until work measures 1 inch.
Leg
Inc Rnd: (p2, m1, k2tbl, p3, m1, k1tbl, p2, k2tbl, p1) 5 times. (75 stitches) .-12 of Chart A 6 times. The chart is repeated 5 times in each rnd Work rnd 1 and 2 once more.
Heel Flap
The heel flap will be worked over the first 41 sts. The remaining 34 sts will be held for instep. Dec Row (RS): sl1, p1, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2tog, p1, sl2wyib, p1, p2tog, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2tog, p1, sl2wyib, p1, p2tog, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2, sl1wyib, p2 (37 stitches) Row 1 (WS): sl1, k1, (p1, k2) 3 times, p2, k2, (p1, k2) 3 times, p2, k2, (p1, k2) 3 times. Row 2 (RS): sl1wyib, p1, (sl1wyib, p2) 3 times, sl2wyib, p2, (sl1wyib, p2) 3 times, sl2wyib, p2, (sl1wyib, p2) 3 times. Repeat Rows 1&2 for a total of 14 times. Repeat Row 1 once more.
Turn Heel
Row 1 (RS): sl1, k19, ssk, k1 turn Row 2 (WS): sl1, p4, p2tog, p1 turn Row 3 (RS): sl1, k to one stich before gap, ssk, k1 turn Row 4 (WS): sl1, p to one stitch before gap, p2tog, p1 turn Repeat Rows 3&4 until all sts have been worked. 21 heel sts remain. RS will be facing.
Gusset
With RS facing, knit 10 sts of heel. PM (to mark start of rnd). Knit remaining 11 sts of heel. Pick up and knit 16 sts (1 in each slipped stitch), pick up and knit 2 more sts between heel flap and instep. Knit across instep following row 2 of chart B. Pick up and knit 2 sts between instep and heel flap. Pick up and knit 16 sts (1 in each slipped stitch). Knit 10 sts of heel to end of round. (91 stitches) Arrange your stitches so that you can clearly see where the sole of the sock and the instep separate. Rnd 1: K11, K18tbl, work row 3 of instep pattern, k18tbl, k10. Rnd 2: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, work next row of instep pattern, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 3: K to start of instep, work next row of instep pattern, k to end of rnd. Repeat Rows 2&3 a total of 11 times, 69 stitches remain. Dec 1 more stitch on sole in next rnd, 68 stitches remain.
Foot
Work in patt as set, knitting all the sole stitches and following Chart B for the instep, until foot measures 1.5 inches less than desired length, making sure to end on rnd 1, 2, 7 or 8.
Toe
For a standard wedge toe Rnd 1: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k1, ssk, k to last 2 sts before sole, k2tog, k1, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 2: K all sts. Repeat Rnd 1&2 until 18 sts remain. K to end of sole. Cut yarn and use tail to graft sts together. For a patterned toe Rnd 1: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, p1, k2tbl, p2tog, p1, (ktbl, p2) 2 times, ktbl, p3, k2tbl, p3, (ktbl, p2) 2 times, ktbl, p1, p2tog, k2tbl, p1, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 2: k across sole, k in patt across instep, k to end of rnd. Rnd 3: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, p1, k2tbl, (p2, ktbl) 3 times, p1, p2tog, k2tbl, p2tog, p1, (ktbl, p2) 3 times, k2tbl, p1, k1, ssk, kto end of rnd. Rnd 4: as for Rnd 2 Rnd 5: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tog, (ktbl, p2) 4 times, k2tbl, (p2, ktbl) 4 times, k2togtbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 6: as for Rnd 2 Rnd 7: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, (p2, ktbl) 2 times, p2tog, ktbl, p2, k2tbl, (p2, ktbl) 2 times, p2tog, ktbl, p2, k2tbl, k1, ssk, kto end of rnd. Rnd 8: as for Rnd 2 Rnd 9: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, p2, ktbl, p2, k2togtbl, ktbl, p2, k2tbl, p2, ktbl, p2, k2togtbl, ktbl, p2, k2tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 10: as for Rnd 2 Rnd 11: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, p2, ktbl, p2tog, k2tbl, p2, k2tbl, p2, ktbl, p2tog, k2tbl, p2, k2tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 12: as for Rnd 2 Rnd 13: Kto last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, p2, k2togtbl, (k2tbl, p2) 2 times, k2togtbl, k2tbl, p2, k2tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 14: As for Rnd 2 Rnd 15: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, p2, k3tbl, p2tog, k2tbl, p2tog, k3tbl, p2, k2tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 16: As for Rnd 2 Rnd 17: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k2tbl, p2tog, k3tbl, p1, k2tbl, p1, k3tbl, p2tog, k2tbl, k1, ssk, kto end of rnd. Rnd 18: As for Rnd 2 Rnd 19: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, ktbl, k2togtbl, k3tbl, p1, k2tbl, p1, k2tbl, k2togtbl, k2tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. Rnd 20: K to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1, k4tbl, k2togtbl, ktbl, k2togtbl, k5tbl, k1, ssk, k to end of rnd. K to end of sole. Cut yarn and use tail to graft sts together.
Finishing
Weave in ends and block if needed.
