Wee Tiny Watermelon SOck
A knitting pattern for the Wee Tiny Sock Club Summer 2011 by Meg Bakewell The summer months bring fabulous color and flavor to the table - sunny yellow corn on the cob, fresh crisp green beans, berries in blue and red and deepest purple, and melons in soft orange and pale green and the sweet, juicy pink of a watermelon. This miniature watermelon sock is knit sideways, starting with a provisional cast-on that runs along the top of the foot from cuff to toe. Despite the provisional cast-on, I'm sure many a knitter will be happy to hear there is no grafting involved! Rather, after knitting the two sides down from the provisional cast-on, both starting in pink and ending in the green rind, the two halves are joined at the rind with a three-needle bind-off. Black beads slip into place like the seeds of a good old-fashioned “"nonSeedless" variety watermelon, but can be omitted if you prefer a seedless look.
Materials
Three Irish Girls Springvale Sock 100% Superwash Merino MC: Cosmo (pink), 10 yards CC: Mojito (green), 7 yards 20 size 6 black beads Set of 3 US size 1 (2.25 mm) DPNs Tapestry needle Beading needle Crochet hook for provisional cast-on, if desired
Abbreviations
KFB Knit into the front and back of the next st, 1 st increased. PB Place bead - simply slide a bead up to the needle. PM Place marker SI Slip the next st purlwise. SM Slip marker W&T Wrap and Turn. Provisional cast-on: Any provisional cast-on you like will work. My current favorite is demonstrated in a great youtube video, here: http://tinyurl.com/69eb8g
Begin pattern
Using beading needle, place 20 beads on MC yarn. Using provisional cast on and MC, CO 22. Row 1: k9, pm, k2, pm, k9, pm, k2. Row 2: Sll, p to 1 st before end, w&t. Row 3: k8, sm, kfb twice, sm, k9, sm, kfb, k to end. (25 sts 9/4/9/3) Row 4: Sll, p to 2 sts before end, w&t. Row 5: K7, SM, kfb, PB, k2, kfb, SM, k1, PB, k5, PB, k3, SM, kfb, PB, k2. (28 stS 9/6/9/4) Row 6: Sll, p to 3 sts before end, w&t. Row 7: K6, SM, kfb, k4, kfb, SM, k9, SM, kfb, k to end. (31 sts 9/8/9/5) Row 8: Sll, p to 4 sts before end, w&t. RoW 9: K4, PB, k1, SM, kfb, k4, PB, k2, kfb, SM, k3, PB, k5, PB, k1, SM, kfb, k2, PB, k2. (34 sts 9/10/9/6) Row 10: Sll, p to 5 sts before end, w&t. Row 11: K4, sM, kfb, k8, kfb, sM, k9, sM, kfb, k t0 end. (37 sts 9/12/9/7) Row 12: Sll, p to end. Break MC.
Rind
Join Cc. Rows 13-14: K all sts. Row 15: (remove markers as you come to them in this row) K20, w&t, k10, w&t, k9, w&t, k8, w&t, k7, w&t, k6, w&t, k to end. Break Cc. Leave the live sts on the needle.
Side Two
Remove provisional cast on and put the ss on another needle. There should be 21 sts from the cast on. Row 1: Using MC, sl1, k1, pm, k9, pm, k2, pm, k6, kfb, k1. (22 sts 2/9/2/9) Row 2-12 even: P to end. Row 3: Sl1, kfb, sm, k9, sm, kfb twice, sm, k8 (1 st on left hand needle), w&t. (25 sts 3/9/4/9) Row 5: SI1, k1, PB, kfb, SM, k3, PB, k5, PB, k1, SM, kfb, k2, PB, kfb, SM, k3, PB, k4 (2 sts on left hand needle), w&t. (28 sts 4/9/6/9) Row 7: SI1, k2, kfb, sM, k9, sM, kfb, k4, kfb, sm, k6 (3 sts on left hand needle), w&t. (31 sts 5/9/8/9) Row 9: SI1, k1, PB, k2, kfb, SM, k1, PB, k5, PB, k3, SM, kfb, PB, k5, PB, kfb, SM, k5 (4 sts on left hand needle), w&t. (34 sts 6/9/10/9) Row 11: Sl1, k4, kfb, sm, k9, sm, kfb, k8, kfb, sm, k5 (5 sts on left hand needle), w&t. (37 sts 7/9/12/9) After row 12 (purl row), break Mc and join CC.
Rind Side Two
Row 13-14: K all sts. Row 15: K27, w&t, k10, w&t, k10, w&t, k9, W&t, k8, w&t, k7, w&t, k6, w&t, k to end.
Finishing
Using a 3-needle bind-off, bind off all live CC sts from both needles. Weave in ends, using one of the Mc ends to close up the small hole at the toe. Push beads through to the right side if they are trying to pop onto the purl side. Bon Appetit!
