Opus 600 by Mel Browne and Linda Ocarroll
Opus series
Craft or artwork? You decide.
Description
Short summer socks with an outrageous triple ruffle on the ankle. Sizes: Large: 3mm needles for UK women's size 7-8 wide (US 9-10) Medium: 2.75mm needle for UK women's shoe size 6-7 (US 8.5-9.5) Small: 2.5mm needle for UK women's shoe size 5-6 narrow (US 7.5-8.5) Sample socks: Top-down: the main yarn is Wharfedale Woolworks Merino Bamboo Sock (4 ply) and the ruffle is Sirdar Salsa! colour 0007 dark purple and pink (available as of 2011) Toe-up: the main yarn is Wendy Sunbeam St. Ives 4 Ply Sock Wool, colour 3104 grouse (discontinued). The red contrast yarn is Abensberger-Waren-Vertriebs fleiBiges Lieschen, colour 602 (discontinued). The ruffles are Sirdar Salsa! colour 0007 dark purple and pink (available as of 2011)
Requirements
Yarn: 50g of any 4 ply yarn, around 30g of Sirdar Salsa or similar ruffle yarn. Needles: 2 circular needles for knitting either one at a time or both at once, or one circular to knit with magic loop, or 4 dpns in the same size. Metric: size 2.5mm for small; 2.75mm for medium; 3mm for large US: size 1 or 2 for small; size 2 for medium; size 2 or 3 for large UK/Canada: size 12 or 13 for small size 12 for medium, size 11 for large
Gauge
Large size: 6.5 sts per inch (26 sts per 4in) on 3mm needles Medium size: 7.5 sts per inch (30 sts per 4in) on 2.75mm needles Small: 8.5 sts per inch (34 sts per 4in) on 2.5mm needles
TOP DOWN VERSION (on 2 circulars) by Mel Browne
Stitches and tech terms
cast off = bind off in USA k =knit k2tog = knit 2 sts together p = purl p2tog = purl 2 sts together psso = pass slipped st over the st just knitted
Cast on
Using main yarn, on 1st circular needle cast on 61 sts, and transfer the last 31sts to 2nd circular needle. Row 1: Transfer the 31st st to the end of the 1st needle to join, and knit the first and last sts together (60 sts). Continue the round in k1, p1 rib to end of row.
Ruffles
Leave your main yarn hanging - don't break it. Join the Salsa for the next round: insert the needle as to purl, choose which colour of the salsa you want to be closest to the leg and pierce that edge of the yarn with the needle. Continue purling all sts in this round with the Salsa. Take your time - make sure you have a small amount of the Salsa on the needle for each st. At the end of the round, change back to main colour and leave the salsa hanging on the inside of the sock. Work 6 rounds in k1, p1 rib in main yarn before repeating the purl row with Salsa. Repeat this process until you have 3 ruffles, each with 6 rows of rib after them. You will now continue to knit with the main yarn so break off the salsa, turn the end over and sew a seam to prevent it from fraying.
Fisherman's rib heel flap
Working back and forth on one needle (30 sts) Row 1 (WS): Turn work and from the wrong side, sl1 then p to end, turn Row 2 (RS): (sl1, k1) repeat to the end, turn Repeat these 2 rows until you have worked 27 rows in fisherman's rib.
Turn heel
Row 1: k18, k2tog, k1, turn Row 2: p8, p2tog, p1, turn Row 3: k9, k2tog, k1, turn Row 4: p10, p2tog, p1, turn Row 5: k11, k2tog, k1, turn Continue in this way until all heel sts are used up. The last two rows will be: k17, k2tog p17,p2tog (18 sts)
Pick up gusset stitches
Knit across to right side of heel (i.e. the side that will be the right when you wear the sock). With RS facing pick up, twist and knit 14 sts down right side of heel onto the same needle. Knit across the instep stitches on the other needle then pick up, twist and knit 14 sts down the left side of the heel onto the heel needle. Then finish knitting all the sts on the heel needle. (30 sts on instep, 46 sts on heel)
Gusset decreases
Row 1: Instep needle: k to end. Heel needle: k1, sl1, k1, psso then k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Row 2: k all sts Continue with these decreases until there are 30 sts on the heel needle.
Foot
Continue in stockinet as per measurement explained below in Measuring foot length'.
Toe decreases
Row 1: On each needle, k1, sl1, k1, psso, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Row 2: k all sts Continue with these 2 rows until you have 12 sts on each needle Graft these 24 sts together using Kitchener stitch. Sew ends in and enjoy!
Measuring foot length
When knitting the foot, you need to know when to start the toe decreases. Measure your foot, from the back of the heel to the end of the toes. The easiest way to do this is to stand on the tape measure. Now you have the length, take off 10% for ease - this ensures they will fit snugly. Now you know how long you want the sock to be before you put it on. The toe decreases are 18 rows so you need to measure your knitting to see how long 18 rows is. When you know this, you can take that measurement off the finished sock length and this is how long your sock needs to be before you start the toe decreases. For example, my foot is 10 inches long, so I want my finished sock to be 9 inches long. In this sock, I got about 10 rows to the inch so 18 rows will take nearly 2 inches. I take the 2 inches of toe off the 9 inches and I know I need to knit the foot until I am 7 inches from the heel turn.
TOE UP VERSION (on 4 dpns) by Linda OCarroll
Glossary
incL = lift st from two rows beneath st just knitted; place on left needle and knit it (increase 1) incR = lift st from one row beneath next st; place on left needle and knit it; k next st (increase 1) ssk = sl1 kwise, sl1 pwise, insert left needle into fronts of both slipped sts, k2tog tbl (decrease 1) tbl = through back loop. k2tog = knit 2 together (decrease 1) kfb = knit into front and back of same st (increase 1) yfwd = transfer working yarn between needles to front of work yback = transfer working yarn between needles to back of work. WS = wrong side (back of work) RS = right side (front of work)
Toe
Cast on 26 sts (13 on each of 2 needles), using Judy's magic cast-on, or figure 8 method. Row I: k onto three needles: 13 sts on instep needle #1; 6 sts on heel needle #2; 7 sts on heel needle #3. Row 2: Needle #1 - k1, incL, k to last st, incR. Needle #2 - k1, incL, k to end. Needle #3- k to last St, incR. Row3:k Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 62 sts: 31 on instep ndl #1; 15 on heel ndl #2 ; 16 on heel ndl #3. (18 rows of toe altogether)
Foot
Mark centre of heel sts as beginning of row, and arrange sts evenly around the 3 needles. K without further shaping until work measures 3ins/7.5cm less than your foot length.
Heel
K16. To minimise holes between heel flap and gusset, wrap the next (instep) st as follows: yfwd, sl next st to right needle, yback. Sl the st back to left needle. Turn. Begin heel flap with a WS row: Sl1, p30, removing stitch marker as you go. (31 heel sts). Wrap next (instep) st: yback, sl next st to right needle, yfwd, return st to left needle. Turn. Arrange the remaining 31 instep sts on 2 needles, and leave to be picked up later as front leg sts. Continue on heel sts on RS: Row I: sl1 knitwise, k30, turn. Row 2: sll, p30, turn. Repeat rows 1 and 2 thirteen times, then row 1 once. (i.e. 27 more rows, making 30 heel flap rows altogether) Start short-row heel panel: Row I: sll, p19, p2tog, turn. Row 2: sl1 knitwise, k9, ssk, turn. Row 3: sl1, p9, p2tog, turn. Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 11 heel sts remain, ending on row 2.
Pick up gusset stitches
Start on left side of heel (i.e. the side that will be on the left when you are wearing the sock). With RS facing, pick up, twist and knit 16 sts down left side of heel as follows. To minimise holes, make sure that the first two and last two sts picked up are very close to the beginning and end of heel section. Don't pick up loops from the very edge of the heel; pick up the inner loop of the first or last stitch of the row, arrange it on the left needle so that it is turned a little to the left in the normal way, then knit into the back of it. This will twist the stitch to tighten the pick-up row. You now have the end of the heel panel and the left side of the heel on one needle, and the instep on a second needle. K across instep sts. NB. The first and last instep sts are wrapped. For a neat finish, pick up wrap and place on left needle, k st and wrap together .(31 instep sts) You still have the top and left side of the heel on one needle, and the instep on a second needle. With a third needle, pick up and knit 16 sts on the right hand side of the heel flap, using method as described above. Using the same third needle, knit across 5 sts from the top of the heel panel. You now have the 31 instep sts on one needle and the 22 + 21 heel sts on two needles, with the end of the row at centre back of heel.
Gusset decrease
Row I: k to last 3 sts of left heel needle, ssk, k1. K across instep. On right heel needle, k1, k2tog. knit to end of round. Repeat these 2 rows until there are 31 sts on the heel needles and 31 sts on the instep needle (12 gusset decrease rows altogether).
Leg
2 rows. If you wish to use a contrast yarn, break main yarn and join in contrast hei
Low-sided or high-sided shoe options
Option 1: If you are to wear the sock with a low-sided shoe, or simply as a slipper-sock, knit as below. Option 2: If the sock is to be worn inside a high-sided shoe such as a trainer, knit six rows of k1, pl rib before starting ruffles.
Ruffles
Leave your yarn hanging; don't break it. Join the Salsa for the next round. Insert needle in next st as if to purl, choose which colour of the Salsa you want to be closest to the leg and pierce that edge of the yarn with the needle. Pull the pierced edge of the Salsa back through st to make new purl st. Continue purling all sts in this round with the Salsa. Take your time; make sure you have a small amount of the Salsa on the needle for each st. At the end of the round, change back to 4 ply yarn and leave the Salsa hanging on the inside of the sock. Work 6 rounds in k1, p1 rib with main yarn before repeating the purl row with Salsa. Repeat this process until you have 3 ruffles, with 6 rows of rib in between ruffles, ending with a ruffle row. You will now continue to knit with the main or contrast yarn so break off the Salsa, turn the end over and sew a seam to prevent it from fraying.
Top edging
(This folds over to the outside, making a smaller ruffle on top of the others) Row 1: p Row 2 (fold-over row) k Row 3: (k1, kfb), repeat to end of row Row 4: k Picot-point cast-off: Cast off 2. \*Sl remaining st on right needle onto left needle. Cast on 2 sts, cast off 4 sts. Repeat from \* to the end. Cut yarn, leaving enough tail to darn in. Pull to enlarge last st until end of yarn-tail comes through. Thread yarn onto tapestry needle or bodkin, and sew last cast-off st to a position roughly 0.25in/1cm below the adjacent picot point.
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