Handspun Show-off Socks
Materials: 350-400 yards sock yarn (16 w.p.i.) US size 1 Needles Darning Needle
By Caryn Lantz, www.FuzzyNoodleCraft.com
I recently learned to spin after many years of trying to resist a new hobby. I decided that spinning for sock yarn would be a great way to try out new fibers and colorways, and I can usually get a pair of socks out of 4 oz. 2 ply. I was looking for a great pattern to show off the beautiful effect handspun has, and I realized that simple stockinette stitch did the trick! I decided that I didn't want to break up the patterning with a traditional heel flap and gusset, so a short row heel and toe would be perfect. However, I hate short rows, and I was worried a stockinette stitch heel wouldn't wear well, so I adopted a garter stitch heel with no pick-up wraps! So go ahead, show off your beautiful handspun,..and happy knitting! Finished Size: 7.5" (8.5", 9") foot circumference Gauge: 8 stitches to 1'" on US Size 1 needles. To avoid Baggy Sock Syndrome, pick a size that is about half an inch smaller than your actual foot circumference. That should help keep your socks from migrating south! Leg: Cast on 60 (68, 72) stitches. Divide stitches between needles, $^{*}\mathrm{kl}$ , pltbl\* for 1.5 inches, knit until total leg is $6^{\circ}$ long. Heel: The garter stitch short-row heel is knit over half of the stitches, 30 (34, 36). Row 1: Knit 29 (33, 35) stitch, w&t Row 2: Knit 28 (32, 34) sts, w&t... Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 10 (12, 12) unwrapped stitches in the middle of the heel. Row 3 & 4: K to first single wrapped stitch, k single wrapped sts, wrap next stitch, turn. Row 5 & 6: K to double wrapped stitch, k double wrapped stitch allowing wrap to remain, wrap next stitch and turn. Repeat rows 5 & $6\:\mathrm{K}$ until one double wrapped stitch remains on each side of heel. K next row acoss the instep, knitting the last double wrapped stitch on that row. Continue to knit sock in the round until foot is $2^{\bullet}$ shortof your foot, or desired length. Finish with the stitches for the bottom of the foot (next 1/2 of stitches worked should be the instep stitches). Toe: Work rows 1 & 2 as for heel. Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 6 (8, 10) unwrapped stitches in the middle of the toe. Repeat rows 3 & 4 as for heel. Repeat rows 5 & 6 until all double wrapped stitches have been knit.
Toe Grafting:
You willbe grafting the just-finished toe stitches (the instep part of the foot) to the bottom of the foot. Yes, this is a lot of grafting. Your glorious, squooshy short-row toe will be worth it. Near needle: Insert nedle as if to knit and drop off needle, insert needle into next stitch as if to purl and leave it on the needle. Far Needle: Insert needle as if to purl and dropoffthe needle,insert needle into next stith as if to knit and leave on the needle. Alternate these two rows until allstitches are used up. Weave in ends, and wear socks in good health!
Abbreviations:
pltbl: purl stitch through back loop k: knit w&t: wrap next stitch, turn your work
