Beanpole Mystery Knit-a-long: A Unique Sock Pattern for Ravelry's Odd Sock Group

Thanks to Dan Brazelton for the lovely photo!

Beanpole

A mystery knit-a-long by Hypercycloid A mystery KAL designed for Ravelry's Odd Sock group, this sock is graced with vertical “beanpole" elements (chosen by the knitter) up the front and back of each sock. If you like fraternally unmatched socks, choose four different elements to maximize oddness. If you prefer a matched look, choose just one or two elements and use them in more than one spot.

Beanpole A Mystery Knit-a-long of the Odd Sock Group

Clue One

Gauge: 9-10 stitches/inch stranded stockinette. If you are not familiar with your personal gauge in stranded knitting, I recommend you take your plain stockinette sock “magic number” (the number of stitches you use for your sock circumference) and add 1/8 of that number of stitches as a starting point. I also recommend going up at least one needle size from your usual. (Example: I usually use 2.25 mm needles and wear a 64-stitch sock; for stranded work I use a 2.5omm or 2.75mm and 72 stitch-circumference. And I try on my work frequently as I go!) Yarn: fingering weight in two contrasting colors, 65-8o grams main color and 45-65 grams contrast color. Women's medium test-knit used 265 yards of MC and 185 yards of CC. Sizing: You will need to work this pattern over a number of stitches that is 26 plus a multiple of 8. Using 74 stitches would be appropriate for a typical women's medium, and 82 stitches for a women's large. To get larger or smaller sizes, add or subtract multiples of 8 from 74. The original pattern makes a leg that is about nine inches tall measured from the floor. The extra-long version adds about an inch to the leg height. Tools: circular needle(s) or DPNs in your chosen size to get gauge. Pattern is written from the perspective of a magic loop knitter. A few stitch markers wouldn't go amiss. Graph paper definitely recommended.

General comments:

This pattern has you choosing from a selection of vertical elements (beanpoles) that run down the front and back of your sock. These vertical elements have different numbers of rows in them. You will be doing a bit of your own charting because your beanpoles probably will not end in the same round of your sock, unless you choose to use the same beanpole design on the front and back of your sock. Because this pattern was created especially for Ravelry's Odd Sock Group, the flexibility in design choices encourages you to create fraternal (odd) socks if you wish! For one pair of socks you can choose up to four different beanpole designs. I believe the longest float in this pattern is five stitches long. Personally, I don't worry about tacking floats unless they are six stitches or longer, but some people like to catch their floats more frequently. Enough chatter, let's get knitting!

Cuff

With CC, cast on 74(82) stitches in stretchy cast-on of your choice. Join to work in the round, work 1x1 ribbing in ktbl/purl for two rounds, then break CC and switch to MC. Continue until you have 12-16 rounds or as desired. Arrange stitches so you have a needle division or a stitch marker at the midpoint of your round. Then one set-up round: knit plain with MC. Fun part: choose 1-4 vertical elements (charted next page). They will run up the front and back of each sock, so you can use the same element in four places, two elements in two places, four elements so they are all different etc. The more different elements you choose, the more complicated your charting may be. These vertical elements are repeated down the leg of the sock, so when you have worked the last row of the design, start over at the bottom of the chart and continue. In between the vertical elements, there is a stranded side panel worked over a four-stitch repeat. A 74-stitch sock would have six repeats (24 stitches) between vertical elements, an 82-stitch sock would have seven repeats (28 stitches) per side.

Leg

Round 1: k1(MC), kitbl(CC), knit row 1 of your chosen vertical element, kitbl(CC), k1(MC), repeat row 1 of four-stitch chart until you are halfway around your sock. Repeat, substituting different vertical element on the other side of the sock if desired. Rounds 2-6: each round continues in the same: k1(MC), kitbl(CC), knit next row of vertical element (nine stitches), kitbl(CC), k1(MC), knit next row of four-stitch chart repeat until you are halfway around your sock. Repeat, substituting different vertical element on the other side of the sock if desired. Extra-long version: work rounds 1-6 again before going on to the next clue. (This chart depicts one half of your sock.)

Beanpole A Mystery Knit-a-long of the Odd Sock Group

Clue Two

Continue leg rounds 7-3o in the same way: each round continues in the same: k1(MC), kitbl(CC), knit next row of vertical element, kitbl(CC), ki(MC), knit next row of fourstitch chart repeat until you are halfway around your sock. Repeat, substituting different vertical element on the other side of the sock as appropriate. Extra-Long Version: repeat rounds 25-30 before continuing to the next clue. This is the last modification for extra length; from now on your instructions will be the same.