Valtiatar Socks: Detailed Toe-Up Knitting Instructions with Stranded Colorwork and Charts

Vastiatar

Designed hy Jina Kuu Valtiatar Socks represent similar features to The Emperor's Bride Socks: both are knitted toe up with a reversed riverbed gusset and a round heel.

Yarn and yardage

Main color (MC): Lola Doodle's Pure Sock (80 % merino, 20 % nylon; 100 g / 366 m), 70 grams of light green (Sweet Pea) Contrasting color (CC): Kraft Hand-Dyed BFL Sock (75 % wool, 25 % nylon; 100 g / 400 m), 40 g of dark grey (Scorzonera) Any other fingering weight sock yarn can be used. The delicate figures of the stranded colorwork show best in solid or semisolid colors and distinct contrast.

Photos and text @Tiina Kuu

Gauge

37 sts and 37 rows in charted stranded knitting = 10 cm / 4"

Needles

At least 80 cm / 32" long circular needles 2,25 mm / US1 and 2,5 mm / US1.5 (or suitable to obtain gauge) The socks can be knitted with dpns or two shorter circulars but the instructions are written for magic looping.

Size

Average female. The length of the foot and leg can be freely adjusted. The circumference can be adjusted by changing the gauge (i.e. changing the needle sizes). Befere you start Get to know different cast on techniques for toe up socks, knitting short rows with wrap and turn (w&t) technique and stretchy bind off techniques if needed. At the end of the instructions there's a chapter called Technical tips in which w&t as well as left and right leaning increases are described.

Jnstructions

Instructions are written for magic looping. Instep and front of the leg are knitted on needle 1 and sole, gusset, heel and back of the leg are knitted on needle 2. If you want to use dpns, distribute sts for example as follows: instep on needles 1 and 2, sole on needles 3 and 4.

Joe

Using MC and smaller needles cast on altogether 24 sts (= 12 sts/needle) using cast on method of your choice, for example Judy's magic cast on. Knit one round. Increase round: On needle 1 work sts as follows: k1, kfb, knit until 2 sts remain, kfb, k1. Work the sts on needle2thesame. Repeat increase rounds altogether 6 times (= 48 sts). Knit one round. Work increase rounds on every other round until there are altogether 72 sts and you have just worked an increase round.

Foot and gusset

Knit one round in MC. Change to larger needles. Work sts on needle 1 according to chart A rows 1-35 once and then repeat rows 12-35.Work sts on needle 2 according to chart B until work measures approximately 11 cm / 4 3/8" less than the desired final foot length. Work sts on needle 1 according to appropriate chart A row and sts on needle 2 as follows: work chart B sts 1-18, work chart C, work chart B sts 20-36. Chart C (pin stripe gusset) thus substitutes chart B st 19 (the center stitch). Work as described until you've finished the round that includes chart C row 24. Slip the first stitch on needle 2 onto needle 1 (= 37 sts on needle 1 and 59 sts on needle 2).

Photos and text @Tina Kuu

Hfee!

Heel is worked back and forth on needle 2 using MC. Change to smaller needles if preferred. Turn work and start with a wrong side (ws) row. Heel turn row 1 (ws): p59, turn row 2 (RS): sl1, k38, kfb, k1, w&t row 3 (WS): p22, pfb, p1, w&t row 4 (RS): k20, kfb, k1, w&t row 5 (WS): p18, pfb, p1, w&t row 6 (RS): k16, kfb, k1, w&t row 7 (WS): p14, pfb, p1, w&t row 8 (RS): k12, kfb, k1, w&t row 9 (Ws): p10, pfb, p1, w&t row 10 (RS): k8, kfb, k1, w&t row 11 (ws): p6, pfb, p1, w&t row 12 (RS): k22 (knit the wraps together with the wrapped stitches if you want), turn row 13 (WS): sl1, p34 (purl the wraps together with the wrapped stitches if you want), turn Heel flap row 1 (RS): \*sl1, k1\*, repeat \* - \* altogether 17 times, ssk, turn row 2 (WS): sl1, p33, p2tog, turn Repeat heel flap rows 1 and 2 until 36 sts remain on needle 2 and you have just worked a right side row. Slip the last stitch on needle 1 onto needle 2 and continue working in the round (= 36 sts on needle 1 and 37 sts on needle 2). Change to larger needles if necessary. Work sts on needle 1 according to the appropriate row of chart A rows 12-35. Work sts on needle 2 as follows: k1 with MC, k2tog with the color of the chart A stitch 2 on the same row as on needle 1, work chart A sts 3-36 on the same row.

Leg and cuff

Work sts on both needles according to chart A rows 12-35 as many times as you wish. Finish the charted stranded knitting either after row 35 or work chart A rows 36-47 after the last repeat of rows 12-35. Cut CC yarn and change to smaller needles. Knit one round in Mc. With MC work k1tbl, p1 ribbing for 12 rounds or as long as the cuff is of desired length. Bind off using any stretchy bind of method. For sewn bind off cut MC yarn leaving at least 1 m / 3ft tail. sewn bind off, phase 1: using tapestry needle pull yarn from right to left through the first two stitches on the needle, fasten gently sewn bind off, phase 2: pull the yarn from left to right through the first stitch on the needle, slip the stitch off the needle; fasten gently Repeat phases 1 and 2 until 1 st remain. Pull the yarn from right to left through the stitch on the needle and the first (already finished) stitch of the round, fasten gently. Pull the yarn from left to right through the stitch on the needle, slip the stitch off the needle, fasten gently.

Finishing

Block the socks. Weave in the ends.

Jechnicaltips

Wrap and turn RS: Bring yarn in front of the work. Slip the first stitch on the left hand needle as if to purl onto the right hand needle. Bring yarn in the back of the work and slip the previously slipped stitch from the right hand needle back onto the left hand needle. Turn work and bring yarn in back of the work. The yarn is wrapped around the slipped stitch. WS: Slip the first stitch on the left hand needle onto the right hand needle as if to purl, with yarn in back. Bring yarn in front of the work and slip the previously slipped stitch from the right hand needle back onto the left hand needle. Turn work; yarn is already in back of the work and wrapped around the slipped stitch. Right leaning increase: With the left hand needle pick up the yarn bar between the stiches from back to front. Knit the picked yarn through the front loop. Left leaning increase: With the left hand needle pick up the yarn bar between the stitches from front to back. Knit the picked yarn through the back loop.

Photos and text @Tina Kuu

Ahbreviations

CO - cast on st(s) - stitch(es) RS - right side WS - wrong side MC - main color CC - contrasting color w&t = wrap and turn sl - slip k-knit p-purl kfb - knit through front and back loops (1 st increased) pfb - purl through front and back loops (1 st increased) ssk - slip, slip, knit p2tog - purl 2 sts together

Chart A: instep and leg

Chart B: sole

Chart C: pin stripe gusset

Ghart key knitin MC knitinCC make a left leaningincreaseinMC makearightleaningincreaseinMC make aleftleaningincreasein CC make aright leaning increase in CC