Shakertown Fences
I belong to a group of spinners who meet at Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, Kentucky each December. It is a special time for me to get away, catch up with friends and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of the village. I often find myself admiring all the various fences separating and enclosing the pastures, garden plots and bordering the walkways. I want to also thank my testers BunniPhish and Kachelmeier, without whom this pattern would be seriously lacking in clarity and accuracy.
Materials:
\* Sock yarn in 2 colors to give good contrast, one can be space dyed. Sample used Regia yarn. About 70 grams of each color is required. \* Knitting needles in sizes 1 and 2 US, (2.25mm and 2.75mm) or size to give gauge. \* Small amount of waste yarn for provisional cast on. \* Stitch marker to denote beginning of round \* Tapestry needle for grafting and working in ends.
Notes:
Gauge varies over the sock due to corrugated ribbing Gauge for leg is 40 stitches to 4 inches/10cm. Gauge for foot is 32 stitches to 4 inches/10cm. gnate one yarn as your “fence" yarn, the other as “yard’" yarn Make sure you use the larger needles for the upper leg as the corrugated ribbing pulls in a great deal. Those who are “"fluffy" above ankle areas may want to consider adding an additional 8 stitches for wearing comfort, or use a larger needle.
Abbreviations:
K - Knit P-Purl S1 - Slip the stitch as if to purl with the yarn in back of work K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together P2tog - Purl 2 stitches togethe SSK - Slip two stitches individually as if to knit, insert left needle into the front of both stitches and knit them together.
Ankle Section
Using provisional cast on, fence yarn and larger needles, cast on 12 stitches. Do not slip the first stitch of each row. Knit 3 repeats of Barbed Wire Cable. On the 4th repeat, graft to provisional cast on after row 19 to form a ring. A good video on grafting can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngY2tmg9DPs
Leg Section
Using larger needles and fence yarn pick up and knit 80 stitches along one side of ring, place marker at beginning of round \*knit 4 with fence yarn, knit 4 with yard yarn, repeat from \* arounc nit 4 with fence yarn, purl 4 with yard yarn, repeat from \* around. ntil you have 6 inches from bottom of your ring, ending with yard yarn Next row: With fence yarn \*SSK, K2tog, turn, purl 2, turn, K2tog, fasten off fence yarn. Bind off next 4 stitches in purl using yard yarn, fasten off yard yarn. Continue around from \*until all stitches are bound off.
Heel Section
Using smaller needles and yard yarn pick up and knit 8O stitches from the remaining long side of your ring, place marker at beginning of round. Next row: Evenly decrease 16 stitches for medium (k3, k2tog around), 8 stitches for large (k8, k2tog around). 64 (72) stitches remain. Begin heel flap on 32 (36) stitches as follows: Row 1: \*Sl1, K1 across Rows 2 and 4: Sl 1, purl remaining stitches Row 3: Sl2, \*K1, Sl1, repeat from \* across, ending with k1 Repeat these 4 rows until flap is 2.5 (2.75) inches long, ending with row 2 or 4
Heel turn
Knit 18 (20) stitches, SSK, K1, turn. S1 1, purl 5, P2tog, P1, turn. \*S1 1, knit to one stitch before the gap, SSK, K1, turn. S1 1, purl to one stitch before gap, P2tog, P1, turn.\* Repeat between \* \* until all heel stitches have been worked. 18 (20) stitches remain. Note: The last knit and purl rows will end with SSK and P2tog, respectively. Knit 9 (10) stitches, place marker to indicate beginning of round, now at center of heel (See arrow on Sole/Gusset chart).
Sole/Gusset/Instep/Toe
Following charts and using both yarns, work across sole, pick up 16(18) stitches on side of gusset, knit instep following instep chart, pick up 16(18) stitches on remaining side of gusset. If you have too large of a gap and need more stitches, pick up 1 or 2 more stitches on each side and decrease on the first row to the appropriate stitch count in the gusset area. You should have 82(92) stitches 0n needles. Work even once you have 64(72) stitches until you are 1.5 (1.75) inches short of desired foot length and at row 6 of instep chart. Work next sole row, move beginning of round marker to the start of the instep. Work across instep following Toe Chart, begin decreases for toe working K1, SSK at beginning of instep and K2tog, K1 at end of instep, and continuing sole chart as established, repeating toe decreases at beginning and end of sole. Graft together when 14 stitches remain on toe and sole sections using fence yarn. Weave in ends and enjoy.
Barbed wire cable chart
Knit on right side, purl on wrong side Purl on right side, Knit on wrong side C6B - place next 3 stitches on cable needle, hold in back of work knit 3 stitches, then knit stitches from cable needle
Instep Chart (Large)
Sole/Gusset (Medium)
Sole/Gusset (Large)
