Graduation Socks
Wendy Verbruggen whirl123
Abstract
This pattern/chart wil turn your favourite socks into real and proper GRADUATION SOCKs. The chart is added to the finished sock using duplicate stitching. For your own safety, these socks cannot be started during the writing of the thesis; they are intended to be knit between the date of submission and the date of your graduation— noexceptions! Keywords knitting, graduation, socks, duplicate stitch, PhD
1. Introduction
This pattern/chart willturn your favourite socks into real and proper GRADUATION SOCKs. There is no sock pattern included here since I figured everyone has their favourite method anyway, although I will give a few pointers to simple, free sock patterns in Section 2. The chart is added after the socks are finished, using duplicate stitch. This means that you can use old socks that you have already worn a few times and turn them into graduation socks. It is also the simplest way to add a chart to anything that is knitted in the round. You could substitute the duplicate stitch by proper multi-coloured knitting, but if you do please keep in mind that you are knitting in the round so you will have to find a nice way of geting the yarn from one side to the other. There are ways to do this, so please look them up if you do not like duplicate stitch.
2. Choice of Socks
To start this pattern: knit a pair of your favourite socks. This can be a toe-up or cuff-down sock and you can use any heel-constructionmethod you like. You can even incorporate some simple lace or cable pattern somewhere. If you do not have a favourite sock pattern, [2] gives a very nice and basic toe-up sock construction method and [1] is a good place to start for cuff-down socks. There are a few things to keep in mind though when choosing your sock pattern:
· The socks need to be long enough so that the chart will be visible and not hidden away in your shoes, so decide where you would like the chart to be and make sure your socks are a little longer than that. · Wherever you want the chart to be on your sock should be knit in stockinette stitch. You can make the foot of the sock as fancy as you want, and you can even add some patterning to the legs, just make sure there is a square of stockinette stitch where the chart will be. The chart is 20 rows $\textrm{x}20$ sts (plus a $2~\mathrm{st}$ border on all sides). · You can use any yarn or needles to make your sock, just keep in mind that the chart is $20\times20$ and your gauge willobviously affect the size of the chart. Also: if your sock is only 20 sts around, the chart would look really funny :) I reckon anything from 50 sts around and up should be okay.
3. Duplicate Stitch
Duplicate stitching is a method of embroidery that looks exactly like knit stitches. With a different colour yarn you trace the stitches that are there and if you do it right the original stitch willbe hidden beneath the new stitch so you can pretend that you knit in multiple colours :) For a very good tutorial on how to do duplicate stitching properly check out [3]. The resulting fabric will be a little stiff where the duplication is, which actually works really well if you are adding a small chart to something. If you have never done this before you might want to knit a small swatch and practise on that until you get your stitches even.
4. Graduation Chart
Dumdumdiedum: The Chart! I have included two versions: one uses colours to distinguish the different coloured stitches (Figure 1), and the other uses symbols for this (Figure 2). The back ground colour is the colour of your sock (purple in my case), the letters can be done in any colour that contrasts the background and the cap should of course be done in black! One thing to keep in mind at this point is where do you want the chart to be? If you want it on the outside of the leg for each sock, make sure you put it on the left on one sock and the right on the Other.
5. Tassels
These socks really are not finished before you have added the tassels to the graduation cap. Tassels are really easy to make, and there are plenty of videos such as [4] foating around the internet explaining the process. You want to make two really teensy tassels, about 2cm long and attach these with a piece of string to the cap at the two Xs as shown in Figure 3. Now allthat needs to be done is wait for the actual graduation!
If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections about this pattern, please contact me on Ravelry (www . ravelry . com) where my username is whi rl123.
6. Variations
Some possible variations on this pattern: · The reason I chose socks to put this chart on is that in our university there is a very strict dress-code for the graduation ceremony: black and white only. Since I did not want to knit anything in black and white I had to knit something that will be hidden during the ceremony: socks. If you do not like socks you can of course use the chart for something else. · While the leg of the sock seems like a logical place for the chart there is no reason you cannot put it somewhere on the foot, the heel, or even at the bottom of the sock (turning them into secret graduation socks :) · If you, or whoever you want to knit this for, did a Masters instead of a PhD you can change the text to MSc or whatever is appropriate. If you need help charting this let me know and I might be able to help. · If this is a gift for someone you could also replace $\mathtt{D r}$ by the name of that person. · To make absolutely sure that there is no doubt that these socks are graduation socks you could put the chart on each sock twice :)
Acknowledgments
Thanks are due to everyone who made sure I got to the point where I can actually wear these socks! And especially to Edsko who also had to put up with me while I was trying to get there :)
References
[1] BELLEHUMEUR, K. Silver's sock class, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/ibrary/silvers-sock-class. [2] CAIRN, C. M. Lifestyle toe up socks, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/ibrary/lifestyle-toe-up-socksnoswatch-needed. [3] KIMBROUGH, T. Knitting instructions: Duplicate stitch, http://www.howstuffworks.com/knitting-instructions5.htm. [4] SUPERZIPER. How to make a tassel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9h82kk49zm.
