Spick and Spats By: Madeleine Pippa Bartlett
As seen on the feet of French infantry, marching bands and Jiminy Cricket, Spats are traditionally worn for decoration and to keep the mud off your shoes. This knitted version offers extra warmth for chilly autumn walks while also looking exceptionally dashing. Bring those cropped pants you lived in all summer right into fall, keep your ankles toasty warm in air conditioned movie theaters, or wear them with heels and a skirt. Knit from the bottom up with a picot hem, only two decrease rows, then baby cable ribbing knit in the round. Stitches are picked up along the side opening for a garter stitch button band. A great stash buster for that one lonely hank you have lying around.
ONE SIZE
Finished measurements
Width: 15 inches at bottom, 8 inches unstretched at ankle Length: 8.5 inches
Materials
Malabrigo Yarn merino worsted [ketle dyed pure merino; 210yd/192m per 100g skein]; 195: Black; 1 skein 1 set US #6/4mm double-point needles 1 set US #9/5.5mm straight needles tapestry needle 8 half-inch buttons sewing thread and needle (to attach buttons) elastic thread (optional) Gauge: 16 sts/22 rows $=4^{\mathfrak{s}}$ in stockinette stitch using US #9/5.5mm needles
Pattern Notes
Techniques used: K, p, yo, k2tog, p2tog & Baby Cable Ribbing Begins with 60 sts, after row 15: 56 sts, after row 25: 52 sts. When working on DPNs stitches should be distributed as follows: needle 1: 16, needle 2: 20, needle 3: 16. Baby Cable Ribbing, 4 row repeat pattern: Row 1: \*K2tog, but leave on needle; then insert right-hand needle between the 2 sts just knit together, and knit the first st again; them slip both sts from the needle together, $\mathsf{p}2^{\star}$ rep \* to end Rows $2{,}3{,}4{;}\,^{\star}\!\!\ K2$ ， $\mathsf{p}2^{\star}$ rep \* to end (Slightly altered version from Walker, Barbara G. A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. New York: Macmillan Pub Co, 1981.) Garter stitch button band: Rows 1, 2, 4: Knit Row 3: $^{\star}\mathsf{K}_{2}$ , yo, k2tog\* rep \* a total of 4x, k1 Row 5: BO knit-wise Pattern Spats (make two) CO 60 sts on #9/5.5mm needles Rows 1&3: Knit to end Rows 2&4: Purl to end Row 5: K1, \*yo, k2tog\*, rep \* until 1 sts remains, k1 Rows 6, 8, 10, 12 & 14: Purl to end Rows 7, 9, 11 & 13: Knit to end Row 15: $^{\star}\mathsf{K}\mathsf{1}\mathsf{3}$ , k2tog\* rep \* a total of 4x (56) Rows 16, 18, 20, 22, 24: Purl to end Rows 17, 19, 21, 23: Knit to end Switch to #6/4mm DPNs Row 25: needle 1: $^{\star}\mathsf{K}_{2}$ ，， $\mathsf{p}2^{\star}$ rep \* a total of $3\times$ , k2tog, k1, p2, needle 2: $^{\star}\mathsf{k}2$ ， $\mathsf{p}2^{\star}$ rep \* a total of $_{2\times}$ ,k1, k2tog, $\,^{\star}\mathsf{p}2$ $k2^{\star}$ rep \* a total of 2x, p2, needle 3: k2, p2tog, p1, $^{\star}\mathsf{k}2$ p2 rep \* a total of 2x, k2, p1, p2tog. Row 26: join to beg. of row and work $_{2\times2}$ rib (k2,p2 to end) in the round Row 27: K2, p2 to end of row Rows 28-59: begin baby cable ribbing repeat from pattern notes, work repeat a total of $8\times$ Row60: BO in $_{2\times2}$ rib, adding a strand of elastic thread (optional)
Finishing
For left spat: pick up 17 sts using #9/5.5mm needles on the left side opening. Work garter stitch button band (see pattern notes). Attach buttons using sewing thread and needle on the right side opening. For right spat: pick up 17 sts using #9/5.5 mm needles on the right side opening. Work garter stitch button band. Attach buttons using sewing thread and needle on left side opening. Weave in all loose ends.
About the Designer:
Pippa is currently studying at Concordia University in Montreal for a degree in Fiber Arts. When she's not trying to figure out where craft has its place in a fine arts world she enjoys rolling around in her stash of yarn. Originally from Toronto, Pippa learned to knit from her mother, who also shares a passion for textiles and the finer things in life.
