Thursday, June 7, 2012

Brick Road Socks


The socks are done.  I wore them to bed last night, and had warm happy feet. They're actually a little too big, so I'm going to reblock them, and see if I can shrink them a small amount without too much felting. The Regia yarn is superwash. The Knitpicks--isn't. I know, I know. But I made these from scraps from other projects. One works with what one has.

I was looking for a toe up sock pattern on Ravelry, and Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder came up. It's NOT toe-up. However, I've never met a pattern I didn't feel the need to rewrite at least a little, and I really liked the look of this one, so ever so blithely decided to convert it. (Pattern notes are below.)  The pattern and yarn remind me of the brick paved street in the small town where I grew up. It’s warm and soft, just a little rugged looking, and quite comforting. Since I've been quite homesick lately, this is a good thing.


I knit rather loosely. I used a combination of Knit Picks Palette and Regia 4-ply on size 1 needles, for a gauge of 7 stitches to the inch. They took about 200 yards of yarn; roughly 80 grams, total. They would have been better at 8 or 9 stitches per inch, but my size 0 needles broke. Increase or decrease by multiples of four for tighter or looser gauge, or to make your socks smaller or larger. The size I made is about a women's U.S. 9.

This pattern is fairly adaptable. I've written it for  Magic Loop, feel free to change to suit dpns, 2AAT, or whatever tickles your fancy. Because knitting should. Tickle one's fancy, I mean.

(If you use this pattern as I've written it, and find errors, PLEASE let me know? Thank you.) 

Toe:
Cast on 24 stitches (I used Judy’s Magic Cast On.) Mark beginning of round.
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: K2, M1 (I used Techknitter’s Nearly Invisible Increase), knit to two stitches from end of first needle, M1, K2 (14 stitches on first needle.) Repeat on second needle. (26 stitches total.)
Repeat these two rounds eight times. (17 rounds total, 28 stitches on each needle, 56 stitches in all.)
Knit 4 rounds even. If changing yarn, switch to main color, knit one round. (22 rounds in all.)

Foot:
Round 1: k1, p1, k2, repeat five times, k1, p1, k2 (28 stitches on first needle, this will be the to top of the foot,) knit 28 stitches (second needle, this will be the bottom of the foot,) to complete the round.
Round 2: knit
Round 3: k3, p1, repeat five times, k3 (end of first needle), k28 to complete the round.
Round 4: knit
Repeat until sock measures 5” (or about 55% of total desired foot length.) End with round 2 or round 4.
Increase for gussets:
Round 1: Knit the stitches on the first needle in pattern, on the second needle, k2, M1, k24, M1, k2. (30 stitches on needle)
Round 2: Knit
Repeat these two rounds ten more times (50 stitches on needle 2)

Regarding the heel: Short row heels--while pretty--don’t fit my funky shaped feet very well, and I prefer a slightly rounded (French) to a square (German) heel. I also prefer using paired decreases for making short rows to the “wrap and turn” technique. (I only despise w&t with the fire of 97 suns, but if I can avoid it, I will.) For these socks; I wanted the Regia yarn on the bottom as well as the back of the heel, because it is reinforced with nylon, and will be longer wearing.

I originally planned to make Maia Spins Toe Up Gusseted Heel) but couldn’t wrap--no, the pun wasn’t intended--my brain around doing that while also changing the yarn, purling the edge stitches, and using an  slipped half linen stitch pattern going up the back of the sock. I’m sure it can be done, but my technical skills just aren’t quite up to it. Maybe next time.

This is what I did instead. It’s a little funky, but it fits well and I think it looks pretty good.

Heel Shaping Part I:
A “half moon” will be made with short rows worked on the 26 stitches in the center of needle two, leaving 12 unworked “gusset” stitches on each side. These unworked stitches will be picked up and worked into the sides of the heel cup and flap, later on. If it’s easier to slip these stitches to the other needle or to cable needles to keep them out of the way until it’s their turn to be worked, feel free.

Row 1: If using a contrast yarn; skip the first 12 stitches on the needle, join at stitch 13. k26, turn. (If not changing yarn, knit across 38 stitches. Turn.)
Row 2: (wrong side) Slip 1st stitch, purl across to three stitches from end, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Slip 1st stitch, knit across to to three stitches from end (or gap--or 15 stitches--if the gusset stitches on the working needle), ssk, k1, turn.
Repeat these two rows, decreasing one stitch per row, for a total of 19 rows. (There should be seven "live" stitches left in the center of the row.)

Heel Shaping Part II:
Round 1: (WS) pick up 7 stitches along the decreased edge as if to purl. Pick up the next 3 stitches along that edge as if to knit. Slip the first stitch of the "live" gusset stitches onto the right hand needle, slip the final picked up stitch over and off. Turn. (17 stitches on needle)
Round 2: (RS) s1, p2, k14, pick up 7 stitches along the decreased edge as if to knit, pick up the next 3 stitches along that edge as if to purl. Knit the next stitch together with the first live gusset stitch. Turn. (27 stitches on needle.)
Round 3: s1, k2, p21, k2, p1, p next stitch together with the live gusset stitch next to it. Turn
Round 4: s1, p2, (k1, s1 wyif) 10 times, k1, p2, knit next stitch together with the adjacent live gusset stitch, turn.
Repeat rounds 3 and 4 until all gusset stitches have been picked up and decreased into heel. (19 more times)

Leg:
Switch to main color if changing colors. (I like Techknitter's jogless stripes method for color changes.
Round 1 Work instep in pattern previously established, continue across heel stitches in same pattern, M1 (either kfb or lift from the stitch below). (56 stitches total) 
Round 2: Work in pattern around.
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until desired length is reached, approximately 38 more times.  (Mine is 3.5 inches from the top of the heel flap.)
Change color for ribbing, if desired.

Ribbing:
Round 1: k1, p1, around
Repeat Round 1 until desired length is reached, approximately 15 more times. (Mine is 1.5 inches).

Bind Off with Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. 

Weave in ends, yada yada yada, wash, block, yada, yada, yada,

ENJOY. 

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