Best. Kneesocks. Ever.

I actually finished these last Wednesday but have been lazy and busy (a weird combination, I know). Here they are at last!


For those who care, I knit them toe up on size 1's (started with DPNs, switched to two knitpicks circs) using Koigu KPPPPPPPPPM, dye code appears to be P423. It took about two and a half skeins. I used Widdershins to make the heel.


I invented the lace pattern, which grows wider as you go up the leg. I talked at one point about doing a tutorial on "kneesocks that fit your calves" but I am lazy and busy. So here's the no-picture version. Please remember I'm talking about a toe-up sock, so just exchange "decrease" for "increase" wherever you need it.

Look at your legs. Many (most) of the kneesock patterns out there put the decreases or increases (depending on which way you go) on either side of a seam right up the back of your leg. This can work sometimes, but the truth is, when my calves get bigger they get bigger all over, not just in the back. I want my motifs that run up the side of my leg to stay centered. To do this I'll need to increase all over the sock, not just in the back.


Hey, someone has already thought of this! In Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, the Norwegian stockings (top-down) have all their decreases in one round, below the widest part of the calf. But my calves aren't shaped like that. They change size gradually. Plus, the way that pattern is written you only change the circumference of the sock by about an inch, and I don't know about you guys but there's more than an inch difference in my shapely legs.

Here's what I did. I got out a tape measure and a pen that I knew would wash off. I marked the point on my ankle where you switch from the foot part to the leg part. I measured up to the top of my shin. 13". I then used the tape measure (a mirror is helpful here too) to put 13 lines at intervals of one inch all the way up my shin. Then I measured the circumference of my leg at each interval and marked it down, and then I made a little graph. I found out that there was a four inch difference between my ankle and the widest part of my calf.


Next I designed my motif. You can see how easy it would be to add an extra yarn-over in there to widen the pattern. (Can you? I can try to take better pictures) Each increase section was about eight rows, and increased the sock by 8 stitches. I wound up only needing two increase sections.

It's going to be a long time before I knit kneesocks again, because these took forEVER, but I know the next time I'll do something similar to this so that the motifs all line up and follow the curve of my leg. I think this is a lot more flattering and way more fun!


(Can you tell it's time to dust the mirror?)