Thursday, April 19, 2007

Runner Up

I really enjoyed reading all your comments on the Journeyman Piece. I'm glad it gave you guys some food for thought.

Coming in at second place in the poll:



I'm glad the voting came out the way it did, because it gave me a great idea for the name for these socks: the Runner-Up Socks. Cute, huh?

These are for the February birthday of a good friend of mine. Sadly, they may not be done yet. Due to changing needles and changing stress levels, the second sock is *significantly* smaller than the first sock. Before you get on me about changing needles partway through a project (actually halfway through sock 1), I have to say that the Lantern Moon dpns I bought for this originally are the devil incarnate, and I would have lost my mind if I hadn't bought the Knitpicks ones and switched. For $25, I should not get two needles with splintered tips. (Yeah, I know I need to talk to the company or the LYS, but I really don't want them replaced. I want to forget they ever happened. I like metal now.)

I'm going to see if they block to the same size, and if not I'll just knit a third one. That'll be extra fun.

These socks were wonderful and simple, and I plan to use the pattern again to make footies for other people as Christmas gifts. I know it's only April, but what do you have to give your parents for their respective Mother's and Father's days?

Yay for free (copyrighted) patterns! Use it, love it, tell me if I made a boo-boo, tell me if you make some, but don't sell them!

Runner Up Socks: Worsted Weight Footies

Requirements: Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 2 skeins in your main color (MC) and 1 skein in the contrast color (CC) for heels and toes; any worsted weight yarn should work. The Mission Falls is superwash: bonus!
US 5 double-pointed needles

Gauge: 22 sts =4” (5.5 sts=1”)

CO 40 sts in MC and join to work in the round.

Work 6 rounds in 2x2 rib.

Work four rows in stockinette. Break MC. (I actually think these would work well if you added a few more rows of stockinette before starting the heel.)

Begin heel flap: Turn work and purl 20 sts in CC.
Row 2: *Sl1, K1* to end of row.
Row 3: Sl1, p across
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 22 total rows in heel flap, end with a RS row.

Heel turn:
Row 1: sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2: sl1, k3, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 3: sl1, purl to within 1 st of gap, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 4: sl 1, k to within 1 st of gap, ssk, k1, turn
Rep rows 3 and 4 until all sts are worked, end after row 4. Break yarn.

Gusset:
With MC, starting just to the left of the last stitch you worked, PU about 13 or 14 sts on side of gusset. Knit across top of foot, then pick up the same number of sts on the other side of the gusset. Work across heel flap, then arrange needles so that the round begins in the middle of the heel flap.

Gusset decreases:
Row 1: Knit to last 2 sts of needle 1, ssk. Knit across top of foot. On needle 4, k2tog, then knit to end of needle.
Row 2: Knit to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog, k1. Knit across top of foot. On needle 4, k1, ssk, then knit to end.
Row 3: K all sts.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 10 sts remain on all needles.

Foot: Knit to 2” short of the length of the foot. Break yarn.

Toe: Join CC for toe
Row 1: K all sts
Row 2 (decrease round): K to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog, k1. On needle 2, k1, ssk, k to end of needle. On needle 3, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. On needle 4, k1, ssk, k to end. 36 sts rem.
Rows 3 and 4: K all sts
Row 5: Decrease round. 32 sts.
Rows 6 and 7: k all sts
Row 8: Decrease round. 28 sts.
Row 9: K all sts
Row 10: Decrease round. 24 sts.
Row 11: k all sts
Row 12: Decrease round. 20 sts.
Row 13: Decrease round. 16 sts.

Knit across needle 1. Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Transfer stitches from needle 4 to needle 1 and from needle 2 to needle 3 so that all the stitches from the top of the foot are on one needle and all the stitches from the bottom of the foot are on the other. Graft the remaining stitches together.

I hope you like them!

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12 Comments:

At 4/19/2007 9:32 AM , Blogger AuntieAnn said...

Those are very cute! Thanks for the pattern -- that is a fine gift idea.

 
At 4/19/2007 9:36 AM , Blogger Amanda said...

Great socks! Thanks for the pattern. How do you like the KnitPicks DPNs? I've been looking for a good set of metal sock needles.

 
At 4/19/2007 11:17 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Those are the cutest little socks! Thanks for helping me add to my collection of sock recipes!

 
At 4/19/2007 11:23 AM , Blogger knottygnome said...

nice socks! if you make a third, you can always gift all three and that way the recipient will have a spare in case the laundry monster comes to visit.

 
At 4/19/2007 6:37 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks for the pattern. I hear ya on changing sizes. I love the gifting 3 socks, great idea!

 
At 4/20/2007 7:51 AM , Blogger Heather said...

Great socks! How do you like the yarn? I've been interested in it, but haven't worked with it or felt it.

 
At 4/20/2007 8:39 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bummer about the Lantern Moon needles. Nickel plated needles can't be beat for durability I guess.

 
At 4/21/2007 6:49 AM , Blogger Carol said...

Love your socks. I have worked with both metal and wooden needles and I can't decide which I like the best. For my circs I can't say enough about Knitpicks options. Love them

 
At 4/21/2007 8:03 PM , Blogger Alliesw said...

Thanks for posting the pattern and pictures--and I love the name, too. And I know what you mean about the changing stress levels and sock sizes!

 
At 4/23/2007 3:18 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great socks! I love the colors.
Thanks for the suggestion for my socks, I think contrasting heel and toe would be great and it's about time I did toe up!

 
At 4/26/2007 12:12 PM , Blogger clumberknits said...

Ooh, I might try these! They are very cute.

I'm so sad about your Lantern Moon needles .. I have a set that i have used once, and I love them, but then I switched to Pony Pearl because they were almost as good, and much cheaper. But my Pony Pearls are splitting at the tip, so I was going to go back to the Lantern Moons. I'm rethinking that now.

I do have the knipticks dpns, but haven't tried them yet because the 1s are 2.5mm as opposed to the 2.25 that i have been using.

Thanks for the pattern!

 
At 8/22/2007 2:35 PM , Blogger Susan Q. said...

Great socks! Thanks for the pattern. I knit up a pair for myself but used the magic loop technique instead of using DPs. I'm going to make a pair for my sister for Christmas.

 

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