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!