Jane of All Trades

Sleepwalker Socks detail

Originally uploaded by erica myers-russo

Round two of socks for children.

Pattern: Somnambulist Socks (Mine, see below)
Yarn: Auracania Ranco multi
Needles: Knit Picks circs, size 1 or 1.5
Size: Child’s size 5-ish. Long, skinny girl feet.

Same deal as the last ones–Cast on using Judy’s Magic Cast-on (I’ll edit later to include the number of stitches), then worked tow-up.

Stitch pattern is worked over a 3×1 rib (stockinette on the sole, of course). I was inspired by the lovely Leyburn, and wanted a pattern that would similarly enhance the hand-dyed yarn. I need ribs, and lots of them, to hug the girl’s skinny feet. So:

Round 1 and every subsequent odd row: (K3, P1) around
Round 2: (Slip 3 WYIF, P1) around
Round 4: (K1, then knit one through both the next stitch and the slipped stitch, so you are in fact pulling the yarn through both and “catching” the slipped stitch, K1, P1) around
Round 6: K1, (K1, slip 3 WYIF, K1) around - you should be slipping the purl stitch and one knit stitch on either side of it
Round 8: K1, (K1, then purl one through both the next stitch and the slipped stitch, so you are in fact pulling the yarn through both and “catching” the slipped stitch, K1) around

And so on, working heel of your choice (I used a short-row). Once you turn the heel, continue the 3×1 ribbing pattern up the calf, then switch to a 1×1 rib for the cuff. BO using stretchy BO of your choice. (I used EZ’s sewn BO).

Note: These were originally called “Sleepwalker Socks,” which I thought was terribly clever, until I realized that a terribly clever friend of mine, Monica Nappe, had already created a sock pattern by that name.  Check it out here: http://www.yarn4socks.com/servlet/Detail?no=1900

Colettikins Socks

Originally uploaded by erica myers-russo

I’ve mentioned my Sock Equivalent theory–that for any given pattern, I seem to have the attention span/will to go on for about one Sock Equivalent: One whole sock, two half socks, and (luckily for my kids) two kids socks. So here’s the first pair: Colettikins–not new at all.

Colettikins Socks
Yarn: One strand Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in Mt. Creek, one strand Baby Ull or equivalent washable fingering-weight wool.
Pattern: My own. Toe-up, magic cast-on, winding 2×1 ribbing. Cuff is 1×1 rib with a ruffled bind off.

CO 16 stitches. Increased to about 40 stitches. Top of foot worked in 2×1 winding rib as follows (stockinette of sole):
Round 1 and all even rows - (K2, P1) across
Round 3 - (LT, P1) across
Round 5 - (RT, P1) across
Repeat pattern until cuff–once heel is turned (I used the “Riverbed” pathway from Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters, which is also where I learned Judy’s Magic Cast-On, which is totally worth the price of admission.) you can continued the pattern all the way around, adding or removing a stitch or two if needed to get your multiple of three for the K2, P1 rib.
Cuff–Switch to K1, P1 ribbing and knit for a suitable length. To create ruffle, work one round as follows”
K1FB around
Then bind off. The major advantage of the ruffle (aside from the over-the-top cute factor) is that it will make it nearly impossible to bind off too tightly.