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Patterns<click for more! Print With Images Print Without Images
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Pink Needles
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Simply Sock Yarns
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Title
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spacer photos: William F. Walker

Tangy

If it wasn't for a little luck, this pattern would have been ramen in the frog pond.

I was playing with stitch patterns suitable for variegated yarn and got hooked on a 3x1 biased rib that found its way onto my needles. I liked the stitch, but didn't like the purl ditch where the ribs met. I tried several techniques to clean it up with no success.

I was about to whip the needles out and rip away, when the inside of the sock caught my eye. It turns out that the real pattern was hidden inside the sock!

Outside In is worked entirely inside out, so the majority of stitches are worked as knit stitches. When the sock is finished, turn it right side out (or should that be outside in?), and voila!, the ribs become spines on a field of purl stitches with sweet columns of eyelets down the center front and back.

A gusset provides more room for the instep. As an added bonus, reversing the sock gives you a fabric suitable for any Princess and the Pea, with the smooth side of the stockinette pampering your sole.

SIZE

S[M, L] (shown in size M)

 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference: 5.75[6.5, 7.25] inches unstretched
Foot length: adjustable to fit

 
MATERIALS

spacer Panda Superwash [51% bamboo, 39% superwash wool, 10% nylon; 186yds/172m per 50g skein]; color: Violets; 2[2, 3] skeins

Recommended needle size:
spacer 1 set of 5 US #1/2.25mm
OR
spacer 1 24 inch or longer US #1/2.25mm circular needle
spacer Additional set of the same size double-point needles (optional)
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

spacer 2 yds Fingering weight waste yarn
spacer Stitch markers
spacer Tapestry needle

 

GAUGE
34 sts/48 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

The charts will print on a single page each. Click each chart name below and print.
Chart A [small, medium large] and
Chart B [small, medium]
Chart B [large]

Slip sts as if to purl unless otherwise instructed.

Note for DPN users: I found it easier to rearrange the sts on the needles and not have increases or decreases at the beginning or end of a needle. Using a stitch marker to identify the beginning of the round, I divided the sts of the Medium Chart A so that sts 8-27 were on one DPN, sts 28-7 were on the next DPN, and so on. The sts were rearranged every 8 rounds or so. How you divide the sts across the needles is up to you.

ssptbl: Sl 1 as if to knit, sl 1 as if to knit, purl the sl sts together tbl.

Rib St, worked over 64[72, 80] sts:
All rnds: [K1, p3], repeat to end of round.

DIRECTIONS
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Cuff
CO 64[72, 80] sts. Divide between needles so that each holds a multiple of 4 and join to begin working in the round.
Work Rib St for 12 rnds.

Leg
Small and Large sizes:
Setup: Purl the first stitch of the next round onto the last needle of the round and pm; this is now the beginning of the round.
Round 1: Work round 1 of Leg Pattern from Chart A for appropriate size.

Medium size:
Setup: [K2, p1] from the start of the next round onto the last needle of the round and pm; this is now the beginning of the round.
Round 1: [K5, (p1, k3) 7 times, k2, p1]; repeat to end of round.
Round 2: [K2tog, (k3, p1) 3 times, k3, yo, p1, yo, (k3, p1) 3 times, k3, SSK, p1]; repeat to end of round.
Round 3: [K4, (p1, k3) 3 times, p3, (k3, p1) 3 times, k4, p1]; repeat to end of round.
Round 4: Work round 4 of the Leg Pattern from Chart A for size Medium.

All sizes: Continue working Leg Pattern from Chart A to round 8. Repeat rounds 1-8 six more times.

Gusset Increases
8 sts are added make room for the instep. If you have a high instep, you may want to add more sts. Adjust the afterthought heel and foot accordingly. Stitches are added by working the Leg Pattern without decreases.

Work rounds 1-5 of the Leg Pattern from Chart A, as established.

Work increases:
Round 1: K1[0, 1], p1[0, 1], (k3, p1) 3[4, 4] times, k1, yo, p1, yo, k1, (p1, k3) 3[4, 4] times, p1[0, 1], k1[0, 1], p1; repeat once more to end of round. 68[76, 84] sts.
Round 2: K1[0, 1], p1[0, 1], (k3, p1) 3[4, 4] times, k2, p1, k2, (p1, k3) 3[4, 4] times, p1[0, 1], k1[0, 1], p1; repeat once more to end of round.
Round 3: K1[0, 1], p1[0, 1], (k3, p1) 3[4, 4] times, k2, yo, p1, yo, k2, (p1, k3) 3[4, 4] times, p1[0, 1], k1[0, 1], p1; repeat once more to end of round. 72[80, 88] sts.

Heel Prep:
Using waste yarn, k 35[39, 43].
Go back to the beginning of the round and continue working with the project yarn.  The waste yarn will be picked out later to work the heel.

Instep and Gusset Decreases
Round 1: Using project yarn, k 35[39, 43], work rem sts as per round 1 of Chart B.
Rounds 2-8: K35[39, 43], work rem sts as per the next round of Chart B.
Round 9: K2tog, k 31[35, 39], SSK, work rem sts as per the next round of Chart B. 70[78, 86] sts.
Rounds 10-12: K33[37, 41], work rem sts as per the next round of Chart B.
Round 13: K2tog, k 29[33, 37], SSK, work rem sts as per the next round of Chart B. 66[74, 82] sts.
Rounds 14-16: K31[35, 39], work rem sts as per the next round of Chart B.
64[72, 80] sts rem after completing round 16.

You can work the heel now or continue working the foot and work the heel later. The heel needs to be finished in order to determine when to start the toe.

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Heel
The rib pattern will continue down the back of the heel and the bottom of the heel/sole will be worked in st st.

If you have second set of needles that are the same size as your project needles, use them for the heel. If not, transfer all of the live sts and the beg of rnd marker onto waste yarn.

Pick out the heel prep waste yarn one st at a time and put the live heel sts onto project needles. You should capture 70[78, 86] sts -- 35[39, 43] from the upper loops exposed by the removal of the waste yarn and 35[39, 43] from the lower loops. Pick up 2 additional sts in each ‘corner’. 74[82, 90] sts total.

Hold the sock with the [p1, k3] rib facing and the needles in a ready-to-knit position.

Small & Large sizes: The first st of the heel round will be 2 sts before the first purl st. Place marker for beg of rnd.  

Medium size: The first st of the heel round will be 4 sts before the purl st.  Place marker for beg of rnd.

All sizes:
Join project yarn. To avoid cutting the project yarn, work the heel from a different ball of project yarn or from the other end of the current ball of yarn.

Setup round: P1, k1[3, 1], (p1, k3) 8[9, 10] times, p1[0, 1], k1[0, 1], pm, p1, k2tog, k33[37, 41], SSK. 72[80, 88] sts.

Rounds 1, 3, 5, and 7: Work even — knit the knit sts and purl the purl sts.
Round 2: P1, ssptbl[k2tog, ssptbl], work even until 2 sts before stitch marker, p2tog[SSK, p2tog], p1, k2tog, k until 2 sts remain, SSK.
Round 4: P1, k2tog, work even until 2 sts before stitch marker, SSK, p1, k2tog, k until 2 sts remain, SSK.
Round 6: P1, k2tog[ssptbl, k2tog], work even until 2 sts before stitch marker, SSK[p2tog, SSK], p1, k2tog, k until 2 sts remain, SSK.
Round 8: As per round 4.

Repeat Rounds 1-8 until 44[44, 48] sts remain.

Next 4 rounds:
Rounds 1 and 3: K all sts.
Rounds 2 and 4: *K1, k2tog, k until 2 sts before stitch marker, SSK; rep to end of round. 36[36, 40] sts total.

Graft the heel closed.

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Foot
If the foot sts are on waste yarn, transfer all sts and the beg of rnd marker to project needles. Join project yarn if previously cut.

Continue working the instep and sole sts starting at the beg of rnd marker.

Round 1: K31[35, 39], p1, work round 1 from Chart A.

Round 2: K31[35, 39], p1, work next round from Chart A.

Continue as established until the sole measured from the back of the heel is approx 1.75[2, 2.25] inches shorter than desired length. If you start the toe immediately after completing round 1 or round 8 of Chart A, you will have 3 ribs centered on the toe as shown in the photos.

Toe
Round 1: Work even.
Round 2: K2tog, k until 2 sts before the first purl st, SSK, p1; decrease (see note below) ; work even until 3 sts remain; decrease (see note below), p1.

Note re: first decrease:
If the next 2 sts are a knit followed by a purl st, work ssptbl, otherwise k2tog.

Note re: second decrease:
If the next st is a purl st, work p2tog, otherwise SSK.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until 32[32, 36] sts remain.

Next 4 rounds:
Rounds 1 and 3: K all sts.
Round 2: [K2tog, k11[11, 13], SSK, k1]; rep to end of round. 28[28, 32] sts total.
Round 4: [K2tog, k9[9, 11], SSK, k1]; rep to end of round. 24[24, 28] sts total.

Graft the toe closed.
 

FINISHING

Weave in ends (remember which side is the public side!), turn the sock right side out, and block if desired.

 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
designernameBlank Janice knits, spins, and blogs from her home in Northern California. She has designed for various yarn companies and has a sock pattern slated for Debbie Stoller's upcoming book, Stitch 'n Bitch Extreme.

You can follow her on her blog and on Ravelry.
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