xoxo socks

Oh, how embarassing! My knitterly friends and I had a no-new-wips-January where it was forbidden to start any new projects unless you had finished all the old ones. The good intention there was of course to free up some needles and lower the ever growing number of wips we have. And to keep us motivated, there was the threat of a monstrous punishment for breaking the rules.

What: xoxo / Own pattern

How: Circular needle 3.5 mm

From: Novita 7veljestä, 150 g

Yes... I was obeying the rules. I didn't start any new projects but finished many old UFOs. But then came along this secret thing that I had to swatch for. I swear I wasn't going to knit it until February, just to swatch. But my friends were ruthless and said a swatch was a violation against the rules! Ok, if I'm being totally honest, I may have been the one that came up with this rule last January...

As a punishment, I was ordered to go to the super market and buy the most ghastly yarn we (friends of handpainted luxury yarns) know of. The task was to buy a skein of market yarn and knit something for myself. And I had to use the whole skein. Cruel, I tell you.

I admit those high-quality hand dyed yarns tend to assassinate your bank account but boy, are they worth it! I've been complaining about the quality of market yarn for years even though I've had no experience in it for many, many years. Well, now I do. I didn't like it one bit. The whole skein was this prickly, coarse dust that scraped my hands. My eyes were watery and itchy, my fingers ached and I couldn't stop sneezing the entire time I was knitting.

But I didn't have a choice. I made the swatch so I had to pay the price. I decided to knit socks because knitting toe up, I could be sure to use the entire skein. Also, socks can be worn over other socks so the prickly yarn won't get to touch my skin. I wanted to find a silver lining in this itchy dust cloud, so I designed a new sock pattern. I'd say this would be a lot nicer knit in some lovely hand dyed DK-weight yarn.

xoxo

Simple cabled socks knit toe up. The pattern is written for magic loop technique but you can use dpns if you prefer them.

Yarn: Novita 7veljestä / Any heavy sport or DK-weight yarn, 150-200 g

Needles: 3.5 mm

m1l = make 1 left. Pick up the yarn between sts by inserting the left needle under it from front to back and knit it through the back loop.

m1lp = make 1 left purl. Pick up the yarn between sts by inserting the left needle under it from front to back and purl it through the back loop.

m1r = make 1 right. Pick up the yarn between sts by inserting the left needle under it from back to front and knit it through the front loop.

m1rp = make 1 right purl. Pick up the yarn between sts by inserting the left needle under it from back to front and purl it through the front loop.

ssk = slip, slip, knit. Slip 1 as if to knit, slip 1 as if to knit, move the sts back onto the left needle and k2tog through the back loop.

w&t = wrap & turn. With the yarn in back, slip the next st, bring the yarn to the front, move the st back onto the left needle and turn work. When you came to this wrapped st on the next round/row, knit the st and the wrap together.

Instructions

 

Both socks:

Using Judy's magic cast on, CO 16 sts (8 sts on each needle).

Inc rnd: (k1, m1l, k until 1 st left on the needle, m1r, k1) x 2.

Repeat the increases on every round two more times and then on every other round 5 more times. (26 sts on each needle).

Start knitting the xoxo chart.

Left sock:

Next rnd: On needle 1, knit the chart, on needle two, p1, k to end.

Continue knitting the chart on needle 1 and purling the first st of needle 2 until you have worked rounds 1-16 from the chart. 

Right sock:

Next rnd: On needle 1, knit the chart, on needle 2, k to last st, p1.

Continue knitting the chart on needle 1 and purling the last st of needle 2 until you have worked rounds 1-16 from the chart.

Both socks:

Next rnd: On needle 1, knit the chart, on needle 2, p1, k to last st, p1.

Continue knitting the chart on needle 1 and purling the first and last st of needle 2. Once the sock measures 6 cm less than the desired length, start gusset increases.

Inc rnd: On needle 1, knit the cart, on needle 2, p1, m1lp, knit to last st, m1rp, p1.

Repeat the increases on every second round 6 more times. Purl the increased sts. (26 sts on needle 1, 40 sts on needle 2). Next, work the heel turn and heel flap with short rows:

Row 1 (RS): On needle 1, knit the chart, on needle 2, p7, k22, w&t.

Row 2 (WS): p20, w&t.

Row 3: k18, w&t.

Row 4: p16, w&t.

Row 5: k14, w&t.

Row 6: p12, w&t.

Next, you will be slipping the first st of each row. On WS, slip it as if to purl and on RS, slip it as if to knit.

Row 1 (RS): p17, ssk.

Row 2 (WS): slip 1, p22, p2tog.

Row 3 (RS): slip 1, p22, ssk.

Repeat rows 2-3 four more times and the row 2 once more. There are 26 sts on each needle. Continue knitting in the round so that you knit the chart on needle 1 and purl the first and last st of needle 2.

Once the sock measures 18 cm from the top of the heel flap, work 10 cm (k2, p2) ribbing. Bind off loosely using Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off.

Left chart
Round 1: K17, p, k8. (26 sts)
Round 2: Repeat round 1.
Round 3: K17, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC.
Round 4: Repeat round 1.
Rounds 5 - 8: Repeat rounds 1 - 4.
Round 9: (K8, p) x 2, k8.
Round 10: Repeat round 9.
Round 11: K8, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC.
Round 12-13: Repeat round 9.
Rounds 14 - 17: Repeat rounds 10 - 13.
Round 18: Repeat round 9.
Round 19: (2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC).
Rounds 20 - 22: ((K8, p) x 2, k8).
Round 23: Repeat round 19.
Round 24--26: Repeat round 20.
Round 27: (2/2 LC, 2/2 RC, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC).
Rounds 28 - 31: Repeat rounds 24 - 27.
Rounds 32 - 34: ((K8, p) x 2, k8).

Right chart
Round 1: K8, p, k17. (26 sts)
Round 2: Repeat round 1.
Round 3: 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, k17.
Round 4: Repeat round 1.
Rounds 5 - 8: Repeat rounds 1 - 4.
Round 9: (K8, p) x 2, k8.
Round 10: Repeat round 9.
Round 11: 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, k8.
Round 12-13: Repeat round 9.
Rounds 14 - 17: Repeat rounds 10 - 13.
Round 18: Repeat round 9.
Round 19: (2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC).
Rounds 20 - 22: ((K8, p) x 2, k8).
Round 23: Repeat round 19.
Round 24-26: Repeat round 20.
Round 27: (2/2 LC, 2/2 RC, p, 2/2 RC, 2/2 LC, p, 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC).
Rounds 28 - 31: Repeat rounds 24 - 27.
Rounds 32 - 34: ((K8, p) x 2, k8).