Noro Stripy Socks

I was so obsessed with watching the colors change from the two different colorways that the knitting of these was totally addictive. I finished them in 5 days (kitchnered the toe of the second on Thursday night!)



They clash, they don't match, they're totally ugly, and they're awesome. My new favorite pair of socks. I want to knit more. In fact, I might cast on for a "matching" pair in Daisy's size. (My husband's comment when he saw me knitting these in the webcam the other night: "Why would you waste your time knitting something that looks like a mistake?") I love them!!! (And I've sent him these pictures. So there.)



Wanna knit them too? I thought so. Here's the pattern:

Noro Stripy Socks
(Queue yours up here!)

Size:
Woman's medium (US size 7-9. Mine were knit to fit the length of my 8-1/2 sized foot.)

Gauge:
15 sts per 2 inches
27 rows per 2 inches

Needles:
2.5 mm (approx US size 1-1/2) 32” or longer circulars

Yarn:
Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn, two colorways of your choice (I used 188 and 164). You will only use the equivalent of one ball, so you'll definitely have enough for a second pair, should you so choose. Or you could use those two half-balls to combine with two other colorways for endless possibilities!

Abbreviations:
CO = cast on
K = knit
P = purl
tbl = through the back loop
sts = stitches
stst = stockinette stitch
MC = main color
CC = contrasting color
ssk = slip, slip, knit the two stitches together
p2tog = purl two together
k2tog = knit two together

1x1 twisted rib pattern stitch:
K1 tbl, p1, repeat to end.

NOTE:
These were knit on one circular needle, magic loop style, so the pattern is written as such. However, you can easily substitute needle style of your choice.


Pattern:
CO 64 sts. Join in round. Work 1x1 twisted rib pattern stitch for 12 rows. Knit one row plain (all knit sts).

Switch to CC, work in st st 4 rows. Switch to MC, work st st 4 rows.

Continue in this manner until you have 10 stripes each of MC and CC, or until leg is as long as you want it.

Turn your work to prepare for heel-flap.

Begin slip-stitch heel flap:
Row 1: Slip 1, purl 31 sts.
Row 2: Turn, *slip 1, k1. Repeat from * until all 32 sts are used up.
Repeat these 2 rows (ending on row 2) until you have 19 slipped sts along edge of heel flap.

Turn heel:
Slip 1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k 5, ssk, k 1, turn.
Slip 1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k7, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k9, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, p10, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k11, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k13, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k15, ssk, k1, turn.
Slip 1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, k15, ssk, k1, 18 stitches remain.

Pick up 23 sts up the side of heel flap (or as many as needed to close up any holes in corners, etc.). Knit across instep sts, pick up 23 sts back down other side of heel (or however many to match the number from first side). You are now back to knitting st st in the round.

Gusset decrease rows:
Row 1: Knit across heel sts and back up heel flap to top corner and last 3 sts on that side. K2tog, k1. Knit across instep sts. First three sts of other side heel flap: k1, ssk.
Row 2: Knit plain.

Continue to knit these two rows until you are back to 64 sts total.

Make sure that your sts are evenly divided in half between each side of the “magic loop”, and knit st st, continuing to maintain stripe pattern until sock measures the proper length (for my size US 8-1/2 foot, I knit 7-3/4”).

Decrease for toe:
Row 1: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts on first half, ssk, k1. Repeat for second half of sts.
Row 2: K plain

Repeat these two rows until 12 sts remain on each side, 24 sts total. Kitchner toe closed. Weave in ends and lightly block (Noro softens nicely with a good soak in some wool wash – add a tiny bit of hair conditioner if they still feel a bit scratchy.)

Enjoy!

************************
If you want to use this pattern for anything -- selling your knitted socks, printing it out for your friends, whatever, that's fine. Just be sure this copyright information and my blog address are always included.

~Faith A D
flashbangfibers.blogspot.com

*************************


This picture, courtesy of Sparky, who is still learning to use the "focus" feature of the trigger button.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

I am a woman obsessed (posessed?)

I can stop whenever I want to.

Really, I can.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Noro Kureyon Sock: yarn review (and an FO)

**Edited to add my Sock Recipe for this pair**

The Noro socks are complete.

There's just something about Noro. The intense color saturation, the transition between colors, the handspun quality. It's almost enough to negate the stiff feeling hand, bits of splinter and twig throughout, and (of course) the requisite knot, screwing up the color sequence. (On that last bit, I snipped out the knot, then wound off almost an entire color repeat to get back to where I should have been. Pain in the arse, I tell you.) It also should be noted that I probably would have been wise to knit from the outside of the ball rather than pulling from the center, as this yarn sticks to itself even as it's coming out, and tangles just for the sheer joy of it.

"I am Mommy's little shadow. She seems to be totally absorbed in these things. I think I'll take a taste"

The knitted fabric was a little thicker than the usual fingering sock weight because of the slubs throughout, and felt a bit stiff. Much of the stiffness disappeared in the first wash, and although these will never be considered "soft" or "cushy", I didn't find them scratchy on my feet (for comparison, I do find Brown Sheep Wildfoot to make me itch wildly).


"This is how she's doing it, right?"

On the yarn's label, it doesn't specify if the wool is superwash or not, and it does say hand wash and dry flat, but when I squished them around in my wash (not so carefully -- but not too rough), I didn't notice any felting in the least. The yarn is tightly spun and includes 30% nylon content, which, along with my tight gauge, should make this a moderately hard-wearing sock, single-ply notwithstanding. I did go down one needle size to turn the heel though, just to be safe.


"Perhaps I'll just take the finished one out for a little play."

Bottom line: would I knit with this yarn again? If my local yarn shop begins to carry it....and it has, say, shade 185, 188, 164 or 092 in stock...right. It'll be in my little market bag. There are other yarns out there that might be more pleasant to knit, but...well, let me ask you this -- has the troubles with Noro ever stopped the masses in the past? No. There will be some negative reactions, yes, I'm sure, but overall, there's just nothing like Noro.

(She's actually been crawling around with one or the other sock since I completed them -- I guess it's never too early to start a Noro addiction.)

PROJECT SPECS
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock color #185
Needles: KnitPicks Classic Circular, size 1 (knit one at a time, cuff-down, magic-loop).
Gauge: 9 stitches per inch
Notes: These were knitted plain with a twisted 1x1 ribbed cuff. I started the second sock (color wise) right where I'd left off with the first one. Usually I am obsessively matchy-matchy, so this was pretty fun for me. I love the way they turned out.
Pattern: This is more of a recipe than anything -- get actual numbers for heel turn and such here (I did a round heel though like the one found here, not a Dutch one).
Cast on 64 stitches. Knit twisted 1x1 ribbed cuff for 1 inch (knit 1 through the back loop, purl one, repeat around). Switch to plain stockinette (knitting all stitches) for as many inches as you'd like (or, to be just like me, until it's 7 inches from cast on edge).
Begin slipped stitch heel-flap on 32 stitches and knit until it's a square (mine was 19 slipped stitches tall, or 38 rows).
Turn heel.
Pick up sts on edges of heel flap and knit in the round again until you reach base of big toe (for my US size 8-1/2 foot, I knit 7-3/4"). Begin toe decreases. Continue decreasing every other row until there are 24 stitches left. Graft closed with Kitchner stitch.


I finally discovered (a few pairs of socks ago), how to avoid a hole in the corner of the heel:

When I get to the spot where the hole always presents itself, I pick up a stitch from three rows down, twisting each stitch as I ladder it up. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, this makes it really really nice and tight, and I don't have a hole problem anymore. Not sure how I didn't think of this before.

I now have 8 pairs of handknit socks for myself. Eventually I'd love to have an entire month's worth. I wonder how many more I'll manage to knit for myself this year?



P.S. Thank you again to Jillian for gifting me with this gorgeous yarn!