Mermaidia

So, I mentioned I learned Magic Loop and Toe Up Socks in this post. I love knitting socks, but ever since knitting my Wicked I’ve found I enjoy being able to try things on as I am knitting them.  You are able to get a much better fit. Plus if you have to frog back, it’s easier to do that while in the middle of knitting it,  than it is having a finished garment that just doesn’t fit properly.

Anyway, I took the bulls by the horn, and cast on for some socks, but wanted something a bit fancier than just plain stocking stitch, so I frogged it and started over.  I took my favourite dishcloth pattern, and turned it into a sock pattern.

I was so determined to use my Regia Bamboo Colours, but it’s a little hard to see the lacework.  So I knit up some Vintage Purl Sock Wool in Chlorophyll.  These are a gift.  A very belated Christmas present, but better late than never.  The semi-solid dyeing shows the pattern in much more details.

I had to modify a bit as the wool knit tighter than the Bamboo did.  Plus, I did an anklet height, so only did four lace pattern repeats after the heel flap, and a plain cast off.  I called the pattern Mermaidia based on both origin of the stitch pattern and because it looked like a gathering place for Mermaids.

And one a little closer, showing the lacework.

The lighting, plus my novice photo editing skills don’t do the colour justice.

So, here is the pattern.  It will be uploaded to Ravelry as well. Special thanks to the lovely Morag of Vintage Purls, for helping me get my head around doing the heel flap in reverse.

This sock when knit in gauge, should give you a US Woman’s shoe size of 8 – 9.  It can be easily lengthened or shortened by adding rows in the foot.  It is designed to use Magic loop. It can be done on DPNs if you wish, just be careful with the pattern, as there are more stitches on the top of the sock than there are on the bottom.

Gauge:

9 st x 12 rows per inch in stocking stitch

Materials needed:

100g 4ply Regia Bamboo Colour

2.50mm 80cm circular needle (I used Knit Picks)

3 place markers/stitch markers.

Abbreviations:

k = knit

p = purl

sl = slip purlwise while keeping yarn at the back

kfb = knit into front of loop and then into back of loop

yf = bring yarn to the front of the work as if to purl

psso = pass slipped stitch over

m1 = This is the M1L from knittinghelp.com: Using the left needle, lift the purl bar between the stitches on your needles and knit into the back of the loop

k2tog = knit two together

p2tog = purl two together

pm = place marker

rm = remove marker

slm = slip marker from left to right needle

BarInc = : Using the left needle, lift the purl bar between the stitches on your needles to create a new stitch.

Cast on toe:

Using Judy Becker’s Magic Cast-On or Turkish Cast On, cast on 24 stitches (12 on each needle) and knit one round.  Place marker (or pull tail yarn to the outside of the work) to mark the beginning of the round.

Toe Increases:

Round 1: Kfb, knit to next to last stitch on needle one, kfb, k1.  Repeat on needle two.

Round 2: Knit.

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 nine times for a total of 10 sets of increases.  You should have 32 stitches on each needle.

Round 1: Knit 16, M1, K to end of round.

Round 2: Knit

You should now have 33 stitches on needle one, and 32 on needle two.  The extra stitch on needle one is to center the lace pattern.

Start the lace pattern here for needle one only.  Knit all stitches on needle two. Work 9 pattern repeats, or until sock is 3.5 inches less than the length of your foot from toe to heel.

Lace pattern:

Row 1: k1,*yf, k2 , sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1* (x4), knit to end of round

Row 2: k

Row 3:k2,*yf, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, yf, k3* (x3), yf, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, yf, k2, knit to end of round.

Row 4: k

Row 5: k3, *yf, sl1-k2tog-psso, yf, k5*(x3), yf, sl1-k2tog-psso, yf, k3, knit to end of round.

Row 6: k

Gusset Increases:

I will now interchangeably refer to needle one as the instep and needle two as the insole. Continuing the lace pattern on needle 1 (instep), work gusset increases on needle two (insole) only.

Round 1: k1, pm, m1, k30, m1, pm, k1

Round 2: knit

Round 3: k1, m1, slm, k32, slm, m1, k1

Round 4: knit

Round 5: k1, m1, knit to marker, slm, k32, slm, knit to last stitch, m1, k1

Round 6, knit

Work rounds 5 and 6 a total of 10 times, ending in a knit row.  You should now have 12 gusset stitches on either side of your place markers, and the 32 insole stitches between the place markers.

Reverse Heel Flap:

Knit in pattern across the instep (needle one).  You will now be working back & forth on the insole needle only (needle two).  Do not wrap your stitches when you turn.

Row 1: k12, slm, k32, turn

Row 2: sl1, p31, turn

Row 3: sl1, k30, turn

Row 4: sl1, p29, turn

Row 5: sl1, k28, turn

Row 6: sl1, p27, turn

Row 7: sl1, k26, turn

Row 8: sl1, p25, turn

Row 9: sl1, k24, turn

Row 10: sl1, p23, turn

Row 11: sl1, k22, turn

Row 12: sl1, p21, turn

Row 13: sl1, k20, turn

Row 14: sl1, p19, turn

Row 15: sl1, k18, turn

Row 16: sl1, p17, turn

Row 17: sl1, k16, DO NOT TURN. You will now knit in the 8 abandoned short row stitches that are on your left needle as follows: *BarInc, k2tog* (x8). You will now pick up the first gusset stitch as such: rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 18: sl1, p23, *BarInc, p2tog* (x8), rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 19: sl1, k31, rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Row 20: sl1, p31, rm, sl1 to right needle, pm back on left needle, pass next to last stitch on right needle over the slipped stitch, turn.

Repeat rows 19 and 20 ten more times, until all the gusset stitches have been knit in, ending in a purl row, turn.

You will start the lace pattern now on needle two (which is now the back of the leg). For this row only, knit lace pattern on needle 2 as follows:

yf, sl1, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k2tog, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yf, k1, yf, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, sl1, yf.   You will now have 31 stitches on needle two for the remainder of the sock, instead of 32.  You should now be back at the beginning of the round, ready to work round 2 of the lace pattern.  Work round 2 in the following fashion ONCE, and then continue in original lace pattern, working lace on both needles one and two.

Round 2 (do only this one time): sl1, k31, sl1, knit to end of round. Be sure not to accidently knit your yf and your sl together at the beginning and end of needle two.

TIP: Because there are yf increases at the beginning and end of needle two in round 1 of the lace pattern, it is very important to keep these as tight as possible, so as not to create ladders in your work from the areas between needles.

Continue in pattern, for 10 pattern repeats, or to desired length.

Cuff:

Work 10 rows in twisted rib: (k1tbl, p1) x 32

OR work an alternate cuff of 12 rounds of 2×2 rib, followed by a normal cast off.

Cast off:

Picot cast off (or use your preferred cast off method). *Cast on 2 stitches using cable cast on, cast off 4 stitches in the usual manner. Move last stitch you knit from the right needle to the left needle, and repeat from *.

Please note, this pattern is free for personal use.  Not commercial use of this pattern without prior approval.  Copyright 2009 Christine Jeffery

PDF download is here:

Mermaidia Sock Pattern