Several
elements went into the mix to produce
this fusion of a sock. The first was a skein of a new yarn, Noro
Taiyo Sock, that I really wanted to try out. The second was that
I had just finished knitting the Mockery socks
by Katie Grady.
I was admiring the subtle
swirls made by the pattern and wondered
what it would look like if the yarnovers were left untwisted.
As it turned out in a swatch, swirly! A swirly pattern required
a swirly toe, so I chose one from Cat Bordhi's book, Personal
Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters. And the final ingredient
was the heel. I'd never done a Strong Heel (by Gerdine Crawford-Strong, originally
published in Knitter's Magazine
in 2003), but it was supposed to be really easy, so here was
an opportunity to try it.
The resulting sock is IMHO simple, swirly, and quite photogenic.
And by the way, the Japanese word uzu means whirlpool; the name of the sock yarn, taiyo, means the
sun.
Red sock: Hand Maiden Casbah [80% Merino, 10% Cashmere,
10% Nylon; 325 m per 115 g skein]; color: Berry; 1 skein.
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 1
set US #1.5/2.5mm double-pointed needles OR 1 long US #1.5/2.5mm circular needle for Magic Loop OR 2 US #1.5/2.5mm circular needles for 2-circulars method
Notions Yarn
needle stitch
holder (optional)
GAUGE
30 sts/44 rounds = 4
inches in stockinette stitch
30 sts/48 rounds = 4 inches in pattern stitch
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
M1L: Insert left needle, from front to back, under strand of
yarn which runs between last stitch on left needle and first
stitch on right needle; knit this stitch through back loop.
DIRECTIONS
Using Judy’s
Magic Cast-on,
cast on 12 sts. Distribute across needles
as you prefer and knit one round.
Toe Version 1
As used on the grey-blue Taiyo sock.
The toe grows outward in 6 segments,
like an orange. Round 1: [K1, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
18 sts. Round 2 and all following even rounds: Knit. Round 3: [K2, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
24 sts. Round 5: [K3, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
30 sts. Round 7: [K4, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
36 sts. Round 9: [K5, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
42 sts. Round 11: [K6, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
48 sts. Round 13: [K7, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
54 sts. Round 15: [K8, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
60 sts.
Size M & L Only: Round 17: [K9, kfb] around. 6 sts increased;
66 sts.
Foot Foot round: Work Taiyo Swirl pattern
across next 30[30, 36] sts, k0[2, 0],
k to end of round. 30[32,
36] sts for instep; 30[34, 36] sts
for sole. Rearrange your stitches as
you prefer.
Work Foot rounds until sock measures approximately 2.25 [2.5,
2.6] inches shorter than desired foot
length.
Gusset Increases Gusset increase round: Work Taiyo Swirl pattern
across next 30[30, 36] sts, k0[2, 0],
kfb, k to last st, M1L, k1. 2
sts increased. Following round: Work even in pattern
as set.
Repeat the above 2 rounds 12[14, 15]
more times, ending after an even round. 56[64, 68] sole sts,
86[96, 104] sts total.
Heel Heel setup: Work 30[30, 36] instep sts
in pattern, k0[2,0]. Slip these sts
to a holder if desired. (Make a
note of which pattern row you did!) Heel
will be worked on rem 56[64, 68] sts
of round.
Work the heel back and forth on a single needle. The Strong
Heel is basically an upside-down Half-handkerchief heel, so these
directions may be familiar.
Heel Finish Next row [RS]: Sl1,
k26[30, 32], SSK, k1. Do not turn.
At this point, you will resume working in the round. Leg setup round: Work 30[30,
36] instep sts in pattern, k1[3,1],
k2tog, k to end of round. 60[66, 72]
sts.
Leg Lower leg round: Work Taiyo Swirl pattern
across next 30[30,36] sts, k to end
of round.
Work as set until you have completed a Round 4 of Taiyo Swirl
pattern. Upper leg round: Work Taiyo Swirl pattern
around on all sts.
Work as set until sock leg is desired length, ending with a
Taiyo Swirl pattern row 2 or 3.
The leg
of the blue-grey Taiyo sock is as photographed is 5 inches, the
red sock, 4.5 inches.
Cuff Cuff round: [K3, p1, k1, p1] around.
Repeat Cuff round until cuff measures
one inch tall.
Mary the Hobbit is a computer programmer turned obsessive sock
knitter who loves experimenting with stitch patterns, sock constructions
and new techniques. A Silicon Valley expat, she now lives in the
Biggest Little City in the World with The Spouse and the Princess
Bird.
by
Mary the Hobbit
Taiyo
Swirl Pattern (multiple of 6 sts
and 9 rows)
