When the US sock manufacturers decide that most men’s
feet are size 13 or smaller, finding good looking socks that
fit larger feet can be a challenge… unless of course there’s
a knitter in the house. Zingiber was born out of necessity—an
upcoming trip to the East Coast and the need for some warm, custom
fit socks while away. So with limited time to knit a pair of
XXL socks, why not make the challenge even greater by adding
the design element into the mix? Sometimes I’m crazy like
that.
The original Zingibers are XXL, large enough to fit a man’s
US size 14/15 foot comfortably. The stitch pattern is a
stretchy 2x2 rib with twisted knit stitches and a cinch every
now and then to keep the pattern from becoming boring. There’s
a traveling stitch cable panel that runs down the sides of the
leg and foot, framing the main stitch pattern. Choose from 2
options for the toe, a traditional stockinette toe as shown in
the XXL brown sock, or a Zingiber Toe as shown in the M blue
sock.
Oh and yes, the socks were finished in time and were much appreciated
during and after the trip. Hand knit socks. Nothing beats them.
photos: Janice
Kang
SIZE
M [L, XL, XXL]
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Foot circumference: 9[9.5, 10, 10.5] inches,
slightly stretched; 6.75[7.5, 8, 8.5]
inches, unstretched Foot length: Adjustable to fit.
MATERIALS
Yarn Louet
Gems Fingering Weight [100% superwash
merino; 185yds/169m per 50g skein]; color: M shown in Neptune,
XXL shown in Ginger; 2[2, 3, 3] skeins
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-point needles OR 1 US #1.5/2.5mm long circular needle for magic loop method OR 2 US #1.5/2.5mm circular needles for two-circulars method
Notions Yarn
needle 2 stitch markers
GAUGE
32 sts/44 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette stitch, unstretched
52 sts/40 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch,
unstretched
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
Slip sts as if to purl unless otherwise
instructed.
Cinch: Sl1
as if to knit, k1, yo, pass slipped st over both the knit st
and the yo.
Right Twist (RT): K2tog and leave both
sts on the left needle, knit the first st on the left needle,
remove both sts from the left needle.
Left Twist (LT): Approaching from the
back, knit the second st tbl and leave it on the left needle,
knit the first and second sts together tbl and remove both sts
from the left needle.
Sl1kw: Slip 1 st as if to knit.
Sl1wyif: Slip 1 st as if to purl with
yarn held in front of work.
Charts The charts for this pattern are very large
and fit on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting
page.
DIRECTIONS
CUFF
CO 64[72, 80, 88] sts. Distribute across needles as you prefer – it’s
easiest if each needle has a multiple
of four stitches - and join to begin working in the round. Note
or mark beginning of rnd.
Ribbing Round: [K2 tbl, p2] around.
Repeat Ribbing Round until work measures
1[1, 1.25, 1.25] inches.
LEG Leg rnd: Work Chart A row twice across
round, paying attention to repeats within chart.
Work until you have completed 4[4, 5,
5] full repeats of Chart A.
Note: If you change the length of the leg, end the leg after
completing a round that contains row 6 or 12 of Chart A. Make
note of the last row worked.
HEEL FLAP Set-up: Remove start of round
marker, k2 tbl, p2, k2 tbl, (k1, sl1kw)
13[15, 17, 19] times, k2 tbl, k1. Put
next 32[36, 40, 44] sts on hold for
instep. Turn.
Note: The heel flap is worked flat across 32[36, 40, 44]
sts which may be consolidated onto one needle. 32[36,
40, 44] sts are held for instep.
Repeat last 4 rows 6[6, 7, 7] more times, work Rows
1 and 2 0[1, 0, 1] more
time, and Row 1 once
more.
30[32, 34, 36] Heel Flap rows worked, including the set-up row.
Note: If you have a large instep, you may wish to work a
longer heel flap to add height to the foot of the sock. If
you do this, be sure to pick up more gusset sts and work more
gusset decrease rounds accordingly.
GUSSET Note: The instep stitches are worked
from Chart B. See the table below for
which row to start with.
Last row worked from Chart
A
First
row worked from Chart B
Row
12
Row
1
Row
6
Row
7
Round 1: Sl1, k19[21, 23, 25], pick up and knit 17[18,
19, 20] sts along the side of the heel flap; pm for instep, work
32[36, 40, 44]instep sts from Chart B (refer to table above for
which row to work); pick up and knit 17[18, 19, 20] sts along
the side of the heel flap, k10[11, 12, 13], pm for beg of rnd.
Sole/gusset: 54[58, 62, 66] sts; instep:
32[36, 40, 44]sts. 86[94, 102, 110] sts
total.
Round 2: K until there are 3 sts before the instep
marker, k2tog, k1, work 32[36, 40, 44]sts
in established pattern from Chart B,
k1, SSK, k to end of rnd. 2 sts decreased.
Round 3: K to the instep marker, work 32[36, 40,
44]sts in established pattern from Chart
B, k to end of rnd.
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 until 32[36, 40, 44] sole sts
remain. 64[72, 80, 88] sts total.
FOOT Foot round: K to the instep
marker, work 32[36, 40, 44] sts in
established pattern from Chart B, k
to end of rnd.
Repeat Foot round until foot is approximately
2[2.25, 2.5, 2.625] inches shorter than desired length.
Option 1: Stockinette Toe (as shown in XXL/Ginger
Remove beg of rnd marker, k to the
instep marker. This is the new beg of
rnd. Place a marker or rearrange your
sts as you desire. 32[36, 40, 44]instep
sts and 32[36, 40, 44]sole sts, 64[72,
80, 88] sts total.
Round 1: K1, SSK, k26[30, 34, 38], k2tog, k1, pm for
center of round, k1, SSK, k until there are 3 unworked sts in
the rnd, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Round 2: K all sts.
Round 3: K1, SSK, until there are 3 unworked sts before
the center marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, SSK, k until there
are 3 unworked sts in the rnd, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 9[11, 12, 13] more times until
20[20, 24, 28] sts remain.
Graft the toe closed.
Option 2: Zingiber Toe (as shown in M/Neptune blue
- photo above)
Remove beg of rnd marker, knit to the
instep marker. This is the new beg of rnd. Place a marker or
rearrange your sts as you desire. 32[36, 40, 44]instep sts and
32[36, 40, 44]sole sts, 64[72, 80, 88] sts total.
Note: In this pattern, “work even” means to
continue to work in the pattern established from Chart B while
keeping the columns of ktbl and purl sts lined up. If you’d
like to leave out the cinch stitches and work the toe in a
k2 tbl x p2 rib, then ktbl the ktbl sts and the decrease sts
and purl the purl sts.
Round 1: P1, k1tbl, k2togtbl, work next 24[28, 32,
36] sts even in pattern as established, sl1, sl1 as if to ptbl,
return slipped sts to left needle, k2tog, ktbl, p1, pm for center
of round, k1, SSK, k until there are 3 unworked sts in the rnd,
k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Round 2: Work even in pattern as established.
Round 3: P1, k1tbl, k2togtbl, work even in pattern
as established until there are 4 unworked sts before the center
marker, sl1, sl 1 as if to ptbl, return slipped sts to left needle,
k2tog, ktbl, p1, slip marker, k1, SSK, k until there are 3 unworked
sts in the rnd, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3 7[9, 10, 11] more times until
28[28, 32, 36] sts remain.
Round 4: K all sts.
Round 5: K1, SSK, until there are 3 unworked sts before
the center marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, SSK, k until there
are 3 unworked sts in the rnd, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Repeat Rounds 4 and 5 1 more time. 20[20, 24, 28] sts
remain.
Graft the toe closed.
FINISHING
Weave in ends, block if desired.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Janice knits, spins, and dyes fiber in
her home in Northern California. In her spare time she also sings
backup in a band—her fellow band members often see her
knitting during down time at rehearsal
and soundcheck. You can follow Janice on her
blog,
view her projects and patterns
on Ravelry, and her hand-dyed fiber in the 24x7
Fiber store.
