I love to play with colors and the Carrousel pattern was born
to this desire to emphasize our self-striping yarn.
This pattern is worked as a spiral with
one stripe that runs around leg and foot throughout the work,
just like a bandage would be wrapped. The Leg edging, heel and
toes are added after the spiral is completed. Due to the particularity
of this spiral construction, these socks are a bit less elastic
so it is important to verify the size properly. You have
to work to your actual leg circumference without stretching your
work: negative ease will not fit and positive ease might fall
down as you walk.
Although it does not show on the pictures, these
socks were photographed in a park of St-Bruno at
minus 20 degrees Celsius during a particularly windy day. Needless
to say that my face wore the same colors as my socks!
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] US
#1.5/2.5 mm needles for working in the
round
Notions safety
pin stitch
marker yarn needle
GAUGE
32 sts/46 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
These socks can be used as “yoga socks” (no heel
and toes). A few rows of ribbing on the
heel and toes edging will help to avoid rolled edges if you decide
to go with this option.
Slipped stitches are slipped knitwise on knitted rows and purlwise on
purled rows.
Pick up and knit: along the slipped-stitch
edge of the spiral for right sock, you can
refer to Theresa’s tutorial here.
Pick up and purl: along the slipped-stitch
edge of the spiral for left sock, the technique
is slightly different : with yarn in front, insert the working
needle from back to front, under both of the
V-shaped elongated edge stitch, then wrap the yarn around the
tip of the needle as to purl and pull the yarn back through
the loops and onto your needle.
For leg edging, heel and toes, you must pick up more stitches
than there are edge stitches. In order
to add these “missing” stitches,
you have to add them evenly by using the
backward loop cast-on. See Theresa’s tutorial here.
KRL: This is a lifted increase. With
the tip of the right needle, lift the right leg of the stitch
below the next stitch on the left needle. Place this loop
on the left needle and knit into it.
PRL: With the
tip of the right needle, lift the right
leg of the stitch below the next stitch
on the left needle. Place this
loop on the left needle (with right leg
at the back) and purl into the back of
it.
Right sock spiral increase:Using MC, cast on 2 stitches.
Row 1 [RS]:
Sl1, m1, k1. 3 sts.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p to end.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k to end.
Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, p to end.
Row 5 [RS]: sl1, m1, k to
end.
1 st incr.
Rows 6-8: As Rows
2-4.
Repeat Rows
5-8 8 more times.
12 sts.
Work even as set until piece measures
8.5 [9.5, 10.5] inches (this length must
correspond to the circumference of your
leg around your ankle).
Right sock leg spiral: You now have a small strip beginning
with a point (cast-on edge). In order to create
a spiral, attach the strip to the cast-on
edge as follows: See Illustration 1
at right -->
Row 1 [RS] Sl1, k10, sl1, pick
up and knit 1 stitch from the right side
of the cast-on edge and pass the slipped
stitch over.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p11.
Continue in this manner until you have
worked around the leg 3.5 times: you
will be aligned with the first half of the
spiral, 4 stripes below. If matching row
gauge, the leg will be 6.25 inches at this
point.
Right
sock heel opening: To create the heel opening, continue to
work the strip without attaching it to the
leg: Row 1 [RS]: Sl 1, k11. Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p11.
Work even as set for 4.25[4.75, 5.25] inches.
Right sock foot:
Work attached rows again as per the leg: Row 1 [RS] Sl1, k10, sl1, pick up and knit 1 stitch from the
right side of the cast-on edge and pass the slipped stitch over. Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p11.
Continue in this manner until you have
worked around 3[3.5, 4] times, or for desired
length, leaving 2 inches for toe decrease.
Right sock toe decrease: Row 1 [RS]: Sl1, ssk, k to
last st, sl1, pick up and knit 1 stitch
from the right side of the previous
stripe border and psso. Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, purl to end. Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k to last
st, sl1, pick up and knit 1 stitch
from the right side of the previous
stripe border and psso. Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, purl to end.
Repeat Rows
1-4 until 3 sts rem. Final row [RS]: Sl2, k1, pass slipped
stitches over. Cut yarn and pull it through
the last stitch.
Cuff
Using CC, with RS facing, pick-up and
knit 60[64, 68] stitches. Distribute
across needles as you prefer and join
to work in the round. Knit 3 rounds
and work picot bind off.
Heel
Hold sock facing the heel opening, with
the foot up and the leg down. Using CC,
with RS facing, starting in the ‘corner’,
pick up and knit 60[64, 68] sts around
the heel, working across leg side of opening
first, and foot side of opening second.
Place a safety pin in the fabric where
you started picking up – this will
be used later to align the toe.
Yoga socks only: knit 3 rows of ribs [k1,
p1] and bind off loosely. Ignore the rest
of the heel part.
Work a short-row heel on the upper half
of the round -- those stitches closest
to the leg -- as follows:
Toe Using CC, with RS facing, starting at the
edge of the sock (aligned with where
you started picking up stitches for the heel),
pick up and knit 60[64, 68] sts for the
toe.
Distribute sts across your needles as
you prefer and join for working in the
round. Place
a marker at the center of the round,
or distribute the stitches so that they
are divided in half.
Yoga socks only: knit 3 rows of
ribs [k1, p1] and bind off loosely. Ignore
the remainder of the toe section.
Decrease round: K1, ssk, k to
3 sts before end of first half of the sock,
k2tog, k2, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of
round, k2tog, k1. Following round: Knit.
Repeat the last 2 rounds until 32 sts
rem. Graft or use three-needle bind off
to close toe.
LEFT SOCK Left sock spiral increase:
In order to have the spiral on the
opposite side, this sock is worked “inside
out”.
Using MC, cast on 2 stitches.
Row 1 [WS]: Sl1, m1, p1. 3
sts.
Row 2 [RS]: Sl1, k to
end.
Row 3 [WS]: Sl1, p to end.
Row 4 [RS]: Sl1, k to end.
Row 5 [WS]: sl1, m1, p to
end. 1 st increased.
Rows 6- 8: As Rows 2-4.
Repeat Rows 5-8 8
more times. 12 sts.
Work even as set until piece measures
8.5 [9.5, 10.5] inches (this length must
correspond to the circumference of your
leg around your ankle).
Left sock leg spiral:
You now have a small strip beginning
with a point (cast-on edge). In order
to create a spiral, attach the strip to
the cast-on edge as follows: See Illustration
2 at right -->
Row 1 [WS] Sl1, p10, sl1, pick
up and knit 1 stitch from the right side
of the cast-on edge and pass the slipped
stitch over.
Row 2 [RS]: Sl1, k11.
Continue in this manner until you have
worked around the leg 3.5 times: you will
be aligned with the first half of the spiral,
4 stripes below.
Left sock heel opening:
To create the heel opening, continue
to work the strip without attaching it
to the leg:
Row 1 [RS]: Sl 1, k11. Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p11.
Work even as set for 4.25[4.75, 5.25] inches.
Left sock foot – End of
spiral:
Work attached rows again as per the leg: Row 1 [WS] Sl1, p10, sl1, pick up and knit 1 stitch from the
right side of the cast-on edge and pass the slipped stitch over. Row 2 [RS]: Sl1, k11.
Continue in this manner until you have
worked around 3[3.5, 4] times, or for desired
length, leaving 2 inches for toe decrease.
Left sock toe decrease: Row 1 [RS] : Sl1, p2tog, p
to last st, sl1, pick up and purl 1
stitch from the right side of the previous
stripe border and psso. Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, knit
to end. Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, p to last
st, sl1, pick up and purl 1 stitch
from the right side of the previous
stripe border and psso. Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, knit to end.
Repeat Rows 1-4 until 3 sts rem. Final row [RS]: Sl2, p1, pass slipped
stitches over. Cut yarn and pull it through
the last stitch.
Turn the sock so that knit side is facing
out and work the Cuff, Heel and Toe as per
the right sock.
FINISHING
Block and weave in the ends.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Louise Robert lives in metropolitan Montreal,
Quebec, where she earned a Bachelor of
Arts in art history. She lives with her husband and her 3 kids,
2 cats and one beloved angora rabbit.
She is the owner of Biscotte & Cie, a yarn shop where
she hand-dyes yarn in all kinds of self-striping, semi-solid
and variegated colourways.
