Chevrolace socks - Winter 2007

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by Heidi M. Scheppmann

A while back, I was in a bit of a knitting frenzy; I wanted to knit everything, and all at once. I had socks on the needles, but I wanted to try a chevron pattern. I had never knit lace, and wanted to give that a try. Somehow it all got combined into a set of swatches, and I ended up with a slightly chevroned, slightly lacey sock: Chevrolace.

I put a lot of my favorite things in this pattern. The sock is constructed toe-up, but with a toe that picks up the purls from the stitch pattern. The gusset and heel flap (a la Baudelaire) give the extra room necessary to accommodate the biasing of the pattern. I used the pretty Eye of the Partridge heel to give an echo of the diagonals in the pattern stitch, and even the ribbing has a little bit of interest.

photos: Chris Neher

SIZE

One size fits an average woman’s foot

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Foot circumference: 8 inches

Note: The sock circumference should be approx. 1 inch smaller than the circumference of the foot on which it will be worn. The circumference may be adjusted by working the socks at a different gauge. A table in the Pattern Notes shows the gauges needed to achieve different circumferences.

MATERIALS

Fleece Artist Basic Merino Socks [100% Washable Merino Wool; 370yd/338m per 115 gm skein; color: Ivory semi-solid; 1 skein.

Recommended needle size:
2 US #0/2mm circular needles, 16 inches or longer
1 spare circular or double-point needle, US #0/2mm or smaller
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]

Crochet hook, aprox. size C/2 / 2.75mm
Waste yarn
2 stitch markers
1 safety pin or split ring marker
Tapestry needle

GAUGE

36 sts/60 rows = 4 inches

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty’s list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

This project is worked in the round using 2 circular needles. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, instructions may be found here.

Crochet Cast On:
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several sts longer than the number of sts to be cast on. Starting 1 or 2 sts in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 st in the back loop of each ch until the required number of sts have been picked up. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live sts picked up.

Working wraps together with wrapped sts:
On RS Rows: Slip next stitch purlwise. Pick up the wrap around the stitch and place it on the right needle, ensuring that it it not still wrapped around the stitch. Slip the stitch, then the wrap, back to the left needle, then knit them together.

On WS Rows: Slip next st knitwise. Pick up the wrap around the stitch and place it on the right needle, ensuring that it it not still wrapped around the stitch. Slip the stitch, then the wrap, back to the left needle, then purl them together through their back loops.

Twisted 1x1 Rib (Worked in the round over an even number of sts):
Round 1: [P1, k1] to end.
Round 2: [P1, k1 tbl] to end.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Twisted 1x1 Rib.

Directions for the Sewn Bind Off can be found here.

The size of these socks may be adjusted by knitting them at a different gauge. The table below indicates the gauges needed to achieve foot circumferences ranging from 6-10 inches.

Circumference (inches)	Gauge (sts= 4 inches)
6	48
6.5	44
7	40
7.5	38
8	36
8.5	34
9	32
9.5	30
10	28

PATTERN

TOE
Using Crochet Cast On, CO 11 sts onto one circular needle.
Work 6 rows in
stockinette st, beginning with a WS row and ending with a RS row.

Remove waste yarn from CO edge and place resulting 11 live sts on spare needle. You may find that you have only 10 live sts; if this is the case, increase 1 st at the beginning of these sts when working the Set-up Round.

Set-up Round: Using circular needle not in use, with RS facing, pick up and k 3 sts along edge of work, place marker; k11 from spare needle, place marker; pick up and k 3 sts along remaining edge of work; this needle will be designated Needle 1. Using other needle, k11. This needle will be designated Needle 2. This point (end of Needle 2) is end of round; place safety pin or split ring marker in work to indicate end of round. 28 sts: 17 sts on Needle 1, 11 sts on Needle 2.

Round 1: P3, k to next marker, p3; k all sts on Needle 2.
Round 2: P3, k1, m1, k to last st before marker, m1, k1, p3; k1, m1, k to last st on Needle 2, m1, k1.
Repeat these 2 rounds 10 times more. 72 sts: 39 sts on Needle 1, 33 sts on Needle 2.

FOOT
Note: Remove markers from Needle 1 when working Set-up Round.
Set-up Round: P3, [k9, p3] 3 times; k all sts on Needle 2.
Pattern Round: Work sts on Needle 1 following Chevrolace Chart (Pattern Repeat is worked 3 times); k all sts on Needle 2.

Continue in pattern until the sock reaches approx. 3 inches from the back of your heel.

Note: If you are knitting these socks at a different gauge, note that the gusset and heel turning are worked over 47 rows before setting up for the heel flap. Measure your row gauge and determine the number of inches there are in 47 rows; begin the gusset when you are this number of inches from the back of the heel.

GUSSET
Round 1: Work all sts on Needle 1 in pattern; k1, m1, k to last st on Needle 2, m1, k1.
Round 2: Work all sts in pattern as set.
Repeat these 2 rounds 11 times more. 96 sts: 39 sts on Needle 1, 57 sts on Needle 2.

TURN HEEL
Work in pattern to end of Needle 1. Make a note of which row of the chart you have just completed.
Working back and forth over the sts on Needle 2 only, turn heel as follows:
Row 1 [RS]: K44, W&T.
Row 2 [WS]: P31, W&T.
Row 3 [RS]: K30, W&T.
Row 4 [WS]: P29, W&T.
Row 5 [RS]: K28, W&T.
Row 6 [WS]: P27, W&T.
Row 7 [RS]: K26, W&T.
Row 8 [WS]: P25, W&T.
Row 9 [RS]: K24, W&T.
Row 10 [WS]: P23, W&T.
Row 11 [RS]: K22, W&T.
Row 12 [WS]: P21, W&T.
Row 13 [RS]: K20, W&T.
Row 14 [WS]: P19, W&T.
Row 15 [RS]: K18, W&T.
Row 16 [WS]: P17, W&T.
Row 17 [RS]: K16: W&T.
Row 18 [WS]: P15, W&T.
Row 19 [RS]: K14, W&T.
Row 20 [WS]: P13, W&T.
Row 21 [RS]: K12, W&T.
Row 22 [WS]: P11, W&T.
Row 23 [RS]: K10, W&T.

Next Row [WS]: P20, working wraps together with wrapped sts (see pattern notes); p the next st together with both its wrap and the following st, through their back loops. Turn work.
Next Row [RS]: Sl1, 31, working wraps together with wrapped sts; k the next st together with both its wrap and the following st. Turn work. 55 sts on Needle 2.

HEEL FLAP
Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1, p31, p2tog. Turn work.
Row 2 [RS]: [Sl 1, k1] 16 times, ssk. Turn work.
Row 3 [WS]: Sl 1, p31, p2tog. Turn work.
Row 4 [RS]: Sl 1, k2, [sl 1, k1] 14 times, k1, ssk. Turn work.
Repeat these 4 rows 4 times more, then work Rows 1 and 2 once more. 33 sts on Needle 2.

LEG
Resume working in the round over all 72 sts, beginning with next round of chart. Work chart pattern over all sts, working only the Pattern Repeat (last 3 sts of chart will not be worked); Pattern Repeat will be worked 6 times in each round.
Continue in pattern until work measures 1 inch less than desired length, ending with Round 8 of chart.
Work 1 inch in Twisted 1x1 Rib.
BO all sts using Sewn Bind Off.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Heidi splits time between her city home (an apartment in NYC) and her country home (a cabin in upstate NY). She knits at both homes, as well as in the car, on the subway, on airplanes.

You can read about her knitting life at yarnmule.blogspot.com