Riff socks: Knitty Deep Fall 2010

by Lise Brackbill

Riff: (in popular music and jazz) a short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or harmonies.

Some people get bits of songs stuck in their head. I’m susceptible to stitch patterns. After encountering twisted stitches in another pattern I couldn’t stop thinking of ways in which to employ them.

At the same time my middle child was asking me to knit him socks. He’s been my most dedicated wearer of hand knits and I wanted a pattern that would complement his sweet, quirky, and orderly self. Thus were born the Riff socks.

The construction of these socks is Cat Bordhi inspired and has a gentle rise from the toes through the arch, ensuring a comfortable fit. The pattern, which begins on the foot, is echoed on the heel. The front and back meet and repeat the pattern on the sides, flowing seamlessly into the ribbing. These socks are offered in 4 sizes, enough to fit the whole family!

photos: Jo Klubek

SIZE
4 sizes to fit mid-foot measurements of 7[8, 9, 10] inches.

To find your size, measure the circumference of the arch of your foot, midway between the ball of your foot and the heel.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 6[7, 8, 9] inches unstretched
Foot length: variable, to fit

MATERIALS
Yarn
Pink socks
Dream in Color Smooshy [100% Australian Superwash Merino; 450 yd per 4 oz. skein]; color: Punky Fuschia; 1 skein

Grey socks
Trekking XXL [75% Superwash wool, 25% Nylon; 459 yd/420 m per 100g skein]; color: 331; 1 skein
Blue socks
Malabrigo Sock [100% Superwash merino; 440 yd per 3.5 oz skein]; color: Azules; 1 skein

Red/orange/yellow socks
Kraemer Jeannie [80% Superwash merino, 20% Nylon; 420 yd per 100g skein]; color: Kool Aid dyed (1 packet Cherry, 2 packets Tropical Punch, 4 packets Orange, 5 packets Lemonade); 1 skein. For info about Kool Aid dyeing, see this article

Yellow socks
Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! [70% Superwash merino, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon; 412 yd per 4 oz skein]; color: Differential Grasshopper; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 32 inch or longer US #1.5/2.5mm circular needle
OR
2 24 inch US #1/2.5mm circular needles
OR
1 set US #1/2.5mm dpns

Notions
Yarn needle
removable stitch markers

GAUGE
34 sts/52 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the round

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

LT - Left twist: knit second stitch on left needle tbl, leave stitch on needle, then knit the first stitch. Slip both sts off the left needle.

RT - Right twist: knit second stitch on left needle, leave stitch on needle and knit first stitch. Slip both sts off the left needle.

M1L (make one, leaning left): insert left needle into left leg of stitch two rows below the first stitch on the right needle. Lift the leg onto the left needle, knit this stitch through the back loop.

M1R (make one, leaning right): insert right needle into right leg of stitch below the first stitch on the left needle. Lift this stitch onto the left needle, knit this stitch.

Wrap & Turn [w&t]:
On the RS: Bring the working yarn to the front, slip the next stitch purlwise from left to right needle, move the working yarn to the back , turn the work and slip the wrapped stitch to right needle.
On the WS: Bring the working yarn to the back, slip the next stitch purlwise from left to right needles, move the working yarn to the front, turn the work and slip the wrapped stitch to left needle.

Working Wraps Together with Wrapped Stitches:
On the RS: Insert the tip of the right needle into the front of wrap from bottom to top, and then into the stitch. Knit the two together by wrapping the yarn as normal, then bringing the yarn through the old stitch and the wrap.
On the WS: Insert the tip of the right needle into the back (that is, on the knit side of the stockinette fabric) of the wrap from bottom to top, and left it onto the left needle. Purl the wrap together with the stitch.

Instructions for Judy’s Magic Cast On can be found here.

Instructions for Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off can be found here.

Charts
The charts for this pattern are very large. Each fits on a letter-sized page.
Click the chart name below and print the resulting page.

foot SMALL • foot MEDIUM • foot LARGE • foot XL

leg SMALL • leg MEDIUM • leg LARGE • leg XL note: all leg charts updated Oct 25, 2010

DIRECTIONS

Toe
Using your favorite toe-up cast on method (mine is Judy’s magic cast on), cast on 20[24, 28, 32] sts. Distribute stitches as you prefer, and mark start and center of round with stitch markers. Throughout this pattern we will refer to the first half of the stitches as the instep stitches and the second half as the sole stitches.

Toe increases:
Round 1: Knit.

Round 2: [K1, m1R, k until 1 stitch before end of instep marker, m1L, k1]; repeat once more for sole stitches.

Repeat the last two rounds until you have 52[60, 68, 76] stitches total.

Knit 2 more rounds even.

Foot:
Using appropriately sized Foot Chart work instep stitches in the chart pattern; knit sole stitches.

Work until sock measures 3[4.65, 5.25, 5.85] inches shorter than the total length of your foot from toe to back of heel, ending after an even-numbered chart round. (.65 inch = five-eighths of an inch, .85 inch = seven-eighths of an inch.)

Gusset:
Gusset round 1: Work instep sts in chart pattern; k1, m1R, k to 1 st before end of round, m1L, k1.

Gusset rounds 2 & 3: Work instep sts in chart pattern; knit to end of round.

Repeat Gusset rounds 1-3 11[13, 15, 17] more times.
Repeat Gusset rounds 1 & 2 once more, and work half of round three, ending after the instep sts. 78[90, 102, 114] sts total, 52[60, 68, 76] sole stitches.

Make a note of which Chart row you’ve just worked.

The 52[60, 68, 76] sole stitches will be worked to form the heel.

Turn heel:
All work in this section will occur exclusively on the 52[60, 68, 76] sole stitches.

Row 1 [RS]: Knit 37[43, 49, 55] stitches, w&t.

Row 2 [WS]: Purl 22[26, 30, 34] stitches, w&t.

Row 3 [RS]: Knit 21[25, 29, 33] stitches, w&t.

Row 4 [WS]: Purl 20[24, 28, 32] stitches, w&t.

Row 5 [RS]: Knit 19[23, 27, 31] stitches, w&t.

Row 6 [WS]: Purl 18[22, 26, 30] stitches, w&t.

Row 7 [RS]: Knit 17[21, 25, 29] stitches, w&t.

Row 8 [WS]: Purl 16[20, 24, 28] stitches, w&t.

Row 9 [RS]: Knit 15[19, 23, 27] stitches, w&t.

Row 10 [WS]: Purl 14[18, 22, 26] stitches, w&t.

Row 11 [RS]: Knit 13[17, 21, 25] stitches, w&t.

Row 12 [WS]: Purl 12[16, 20, 24] stitches, w&t.

Row 13 [RS]: Knit 11[15, 19, 23] stitches, w&t.

Row 14 [WS]: Purl 10[14, 18, 22] stitches, w&t.

Size Small only: Proceed to Heel flap.

Row 15 [RS]: Knit -[13, 17, 21] stitches, w&t.
Row 16 [WS]: Purl -[12, 16, 20] stitches, w&t.

Size Medium only: Proceed to Heel flap.

Row 17 [RS]: Knit -[-, 15, 19] stitches, w&t.

Row 18 [WS]: Purl -[-, 14, 18] stitches, w&t.

Size Large only: Proceed to Heel flap.

Row 19 [RS]: Knit -[-, -, 17] stitches, w&t.

Row 20 [WS]: Purl -[-, -, 16] stitches, w&t.

Row 21 [RS]: Knit -[-, -, 15] stitches, w&t.

Row 22 [WS]: Purl -[-, -, 14] stitches, w&t.

Heel flap:
7[8, 9, 11] stitches wrapped on each side, and 10[12, 14, 14] unwrapped stitches in the center.

Row 1 [RS]: K10[12, 14, 14], pick up and k7[8, 9, 11] wrapped stitches together with their wraps, ssk. Turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p17[20, 23, 25], pick up and p7[8, 9, 11] wrapped stitches together with their wraps, p2tog. Turn.

You should now have 26[30, 34, 38] sts in the center between the gaps caused by the ssk and p2tog and 12[14, 16, 18] sts on each side of the center stitches. (Not including the instep stitches.)

Now count down 24[28, 32, 36] rows in the Foot Chart from where you left off at the end of the Gusset. This is where the pattern on the heel flap will begin.

Heel flap row 1 [RS]: Sl1, work 24[28, 32, 36] stitches in pattern, ssk.
Heel flap row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p24[28, 32, 36], p2tog.

Repeat the last two rows 11[13, 15, 17] times. 54 [62, 70, 78] sts total.

Leg setup round: Sl1, k24[28, 32, 36] stitches in pattern, ssk, knit across instep sts. K2tog, k to end of sole sts. 52[60, 68, 76] sts total.

Lower Leg:
Lower leg round: Work Foot Chart twice across round.

Continue in pattern as established until row 34[38, 46, 50] of the Foot Chart is complete.

Transition rounds: Work Heel to-Leg Transition Chart across round.

Continue in pattern as established until 16[20, 20, 24] rows of the Heel-to-Leg Transition Chart are complete, noting that the round 16[20, 20, 24] ends a stitch short of the current end of round.

Continue working the chart. Through the final rounds of this chart, the start of round will shift to accommodate the twists. Move the marker back a stitch as you go.

When the chart is complete, the final round takes you partway across, to the new start of round position. Replace the start of round marker at this point.

Upper Leg:
Upper leg round: Work Upper Leg Chart twice across round, ensuring you are working from new start of round at center of heel/back leg.

Continue until a full repeat is complete. If you wish to make the sock taller, work another full repeat of the chart.

Cuff:
The ribbing is designed so that the center of the X flows into the cuff.

Ribbing Round, Size S: [K3, p2, k2, p2, [k1, p1] twice, k1, [p2, k2] twice, p2]. Repeat once to end of round.

Ribbing Round, size M: [[K2, p2] 3x, k1, [p1, k1] twice, [p2, k2] three times, p1]. Repeat once to end of round.

Ribbing Round, size L: [K3, [p2, k2] twice, p2, [k1, p1] three times, k1, [p2, k2] three times, p2]. Repeat once to end of round.

Ribbing Round, size XL: [P2, k2, p2, k3, p2, k2, p2, [k1, p1] three times, k1, [p2, k2] four times]. Repeat once to end of round.

Repeat Ribbing Round until ribbing measures 1 inch.

Bind off, using Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designername Lise lives and knits in the rainy Pacific Northwest. She shares her life with her husband, children, and enough pets to drive her husband crazy.

Lise can be found on Ravelry as menagerie and on the web at menagerieknits.com.