Ticklepenny socks : Knitty.com

by Jo Shaw

Ticklepenny is a unisex design. The design idea came about from a request for a pair of socks that were thinner than sock weight, so they could fit in a pair of shoes easier.

This design is not made from standard fingering weight yarn, rather it is a heavy laceweight / light fingering weight yarn and worked using 2mm, so the fabric is sufficiently dense for socks. If substituting yarn, then try a yarn with similar yardage and fibre that can withstand wear, such as wool blend with silk or nylon.

The beauty of using a thinner yarn, with finer needles is that more detail can be used in the design, plus if you like to savor your knitting then you can do so for a bit longer... The intricate part of the design -- around the cuff and leg -- can still be seen when wearing shoes. The sole is plain stockinette stitch -- so it's more comfortable for the wearer.

The name Ticklepenny comes from a walk close to where I live that gives me a lot of design inspiration.

photos: Jo Shaw


SIZE Adult S[M, L, XL]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Cuff circumference: 6.5[7, 8.25, 9] inches
Foot circumference: 6[7, 8, 9] inches
Foot length: adjustable to fit (instructions are given in pattern)
Sock is designed to be worn with 1 inch negative ease in the foot

MATERIALS
Yarn
Tall Yarns 'n Tales Soliloquy™ MerinoSilk Sock Lace [80% merino, 20% silk; 328yds/300m per 50g skein]; color: s506 (dyed by guest dyer Koigu); 2[2, 2, 2] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #0/2mm needles for working in the round: DPNs, 1 long circular or 2 short circulars

Notions
yarn needle
cable needle
stitch markers

GAUGE

44 sts/60 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

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

T2R: slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back of work, k1, p1 from cable needle.

T2L: slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at front of work, p1, k1 from cable needle.

LTD (left twisted decrease): slip one purlwise, slip one purlwise through the back loop, move both stitches back to left hand needle and knit two stitches together.

RTD (right twisted decrease): slip one purlwise, slip one knitwise; as for SSK, knit these stitches together through the back loops.

Special s1 - k2tog - psso: Remove marker, slip last st from Round 6 back to left hand needle, pm (new start of round). Sl st back to right hand needle, k2tog, slip previously knitted stitch over k2tog.

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

Cuff + leaf transition (updated 10/13/14) | Sprout + Sprout transition

DIRECTIONS
Cuff
Cast on 70[75, 90, 98].
Distribute sts across needles as you prefer and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Ribbing round: Work Row 1 of Cuff Chart 5[5, 6, 7] times around.
Note: the stitch in the red border is only worked for sizes M & L.

Work Cuff Chart Row 1 for ribbing as set for 19 more rounds.

Continue, working Rows 2-13 of Cuff chart.

Leg
Work Rounds 1-12 of Leaf Transition Chart.
Note: stitches within the blue lines are repeated 3[3, 4, 5] times around. 90[95, 110, 118] sts.

Upper leg round: Work Sprout Chart once, k to end of round.
Note: the stitches in the red border are only worked for sizes M & L.

Continue as set until you have completed 3 full repeats of the Sprout Chart. 90[95, 110, 118] sts.

Lower leg round: Work Sprout Transition Chart once, k to end of round.
Note: the stitches in the red border are only worked for sizes M & L.

Continue as set until you have completed the Sprout Transition Chart. 70[75, 90, 98] sts.

For size M only: K15, k2tog, knit to end. 74 sts.

Work even in stockinette until work measures 8 inches or desired length to top of heel.

Heel Flap
Setup, Left Sock only: K15, turn.
Setup, Right Sock only: K51[53, 61, 65], turn.

Row 1 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p34[36, 44, 48], turn; place remaining 35[37, 45, 49] sts on hold for instep.
Row 2 [RS]: [Sl1p wyib, k1] 17[18, 22, 24] times, k1, turn.
Row 3 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p34[36, 44, 48], turn.
Row 4 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, [sl1p wyib, k1] 17[18, 22, 24] times, turn.
Row 5 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p34[36, 44, 48], turn.
Repeat Rows 2-5 until heel flap measures 2[2.25, 2.25, 2.5] inches or to desired length, end with a ws row.

Heel Turn
Row 1 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k19[19, 23, 25], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p6[4, 4, 4], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k7[5, 5, 5] ssk, k1, turn.
Row 4 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p8[6, 6, 6], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 5 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k9[7, 7, 7], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 6 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p10[8, 8, 8], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 7 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k11[9, 9, 9], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 8 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p12[10, 10, 10], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 9 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k13[11, 11, 11], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p14[12, 12, 12], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k15[13, 13, 13], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p16[14, 14, 14], p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k17[15, 15, 15], ssk, k1, turn.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p18[16, 16, 16], p2tog, p1, turn.
Size S, proceed to Gusset.

M, L, XL only
Row 15 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k17, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 16 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p18, p2tog, p1, turn.
Size M, proceed to Gusset.

L, XL only:
Row 17 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k19, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 18 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p20, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 19 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k21, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 20 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p22, p2tog, p1, turn.
Size L, proceed to Gusset.

XL only:
Row 21 [RS]: Sl1p wyib, k23, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 22 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, p24, p2tog, p1, turn.

Gusset
21[21, 25, 27] heel sts rem.

Gusset setup: K11[11, 12, 13] sts to center of heel; this is new start of round, k10[10, 13, 14] rem heel sts; with RS facing, pick up and knit sts into each st along side of heel flap; knit across instep sts; with RS facing, pick up and knit sts into each st along side of heel flap, knit to end of round.

Decrease round 1: K to 2 sts before instep, k2tog, k across instep sts, ssk, knit to end.
2 sts decreased.
Next round: Knit.
Repeat last two rounds until 68[76, 88, 100] sts rem.

Knit even until foot measures 1.5[1.75, 2, 2.25] inches short of desired length.

Toe
Decrease round 2: K to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of instep, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to end of round. 4 sts decreased.
Next round: Knit.
Rep previous two rounds 9[11, 13, 15] more times, then work Decrease round 2 once more. 24[24, 28, 32] sts rem.

K to start of instep. Cut yarn leaving a 12 inch tail.
Graft sts together using Kitchener Stitch.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Jo has textiles in her genes. She lives in England and many generations of her family have been in the textile trade, including her father who was a successful Nottingham lace designer. Jo loves to knit and spin but has turned her hand to more unusual crafts, such as temari balls and tatting!

Jo is on a constant quest to increase her knitting knowledge. She shares some of this on her blog, and you can find her on Ravelry as snowywolf.