INTRODUCTION

Wanna Dance!

by Christie WN

These socks are inspired by my niece who is an accomplished ballet/modern/jazz dancer and by my own frustrations with limited mobility.

The colourwork is kept to the leg only so once that part is done the rest of the sock will fly off your needles.

Jazz the socks up with the fun i-cord bow on the ballet shoes, or leave it off if it's not your thing.

Have fun by working the charts as written or switching them around to do the ballet shoes on both front and back, the dancer front and back or one sock with the ballet shoes and one with the dancer.

model: Christie WN

photos: Kit WN

SIZE

Adult S[M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Foot circumference:  7[8, 9] inches/  18[20.5, 23] cm
Leg length: 8 inches/20.5 cm as shown, adjustable to preference

Foot length: adjustable to preference
Note: Choose a size with approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm negative ease in the foot circumference.

MATERIALS

Yarn
[MC] Glen Heaven Knits Titanium Sock 4 ply [75% superwash merino, 25% nylon; 465yd/425m per 100g skein]; color: Medusa; 1 skein
[CC] Madelinetosh Tosh Sock [100% merino wool; 395yd/361m per 100g skein]; color: Silver Fox; approx. 100 yds/90 m required

Yarn Characteristics:
Select a hardwearing sock yarn, such as a wool and nylon blend for the MC for long-lasting wear. For the CC, a 100% wool will be fine as it is used on the leg only. We recommend you do not mix superwash and non-superwash yarns in the same sock, as they may shrink at different rates when washed.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #1.5/2.5mm needles for small circumference in the round: traditional or flexible DPNs, 1 long circular or 2 short circulars as you prefer
US #3/3.25mm needles for small circumference in the round: traditional or flexible DPNs, 1 long circular or 2 short circulars as you prefer

Notions
stitch markers
yarn needle

GAUGE

32 sts/48 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in single-color stockinette stitch
30 sts/40 rounds = 4 inches/10cm in charted colorwork pattern using larger needles.

PATTERN NOTES

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

Stranded colourwork is worked on a larger needle for this sock. The gauge of the stranded colourwork needs to be looser than the single-color fabric so that the sock fits comfortably on the leg.

For a longer leg, work rounds of stocking stitch before or after working the chart.

The i-cord bow is optional.

Instructions for grafting can be found here and here.

CHARTS

small | medium | large

DIRECTIONS

Cuff
With CC and smaller needles, CO 56[64, 72] sts. Join in the round being careful not to twist. Break CC.

Join MC and knit 8 rounds. Do not break yarn.
Join CC and knit 1 round.
Round 10, create picot: [K2tog, yo] around.
Round 11: Knit. Break CC.
Join MC and knit 8 rounds. Do not break yarn.
Before continuing, weave in all ends.

Fold the cuff of the sock in half WS together to create a picot edge at the top.

Joining round: *Use tip of left needle to pick up one stitch from the CO edge, and work k2tog on that and the next stitch from the round; repeat from * around.

Leg
Setup round: *K 13[7, 5] , kfb. Repeat from * to end. 60[72, 84] sts.
Knit 1 round MC.
Join CC, change to larger needles, and work appropriate size leg chart once. 
Break CC.
Change to smaller needles.
Knit 1 round in MC.

Heel/Gusset
Setup round: K 1[2, 3] ; this position is the new start of round, and marks the start of the instep; k 28[32, 36] ; this position marks the end of the instep and the start of the sole/heel, k 32[40, 48] . Place markers or rearrange sts as you prefer.

Round 1: K across instep sts; k1, m1r, k to 1 st before end of round m1l, k1. 2 sts increased.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1-2 10 more times. 28[32, 36] sts for the instep; 54[62, 70] sts for the heel.

Turn Heel
Turn work so that WS is facing.
Row 1 [WS]: Sl 1 pwise wyif, p 28[32, 36] sts on heel, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 2 [RS]: S1 1 pwise wyib, k5, ssk, k1, turn.
Row 3: Sl 1 pwise wyif, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 4: Sl 1 pwise wyib, k to 1 st before gap, ssk, k1, turn.

Repeat Rows 3–4 until you have 32[36, 40] heel sts, total, including 2 unworked sts each side of the heel. Do not turn at the end of the last RS row.

Setup for next step: K2, to start of round.

Round 1: K across instep; k1, k2tog, k to 3 sts before end of round, ssk, k1. 2 sts decreased.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Round 1–2 once more. 56[64, 72] sts.

Foot
Knit even until foot measures 2 inch/5 cm 1.75[2, 2.25] inches/ 4.5[5, 5.5] cm short of desired foot length.

Toe
Round 1: *K1, ssk, k to 3 stitches before end of instep, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of round, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1-2 5[6, 7] more times, until 32[36, 40] sts remain.
Work Round 1 5 times. 12[16, 20] sts remain.
Arrange sts so there are 6[8, 10] sts on each of 2 needles and graft toe closed.

Bow (optional)
With CC, CO 3 sts.
Knit. Return sts to left needle and repeat from * until cord measures 13 inches/32cm.

FINISHING

Wash, to even out the colouwork. Weave in all ends.
To attach the optional bow: Tie knitted cord into a bow and stitch over centre of the corresponding colorwork bow on the sock.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Christie and her husband Kit live in the remote town of Exmouth in tropical Northwest Western Australia; a fabulous location on the edge of the World Heritage Ningaloo Reef. Living in the tropics doesn’t provide enough opportunities to wear knitted items, but that doesn’t stop her from knitting.

Trained as a Chartered Management Accountant, Christie took up knitting as a productive outlet after reducing working hours due to chronic illnesses that resulted in spending a lot of time sitting or lying down. She also crochets, weaves, makes bobbin lace, does dressmaking, cross stitch, kumihimo braiding, runs community art projects on a voluntary basis and has been known to dive into any textile-based rabbit hole that crosses her path.

Find her here on Ravelry and Instagram.

Pattern & images © 2020 Christie WN.