Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Mardi Gras Socks...

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Every year for Carnival time,

We make a new suit,

Red, yellow, green, purple or blue,

We make a new suit...

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("New Suit", The Wild Magnolias)

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* Okay, I'm half French Cajun, so I always get into a good mood around Mardi Gras time.

It's in my blood, chers!

So yesterday I made up a pattern for some very quick-knit Mardi Gras socks, and you're welcome to the pattern if you'd like to knit some, too. Mind that the camera didn't catch the "true" coloring of the yarns--in real life they're more purple, gold and green than they look in the pictures. They knit up very quickly--- both socks could probably be knit in a day. They are a woman's medium, but the pattern could be adapted for a larger foot/ankle by simply increasing the numbers by a multiple of 8. The graphs are at the end.

These are pretty thick socks made with worsted weight yarn, and so they're really warm. I will use them as boot socks or around-the-house socks to keep my perennially cold feet warm!

Bo's Mardi Gras Socks

(Note: the colors in the pattern chart are for the above sock--- but you can switch the colors around any way you like, as I did on the sock to the left at the top of the page.)

Size: medium woman's (approx 9" around sock)

Gauge: (in stockinette, fair-isle stitching) 4.5 sts to 1 inch

Materials: Thick-ish worsted weight yarn in purple, gold, and green; 4 size 5 dpns (or size to get gauge); stitch holder; yarn needle;

With purple, cast on 36 st, (12-12-12)

Do k2, p2 ribbing for 14 rounds

Next round: *(K 9, M1), repeat from * to end, (40 sts.)

Then knit chart 1 with purple and gold (see diagram).

Then knit chart 2, first with green and gold, then switching to purple and gold at the divider line (see diagram).

Then knit chart 3 with green and gold (see diagram).

Then knit chart 4 with purple and gold (see diagram).

Then knit THREE rounds of chart 5 with green and gold. (Or, for a variation, you can turn the area upside down and do instead 3 rounds of chart 5 or 6, and then chart 4.)

To Divide for Heel:

Needle 1: Knit in pattern for the first ten stitches, place the next 20 (Instep) stitches on a holder, then place the last 10 stitches onto Needle 1 and these 20 stitches will be knitted back and forth as the heel flap.

Cut green and gold.

In purple:

rd 1: (WS) sl 1, p to end.

rd 2: (RS) *(sl 1, k 1), repeat from * to end.

Repeat the above rounds FOUR more times.

Repeat round 1.

Turn Heel:

rd 1- sl 1, k 10, ssk, k1, turn.

rd 2- sl 1, p 3, p 2 tog, p 1, turn.

rd 3-sl 1, k 4, ssk, k1, turn.

rd 4- sl 1, p 5, p 2 tog, p 1, turn.

rd 5sl 1, k 6, ssk, k1, turn.

rd 6- sl 1, p 7, p 2 tog, p 1, turn.

rd 7sl 1, k 8, ssk, k1.

rd 8- sl 1, p 9, p 2 tog, p 1.

rd 9- sl 1, k across. (12 sts)

Cut purple.

Gusset Pick-Up Section:

With green, take a needle (N 1) and pick up and knit 10 sts along first edge of heel flap, take a needle (N 2) and knit across 20 Instep stitches, take a needle (N 3) and pick up and knit 10 stitches along next edge of heel flap -- then knit the first 6 stitches of the heel flap, mark the beginning of the round with a marker, and place the next 6 stitches of the heel flap onto N 1. You'll have 16-20-16.

Gusset Decrease Rounds:

Rd 1: N1--k to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1; N2--knit across; N3--k 1, ssk, k to end.

Rd 2: knit around.

Repeat the above two rounds FIVE MORE times. (40 sts, placed 10-20-10.)

Foot:

Knit 2 more rounds plain with the green.

Cut green.

With purple and gold, knit chart 3 again, switching the purple for the green from the first time chart 3 was knitted. (see diagram.)

Cut purple and gold.

With green, knit plain to until 3 1/4 " away from the desired total foot length.

Cut green, knit FOUR rounds of chart 6 with purple and gold .

Cut gold.

Continuing with purple, begin Toe.

round 1: N1--knit to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1; N2--k 1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k 2 tog, k1; N3--k 1, ssk, k to end.

round 2: Knit plain.

Repeat above two rounds SIX MORE times.

Next round: N1--k 2 tog, k1; N2--k 1, ssk, k2 tog, k1; N3--K 1, ssk.

Then: knit the 2 sts on N3 onto N1.

You will then have two needles with four sts facing each other.

Graft using the kitchener method, or else do 3-needle bind off. (I did the 3-needle bind off.)

Weave in all ends.

Laissez les bon temps roulez, chers!

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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE these socks!!!
Mona

Bo... said...

Thank you, Mona!

MJ said...

What wonderful socks.. Thanks for the pattern.

Lia Nord said...

They're so cute! And the pattern looks easy to follow!

Anonymous said...

Long time lurker here!!! Reallllly love these socks. We do wild color combinations at this house all the time, nothing ever matches! So what seems to be the problem with that? Nothing, keep up the GOOD work.

Anonymous said...

I totally LOVE your goofy socks and am going stash diving in just a minute! Your charts are so dang immediate and it just tickles me how you've thrown them up there for those of us who don't give a flip about 'test knitters, proof-readers' and such. My midnight, I should be deep into my Mardi Gras Socks! You make me brave.....

Elizabeth D said...

I have all the colors, and was going to design my own -- but yours are so perfect I think I might just have to use your pattern instead!

--Elizabeth D

Anonymous said...

Dear Bo, I read your message re Cleckheaton Yarns on Knitlist. They are 200km from the fires and safe. Thanks for your concern, Sharon Australian Knitter

Unknown said...

Excellent socks, Bo.

joannamauselina said...

Those are really nice socks. Witty and pretty! Thanks for the pattern.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to make these for next year. They are absolutely wonderful. Melinda

chappy said...

Love your socks!!! They rock!!!

Momma Lynne said...

Wahooooo! Bo does it again. Bright, cheerful and simple in their own way. I love them!

Macy from Buffalo, NY said...

Yay, Bo! Wild worsted weight wonderous warmies! I'm not usually a colorful knitter, but I think this pattern will be my inspiration. Now, off to find 3 colors ... Macy

Bo... said...

Thank you, Macy. I hope I wrote it clearly---if not, please email me. And laissez bon temps roulez!