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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