Sunday, June 29, 2008

Instant Sock Pattern

Today I bring you a pattern for the socks I use in my "Instant Sock" class. It's a very quick knit, thanks to using worsted weight yarn at a large gauge for socks. They end up being "house socks," not something you could wear with shoes.

There are two versions or the pattern, one for the knitter and one for the teacher. Click here for the teacher version. You are welcome to print these out and use them for teaching, because I know how hard it is to find materials with permission to use in a class!

Instant Socks

By Sue Ann Kendall

Top-down house socks in worsted weight yarn using magic loop technique. Perfect as a first sock project, and especially well suited to teaching magic loop socks in a day, because the short top lets you spend more time on the heel section, and in a long enough class you can get all the way to the toe.

Materials

Worsted weight yarn, approximately 200 yards

32-inch circular needle, size 4 or size to get gauge.

Spare double pointed or circular needle if using 3-needle bind-off.

Gauge

5 stitches per inch

Sporty Short Leg

Cast on 40 stitches. Good cast-ons include the knitted and long tail. Just make sure you use one that is stretchy.

Divide the needle so that there are 20 stitches on each half. Use magic loop technique to knit 5 rows in k2, p2 ribbing, then 5 rows of stockinette (knit each stitch).

Heel

You will work the heel back and forth on half of the stitches.

Flap:

Row 1: slip 1, k1 across the 20 stitches. Turn.
Row 2: slip 1, p to end of row.

Repeat these two rows until you have completed 20 rows (you will see 10 raised slip stitch columns).

Turn heel:

K 12, SSK, k1, turn
P 5, p2tog, p1, turn
K 6, SSK, k1, turn
P 7, p2tog, p1, turn
K8, SSK, k1, turn
P 9, p2tog, p 1, turn
Continue in this pattern until there are no stitches left unworked on either end (should be a purl row). Knit across.

Gusset

Pick up one stitch in every slipped stitch on the side of the heel flap after your knitted row. 10 stitches added. Resume knitting in the round, and knit across the side that has been resting (this is the top of the foot, or “instep”). Be sure to knit the first stitch tightly, to avoid a hole at this transition. The instep stitches will simply be knit on each round until you get to the toe.

Shift your needles as if you are about to start the other side, then pick up 10 stitches along the other side of the heel flap, one stitch in each slipped stitch. Continue and knit across the heel and the stitches you picked up earlier (these stitches are the foot and gusset, all one one needle) until the last three stitches, then k2tog, k 1.

Next:
Row A: knit across instep stitches; on foot side k 1, SSK, k across.
Row B: knit across instep stitches; on foot side, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k 1.
Repeat these two rows until you have 20 stitches on the foot side.

Foot

Knit in the round until the sock is long enough to cover the tip of your little toe. You can try on your sock at any time by moving the stitches to the cable part of the needle. It will stretch.

Toe

Row A: k 1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, K1; repeat on other half of round.
Row B: Knit.
Repeat these two rows until you have 8 stitches left on each half of the sock. Graft the 8 stitches together and fasten off.

OR

Repeat these two rows until you have 10 stitches left, then repeat Row A only until you have 4 stitches on each half of the round. Cut the yarn, leaving a 10-inch or longer tail. Poke this yarn to the inside of the sock, and poke your needles to the inside as well. Turn the sock inside out and straighten the needles so they are parallel again. Then, use a spare double pointed needle to use the 3-needle bind off technique to secure the 4 remaining stitches on each side of the sock.

Weave in your ends, turn the sock right-side out if you need to, and admire your new instant socks.

Copyright ©2008 Sue Ann Kendall





Instant Socks, with teaching tips

By Sue Ann Kendall

Top-down house socks in worsted weight yarn using magic loop technique. Perfect as a first sock project, and especially well suited to teaching magic loop socks in a day, because the short top lets you spend more class time on the heel section, and in a long enough class you can get all the way to the toe. An average knitter can easily knit at least one of these in a day. This version of the instructions has teaching tips for each section, marked with a ***and italic text.

***Most knitters can complete one of these in four hours, especially if you make a “class sock” with a shortened foot section.

Materials

Worsted weight yarn, approximately 200 yards—machine washable is preferable

*** Suggest students use light-colored yarn, so they can see their stitches more easily.

32-inch circular needle, size 4 or size to get gauge.

***If you know your students knit very tightly or loosely, adjust the size. I knit loosely, so should have used size 3.

Spare double pointed or circular needle if using 3-needle bind-off.

***Students who are afraid of grafting may prefer this method.

Gauge

5 stitches per inch

***On this practice sock, don’t spend a lot of time knitting swatches.

Sporty Short Leg

Cast on 40 stitches. Good cast-ons include the knitted and long tail. Just make sure you use one that is stretchy.

***Here is where you can teach a new cast-on, if desired. It’s always good for knitters to know a variety of techniques. The backward loop method is a spectacular failure for sock legs, so steer students away from that one.

Divide the needle so that there are 20 stitches on each half. ***I find it easiest to demonstrate how the magic loop set up and start works, then watch each student as she or he starts their sock. That avoids unexpected twisting or big gaps in the first stitch, so they will have a more successful experience. If you want to show them the technique of casting on one extra then knitting the last stitch together with the first, you can.

Use magic loop technique to knit 5 rows in k2, p2 ribbing, then 5 rows of stockinette (knit each stitch). If you have time and sufficient yarn, you can make the leg as long as you want.

***Explain to them how to avoid gaps between the halves of the row, and remind them to move the yarn to the right position at the start of each half, since they are doing ribbing. When they are working on the easy part and getting used to the magic loop technique is a good time for introductions and for finding our if they have the skills needed for the heel (picking up stitches, SSK, k2tog, p2tog).

Heel

You will work the heel back and forth on half of the stitches.

***Stress this.

Flap:

Row 1: slip 1, k1 across the 20 stitches. Turn.
Row 2: slip 1, p to end of row.
Repeat these two rows until you have completed 20 rows (you will see 10 raised slip stitch columns).

***Point out that they will not slip as if to knit—the slipped stitch needs to just transfer to the needle in the orientation it is already in. Tell them why the flap uses slip stitch technique, and point out that the slipped stitches make it easy to figure out where you are on the flap. Mention that they will use the slipped end stitches later. Check their work frequently.

Turn heel:

K 12, SSK, k1, turn
P 5, p2tog, p1, turn
K 6, SSK, k1, turn
P 7, p2tog, p1, turn
K8, SSK, k1, turn
P 9, p2tog, p 1, turn
Continue in this pattern until there are no stitches left unworked on either end (should be a purl row). Knit across.

***Go over the directions before they start the heel turn, pointing out the pattern. You can mention that a way to figure out where to start the heel is to knit half the stitches on the needle plus two, then SSK, K1, tuen. Next P5, p2tog, p1, turn. This will work no matter how many stitches are on your sock if there is an even number. You just do more short rows on socks with more stitches.

***Show them how you don’t really have to count—you always do SSK or p2tog on the two stitches on either side of the short row gap.

***Make sure they end up on the correct side of the sock to do the gusset pick-up.

Gusset

Pick up one stitch in every slipped stitch on the side of the heel flap after your knitted row. 10 stitches added. Resume knitting in the round, and knit across the side that has been resting (this is the top of the foot, or “instep”). Be sure to knit the first stitch tightly, to avoid a hole at this transition. The instep stitches will simply be knit on each round until you get to the toe.

***If you want to show them your favorite techniques for snugging up the hole, now’s the time. On these loosely knit socks, gaps are hard to avoid. Let them know that even good sock knitters sometimes have the hole.

Shift your needles as if you are about to start the other side, then pick up 10 stitches along the other side of the heel flap, one stitch in each slipped stitch. Continue and knit across the heel and the stitches you picked up earlier (these stitches are the foot and gusset, all one one needle) until the last three stitches, then k2tog, k 1.

***Make sure they don’t try to put all the stitches on one half of the sock. Have them snug up the gap on this side, too.

***This set up is what I always use on socks, rather than shifting stitches and putting half on each side of the needles like some sock patterns do. When all the gusset and foot stitches are on one needle, it can be a little awkward at first, but really not too bad. Give it a try if you haven’t before! Or, feel free to do the gusset your favorite way.

Next:
Row A: knit across instep stitches; on foot side k 1, SSK, k across.
Row B: knit across instep stitches; on foot side, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k 1.
Repeat these two rows until you have 20 stitches on the foot side.

***I wrote this out the way I did so students can see the pattern. I usually also show them how to tell whether they decreased on either end, by checking for two loops on the second stitch from the end. If there are two, you decreased on the last row and don’t need to now. If the second or second-to-last stitch looks normal, you need to decrease. I point out that many of us find it less stressful to not have to count or keep track of rows by “reading our knitting.”

Foot

Knit in the round until the sock is long enough to cover the tip of your little toe. You can try on your sock at any time by moving the stitches to the cable part of the needle. It will stretch.

***If your time is limited and you really want to show the students all the parts of a sock in one class, you can cut the foot short and go to the toe at any time. This will make a “class sock” that doesn’t fit a real foot, but has all the elements of a real sock.

Toe

Row A: k 1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, K1; repeat on other half of round.
Row B: Knit.

***Ensure that the students are doing the decreases on BOTH sides of the sock.


Repeat these two rows until you have 8 stitches left on each half of the sock. Graft the 8 stitches together and fasten off.

***It helps to have an illustration for grafting. Use whatever technique works for you.

OR

Repeat these two rows until you have 10 stitches left, then repeat Row A only until you have 4 stitches on each half of the round. Cut the yarn, leaving a 10-inch or longer tail. Poke this yarn to the inside of the sock, and poke your needles to the inside as well. Turn the sock inside out and straighten the needles so they are parallel again. Then, use a spare double pointed needle to use the 3-needle bind-off technique to secure the 4 remaining stitches on each side of the sock.

***I find this method sturdier than grafting on worsted weight socks or any ones that are loosely knit. The bind off is not irritating to the wearer, either. Moving the yarn and needles to the inside of the sock is the trickiest part of this technique.

Weave in your ends, turn the sock right-side out if you need to, and admire your new instant socks.

***Let me know if you have any suggestions for improving this pattern or the teaching notes, please!

Copyright ©2008 Sue Ann Kendall

2 comments:

  1. That is so generous of you to share!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What type of yarn did you use for this? I tried using worsted weight for another pattern and they came out kind of large and deformed looking...but I could have also botched up the pattern a bit

    ReplyDelete

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