Voices from the Deep Socks – test knitters’ interpretations

Did you know I have my patterns edited* and tested before they’re published? This helps to ensure they’re error-free when they are released to the wider world.

Here is a selection of projects from the test knitters of my latest pattern: Voices from the Deep Socks. Many of my testers hadn’t knitted an afterthought heel before, so it was really excited to hear their triumphant calls of ‘I’ve done it!’ when they completed the heel.

Knitted by Alexandra (@m.alexandra.melo on Instagram)

 

 Knitted by Fernanda (@PalmeiraKnits on Instagram); yarn by PósPés (@DyedByAlfinete on Instagram)

 

 Knitted by Jen (@KnitDerby on Instagram); yarn by Weku Yarn (@WekuYarn on Instagram), colourway Elephant Kisses

 

 Knitted by Laily (@SultanXStitch on Instagram); yarn: Rosarios4 Meia print

 

 Knitted by Sara Elin (@SaraElinRoberts on Instagram); yarn: Rico Superba Cashmeri Luxury Socks

 

Pattern sample: knitted by Vikki (@VikkiBirdDesigns on Instagram); yarn by Castleview Yarns (@CastleviewYarns on Instagram), colourway Agnes

 

Seen the test knitters’ socks and want to knit your own? You can find it on Ravelry* and PayHip. Use the code VOICES to get 15% off, expires 11.59pm GMT, Wednesday 30th November 2022. The code is also valid on my other Siren patterns: Siren Song, Three Sirens (Ravelry link;* PayHip link. Perfect if you have lots of single skeins in your yarn collection!

Full pattern details can be found here.

All images copyright of the test knitter; shared with permission.

* I use Jo Torr (https://www.jotorr.co.uk/).

 

 

New pattern alert: Voices from the Deep

Do you have a skein of variegated yarn that seems to dominate every pattern you try with it? My latest pattern, Voices from the Deep is the perfect pattern choice! Cables often disappear into variegated yarns, but if you introduce slipped stitches into the cables, the cables sit on top of the background, making the cables pop against the yarn. The Voices from the Deep Socks feature a cable that flows intuitively from the ribbing, and the emergence of the cable against the background makes this a moreish ‘just one more row’ pattern, hence the name Voices from the Deep, after the Sirens who were said to call sailors irresistibly to the rocks just below the surface of the water.

I've worked with Castleview Yarns on this pattern - Jen supplied me with a beautiful skein of her Castleview Yarns Sock (4-ply, 425 m per 100 g skein, 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon) in Agnes, which has a neutral base heavily speckled in shades of purple (my favourite colour). The yarn and the pattern work together so the cable is visible even with all the speckles.

The Voices from the Deep Socks are knitted from the toe up. The socks are knitted as far as the heel, then a row is knitted in waste yarn so the socks can be opened up and an afterthought heel added at the end. Never knitted an afterthought heel before? Don't worry, the pattern contains all the information you need.

Each sock features a cable up the side of the foot; this cable is mirrored between the two socks (I've even colour-coded the charts so those for the left sock have BLUE borders, while those for the right have RED borders - just remember R for red and right and you'll be on your way!), and the cable flows seamlessly into the ribbing, which is a feature I love to include.

Want to get your hands on the pattern? You can find it on Ravelry* and PayHip. Use the code VOICES to get 15% off, expires 11.59pm GMT, Wednesday 30th November 2022. The code is also valid on my other Siren patterns: Siren Song, Three Sirens (Ravelry link;* PayHip link. Perfect if you have lots of single skeins in your yarn collection!

Full pattern details can be found here.

*Ravelry link. May affect people with photosensitivity, proceed with caution.

Twist and shout: the Contorto socks are live!

One of my favourite ways of showcasing stitch patterns is to knit them into socks; by the time you've got to grips with the stitch pattern you are ready to tackle the heel, so socks always have something interesting going on, even if the pattern is the same throughout the sock. I found this stitch pattern in a stitch dictionary while looking for something else entirely and couldn't get it out of my head! I've named the socks ‘Contorto’, which is Italian for twisted, after the beautiful twisted cables in the stitch pattern.

The Contorto socks are knitted from the toe up and use a gusset and heel flap construction, shaped with short rows, and with a slipped stitch pattern on the heel flap for reinforcement. The gusset length is affected by your row/round gauge, so a table of gauge-dependent lengths is included to help you achieve the perfect fit. Toe-up with a heel-flap and gusset is my favourite sock construction, but it's been a while since I've made any socks from the toe-up. I know that a lot of people shy away from toe-up socks as they're concerned about the fit; I'm confident that if you follow the instructions in the Contorto pattern you'll finish up with a beautifully fitting pair of socks - there are plenty of hints and tips throughout, and links to helpful tutorials for the cast on and cast off, the wrap and turn technique and on choosing what size socks to knit.

This pattern was originally published in Knit Now, but I've added an extra size, and additional options for knitting your socks, so you can now choose between:
•  Having the Contorto pattern on top of the foot and round the leg, with either cabled or 2 x 2 rib for the cuff
•  Having the Contorto pattern on the top of the foot and the front of the leg only, finished with 2 x 2 rib for the cuff
•  Either fully matching-socks, or mirrored, fraternal socks

The pattern is needle-neutral and the socks can be knitted using DPNs, short circulars, or long circulars using the magic loop technique.

The Contorto pattern is available now, and until 11.59pm GMT Wednesday 12th February 2020 you can have 20% off with the code TWISTED. Until the end of February 2020, I will also be donating £1 from each copy sold to Down Syndrome International as part of the #LotsOfSocksKAL.

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Full pattern details can be found on the Ravelry pattern page, but here are the essentials.

Sizes
S (M, L, XL)

Finished sock foot circumferences: 15.5 (19, 23, 26.5) cm [6.25 (7.75, 9, 10.5) in] designed to fit with 2.5 cm [1 in] negative ease. These are the sizes of the finished socks; for the best fit, choose a size that is approximately 2.5 cm [1 in] smaller than your foot circumference.

Finished sock leg circumferences:
•  Fully-cabled: 15 (19, 22.5, 26.5) cm [6 (7.5, 9, 10.5) in]
•  Simplified: 15.5 (19, 23, 26.5) cm [6.25 (7.75, 9, 10.5) in]

The stitch counts for the cabled portions are modified so that the cabled panels are the same width as the stocking stitch sole, this results in the socks fitting the same as a regular stocking stitch socks with a stitch count of 52 (64, 76, 88) sts.

Yarn
Dedicated 4 ply sock yarn in the following amounts:
•  Fully-cabled version: 260 (390, 550, 740) m [290 (430, 610, 810) yds]
•  Simplified leg version: 220 (330, 460, 620) m [250 (370, 510, 680) yds]

Needles
•  2.5 mm DPNs
•  or a 2.5 mm circular needle at least 80 cm [32 in] in length
•  or a 2.5 mm 20 cm [9 in] circular needle

Notions
•  Stitch markers x 4
•  Cable needle
•  Tapestry needle

This pattern was first published in Knit Now magazine, issue 84.

This pattern was tech edited by Jo Torr.

Remember, you can get 20% off the Contorto pattern until 11.59pm GMT Wednesday 12th February 2020 with the code TWISTED. Until the end of February 2020, I will also be donating £1 from each copy sold to Down Syndrome International as part of the #LotsOfSocksKAL.

New design: Siren song socks

I've got a new pattern for you today, and this is one that some of you might have been waiting for for some time as I think I finished the original sample over two years ago... so let me introduce my Siren song socks.

I have a large (huge) collection of variegated yarns and always struggle to find patterns that won't be overwhelmed by the yarn. One solution is to knit what is essentially a vanilla sock with a slipped stitch detail, an idea that led me to my Siren song socks. The stitch pattern is used in a single panel along one edge of each foot (the socks are a mirrored pair), and is easily memorised; the socks are named after the Siren, a mythical creature, whose call was said to lure sailors to rocks – the stitch pattern used is one that will have knitters saying 'just one more round' as they watch the pattern emerge – my test knitters all finished theirs in record time, and several have said they're keen to knit more pairs.

The pattern is knitted from the top-down (a change for me, but I know a lot of you have been asking for top-down patterns) and is written to be needle-neutral and can be knitted using either the magic-loop technique, short circulars or DPNs, depending on your individual preference. The pattern also features some helpful hints for beginners.

To keep everyone sweet, the cabled stitch pattern is given as both a chart and written instructions.

The Siren Song pattern is written in five sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL), with finished sock circumferences of 15 (17.5, 20, 22.5, 25) cm [6 (7, 8, 9, 10) in], which should give you plenty of options. I'd advise choosing a size 2.5 cm [1 in] smaller than your foot circumference for optimal fit. Unless you're knitting the largest size, or have decided to knit socks with very long legs, you should be able to get a pair out of a single 100 g skein of sock yarn.

The samples shown are knitted in some lovely yarns: the blue version is knitted in Phileas Yarns Explorer Sock: 80% Merino, 20% Nylon; 365 m [400 yds] per 100 g in the colourway Fjord. Sylvie makes amazing semi-solid sock yarns, so you should definitely check out her Etsy store. The multi-coloured version (the one I knitted two years ago, but the yarn is still on Sam's dye list) is knitted in Unbelievawool MCN sock: 80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon; 400 m [437 yds] per 100 g in the colourway Mermaid hair. All of Sam's yarns can be found on her website. Of course you can use any sock yarn, my testers used stripey and variegated yarns to good effect; I recommend using a yarn that has some nylon content to make your socks more hard-wearing.

Want to get your copy now? Head over to my Ravelry store. The pattern has a 25% introductory discount until 11.59pm BST Monday 6th August 2018, no code needed.