New design: Lynda socks

Yesterday I told you about one of the two designs I have in issue 66 of Knit Now magazine, my Waddle children's jumper, and today I'm going to tell you about the second design: Lynda socks.

Lynda socks. Image copyright Practical Publishing

This design is very special to me for several reasons: firstly, it's my first sock design! I have been knitting socks pretty constantly since I learnt to knit them at the start of 2015, trying out all sorts of different heel types and both top-down and toe-up variations, and in the spring I finally felt sufficiently confident in my sock-knitting ability to work out a design from scratch. And secondly, the design is named after my friend Lynda, who was the person who encouraged me to knit socks in the first place - I had been watching her knitting socks every week at our Monday night knitting group for months, and she encouraged me to give it a go in spite of the fact that I had vowed never to knit socks. Lynda is a truly inspirational knitter, as well as being one of the kindest people I know. When I get the sample back in a few months I will be giving them to her as a gift; I hope she loves wearing them! Finally, the Lynda socks are knitted in West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply, which is my favourite sock yarn. It comes in a wide array of bright, soft and rustic colours, so there's something for everyone, and its 75% wool, 25% nylon composition makes for good hard-wearing socks, but the yarn is not rough to the touch, and the socks will soften with wear, making them even better over time, and the yarn is machine washable.

The socks are knitted from the toe-up (my favourite technique) and feature a gusset and heel flap for an excellent fit. The instep is patterned while the sole is left plain, then the pattern extends round the leg after the heel is complete. The pattern looks complex, but is actually a simple lace pattern, which should be intuitive once you've done the first couple of repeats. The pattern is written in three sizes, so you can knit these socks whether your recipient's feet are big or small.

Knit Now magazine is available from newsagents and supermarkets in the UK, or can be purchased digitally via http://www.moremags.com/digital-editions