Thursday, 1 October 2020

Fancy some new sock for autumn? Introducing the Spinnaker socks!

Autumn is well and truly upon us here in the North of England, and my thoughts have definitely turned to long evenings in and cosy socks for when I do have to leave the house. If yours have too, why not keep reading to find out more about my new sock pattern: the Spinnaker socks.

The Spinnaker Socks feature a stitch pattern that I stumbled across while looking for something else entirely and loved how the addition of a few simple slipped stitches added so much texture to basic garter stitch triangles. The triangles made me think of sails, so I've named these socks after the Spinnaker Tower, a tower in Portsmouth that is designed to look like a sail.

The socks are knitted from the top-down, starting with a 1 x 3 ribbed cuff that flows seamlessly into the sail pattern. The Spinnaker pattern runs round the whole of the leg and across the top of the foot. The heel flap has a slipped stitch pattern and a round (French) heel turn. The toe is created with shaping down each side and is gathered at the end – no need for any pesky Kitchener stitch!

The Spinnaker Socks are knitted in DK weight yarn, which makes them perfect for speedy gift knitting (shh, is it still too early to mention Christmas?!)! The slipped stitch cables are also really easy and can be worked without a cable needle.

The pattern is needle-neutral, so you can knit these socks on your choice of DPNs, short circulars or magic loop. 

Want to buy your copy now? You can get 20% off with the code SAIL until 11.59pm BST Wednesday 7th October 2020 on Ravelry* and PayHip. The pattern is also available on LoveCrafts.

If you are on Ravelry* and like this design, why not add it to your Favourites or Queue? Did you know that adding patterns to your Favourites and Queue is a great way to support independent designs without having to spend any money? You can also Favourite patterns on LoveCrafts.

Here's everything you need to know so you can cast on as soon as you get your hands on the pattern.

Sizes
S (M, L, XL)

Finished sock circumferences: 15.5 (19, 22, 25) cm [6.25 (7.5, 8.75, 10) in]; for the best fit, choose a size that is approximately 2.5 cm (1 in) smaller than your foot circumference.

Leg length to heel: 15 (17.5, 17.5, 20) cm [6 (7, 7, 8) in].

Foot length is adjustable.

The stitch counts for the sole are modified so that they are the same width as the patterned foot top, this results in the socks fitting the same as regular stocking stitch socks with a stitch count of 38 (46, 54, 60) sts. 

Tension

  • 24 sts and 40 rnds = 10 cm (4 in) in stocking stitch
  • 25.5 sts and 40 rnds = 10 cm (4 in) in Spinnaker pattern

worked in the round on 3.5 mm (US 4) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn
215 (280, 355, 435) m [240 (310, 390, 480) yds] of DK weight yarn.

Note that these numbers are for guidance only as the lengths of both the legs and the feet are variable to fit. See pattern notes for further guidance on yarn choice.

Needles

  • 3.25 mm (US 3) and 3.5 mm (US 4) DPNs, set of 5, or
  • 3.25 mm (US 3) and 3.5 mm (US 4) circular needles at least 80 cm (32 in) in length to work magic loop, or 
  • 3.25 mm (US 3) and 3.5 mm (US 4) circular needle, 22.5 cm (9 in) in length

Notions

  • Stitch markers x 5 (one should be different so it can be distinguished from the others)
  • Cable needle (optional)

Pattern notes
The instructions are for the smallest size, with larger sizes in parentheses: S (M, L, XL).

The socks shown are knitted in Ripples Crafts Doubly Reliable Sock Yarn [DK; 420 m (459 yds) per 150 g skein; 75% merino wool, 25% nylon] in the colourway Moonshine and size L for a UK women’s size 9.5 foot [foot length 27.25 cm (10.75 in)].

You may be able to get gauge by holding 4-ply/light fingering yarn double. If you use yarn held double, you will need twice as many metres/yds.

I would recommend using a dedicated sock yarn for these socks, either a wool/nylon blend or a high-twist wool yarn.

Pattern edited by Jo Torr.

This pattern was first published in issue 110 of Knit Now Magazine.

*Ravelry link: may cause issues for people with photosensitivity; proceed with caution.

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