Time Traveler Socks - NOW IN FOUR SIZES!

My Time Traveler Socks are now available in four sizes!  Women's medium (8" foot circumference), men's medium/women's large (9" foot circumference), men's large (10" foot circumference), and men's XXL (11" foot circumference).  Of course, the foot length is still 100% adjustable.  The new PDF even includes a chart for the ribbing!

Download the PDF from Ravelry HERE!

Knitting these socks? Create a project on Ravelry!

Hexipuffs - Worsted & Bulky Weight

If you're not knitting The Beekeeper's Quilt yet, you probably will be soon.  This is a pattern that's sucking 'em in left and right, and for good reason!  It's a fun way to use up your scraps and creates the cutest little finished object with each motif.

The pattern is written for sock yarn, but what if you want to use up those worsted and bulky weight yarn scraps you've got lying around?  Face it, we've all got some Vanna's Choice we bought when we starting knitting that really shouldn't be used for anything else.The solution, of course is to PUFF ALL THE SCRAPS!  Even the worsted weight ones.

Therefore, after much trial and error, here is the recipe I have come up with.   This creates a puff that is 3" in diameter (1.5" on each side).  That's the same size I get knitting my sock yarn puffs on US size 3 (3.25mm) needles.

I recommend using the type of increases described in My Puffy Recipe (M1T and M1A) instead of the kfb used in the official pattern.  Kfb tends to result in a puff that's shorter on the bottom than it is on the top.

Aran or Lighter Bulky Weight Yarn
Cast on 14 stitches total (7 stitches per needle) on US size 8 (5.0mm) needles 
Increase per pattern until you have 26 stitches total (13 stitches per needle)
Decrease per pattern until 14 stitches total (7 stitches per needle) remain 
Use bind-off described in pattern

Worsted Weight Yarn
As described above, but cast on 16 stitches (8 stitches per needle) and increase to 32 stitches (16 stitches per needle).

New Pattern in the Works!

You guys!  You guys!  I am so excited.  I have just designed my first pair of lace socks.  There are charts and everything.  I'm hoping to put it through test knitting and have it available by the end of July.

And the best part?  It uses Bugga! (The name actually includes the exclamation point at the end.  I'm also really excited, but that's just a happy coincidence.)  The inspiration for these socks came not just from any Bugga!,  but from one of the limited edition nudibranch colorways that Sanguine Gryphon did just before it went extinct in December, 2011.  Specifically, the Easton studio version of Dermatobranchus Ornatus.  It's a beautiful tan/pink variegated yarn with a low amount of contrast.  It's dark now, but I'll take some pictures in the sunlight tomorrow.

Even though the Sanguine Gryphon is now DOA, don't fret! You can still buy Bugga! in a very large array of colors from the companies that came out of the Sanguine Gryphon split: The Verdant Gryphon and Cephalopod Yarns.

This color just looked at me and begged to be a nice pair of snug, cuddly lace socks.  I hope you'll have as much fun knitting them as I'm having designing them!

TTFN (ta ta for now)!

Time Traveler Socks

MAJOR UPDATE! 

These socks are now available in FOUR sizes (8", 9", 10" and 11" foot circumference)!  Check out the Ravelry pattern page to get a PDF copy of the pattern, which includes instructions for all 4 sizes PLUS charts for the ribbing for each size, or download now by clicking here!

Here is the toe-up pattern I used for my dad's socks.  He wears a size 10.5 narrow.  The ribbing provides a nice, snug fit, and that the Fleegle heel hugs a narrow heel.  This pattern was written for magic loop, but you can use DPNs if you prefer.  Needle 1 refers to the top of the foot/front of the leg needle, needle 2 refers to the sole/back of the leg needle.


The foot length is adjustable for any size.

Materials:
KnitPicks Felici Fingering in Time Traveler, 2 balls (436 yds), or any fingering weight superwash merino/nylon sock yarn
US size 0 (2.0mm) circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge. 32" or longer for magic loop, or two circulars or DPNs if you prefer
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle


Gauge:
9 sts and 12 rows = 1" in stockinette stitch


Size:
9" foot circumference.  Foot length is adjustable.

Abbreviations:
m1R: lift strand between stitch just worked and next stitch onto left-hand needle from the back, k through the front loop.
m1L: lift strand between stitch just worked and next stitch onto left-hand needle from the front, k through the back loop.
ssk: slip the first stitch on the left-hand needle knitwise, slip the next stitch knitwise, place both stitches back onto the left-hand needle and knit together through the back loop.
k2tog: knit the next two stitches together as one.
p2togtbl: purl the next two stitches together through the back loops.
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
k: knit
p: purl
sl: slip the next stitch from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle.  Slip knitwise on right-side rows and purlwise on wrong-side rows.

Toe:
Cast on 20 stitches (10 sts per needle) using Judy's Magic Cast On.
First round: K across needle 1.  On needle 2: k5, pm, k5.  This marker will mark the sole needle and provide the starting place for the heel.

Next round: k1, m1R, k to 1 st before end of needle 1, m1L, k1.  Repeat for needle 2.
Next round: k all sts.

Repeat these two rounds until you have 80 sts (40 sts per needle).

Foot:
All rounds: *p1, k4, p1, k2, p1, k4; repeat from * to last st on needle 1, p1.  K across needle 2.

Continue until work measures 3.75" less than desired foot length.

Gusset:
Next round: Continue on needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2, m1R, pm, k to end of needle 2, pm, m1L.

Next round: Continue on needle 1 in established pattern.  K all sts on needle 2.
Next round: Continue on needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2, k to first marker, m1R, sm, k to last marker, sm, m1L, k to end of needle. 

Repeat these two rounds until you have increased 19 sts on each side of needle 2 (40 sts on needle 1 and 78 sts on needle 2).  Please note, the increases go outside the markers.  There should always be 40 sts between the first and last markers on needle 2.  If you have a larger foot, please increase more stitches in the gusset, then remember to decrease them all away during the heel turn.

Heel:
Next row: Continue on needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2, k to 2 sts past center marker, k2tog, k1, turn.  (The markers used for the gusset increases can now be removed, if you like.)

Next row: sl1, p to 2 sts past center marker, p2togtbl, p1, turn.

Next row: sl1, k to 1 st before the gap, k2tog, k1, turn.
Next row: sl1, p to 1 st before the gap, p2togtbl, p1, turn.

Repeat these two rows until 2 sts remain after the gaps on each side of needle 2.

Next row: sl1, k to 1 st before gap, k2tog, k to end of needle 2. Do not turn.
Next round: Continue across needle 1 in established pattern. On needle 2: k1, ssk, k to end of needle.
Next round: Continue across needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2: ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next round: Continue across needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2: k18, ssk, k2tog, k to end of needle.

Leg:
Continue across needle 1 in established pattern.  On needle 2: *k4, p1, k2, p1, k4, p1; rep from * once more, k4, p1, k2, p1, k4.  (This round is the start of the leg.)

Repeat this round until work measures 5" from start of leg, or 1" shorter than desired length.

Cuff:
Next round: *p1, k1; repeat from * around.

Repeat this round until cuff measures 1".

Finishing:
Bind off all sts loosely using Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off.

Weave all ends in securely, wash and block.

Repeat for second sock, matching stripe pattern if desired.


Find it here on Ravelry!