It started out innocently enough. The temperatures here have been very hot this week and frankly, I haven’t been knitting a lot. I’m not even halfway through this week’s blanket panel and I haven’t done much of anything else. Last night, I told myself that even if I didn’t want to work on the blanket, Dulaan items needn’t be large or weighty or cumbersome to work on so get going! Okay, okay, already :) My conscience is a Jewish mother - also a Tartar!
I went through stash and grabbed a ball of blue yarn intending to make my standard toddler/small child sock and cast 28 stitches on to size 5 needles. I noticed as I cast on that the yarn was barely twisted and quite a bit thicker than I had initially thought - say bulky-ish rather than worsted weight. But I continued on and knit a couple of rows of K2, P2 ribbing before I realized that a ball of bulky yarn wasn’t going to have enough yardage to make a pair of socks. Well, my brain temporized, Make short socks then - the cuff doesn’t need to go on exactly forever, you know!.
This seemed like sage advice even though it came from my brain (which I’m convinced consists mostly of silly putty) so I decided, somewhat arbitrarily (or so I thought!), to work 6 rounds of ribbing and then 6 rounds of stockinette - 12 rounds total. It would be a very short cuff and perhaps be more useful as slippers than socks, but that would be fine. Then I would start the heel flap.
So that’s exactly what I did, eyeing my rapidly shrinking ball of wool all the while. In fact I was a bit alarmed by the rate at which the yarn was disappearing. I shouldn’t have been - I mean I did realize there wasn’t a lot of yardage here which is why I was altering the pattern in the first place! After the heel flap was worked and the gusset stitches picked up I was even more nervous about the yarn so I decided that once the gusset decreases were done, I would work only 12 more rounds for the foot (instead of the 16 rounds this pattern calls for) and try to save a little yarn that way. It was ridiculous of course :) When I had worked the 12 rounds I could see that what would result might be suitable for a puppy’s paw, but not really workable for a human foot with actual toes on it :)
Then, I had the thought that I could change colors and work the additional four rounds the original pattern required, proceed on to the toe decreases and everything would be fine. So I dug out another ball of comparable weight yarn, this one a darker bluish-purple tweed, joined it and finished the sock. It wasn’t until then that I realized I had another couple of 12s going here. The gusset decreases take place over 12 rounds - 6 decrease rounds with 6 knit rounds in between. Also, after the color change, another 12 rounds are worked to the end of the sock - 4 plain rounds, 3 decrease rounds with 3 knit rounds and then another 2 decrease rounds = 12 rounds!
So there isn’t so much a pattern here as a mnemonic device :)
6 rounds ribbing + 6 rounds stockinette = 12 rounds.
*Heel flap
*Turn heel
*Pick up gusset stitches
Decrease gusset stitches: Decrease round + plain round (6 times) = 12 rounds.
Stockinette - 12 rounds
Change color
4 rounds stockinette + toe decreases [(3 decrease + 3 knit rounds) + 2 decrease rounds] = 12 rounds.
*See How to Make a Little Sock for the particulars.
Because of the thickness of the yarn used, this sock is a little bigger than usual and would probably fit a medium child - maybe even a small adult. While not inflexible and not, as far as I know, bullet-proof, it is very thick and sturdy :) And, last but not least, you can whip it out in a evening.
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umm, i’ve always heard that when knitting, 42 is always the answer, but then, what is 42 but 12+12+12+(12/2)?
those socks do look warm- okay, it’s a typical summer day, so they look hot- just what little mongolian feet will wear with pleasure- i do like the idea of a nice quick sock knit- thanks-
stay happy (and cool and comfy)-
Barb - Well, I hope they’ll be good and warm and, while it makes me feel just the slightest bit lazy, it really is nice to be able to turn one out in a couple of hours :)
What a great little sock! I do like knitting socks. Even if you use small needles, baby socks never take too long.
I gave my SIL her knitted birthday present and she was very happy! I think I will knit often for her as she is so appreciative.
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Abi - Wonderful! There’s nothing like knitting for someone who appreciates it :) Definitely - more knits for the esteemed SIL!
