Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

I'm trying to get inspired to design, but am falling flat. No desire, no inspiration. If only this house would sell, I'd finally have something to be excited about, which would surely spark my creative juices. In the meantime, they're more like creative mud.

So, simple knits. Always. Need. Socks. Especially socks that will fit in my new-ish shoes. Yeah, they're a year old, but my shoes last forever as I don't get many chances to wear them!

So, as I had some of that Sirri Yarn I have previously posted about here, I thought it would be perfect for sturdy and rustic (boy is this yarn rustic!) socks.

It has no stretch, so a size 4 (3.5 mm) ndl was the smallest I was comfortable using. You could go tighter, but the yarn is rough, so if your hands are up to it, go for it! Mine aren't up to it right now.

The pair weighs just 97 grams. I didn't weigh the 2 colors beforehand, as I didn't realize then what I was gonna knit and if I'd want to post about it. So, from the looks of it, I'd say about 2/3 of it is the natural cream color and 1/3 is the sheep's grey color.

The yarn comes in 100 gram hanks. I got it here.

They only have 1 color and weight on the site now, which by the yardage looks to be the heavier weight - a worsted. This 3-ply is more like a DK in thickness.

Here's the importer where you can also order online.

Here's another shop that has it, but not the 3-ply.

Here's a site that calls it Viking yarn - I like that. No yarn that I can see, just garments.

And on that site are these Faroese slippers just like in, oh geez, one of my Nordic design books, which are all packed away, but I think it's in Nordic Knitting.

They came off the ndls and went onto my feet - so take pity on the pic quality as they are unwashed/unblocked.

OK, pattern.

Size: woman's medium
Finished Dimensions: 8" circ foot, 10" long from back of heel with sock folded flat

Size 4 (3.5 mm) dpns
1 hank each 2 colors of the 3-ply Sirri yarn, sheep's grey (A) and cream (B)
Gauge:5.5 sts/1" in Stockinette

Cuff
Long Tail CO in k1, p1 rib 44 sts in A. Rib 2 more rnds.
(Rib 2 rnds in B. Rib 3 rnds in A.) 2x.

Leg
Knit 17 rnds B.

Heel Flap
The heel flap is in a simple 2-st diced pattern.


(K1 A, k1 B) across next 22 sts, turn. Evenly distribute remaining sts on 2 ndls.
(P1 A grey, p1 B) across, turn.
Repeat last 2 rows 7x more = 16 rows done, end after finishing a WS row.

V-Heel Turn.
The heel turn is divided down the center in 2 colors. Even if you can do v-heels in your sleep, go slowly, so you remember to strand the unworked color across, thus padding your heel.

Pattern 11 sts, ssk B, k1 B, turn.
Sl 1, k1 B, p2tog A, p1 A, turn.
Sl 1, k1 A, k1 B, ssk B, k1 B, turn.
Sl 1, p2 B, p1 A, p2tog A, p1 A, turn.
Sl 1, k2 A, k2 B, ssk B, k1 B, turn.
Sl 1, p3 B, p2 A, p2tog A, p1 A, turn.
Sl 1, k3 A, k3 B, ssk B, k1 B, turn.
Sl 1, p4 B, p3 A, p2tog A, p1 A, turn.
Sl 1, k4 A, k4 B, ssk B, k1 B, turn.
Sl 1, p5 B, p4 A, p2tog A, p1 A, turn = 12 sts remaining.

Gussets
Sl 1, with A, knit remaining heel sts, and pick up and knit 11 sts along right gusset. Knit across 22 instep sts. Pick up and knit 11 sts at left gusset and with same ndl knit 6 of the heel sts. Rnds now begin at center heel.

Knit 1 rnd A. On next rnd, with A, knit to 3 sts before instep and ssk, k1, lnit across instep then k1, k2tog, finish rnd.

With B, knit 1 rnd. Then knit 1 rnd, work decreases as before.

Continue alternating 3 rnds A with 2 rnds B, ending with 3 rnds A, decreasing at the gussets on every other rnd until the original 44 sts remain.

Foot
Knit 17 rnds B.
Repeat 13-row stripe pattern: 3 rows A, 2 rows B) 2x, 3 rows A,.

Knit 9 rnds B.

Dawn's 6-Point Star/Round Toe
On next rnd, dec 2 sts evenly = 42 sts. Knit 1 rnd even.
(K5, k2tog (or ssk, if you prefer)) 6x = 36 sts. Knit 2 rnds even.
(K4, k2tog) 6x = 30 sts. Knit 2 rnds.
(K3, k2tog) 6x = 24 sts.
(K2, k2tog) 6x = 18 sts.
(K1, k2tog) 6x = 12 sts.
(K2tog) 6x = 6 sts.

Break yarn leaving a tail. Thread yarn onto tapestry ndl and pull through remaining sts.

Then bring yarn across top of toe and stitch under 2 halves of the sts opposite where the yarn exits that last st. Weave in on the WS or do as I now do and find a column of sts nearby and weave in and out of the ditch between 2 columns of sts about 5x. Then weave back up through the same ditch twice. Cut off yarn end.

The yarn end will disappear into this ditch, but can be found, if and when the toe needs to be reknit. It also keeps that yarn end from irritating your toes.

Góøur Knitting!

Labels: Sirri yarn, Viking Wool Socks