Culture Socks

I designed these socks as an entry prize for participants in my Socks Revived Design Contest. The goal of the contest was to stir up some interest in knitting socks, as my handknit sock stock quickly dwindled. Rather than sit back and let everyone else have fun with sock design, I decided to play along too.

The body stitch pattern comes from an old Latvian book of mitten and glove designs. It is framed by 3×1 corrugated ribbing at the cuff and 3×1 corrugated knitting at the toe, with racing stripes running down the back of the leg, over the heel, and down to the toe.

Because stranded socks have less give to them, the heel flaps have been made a little bit longer than normal to ensure the sock will slip easily over the heel.

I named them Culture Socks, because I think the splotches look like cultured cells. If you prefer not to think about microbes and lab cultures, consider them as highbrow socks for the discriminating wearer!

This pattern will be given out to all Socks Revived Design Contest entrants and judges. It is also available as a Ravelry download for $5.00.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Skills used

Knitting in the round, knitting with two colors, reading a color chart, decreasing, picking up stitches, grafting together stitches.

Sizes

S (M, L)

Shown in M, black/gray version: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport; blue/green version: Louet Gems Fingering Wt.

Finished measurements

Cuff circumference: 7.75 (8.75, 10)”
Ankle circumference: 7 (8, 9)”
Foot circumference: 7 (8, 9)”
Leg length from cast-on to top of heel flap: 6″
Foot length: As desired

Gauge

36 stitches and 38 rounds = 4″ in stranded stitch pattern on US 1.5 (2.5 mm) needles, or size required to make gauge.

Yarn

Black/gray version:
Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport [100% wool; 184 yd (168 m); 50 g skein]; colors: 601 Pepper (MC), 880 Charcoal (CC), 2 skeins each.

Blue/green version:
Louet Gems Fingering Wt [100% merino wool; 185 yd (169 m); 50 g skein]; colors: 54 Turquoise (MC), 39 Fern Green (CC), 2 skeins each.