Mystery Knit-A-Long

Began August 1, 2020

Every Saturday & Wednesday, for three weeks in August, you will recieve a new set of directions and a colorwork chart for your sock pattern.

These socks are knit top-down and finished with afterthought heels.

This project is designed to stashbust those fingering/sock weight scraps! Grab a variety of minis from your fingering weight scrap stash and one full skein for your main color.

Follow along and share your progress with me on Instagram! @WarmStripes #WSBirthdaySockALong

What You'll Need

2.5 mm DPN needles (Grab two sets if you want to work both socks at the same time.)
Gauge: 9st/10rows per inch (get swatching!)
Main Color: 80g-100g, solid color (fingering/sock weight yarn, *superwash or wool/nylon blend)
10 Contrasting Colors: 5g each. Grab a variety: brights, variegated, speckled, solid, tonals (fingering/sock weight yarn, *superwash or wool/nylon blend).
3 or 4 Neutral Colors: 5g each... or 15-20g of one neutral color (fingering/sock weight yarn, *superwash or wool/nylon blend).

*Colorwork only requires TWO colors, however, the more colors you have the better. I promise! Go stash diving to use up your scraps!

*Tip: Squint your eyes or take a black-and-white photo of your yarns. If you cannot distinguish the main color from a contrasting color, don't use it!

Scissors
Darning needle

Need inspiration?: Here's the Pinterest Board

August 1: Cuff & Bistro Lights

To Begin:

(*use these directions for left & right sock)

For XS, S (M, L) XL sock cast on 50, 56 (64, 70) 78 stiches using MC and divide stitches across three needles as follows:

*Colorwork creates a tighter fabric so keep with your usual stitch count or size up!

XS: Needle 1 - 26, Needle 2- 12, Needle 3- 12

S: Needle 1- 28, Needle 2- 14, Needle 3- 14

M: Needle 1- 32, Needle 2- 16, Needle 3- 16

L: Needle 1- 36, Needle 2- 17, Needle 3- 17

XL: Needle 1- 40, Needle 2- 19, Needle 3- 19

Join stitches in the round, placing a progress keeper on the first stitch of Needle 1 to indicate beginning of your rounds. Create a ribbed cuff (K1, P1 around) for 20 rounds, or desired cuff length.

Set up:

For XS, M & XL sizes only: K2tog, knit to end of round.

For S and L sizes only: Knit to end of round.

After this round you should have 49, 56 (63, 70) 77 sts.

"Bistro Lights" Colorwork:

Choose your first contrasting color.

Working right to left, bottom to top, begin the colorwork chart. (This chart is a 7-stitch repeat!) Black represents your main color, white and all other symbols will represent your contrasting colors.

*Note: Allow for extra tension when knitting colorwork by spreading out your stitches on the right-hand needle as you knit. Be careful especially between needles; these areas will become tight and your sock may not fit properly!

When the “bistro lights” are done, knit tail into the purl side of your work or leave the tails to weave in later.

August 5: Balloons

Working right to left, bottom to top, continue on with this colorwork chart. (This chart is a 7-stitch repeat!) Black represents your main color, boxes with symbols represent your contrasting colors.

When each color is done, cut tail and knit into the purl side of your work or leave the tails to weave in later.

*Tip: I chose to use 3 different solid colors for the balloons!

August 8: Garland & Streamers

Working right to left, bottom to top, continue on with this colorwork chart. (This chart is a 7-stitch repeat!) Black represents your main color, boxes with symbols represent your contrasting colors.

When each color is done, cut tail and knit into the purl side of your work or leave the tails to weave in later.

There is one more colorwork chart to go before we place markers for the heels! You can lengthen or shorten the streamers, depending on how long you'd like the leg of your sock!

*Garland Tip: I chose a solid color for my garland.

*Streamer Tip: Using a variegated color will create texture in your design and create the illusion the streamers are twisted, as they would be in real life.

August 12: Confetti

Working right to left, bottom to top, continue on with this next colorwork chart. (Remember, this chart is a 7-stitch repeat!) Black represents your main color, white represents your contrasting color.

*TIP: I chose my most variegated color for this section to create the illusion of falling confetti!

Marking the Heel

Each of the red lines represents where you can place the makers for the heel row. This pattern will incorporate an afterthought heel. (If you'd like the leg to end at the streamers, use the first red line. If you would like the leg to begin at the end of the confetti, use the line at the end of the chart).

As you're knitting the "red row" on Needle 1 (MC) place 3 removeable stitch markers that will serve as place holders for your afterthought heel. Place one on the right leg of the first stitch, the last stitch, and a stitch some where in the middle of the row.

*At this point you could knit a fish-lips-kiss heel or a short row heel, choose a contrasting color! (There will be a colorwork chart for the heel at the end so hold off if you'd like to include that!)

August 15: Llamas

To begin the foot:

Measure your foot in inches. Subtract 4 inches and make note.

This is how long the foot needs to be knit to allow for the heel (2”) & toe (2”). *This measurement will begin where you placed the the stitch markers to mark the heel.

Continue knitting in the round, repeating the llama colorwork chart (reading bottom to top, right to left) until you reach the desired measurment described above. It's up to you how many rows of llamas you knit. If you'd like, you may continue the sprinkles of confetti (proper repeats included in chart) and only knit one or two rows of llamas.

Stop working the colorwork chart when you will not be able to achieve a full section of llamas within your foot measurement!

August 19: Toes

The toe directions are written for the main color and a contrasting color. You may choose to knit with two contrasting colors instead. (In this case, designate one as “CC” and one as “MC”.)

*For all toe rounds, you will alternate these colors in a stripe pattern: 2 rounds CC, 2 rounds MC.

Knit 6 rounds. (2 CC, 2 MC, 2 CC)

For Sizes XS (M) XL only: work the initial decrease round (this will ensure an even stitch count):

Needle 1: K to 3sts before end of round, K2Tog, K1

Needle 2: K1, SSK, K to end of needle

Needle 3: K to 3st before end of needle. K2Tog, K1

You will have 46 (60) 74 sts left on your needles.

For All Sizes, begin toe decreases as follows:

Row 1:

Needle 1: K1, SSK, K to 3st before end of round. K2Tog, K1

Needle 2: K1, SSK, K to end of needle

Needle 3: K to 3st before end of needle. K2Tog, K1

Row 2: K entire round

Alternate rows 1&2 until the entire toe reaches 2” in total.

Keep all stitches on Needle 1. Slide the stitches from Needle 3 to Needle 2. You will now have the same number of stitches on Needle 1 and Needle 2. Holding these two needles parallel to one another, graft toe with the Kitchener stitch.

August 22: Heels

Find where you placed the removeable stitch markers for the after thought heel. Holding the sock cuff up, pick up the right "leg"of all the stitches above and below the heel row. You will need the following stitch counts for your heel:

XS, S (M, L) XL = 56, 56 (64, 72) 80.

This may require picking up some extra stitches.

Once all your heel stitches are picked up, cut the middle heel stitch and "unpick" each heel stitch to create and opening for the heel. *Keep the unpicked strand long to weave in or secure into the the purl side as you're knitting so your sock doesn't unravel!

*I watched this video by Kirby Wirby to learn how to make my first afterthought heel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=616gmtAYWLU

To knit the heel, make sure you set your needles up in the following manner (Needle one begins with the leg portion of the sock ... confetti should be facing you!).

XS: Needle 1 - 28, Needle 2- 14, Needle 3- 14

S: Needle 1- 28, Needle 2- 14, Needle 3- 14

M: Needle 1- 32, Needle 2- 16, Needle 3- 16

L: Needle 1- 36, Needle 2- 18, Needle 3- 18

XL: Needle 1- 40, Needle 2- 20, Needle 3- 20

Place a stitch marker on the first stitch of Needle 1 to mark the beginning of round.

You will work these color charts in the round. For one sock begin with "Party" on Needle 1 and "Animal" across needles 1 & 2. For the second sock begin with "Animal" on Needle 1 and "Party" across needles 1 & 2.

*Be sure to catch your floats at the end of Needles 1 and 3. If the floats span too far, they often cinch in between needles and will pull in your heel too tight!

Once "Party Animal" colorwork rounds are complete, decrease the heel in the same fashion as you did the toes!

*If you'd like to make the heel look like a puddle of confetti has fallen, replace the main color with your confetti color halfway down the decrease rows!

Row 1:

Needle 1: K1, SSK, K to 3st before end of round. K2Tog, K1

Needle 2: K1, SSK, K to end of needle

Needle 3: K to 3st before end of needle. K2Tog, K1

Row 2: K entire round

Alternate rows 1&2 until the entire heel reaches 2” or 2.25" in total.

Now you're ready to party!

Pour yourself your favorite beverage.
Soak socks in a wool wash bath.
Gently roll up and a towel and press to remove water.
Lay flat or stretch onto sock blockers.
Continue to enjoy favorite beverage and celebrate!

*Please share images to Instagram so I can see your beautiful llama party socks:

Tag @warmstripes and add the hashtag #WSbirthdaysockalong

Ravelry Project Page (if you are able to use):

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/llama-party-socks

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