Friday, June 09, 2006

you don't need no stinking gauge swatch

...not for the Teeny Tiny Spite Sock! (Can also be used for non-spiteful purposes.) So I know the pattern was requested (and thanks! I'm flattered!) but I'm not a very strict pattern-follower to begin with, and I just kind of winged it, so prepare for a super-casual pattern.

Using sock yarn (I used Regia Crazy Colors) and size 1 needles, CO 12 stitches. I used 4 dpns, so I had four stitches on each needle (minus the working needle). Work in k2p2 ribbing for 4 rounds, then stockinette for 10 rounds.
Heelflap: at the beginning of the next round, *k4, turn work, p4, turn work, repeat from * three times.
(Now this is where it gets a little weird. The only socks I've ever made are jaywalkers, so when it came time to turn the heel I had no idea what to do, since I was only working with 4 stitches. So this is what I ended up doing--although if I knew how to do a proper short-row heel, that would have worked better, I bet.)
Turn work. K4 (the heel flap stitches), pu and k 2, k8 (the instep stitches), pu and k 2, k 16 (so that you have knit an entire round). Now let's throw in some short rows. *K 4, turn work, p 4, turn work, repeat from * once more.
Decreasing the gussets: k 4, k2 tog, k 8, ssk, k one round even, k4, k2tog, k 7, ssk. Done with the decreasing! (That's the beauty of picking up only 2 gusset stitches.)
K in good old stockinette until you feel you're ready to decrease for the toe. Then let me know how you did it, because frankly mine looks like crap, and it's all pointy and hard like a ballerina's. You know those wooden things in the toe of a ballet shoe? Like that, but with yarn.

Finishing: Don't bother weaving in ends, it'll make you want to kill yourself. And probably others. Draw the end of the yarn through the toe to the inside of the sock, and tuck the heel-end of the yarn to the inside too. And vi-ola. An apology for a late gift, a charming wee Christmas ornament, or a physical manifestation of interpersonal conflict: the Teeny Tiny Spite Sock!
(Seriously though, your comments made me all warm and fuzzy. High-fives all around.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yay for the casual pattern!

You're going to play at ksks with me, right??