free pattern friday: pumpkin vine socks

* Now available as a free Ravelry download! *

Oh, how I wanted to post this pattern during Socktoberfest! But pumpkins are a central item in Thanksgiving as well, so I think these socks will hold up just as nicely in November.

I've had a ball making these lacy, comfortable socks and thought you might like them too. You will need to use a stitch counter and a little cheat sheet to keep up with the 12-row lace repeat, so sorry, no knitting these socks on the sly at a meeting or in class. But on your couch with a cup of tea, they are divine.

The lace pattern came from the Bible Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns. It's called "traveling vine," and it reminds me so much of a pumpkin vine with its zig-zag spreading. Use a solid green or orange yarn, especially one that's hand dyed and has some variation in the color saturation, to show off your lace stitches.

[Correction to traveling vine pattern added Jan 4 09]

size: Womens' XS/Youth L (Women's M, Women's XL)

* A note on sizing: the basic template for this sock is the women's M, with a circumference of about 8 inches. Because of the lace pattern's 8-stitch repeat, the XS and the XL are truly much smaller (larger) than the mediums. The circumference for the XS is about 7 inches, and the XL is 9 inches. If you need them just a bit more snug or roomy, just knit the mediums and go down (or up) a needle size.

gauge: 7 st/inch in stockinette. 8 st/inch in lace pattern.

materials

• 2 skeins Shibui Sock (100% merino, 50 g / 191 yd). Shown in color #7498
• US size 1 DPN's (2.5 mm)
• stitch markers in 2 colors
• stitch counter
• tapestry needle

traveling vine pattern

Row 1: *YO, K1-b, YO, SSK, K5, repeat from * to end.
Row 2: K3, *SSK, K7, repeat from * til 6 st rem. SSK, K4.
Row 3: *YO, K1-b, YO, K2, SSK, K3, repeat from * to end.
Row 4: K5, *SSK, K7, repeat from * til 4 st rem. SSK, K2.
Row 5: *K1-b, YO, K4, SSK, K1, YO, repeat from * to end.
Row 6: K6. *SSK, K7, repeat from * til 3 st rem. SSK, K1
Row 7: *K5, K2tog, YO, K1-b, YO, repeat from * to end.
Row 8: K4. *K2tog, K7, repeat from * til 5 st rem. K2tog, K3
Row 9: *K3, K2tog, K2, YO, K1-b, YO, repeat from * to end.
Row 10: K2. *K2tog, K7, repeat from * til 7 st rem. K2tog, K5
Row 11: *YO, K1, K2tog, K4, YO, K1-b, repeat from * to end.
Row 12: K1. *K2tog, K7, repeat from * til 8 st rem. K2tog, K6.

note: K1-b = Knit one into the back of the stitch.


vining lace close-up

This lace pattern feels like a set of Beethoven's variations on a theme. Each of the odd rows contains the same elements, rearranged. For the first half of the rows, all the decreases slant one direction (SSK), and for the second half of the rows, all the decreases slant the other direction (K2tog). This makes the ziz-zag vine. The even rows are all basically the same, but they start at a different point each time.

starting at the topCO 56, (64, 72) st using 2 needles held together. Distribute stitches evenly among 3 (single) needles, PM and join to K in rnd.
K in K2P2 rib for 1.5 in.
K 1 row st st.
Change to lace pattern. K until sock measures 6.5 in (about 5 lace repeats), ending after row 12.

heel flap
K across 14 (16, 18) st. Turn work, slip the first st and P 28 (32, 36). Keep the st you have just knit on one needle, and transfer the remaining st onto a second needle. The st you have just purled across make the heel; the rest make the instep, which will just hang out on that needle for a bit while you work on the heel. Turn work.

Row 1: *Sl 1, K1. Repeat from * to end of needle. Turn work.
Row 2: Sl 1, P to end, turn work.
Repeat these two rows for 28 (32, 36) total rows. There will be 14 (16, 18) selvedge st.

turn the heel
K across 16 (18, 20) st, SSK, K1, turn.
Slip 1 P-wise, P5, P2tog, P1, turn.
K to 1 st before gap. SSK, K1, turn.
Slip 1 P-wise, P to 1 st before gap. P2tog, turn.
Continue in this manner until all heel st have been activated.

heel gusset - size XS only
Row 1: Sl 1, K across all heel st, pick up 14 st along selvedge, PM. K2, PM.
Beg lace row 1. Patt to 2 st before end of held instep stitches (this will be three lace repeats). PM. K2, PM. Pick up 14 st along selvedge, K half the heel st. This point marks the start of the row.
Row 2: K to 3 st before first M, K2tog, K1. Sl M, K2. Sl second M. Patt to third M, sl M. K2, sl final M. K1, SSK, K to end.

heel gusset - size M only
Row 1: Sl 1, K across all heel st, pick up 16 st along selvedge, PM. Beg lace row 1. Patt to end of held instep stitches (this will be four lace repeats), PM. Pick up 16 st along selvedge, K half the heel st. This point marks the start of the row.
Row 2: K to 3 st before M, K2tog, K1. Sl M. Patt to next M, sl M. K1, SSK, K to end.

heel gusset - size XL only
Row 1: Sl 1, K across all heel st, pick up 18 st along selvedge, PM. K6, PM. Beg lace row 1. Patt to 6 st before end of held instep stitches (this will be three lace repeats), PM. K6, PM. Pick up 18 st along selvedge, K half the heel st. This point marks the start of the row.
Row 2: K to 3 st before first M, K2tog, K1. Sl M, K6. Sl second M. Patt to third M, sl M. K6, sl final M. K1, SSK, K to end.

all sizes
Continue in this manner, following the lace pattern between the inner markers (across the instep) and knitting the heel and gusset st in stockinette. Size XS (XL) has 2 (6) extra stockinette st between the decrease M and the start of the lace pattern.

You will cont to dec 2 st in this manner on every even row until there are 26 (30, 34) total st in the stockinette section. 54 (62, 70) st rem.

Maintain the lace pattern across the top of the foot and st st on the underside of the foot. K until the foot measures 6.5 (7.5, 8) in (or about 2 in less than desired overall length).



toe
Set-up row: K to first M, Slip M, K1, SSK. K to 3 st before second decrease M, removing the extra markers of sizes XS and XL as you go. K2tog, K to end. 52 (60, 68) st rem.
K 1 rnd even (st st).

Dec row 1: K to 3 st before 1st M, K2tog, K1. Slip M, K1, SSK. K to 3 st before second M, K2tog, K1. Slip M, K1, SSK. K to end.
Row 2: Knit.
Continue dec every other row until 28 (32, 36) st rem.
Dec every row until 8 st rem.

Graft toe closed using Kitchener Stitch. Weave in all loose ends.

Now make another one!
important notice: This is a free pattern and you are welcome to use it for all the non-commercial purposes you like. However, you may not reproduce this pattern to sell, and you may not sell what you make with it. You may donate what you make with it to charity, and you may use it for charity fundraisers only if 100% of the proceeds are donated to the charity (and by charity I don't mean your kid's college fund). Thanks for understanding!