"Twinkle, twinkle, little star ..."
The star socks are here at last, and thanks to everyone for your comments on the blog and Facebook about what to do about the outline!
As you can see, I've decided that my pair of socks will have outlined stars. I like to be able to see them and I like the contrast of the colours. However, your socks can be made with whatever style of stars you would like! I've had lots of suggestions and I'll mention some of them as we go along. First of all, though, I just want to show off my socks!
I just love the sparkly yarn and I'm very happy with my outlined stars. The yarn is super-soft and I'm hoping that it wears well as I can see me wearing these socks a LOT!
I used Sparkleduck Galaxy 4ply in the colour Rosebud to make the socks. It is 75% superwash merino wool, 20% nylon and 5% Stellina (the sparkly bits). I used some oddments of sock yarn that I had left over from another pair of socks to create the outlines. You can use any sock yarn to make these socks for yourself. Even variegated yarn would work if you made the outlines bold enough against the variegated colours.
There isn't any tension information given on the label for the yarn, so for once I had to check my gauge. I'm usually far too impatient to bother with it, but as this is yarn I haven't knitted with before, it seemed like a sensible idea! My tension sample worked out at 32 stitches and 52 rows to 10 cm on 2.5mm needles. (Ignore the scratched table - can you see the sparkles now? J) This is the usual gauge that I knit with so I would expect that this yarn would knit up to your usual gauge too, although it might be best to do a tension square just to check. You should always check your gauge in the way that you are knitting, so in this case it's in the round. I've chosen to cast on as if I'm knitting the whole sock here, but you can cheat a little and just knit the front of the sock and then carry the yarn across the back to represent knitting and then start again at the front side of your test piece if you want to. It's a bit faster, but I wanted to see how the yarn was going to knit up for the whole sock which is why I chose to do it this way. (I think the test piece looks a bit like a frog's face - can you see it too?)
I'm back on my 30cm circular again for these socks, but they can easily be knitted on DPNs or magic loop. They're also easy to re-size as you can simply add or take away stitches in blocks of four to make bigger or smaller socks.
Before we get onto the pattern itself, let me show you the heels. I'm very pleased with the heels. They've worked out just how I wanted them too. I have wondered if I need to expand my horizons away from heel flaps, but I like them. I like that they're cushioned and hard-wearing, and I like that I can change the stitch to make them look a little bit different from time to time.
Star stitch is very easy; the pattern tells you to "make star" and this is how you do it.
1 Put your right hand needle through the first three stitches on your left hand needle as if to purl.
2 Pull the yarn through the stitches onto the right hand needle but don't slide the stitches off the left hand needle.
3 Wrap the yarn around the right hand needle from front to back, then put your right hand needle back through the first three stitches on the left hand needle as if to purl. You can see the wrap stitch circled in this picture ...
... and the three purl stitches circled in this picture.
4 Slide the stitches off the left hand needle. You still have three stitches, although you have created them as new stitches with the purl/wrap/purl that you have just done. The star will appear on the other side of your knitting.
This is what the heel flap looks like with the diagonal rows of stars.
Finally, before we get to the pattern itself, I want to talk to you about the stars on the main foot of the sock. They are knitted from a chart which is always followed from right to left. If you've never used a chart before you might find it easiest to print out a couple of copies so that you can mark the row that you're on - some people use a ruler to show where they're up to but I prefer to draw on a copy of my pattern so that if my pattern gets knocked (very easy to do with cats, dogs and children marauding about the house!) then I always know where I'm up to.
Now, these stars can be created however you would like. You can leave them plain or you can outline them like my socks.
Other suggestions that I have had are to partially outline them to highlight the shadows, making the stars look three-dimensional ...
... to knit the outline into the pattern or to knit the stars using the intarsia method so that the whole star is a different colour.
I love that there are so many different options to creating this sock! There are so many things that you could do to change the pattern slightly to make the socks uniquely yours. Want a broader channel to define the star area? Put one in! Want to make these as toe-up rather than top-down socks? Just turn the star pattern around!
Want to make a pair of your very own? Let's go for it!
Twinkle Star socks
(you can download a PDF of the pattern here. There is a chart for the stars which isn't given here in the blog instructions so you will need a downloaded copy of the pattern)
These socks are
constructed as top down socks with a gusset heel. The heel is knitted in star stitch, which
creates a durable, cushioned heel. This
pattern will create a medium-sized sock.
If you want to make the pattern bigger or smaller, simply increase or
decrease the number of cast-on stitches by 4, but remember that you will need
to make adjustments when you turn the heel.
Materials
2.5mm needles –
I use a 30cm circular needle but DPNs or 80cm long circular for magic loop will
also work
1 x 100g ball
of 4ply sock yarn (or 2 x 50g depending on brand)
1 set DPNs size
3.0mm
1 set DPNs size
2.5mm
stitch markers
tapestry needle
spare yarn to
outline stars (optional)
Gauge: 32 sts
and 52 rows to 10 cm on 2.5mm needles
Note: I cast on using DPNs then change to my small circular needle – it’s
not possible to cast on using the circular as it’s too small. If you want to use magic loop you will be
able to cast on with the larger circular needle. If you use DPNs, you might find it easiest to
cast on and work 2 rows before dividing the stitches across the needles.
To adjust the
size for this sock, just add or remove stitches in blocks of 4 from the cast on
total. Remember that you will need to
make adjustments when turning the heel if you use extra stitches.
Abbreviations
K Knit
P Purl
Sl Slip stitch
SSK Slip the first stitch on the left hand needle as if to knit, slip the second stitch on the left hand needle as if to purl, transfer them both back to the left hand needle and knit into the back of both stitches together
P2tog Purl two stitches together
Make star Purl first three stitches on left hand needle but do not slide
stitches off needle. Wrap yarn around
right hand needle and purl first three stitches on left hand needle again. This time, slide the stitches off the
needle. This creates the star on the
right side of the knitting.
Pattern
Cast on 60
stitches using 3.0mm needle.
1st
row: K2, P2, repeat to end,
turn
2nd
row: K2, P2, repeat to end, turn
Change to 2.5mm
needles. At this point, change to a
small circular, large circular for magic loop or divide the stitches across
DPNs and join into a circle, place marker.
Continue in K2,
P2 rib for 14 more rounds or until desired length of rib (I knit 16 rounds of
rib).
Star pattern
Knit one round
Set up round
for pattern: K36, P1, work 16sts of
pattern (working from right to left), P1, K6, sl marker
Following
pattern as set, work pattern rounds until desired length before start of
heel. It doesn’t matter which line of
the pattern you finish on as long as you make a note of it so that you can
continue in pattern after picking up the gusset stitches.
Heel Flap
Change to 2.5mm
DPNs if you are using a small circular.
You are going to create the heel flap from half the number of stitches
that you cast on, so if you have cast on more or less than 60 stitches,
remember to adjust the number of stitches when you start the heel flap.
Row 1: (RS) K1, knit to end, turn (30sts)
Row 2: (WS)
Sl1, *make star, P1 *, repeat to last 2
sts, P2, turn
Row 3: Sl1, knit to end, turn
Row 4: Sl1, P2, *make star, P1*, repeat to last
3 sts, make star, turn
Row 5: Sl1, knit to end, turn
Repeat rows 2 to
5 until heel measures approximately 2 1/2 inches, finishing on row 3 or 5. If you want to make the heel flap longer,
continuing knitting rows 2 to 5 until you reach the desired length and
finishing on row 3 or 5, but remember that you will need to pick up more
stitches to create the gusset.
Turn heel
*For a larger or smaller sock, you will need to
alter the number of purl stitches in the first row of the heel (marked in bold
below), increasing by 1 stitch for each block of 4 stitches extra that you cast
on, or decreasing by 1 stitch for each block of 4 stitches less than 60
stitches. For example, if you cast on 64
stitches, your first row would be Sl1, P17, P2tog, P1, turn*
Row 1: Sl1, P16, P2tog, P1, turn
Row 2: Sl1, K5, SSK, K1, turn
Row 3: Sl1, P6, P2tog, P1, turn
Row 4: Sl1, K7, SSK, K1, turn
Continue in
this way, increasing one stitch between slip stitch and SSK or P2tog on each
row until all of the heel stitches are used.
Knit across
heel stitches if required to bring you to the left hand side of the heel ready
to pick up 17 stitches. Remember that if
you made the heel flap bigger, you will need to pick up more stitches. Once you have picked up the stitches, place
marker. Knit across the top of the foot in pattern (I usually knit back onto my circular
needle at this point), place marker, then pick up 17 stitches (or more if
required) up the other side of the heel.
Knit across the top of the heel and then shape gusset as below.
Note: If
you are using DPNs and/or have placed your stitches on a stitch holder, you can
arrange the needles as follows: Needle 1 for stitches across heel, Needle
2 for picked-up stitches down side of foot, Needle 3 for stitches across top of
foot (knit stitches off stitch holder if required), Needle 4 for picked-up
stitches on other side of foot. You may find that stitch markers are not
required at first.
Shape gusset
Round
1: K to 3 sts before the
marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, knit to next marker keeping star pattern
correct, slip marker, SSK, K to marker.
Round 2: Slip
marker, knit to next next marker keeping pattern correct, slip marker, knit to 3 sts before marker.
Round 3: K2tog, K1, slip marker, knit to next marker keeping star pattern correct, slip marker, SSK, K to marker.
Continue in
this way, decreasing by two stitches at the gusset on every other row until
there are 60 stitches on the needle.
Once you have 60
stitches again, continue to knit each round until you reach approximately 5cm
before the desired length ready to start the toes. You will probably need to repeat the chart
more than once; when you get to the top of the chart simply start again at the bottom. Don't be afraid to try your sock on before
decreasing for the toes!
Toes
At some point
whilst decreasing for the toes, if you are using a small circular you will need
to change back to DPNs as the number of stitches becomes too small for the
circular. You might even find it easier
to do that even on a large circular. It's
up to you when you choose to do that, and how you distribute the stitches
across the needles; just keep following the pattern as set below. Create the toes as follows:
Round 1: K1,
SSK, K24 sts (keeping pattern correct), K2tog, K1, place marker, K1, SSK, K24
sts, K2tog, K1
Round 2: Knit one round, slipping markers as you
come to them
Round 3: K1,
SSK, K to 3 sts before marker (keeping pattern correct), K2tog, K1, slip
marker, K1, SSK, K to 3 sts before marker, K2tog, K1
Repeat rounds 2
and 3 until you have 28 stitches left and divide these between two needles so
that front and back of socks match.
Graft toes
using Kitchener stitch.
If you want to
outline your stars, simply embroider around the edges taking care not to pull
the yarn too tight. I used a back stitch
but you can use any stitch that you like the look of.
You can also find this pattern on Ravelry so do show me your pictures if you decide to make starry socks for yourself - I'd love to see them!
This sock pattern is free and will always remain so, but if you have enjoyed using it and would like to make a donation towards future projects, it will be gratefully received! You can find the donation button on the sidebar on the left hand side. Thank you! xx
