Did you ever have a kaleidoscope when you were a child – that tube of magical light that changed the image every time you turned the tube? Scientifically, a kaleidoscope works by mirrors reflecting light off themselves and an object at the bottom of the tube, but to a child – and the young at heart – it’s pure magic.
The diamond pattern in the Kaleidoscope socks reminds me of the images created inside the tube, and the diamonds change colour as they move down the sock when knitted with self-striping yarn. They are created using twisted stitches, a tiny two-stitch cable that requires no cable needle but produces a wonderful confidence-boosting pattern for any sock knitters – no magic required!
The Kaleidscope socks are constructed as top down socks with a heel flap and gusset, and the heel flap is knitted in Eye of Partridge heel stitch which creates a durable, cushioned heel. This pattern is written for four sizes, and the length of the sock is easily adjusted for any foot.
You can read more about the pattern in this blog post: Kaleidoscope Socks
Useful to know
Size
To fit ball of foot circumference 8 [8½:9:9½] inches ; 20 [22:23:24] cm
Yarn
1 x 100g ball of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply in Winwick Mum shade Wildflower (MC)
1 x 100g ball of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply in Sarsaparilla (CC) (Now discontinued – Fuchsia is a good alternative)
Materials
2.5mm needles – short circular needle, DPNs (double pointed needles) or 80cm circular for magic loop
1 set DPNs size 3.0mm (optional for a looser cuff)
1 set DPNs size 2.5mm (not required for magic loop)
Stitch holder (optional)
Stitch markers
Wool needle
Tension
30 sts to 10 cm (4 ins) in stocking stitch (worked in the round) on 3.5mm needles.
This pattern is for:
- Knitters who can confidently cast on, knit and purl. (I’ll help you with the rest!)
- People who are looking to add texture to a basic sock heel – Eye of Partridge heel is great for this.
- Knitters who want to impress with their sock skills – without tears behind the scenes!
Printing info:
The pattern is 18 pages long.
- 16 pages of pattern including written instructions and charts
- 2 pages of additional information at the end
This pattern is based on my Basic 4ply Socks pattern, which means that you can find photo and video help in the Winwick Mum Sockalong tutorials. You can find out more here:
If you can already knit socks but would like to stay in touch, click the link below to join the Winwick Mum mailing list to hear about the latest blog posts, pattern updates, tutorials and more … but no spam, I promise!
