Monday, April 9, 2012

Hermes Winged Baby Socks


The Greek god Hermes is famous for his winged sandals. I thought that that it would be cute to adapt this image into some baby socks!


The socks are a fast knit, and you can put either one or two wings on each sock to make your favorite baby fly!


Materials
  • Shine Sport (or other sport weight yarn) in White and Yellow (Cream and Butter were the color names.) This project consumed: 28 g yellow (~62 yards), 15 g white (~33 yards) making two socks and four wings.
  • Needles -size 2 (2.75 mm) double pointed knitting needles (or round sufficient for magic loop)
  • Yarn needle for weaving in loose ends
  • Sewing thread and needle (optional)
  • Gauge (of sock): 13 sts/2 inches; 17 rows/2 inches over stockinette.
  • Finished Size - Width: 2.25 inches, toe to heel: 4.5 inches. (Should fit a 3-6 month baby.)

The Pattern for the Baby Socks (Make 2)
  • The Cuff
    • Cast on 33 sts. Join to knit in the round.
    • Knit in 2x1 ribbing (K2, P1 across) for 10 Rounds.
    • Next Round: K31 sts, SSK (32 sts)
    • K 14 rounds of stockinette (K all stitches.) A total of 25 rows have been knit at this point.
  • Short Row Heel - Note: The heel is knit flat in short rows across a total of 16 stitches.
    • Heel Round 1: K 15, turn (16 sts on the needle - one is left unknit on the needle.)
    • Heel Round 2: YO, P 14, turn (17 sts)
    • Heel Round 3: YO, K13, turn (18 sts)
    • Heel Round 4: YO, P12, turn (19 sts)
    • Heel Round 5: YO, K11, Turn (20 sts)
    • Heel Round 6: YO, P10, turn (21 sts)
    • Heel Round 7: YO, K9, turn (22 sts)
    • Heel Round 8: YO, P8, turn (23 sts)
    • Heel Round 9: YO, K7, turn (24 sts)
    • Heel Round 10: YO, P 6, turn (25 sts)
    • Heel Round 11: YO, K6, K2tog, turn (25 sts)
    • Heel Round 12: YO, P7, SSP, Turn (25 sts)
    • Heel Round 13: YO, K8, K3tog, turn (24 sts)
    • Heel Round 14: YO, P9, SSSP, turn (23 sts)
    • Heel Round 15: YO, K 10, K3tog, Turn (22 sts)
    • Heel Round 16: YO, P11, SSSP, turn (21 sts)
    • Heel Round 17: YO, K 12, K3tog, turn (20 sts)
    • Heel Round 18: YO, P 13, SSSP, turn (19 sts)
    • Heel Round 19: YO, K 14, K3tog, turn (18 sts)
    • Heel Round 20: S1, P14, SSSP, Turn (16 sts)
  • Body of the Foot
    • Next Round: S1, K 14, [S1, M1 stitch from instep, PSSO], K 16 (32 sts)
    • Next Round: Pick up (but don't knit) one stitch from instep, K2tog with first stitch of the round, K 31. (32 sts)
    • K 15 rounds.
  • Toe Decreases
    • Decrease Round 1: K1, SSK, K10, K2tog, K2, SSK, K10, K2tog, K1 (28 sts)
    • Decrease Round 2: K across
    • Decrease Round 3: K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K2, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1 (24 sts)
    • Decrease Round 4: K across
    • Continue pattern as established, decreasing 4 sts in pattern on odd rows, knitting across on even rows until 12 stitches remain. (End on an odd row)
    • Graft the final stitches together using the Kitchener Stitch.

The Pattern for the Wings - Worked Flat (Make either 2 or 4, depending on how many wings you want on each sock.) You can also refer to the chart below these written instructions.
1. CO 19 stitches.
2. K1, SSK, K15, M1, K1 (19 sts)
3. K1, M1, K18 (20 sts)
4. K1, SSK, K16, M1, K1 (20 sts)
5. K20
6. K17, K2tog, K1 (19 sts)
7. K1, SSK, K13, K2tog, K1 (17 sts)
8. K14, K2tog, K1 (16 sts)
9. K1, SSK, K13 (15 sts)
10. K1, SSK, K11, M1, K1 (15 sts)
11. K1, M1, K1, M1, K13 (17 sts)
12. K1, SSK, K13, M1, K1 (17 sts)
13. K1, M1, K16 (18 sts)
14. K1, SSK, K14, M1, K1 (18 sts)
15. K18
16. K1, SSK, K12, K2tog, K1 (16 sts)
17. K1, SSK, K13 (15 sts)
18. K1, SSK, K9, K2tog, K1 (13 sts)
19. K1, SSK, K10 (12 sts)
20. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
21. K1, M1, K8, K2tog, K1 (12 sts)
22. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
23. K1, M1, K8, K2tog, K1 (12 sts)
24. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
25. K9, K2tog, K1 (11 sts)
26. K1, SSK, K5, K2tog, K1 (9 sts)
27. K1, SSK, K2, K3tog, K1 (6 sts)
28. SSK, K2tog, K2tog (3 sts)
29. K3tog (1 sts)
Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.



The chart summarizes all rows of the wings.

Chart key

FinishingWith yarn needle and yarn (or sewing needle and thread, whatever is your preference, sew the wings onto the socks. I decided the placement of the first wing by pinning the wing on while the sock was stuffed, and then using that placement as a guide for the other sock.


If you are making the two wing version of the socks, make sure you attach the wings to opposite sides of each sock. (you don't want one wing on the outside of the foot, and the other wing on the inside of the other foot!)


Tip: So your little one doesn't actually start flying across wooden floors, make the soles non-stick with puffy paint.


Other Pictures from Construction of the Wings

My initial sketch of the wing.

The graph paper doesn't have the correct gauge for the wings, but I wanted to get a sense of the size relative to the sock.

My attempt of a stockinette wing - it was turning out too large so I adjusted the design to fit the sock better.

The wing pinned onto the sock.

I do not have a model available to show you how these socks fit on a baby. I would love to see pictures!



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Abbreviations Used in this pattern:
WS - Wrong side of the fabric
RS - Right side of the fabric (the side of the project that you will see in the end)
S1 - slip one stitch purlwise
Kfb - increase by knitting into the front and back of a single stitch.
M1 (Make 1)- increase stitch by picking up yarn between two stitches, twisting and knitting.K - knit
P - purl
I-cord - knit stitches on dpn's without ever turning the needle (effectively knitting in the round with a small number of stitches.)
SSK - decrease by slipping two stitches then knitting them together. Alternatively, you could slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over.
SSP - Slip two stitches as if to knit, transfer back to the left hand needle. Purl the two slipped stitches together through the back loop.
SSSP - Slip three stitches as if to knit, transfer back to the left hand needle. Purl these three slipped stitches together through the back loop.
K2tog - decrease by knitting two stitches together.
K3tog - decrease by knitting three stitches together. (2 stitches decreased)
Kitchener stitch - a method of grafting live stitches together to make an invisible seam.

This knitting pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. You are not to distribute or sell this pattern without the permission of ChemKnits. © 2012 ChemKnits