Stashbuster Spirals Socks

Lesson 1: The Pattern

We'll use three colors to make the stripes, and we'll refer to them as A, B, and C. The jogless spiral stripes technique can actually be used with any number of colors, but three is a good number for socks: the toe is done with color A, the heel is done with color B, the ribbing at the cuff is done with color C, and the foot and leg are striped with all three colors. If you only have small amounts of yarn in each color, you can use different ones for the toe, heel, and cuff. Be imaginative!

I'll assume that k2tog and ssk are familiar to you, but two other abbreviations used in this pattern might not be:

M1F

Directions: Lift the bar running between stitches onto a needle from front to back. Knit this stitch through the back loop.

Video:
KnittingHelp.com's increase page, select "M1L / M1F"

M1B

Directions:
Lift the bar running between stitches onto a needle from back to front. Knit this stitch through the front loop. (It will be a little awkward to do.)

Video:
KnittingHelp.com's increase page, select "M1R / M1B"

Both right- and Left-handed knitters can follow the Stashbuster Spirals pattern without modification. Lefties will need to reverse the motions in the videos for M1F and M1B and reverse references to right and left needles in the stitch instructions.

Instructions for the Figure 8 cast on can be found in several places on the web. My favorite is Kim Salazar's diagram, which you can find in several of her patterns (including this one).

Have fun!

52 Stitches
Child's Medium		 56 Stitches
Child's Large / Women's X-Small		 60 Stitches
Women's Small		 64 Stitches
Women's Medium		 68 Stitches
Women's Large / Men's Small		 72 Stitches
Women's X-Large / Men's Medium
Toe

Cast on:
12 16 16 20 20 20
stitches over two needles with Color A using the Figure 8 cast on method.

You should have:
6 8 8 10 10 10
stitches on each needle.

Round 1: Knit. (If you are using dpns, you'll need to introduce more needles in this round.)

Round 2: Repeat:
k1, M1F, k4, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k6, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k6, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k8, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k8, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k8, M1B, k1
twice.

Round 3: Knit.

Round 4: Repeat:
k1, M1F, k6, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k8, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k8, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k10, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k10, M1B, k1 k1, M1F, k10, M1B, k1
twice.

Round 3: Knit.

Continue in the manner, knitting odd-numbered rounds and increasing on even-numbered rounds, until you have:
52 56 60 64 68 72
stitches total, ending on an even-numbered row (knit only, no increases).

Next round: knit.

Next round: knit:
39 42 45 48 51 54
stitches, then place a marker. This marker indicates the beginning of round from now until the sock is complete. You are now ready to begin the first round of the foot.

Foot

Round 1: Knit:
17 19 20 21 23 24
stitches with Color A. Drop Color A, pick up Color B, and knit:
18 18 20 22 22 24
stitches with Color B. Drop Color B, pick up Color C, and knit:
17 19 20 21 23 24
stitches with Color C. You should now be ready to begin a new round.

Round 2: Continue knitting with Color C until you have worked all the stitches done in Color A in the round below. Drop Color C and pick up Color A. Continue knitting with Color A until you have worked all the stitches done in Color B in the round below. Drop Color A and pick up Color B. Finish the round by knitting with Color B until you reach the beginning of round marker.

Round 3: Continue knitting with color B until you have worked all the stitches worked in Color C in the round below. Pick up Color C and knit until you have worked all the stitches done in Color A in the round below. Drop Color C, pick up Color A and knit to the end of the round.

These three rounds make up the Jogless Spiral Stripe pattern. Repeat Rounds 1-3 until:
41 42 43 47 48 49
rounds are completed.

Gusset Increases

Place markers 1/4 and 3/4 of the way around the sock between stitches:
13 and 14,
and
39 and 40		 14 and 15,
and
42 and 43		 15 and 16,
and
45 and 46		 16 and 17,
and
48 and 49		 17 and 18,
and
51 and 52		 18 and 19,
and
54 and 55
These markers divide the sock into two equal halves. The half with the beginning of round marker in the center is the heel; the other half is the instep.

Round 1: While maintaining the stripe pattern, knit to one stitch past the first marker, M1B, knit to one before the second stitch marker, M1F, then finish the round.

Round 2: Knit, maintaining stripe pattern.

Repeat these two rounds exactly:
6 times
(12 rounds)		 7 times
(14 rounds)		 8 times
(16 rounds)		 9 times
(18 rounds)		 10 times
(20 rounds)		 11 times
(22 rounds)
for a total of:
53 56 59 65 68 71
rounds in the foot.

You should now have:
64 70 76 82 88 94
stitches, with:
38 42 46 50 54 58
between markers on the instep side and:
26 28 30 32 34 36
markers on the heel side of the sock. You should be at the beginning of a new round, ready to knit with Color B.

Sherman Heel

Work a Sherman heel with Color B according to Mary Lycan's original directions or the Sherman heel directions, modified for different sizes. Slip the instep stitches onto scrap yarn after you've done a few rows of the heel. Slip the instep stitches back onto your needles when you are done with the heel.

Gusset Decreases

With the heel complete, you should be partway into a new round, ready to work the instep stitches.

Round 1: Resume knitting in the round, maintaining the stripe pattern as you go, and work to the beginning of round marker.

Round 2: While maintaining stripe pattern, knit to first marker, ssk, knit to 2 stitches before second marker, k2tog, knit to end of round.

Round 3: Knit in stripe pattern.

Repeat Rounds 2-3 until:
52 56 60 64 68 72
stitches remain.

Leg

Continue knitting in stripe pattern until:
38 41 44 47 50 53
rounds have been completed. You should be ready to begin a new round with Color C.

Cuff

Break yarn for Colors A and B, leaving tails long enough to weave in (6" - 8").

Knit 2 rounds with Color C, then knit in k2p2 ribbing for:
12 14 16 18 20 22
rounds.

Finishing

Bind off loosely using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Cast Off, which you can view on the Socknitters website.

Weave in loose ends and you are done!

Want to see what my sample sock looked like in various states of completion and read my commentary? Then...
Proceed to the next Lesson.