Flat Knit Sock Pattern

Here's a sock you can knit flat in rows.

I got the idea from a Facebook post, but the instructions were in another language, so I wrote this pattern based on how I interpreted the picture.

The knitting of this is pretty easy, but you do need to know the basics: purl, knit, increase and decrease.  It also helps to know how to sew knitted fabric, but I don't have any advice for you there as I'm still learning how to do it myself.

Anyhow, here's the pattern. Enjoy!

Flat Knit Sock pattern:
Makes a size 9 sock.
Use size I knitting needles.
Need a crochet hook for starting and finishing. H or I would work.
Recommend using 2 colors, one for heel/toe and the other for top/bottom/cuff. Helps tremendously when you get to the part where you have to sew it up to look like a sock.

Crochet chain 15 cast on (by this I mean, crochet 15 ch, then knit to draw up loops, ending up with 16 loops on the needle), or knit cast on 16 loops.
P across 1 row.

Work Heel/Toe Pattern:
Heel/Toe Decrease: Each k row, decrease 1x each end; p next row. Repeat these 2 rows until 8 loops on needle (ending on purl row). (1.5")

Heel/Toe Increase: Each k row, increase 1x each end; p next row. Repeat these 2 rows until 16 loops on the needle (ending on a purl row). (1.5")

Change colors.
Work Middle Segment (Bottom/Top of foot):
K across; P across. Repeat these 2 rows until you measure 6".

Change  colors.
Repeat Heel/Toe pattern (this part will be your toe) (3" total)

Change colors.
Repeat Middle Segment pattern (this will be the top of the foot). (6")

Ankle (same color as bottom/top):
K across, cast on 8 additional stitches.
P across, cast on 8 additional stitches.  (32 loops on needle)
K across; P across. Repeat these 2 rows until 2 1/2" from first ankle row.

Work Cuff-ribbing (same color as ankle):
K2, P2 across; P2, K2 across. Repeat these 2 rows until cuff is 1.5".

Use crochet hook to bind off.

Sewing Guide:
Sew into a sock shape. I found that sewing from the wrong side (purl side) made a nicer look on the outside, but it doesn't really matter.

Sew the sides of the Ribbing and cuff together to make a tube.

First heel/toe (end of sock) is the heel. Sew bottom of two long ends of cuff to the heel end of the sock (that's the back of the foot).

Sew the top and bottom of foot together.

Sew the increase/decrease edges of the toe together.

Sew the increase/decrease edges of the heel together.

I recommend reinforcing along the place where the heel triangle tips meet the inside corner of the cuff. When you put the sock on, if you see gaps there, that's where you need it.  That will be where the most stress from stretching occurs.

Knitting Pattern: Check out this nifty knit hat!

Hope you're all faring well as we approach the year's end. 

Me?

I'm plugging away on editing, chilling with the family, and practicing the fine art of knitting.  Yes, you read that right. 

Anyway, I've apparently picked up some skill over the years because I managed to produce a nifty knit hat, and I managed to write it down, and even more awesomely, I managed to reproduce the hat following my directions.

And because, one, I don't want to forget how I did it and, two, I want to see if you can make one, too, here's my pattern.

JUST KIDDING!

Well, that is it, but I think you might find the following easier to work with. In case you were curious, the star means the pattern actually turned out well.  The knit hat 2 means that the knit hat 1 was hideous, and we shall never speak of it again...

Ahem, well, now that we have that out of the way, onward to the pattern!

Free Pattern: Simple Lacy Baby Blanket

Description:
This lovely little baby blanket is bouncy and lacy with just a bit of reinforcement built into it and along the side edges. The lacy bands are alternating single crochet and chain stitches. The solid lines are single crochet stitches. The side edges (along the end of the rows) are slip stitches. Might be an achievable challenge for a practiced beginner.

The Story Behind the Project:
I made this with the last skein of a batch of Bernat Softee Chunky (5) yarn in Natural I got from a friend.

It really was down to the wire with this one. Near the end, I tried to get one more set of pattern rows and made it through almost all four rows, only to come up short with about 6 inches left in the project. Hurt to unravel it, but doing that left me enough to reinforce the sides with slip stitches (I didn't have enough to reinforce the top and bottom, too).

Still, I think that's one of the things I enjoy about crafting without a pattern using dubiously minimal amounts of leftover yarn. It forces you to be creative and to make choices. In this project, I used a lot of open work to use less yarn, but it was springy and nice. I also used a huge hook (N) to make it even bigger. The slip stitches on the edges weren't my first choice, but I would have run out with single crochets. I also prefer my finishing borders to go all around a project, but I didn't have enough for that. 

Now, you might say, "Why didn't you just run on down to the store to buy some more yarn?" I did about halfway through the last ball I had (when I saw the writing on the wall), and then I went online. You know what? I found the color. I found the brand. I found the Softee Chunky. What I didn't find was all these things in a 5 weight yarn with only a two strand twist. Nope, looks to me like Bernat reclassified the Softee Chunky as a 6 weight and it now has three strands. It still looks lovely, and I want some of it to work with, but as you probably know, switching weights would have been rather noticeable in the final product.

Anyhow, I worked up the rest of the yarn and maybe a half an ounce of it from the previous skein and had just enough for a decently proportioned, if a bit small, baby blanket. It will likely be more of a snuggle blanket than a keep warm one, but I like it.

Stitches used:
Slip Stitch (ss)
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Both Loops = normal crochet stitch through both of the loops that make up the top of the stitch in the row below
Front Loop Only = just the loop in the front of the two loops that make up the top of the stitch in the row below

Scaling:
Starting chain = 42 (or any even number of stitches to gain width)
Pattern rows =  The pattern rows are 1 closed, 3 open, 1 closed. Scale up the length 4 rows at a time.  A 1, 3, 1 pattern could be made more open by changing to a 1, 5, 1 pattern, or more closed with a 2, 3, 2 pattern. The key is in keeping an odd number of open rows so each set of pattern rows and the project as a whole, ends up facing forward on the last row.

I used Bulky (5) yarn with a size N Hook for the blanket. For the swatch in the illustrations, I used 4 weight yarn and a size J Hook.  Use whichever you like. The bulkier yarn and larger hook make a springier fabric. The smaller one results in something a bit more flat with more obvious open work.

Ideas:
Lacy scarfs
Baby blankets
Wraps

Continue on to the Pattern

New Pattern: Two Row Alternating Single and Double Tunisian Stitch Pattern:

Alternating Single and Double Tunisian Rows

Description:The pattern consists of two rows, one of single and one of double height.

Tunisian crochet (also referred to as afghan crochet) uses a hook that closely resembles a knitting needle, but it has a hook on the end. It is worked without turning, and each row requires two passes.

In the forward pass, you draw up loops as you would in normal crochet, but you do not draw through the final two loops (to link to the last loop you made). This results in you collecting loops on your hook. After you end the forward pass, you draw up one extra loop through the last one you made.

In the backward pass, you’re closing up the loops you collected on your hook, finishing off the row and ending up with only one loop on your hook, ready to start the next row. You will have added an extra loop to the last one you made in the forward pass. Now you yarn over and draw backwards through your row, 2 loops at a time.

The basic stitch is simple Tunisian, and the simple comes into play with where you draw your loop through on the previous row. Simple has you draw through the front yarn of the vertical loop of the last row. Simple single Tunisian tends to curl, which is why I began to experiment with patterns.

Similar to regular crochet, variations can be made by inserting the hook in other parts of the stitch, either from the front or back, but I don’t recommend going after that until you’ve had some practice with the basics. Potholders or scarves are great practice, and they’ll turn out great with the tight stitches of Tunisian crochet.

Tunisian crochet hook (top) and normal crochet hook (bottom).

Stitches used: Simple Tunisian at Single and Double Crochet height.

Scaling: Not important, chain to desired width.

Ideas: Scarves, potholders, and blankets (if you have the right equipment).


Pattern:
Chain crochet to the desired width of your project. I chained 23 for this example, but the number doesn’t matter as the pattern is vertical via the rows.


Cast on Row (forward pass): Cast on by inserting the hook into the second chain from the end and drawing up one loop. Do not work the loop, leaving it on your hook. Continue to draw up loops and collect them on the hook until you’ve worked into each of the chains. On the last chain, draw up the loop and then draw a second loop through that to prepare for the reverse pass (no matter the type of Tunisian crochet stitch, you’ll always draw up this extra loop at the end of the first pass). Figures 1-3.


Cast on Row (reverse pass): Draw through two loops on hook, yarn over, and draw through two more loops. Continue until you’ve worked backwards to the beginning of the row and have only one loop on the hook. Figures 4-5.


Row 1 (forward pass): Ch 3 (this counts as the first stitch). Yarn over, slip your hook through the center of the vertical loop of the second stitch, and draw up a loop. Draw through two loops, leaving the remaining loop on the hook (like working an incomplete dc). Work the double Tunisian crochet across to the last stitch of the row. Draw up an extra loop on the last stitch before working the reverse pass. Figures 6-8.


Row 1 (reverse pass): Draw through two loops on hook, yarn over, and draw through two more loops. Continue until you’ve worked backwards to the beginning of the row and have only one loop on the hook. Figures 9-10.


Row 2 (forward pass): Ch 1 (this counts as the first stitch). Slip your hook through the center of the vertical loop of the second stitch and draw up a loop, leaving it to collect on your hook. Work the single Tunisian crochet across to the last stitch of the row. Draw up an extra loop on the last stitch before working the reverse pass. Figures 11-12


Row 2 (reverse pass): Work the same as Row 1 (reverse pass). Figure 13.


Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until your work is the desired length. Together, Rows 1 and 2 form the Pattern Row for this project.


Finishing: The stitch will yield different textures on the ends of the rows. If you’re right handed, the row on the right (where you start your rows) will have a chain crochet look, while the row on the left (where you start your reverse pass) will have a rough look. At a minimum, I’d single crochet around and down the left hand side of the project so a casual observer won’t see a difference. I chose not to continue the single crochets around to the other side as it turned out rather bulky when I tried it out.

~~~End of Pattern~~~

 

Illustrative Figures:

 

Figure 1: Casting on row (forward pass), placing the hook into one of the ch bumps to draw through a loop.

 

 



Figure 2: Casting on row (forward pass), 4 stitches cast on. Note the loops collect on the hook.

 

 





Figure 3: End of Cast on Row (forward pass), extra loop drawn up on last stitch.

Figure 4: Cast on Row (reverse pass), draw through 2 loops at a time, working backwards towards beginning of row.

Figure 5: Cast on Row complete (both passes).

Figure 6: Row 1 (forward pass),chain 3, yarn over, push through front post of loop.

Figure 7: Row 1 (forward pass), starting chain dc, plus three cast on Tunisian dc.

Figure 8: Row 1 (end of forward pass), extra loop drawn up on final Tunisian dc.

Figure 9: Row 1 (reverse pass), draw through two loops at a time back towards beginning of row.

Figure 10: Row 1 complete (both passes).

Figure 11: Row 2 (forward pass), insert hook of front post of top loop and draw up a loop.

Figure 12: Row 2 (end of forward pass), extra loop drawn up on last stitch.

Figure 13: Row 2 complete (both passes).

~~~

Project Idea:
Tunisian crochet lends itself towards rectangular projects, so I worked up this nifty Dr. Whovian looking scarf with the alternating colors. Of course, the downside was hiding all the loose ends, but it was worth it.

Without repeating all the details of the pattern, here is what I did.

Beginning (6 pattern rows):
Chain to the desired width and cast on in single Tunisian.

Rows 1-12: In your main color (MC), work the Pattern Row (rows 1 and 2 in the pattern instructions above) 6 times. Work a color change at the end of Row 12’s reverse pass as follows:

Changing Colors:
Row 12 (end of reverse pass-color change): At the end of the reverse pass on a single Tunisian row, leave two loops on your hook. Instead of drawing through the MC, switch to the second color (SC) and draw through a loop (be sure to leave a lengthy tail on this and the MC). Hold your fingers to the delicate joining you’ve done until you’ve gone a few stitches deep into the next forward pass.

TIP: Unlike in normal crochet, you will not want to carry those loose strands along under the new row. Weave them in at the end.

Working the Alternating Color Rows (3 pattern rows):
Rows 13 18: in your second color (SC) work the Pattern Row (rows 1 and 2 in the pattern instructions above) 3 times. Work a color change back to MC as indicated in the Row 12 (end of reverse pass-color change) instructions above.

Continue working the patterns as in Rows 13-18, three Pattern Rows each color segment, until you’re just shy of the length you want.

Ending:
In MC, work the final rows of the scarf as in Rows 1-12, 6 Pattern Rows. Finish off and weave in all those lovely ends.

~~~End of Project Description~~~

 

Well that's it. I've tried a few interesting things with the Tunisian stitch, but I'm still rather new at it.

If you'd like a really good write up on how to start off, I'd check out Red Heart's Ultimate Beginners Guide to Tunisian Crochet.

I'd love to hear what you think. Post in the comments!

 

 

New Pattern: Closed Wavy Rows

Closed Wavy Rows

Description: This is a two-row, repeating pattern that generates waves without the use of increase or decrease stitches. This approach produces a tight pattern of stitches that do not result in the open spaces common in wavy patterns that use the increase/decrease approach.
Stitches used: chain (ch), double crochet (dc), treble crochet (tc)
Scaling: 6 stitches (3 per beginning/end of each row) plus odd number of pairs (2 x odd number). (example stitch count for a row: 3+(2x7)+3=20).
Ideas: Hand towels (see Figure 7), dishcloths, potholders (use 2 strands of yarn worked tog.), clothing, blankets.