Pattern 3 – Slippin’ Stripin’ Socks

Here it is – the long awaited and much anticipated Laceweight sock pattern. Be prepared because it’s like no other sock you’ve knit. Actually, I think it’s better described as a sweater for the foot. You’ll see what I mean. This is one very light and cushy sock.

This pattern was one of a batch submitted for last year’s games by Tina, who gave us the Mad Weave and the Batik sock. As I said when we released the Mad For Fair Isle Batik Style pattern, Tina’s ideas totally freaked us out when she first submitted them – not unlike the way the idea of a laceweight sock is freaking you all out – but they totally worked. When I saw the pictures of this sock, I loved it and really wanted to try it but I’m one of those who felts socks just by wearing them so, unless I could find superwash laceweight, I just couldn’t even consider it. It did stick in my mind though and when I saw that Tess had the perfect yarn in those gorgeous colors I instantly thought of this sock.
This pattern seems really simple and it is. The pattern repeat is easy to remember and there are no crazy techniques to learn. The tricky thing is keeping the 2 strands together – especially when you add a slipped stitch to the mix. It’s way too easy to mistakenly knit the slipped stitch together with one next to it as I did. (see picture) Sadly I didn’t notice until it was too late.
The fun is in watching the colors change. As I knit this sock I wondered what would happen if I added a third color or even a fourth to the mix. How fun would that be? Best of all, because the yarn is laceweight, when it was time to change colors I simply broke the yarn being discontinued (leaving a 2-2 inch tail and knit it in with the 2 from the new combination. It’s so thin that it broke easily and is barely noticeable. I should add that although it broke easily it never broke unless I wanted it to.
As usual, here are a few words from Tina. I know that she’s looking forward to seeing how your socks emerge and I am too.

I am so grateful the organizers took a chance on me, a new designer, and chose 2 of my sock designs for last year’s Sock Madness: Mad Color Weave and Mad for Fair Isle Batik Style.
I’m back for Sock Madness II and designed your next challenge, Slippin’ Stripin’ socks. I had no idea there would be so many discussions on the laceweight needed for this pattern – and I can’t tell you how much I wanted to jump in on them! – but I hope you’ll find this pattern worth it. Besides didn’t it enhance the suspense?
Some guessed early on and correctly that the laceweight is doubled, colors change, and even that it incorporates slip stitches. There aren’t any new techniques in this pattern but maybe you’ll enjoy the blending and changing of colors as much as I did. This pattern should work for men and women; the colors you choose will decide the character of your sock. I’m looking forward to what you all come up with!
Happy Knitting!
Tina Lorin
Ravelry: daydreamknitter
Blog: Knit Tenacity (http://woolgatheringandmore.blogspot.com)

P.S. Tina submitted great pictures of her version of the sock but I am a dork and due to my computer issues, I lost them. Trust me, her version looked great.